Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol. 5 i The Total 911 Collection

Like a fine wine, the Porsche 911 seems to get better with age. Celebrating its 54th birthday in 2017, the history of the 911 continues to grow, its legacy deep-rooted ever more into the very fabric of the motoring world. The result is a breathtaking sports car: today’s Neunelfers are now faster, quicker and more economical to drive than ever before, such is the genius of modern engineering. That’s not to forget key models from the 911’s history, however, for it is these classics that have helped today’s cars evolve into the all-conquering driving machines they are. In the Total 911 Collection Volume 5, we take a look at iconic cars from right through the Neunelfer’s unrivalled history, with road trips, head to head tests, a look at modified and…

Porsche 911s are all special, but some are more so than others. Porsche is a company that by definition makes special cars, though the nature of the business it’s in inevitably attracts a type of customer who is always keen to explore, to do something unique, and to own and drive something individual and di? erent. Ever since the first 356s rolled out of Porsche’s doors, it’s been open to providing solutions for its most exacting clientele, the tradition for personalisation always possible, your imagination and your budget being the only permissable limitations. The Sonderwunsch-program, or ‘Special Wishes’ department has always existed, but it would only be formalised in 1986 when Zu? enhausen introduced the Porsche Exclusive department, with which Porsche aimed to fulfil every customer’s wish and desire. Of…

I will be the first to admit that my initial response to the Sport Classic was less than stellar. Introduced in 2010 at a time when the backdate 911 craze was in full frenzy, I rather casually viewed the Sport Classic press release as a spot of opportune mid-life badge engineering by Porsche. At a price point of £140,000, it was a healthy premium over even a well-specced 997, for what appeared to be simple cosmetic trinkets. I suspect many others thought the same. We were all wrong. Walking towards the Sport Classic, I begin to realise that, when you see one in the metal, any cynical dismissals of black-centred wheels and that ducktail were a mistake. All 250 Sport Classics are finished in this understated shade of ‘Sport Classic…

If I told you that one of Porsche’s most iconic cars arrived at its motor show debut more than 40 years ago fitted with wooden components, would you believe me? It may be a far cry from the polished concept cars seen at today’s auto expos, but this particular Neunelfer’s introduction to the world was far from ignominious. The 1973 IAA in Frankfurt was the first chance for the public to see the new impact-bumper 911 but talk around Porsche’s stand wasn’t about these newly festooned Neunelfers. Instead, it was a show-stopping prototype that had captured the attention of passersby. Visually, it was hardly a surprise. Starting life as a 911 2.4S chassis, Dick Soderberg’s team in the Porsche design studio had fitted flared front and rear RSR-style arches and…

For anyone investing in Mezger engined 996 Porsches, the GT3 RS has long been the default choice. Iconic in appearance and exceptionally rare, the 996 GT3 RS was a collectable for Porsche enthusiasts well before the current global 911 collecting phenomenon. But there are other 911s of that era produced in limited numbers that are equally collectable, just as challenging to drive, and in some ways could be more satisfying to own. We are talking, of course, about the 996 GT2 – and with both cars currently commanding the same money in the Porsche marketplace, suddenly a GT2 vs GT3 RS is a 996 showdown many serious buyers may look to ponder over. Introduced in 2001 and intended for those who felt the 996 Turbo was just too civilised, the…

The nomenclature consists of three simple letters: G, T and S. During the past few decades, many sports car manufacturers have employed the GTS designation in naming selected models, so much so that the abbreviation has become synonymous with “sportiness”, but the value of the respective distinctions can vary dramatically. Even Porsche is guilty of applying the GTS badge randomly; those letters have been used on race cars (the 904 Carrera GTS), as well as road cars other than the 911 (the 928 GTS and latterly, the Cayenne GTS, for example). As expected, when Porsche returned this particular badge to the 911 range in late 2010, a lot was expected of this new model. It was quite clear that Porsche aimed to bridge the gap between the sportier Carrera S…

The 911R’s five world records at Monza The 911R was developed out of a need to go quicker; to go racing. But the Porsche factory was slow off the start line to develop a hot version of the 911. Only in 1965 did the factory field a works 911 in the Monte Carlo Rally. Prior to 1965 it was left to privateers to fly the 911 flag and they continued to do so thereafter, with Günter Klass winning the European GT Rally Championship in 1966, and Eberhard Mahle the European Hill Climb Championship. 1966 proved to be a good year, as Jacques Dewez and Jean Kerguen secured a class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in their 911S which, incredibly, they drove both to and from the track.…

With 18 overall triumphs at the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring, Porsche is the most successful manufacturer in American endurance racing. But dyed-in-the-wool patriots need not wince; three of Weissach’s Daytona wins (and one of the Sebring triumphs) were achieved by a team of home state heroes: Brumos Racing. To anyone with more than a passing interest in Porsche’s US triumphs, the name is synonymous with success, with Peter Gregg and Hurley Haywood’s wins turning the white, red and blue 911s into icons. Brumos’ racing arm was closed in 2013 and in 2015 the dealership’s long and illustrious history was brought to a halt when a buy-out was led by Fields Auto Group, now trading under the “Porsche Jacksonville” banner. Florida and Zu. enhausen’s synergy…

For the enthusiast, a car is defined among other features by its exhaust note. TVR is one of the best examples of this. The mass manufacturers historically fitted the cheapest mild steel pipes they could obtain and this gave rise to a huge aftermarket for companies like Peco or Speedwell, which sold chromed tailpipes and larger bore stainless steel componentry in their hundreds of thousands to owners seeking more noise and performance. At Porsche, things were slightly di? erent. The rear engine meant the exhaust was much shorter and more convoluted and the 911’s exhaust, like the rest of the car, was properly engineered to duct away waste gases without compromising performance. Few Porsche fans complained that 1970s or 1980s 911s were not loud enough! Indeed, the apogée of 911…

The 911 2.4S in front of me_sits resplendent in the summer sun, its rare Gold metallic paintwork shimmering in the light._Our photographer, Dan, is laying on the concrete floor beside me, camera aimed upwards at the front of the car some ten yards away. Disturbed only by the intermittent clicking of his camera as Dan grabs a few variations of his shot, my thoughts are lost in sheer admiration of the Porsche. “That thing’s bloody gorgeous,” I eventually blurt, my mind won over by the purist 911 silhouette, black horn grilles – as per the 2.7 RS – and protruding front lip spoiler, all hallmarks of the 911S (at least in 1973 form) that make it a real Total 911 favourite. However, though original, this 2.4S isn’t totally in keeping…

When was the golden period for Porsche’s venerable 911? Your answer will probably depend on when you were born. Some 911 enthusiasts argue that pre-1973 911s are the real deal. Then, for some of us, an impact-bumper series car is the archetypal 911. All things considered, your preference may ultimately be determined by which of the aforementioned models captured your imagination the moment you saw a Porsche “in the wild” for the first time. I am a member of the latter group, but when I started reading about cars with real intent, it was the end of the 964/advent of the 993 era. The 993 Turbo with its rounded curves really stood out for me, especially since other performance cars of the period were generally very angular in terms of…

It’s 6am on a Friday morning. Despite being late May, the weather forecast for the day ahead doesn’t look promising but, with the predicted rain absent for now, there’s just enough warmth in the Bournemouth air to warrant calling the 991.2 Targa’s electric roof actuators into action. At the touch of a button, the iconic fabric panel is removed in a shade over 30 seconds. The motion may be unchanged since the reintroduction of the classic roll hoop on the Gen1 version but it’s still a mechanical marvel to watch. As my travelling companion and photographer for the day, Mr Daniel Pullen slips into the passenger seat, I engage the Sports exhaust and fire up the heated seats (the two most important options if you’ve set your heart – and…

Launched exactly a quarter of a century after the original 901, the Porsche 964 was meant to be “the 911 for the next 25 years”. Printed in the press material at the 964’s unveiling, these were the words of then Porsche AG Chairman, Heinz Branitzki. As corporate claims go, it was simultaneously extravagant and conservative. Despite numerous small updates (and the continuous upsizing of the flat-six engine), the 911 had, technologically, seen few major changes between its Frankfurt unveiling in 1963 and the 3.2 Carrera’s exodus from the line-up in 1989. The lack of wholesale development had nearly been the undoing of the 911 – declining sales in the late 1970s led Ernst Fuhrmann to the brink of axing the 911 – so to expect similar endurance from the 964…

The year 1999 seems like an eternity ago now. The 996 was still box fresh, though Porsche took very little time to o_er something special for customers wanting something a bit more focused. The GT3 brought a new, now familiar, badge to the range, adding sharpness for those wanting their 911 with a hint of homologation about it. It allowed Porsche to fulfil the wishes of the motorsport rule makers, creating a tangible link between road and track versions of the 911. Porsche’s answer with the GT3 wasn’t the usual lightened route it had taken with RSs, the GT3 actually heavier than its standard Carrera relation (by around 30kg). The addition of a high-revving naturally aspirated, dry-sumped, 3.6-litre Mezger flat six, with its DNA directly traceable to Porsche’s GT1 endurance…

991. 2 C2S V C4S Serendipity, they call this. It is the hottest day of the year in Britain, the 911’s on-board thermometer showing a scorching 34.5oC, and your favourite automotive magazine team are out on road test with a delectable double of 991.2 Carrera Cabriolets. Basking in the sun’s intense glare, both 911s are topless, their fourpanel roofs stowed neatly under the curvatures of their respective posterior. I can’t help but feel lucky to call this ‘work’. Aside from the favourable bright sunshine beating down on Josh, my Features Editor, and I, our 991.2 Carreras are delivering the full accoutrement of the 911’s traditional Cabriolet experience, namely a positively visceral auditory of the hard-working internal combustion engines behind us. In 991.2 guise this means that, as an overtone to…

I have driven a Le Mans racer on a public road. Now, there’s a sentence I thought I’d never write. Having said that, if there is a manufacturer that has built race cars that can, with some effort, be road registered, it’s Porsche. Let’s start at the beginning of this incredible story. This 1973 Porsche 2.8 RSR (chassis number 911 360 0636) has a rather illustrious racing history. Tipping the scales in full race trim at just 917kg, it was built in February 1973 and delivered to Max Moritz Racing a month later. During the following few years the car had a busy racing schedule: in May ’73 it qualified tenth for the Targa Florio, but unfortunately it did not finish the event following a crash. In June it was…

It must have seemed like a brilliant idea: a onemake national rally championship using 911s. Certainly, the director of Porsche Motorsport, Harmut Kristen, was not alone in thinking so – after all, Porsche wouldn’t even have to design a car: the template already existed in the shape of a specially built 996 GT3 that Walter Röhrl had driven to great acclaim as the ‘hare’ in the 2001 Deutschland Rally. As was later revealed, this car was the very first GT3 o. the line in 1999, and it was kept by the factory and later turned into a rally demonstrator by the Motorsport department. The man behind the one-make scheme was Belgian Gérard Magniette, an entirely plausible former national rally champion who had competed in Mercedes 190s, Escort Cosworths and a…

Constantly tightening emissions regulations and the resultant focus on ever-more e cient engines means the day of the turbocharged Carrera was inevitable. Thanks to the industryleading technical expertise of Porsche engineers, the new 991.2 Carrera has retained most of the outgoing 9A1 engine’s naturally aspirated charm, while introducing massive gains in usable midrange performance, allied with improved e ciency. While the previous Gen1 Carreras were available in 350hp/3.4-litre and 400hp/3.8-litre capacities, the new Gen2 cars all share the same 3.0-litre swept volume. Their power di. erences are achieved mainly through changes in the turbocharger impellers: 49mm for the Carrera and 51mm for the Carrera S, along with varying boost pressures of 16psi for the Carrera S and 13.1psi for the Carrera. Detail changes such as relocated fuel injector nozzles and…

In the sports car world, it is a well-established convention that each successive model is more powerful and faster than its predecessor, and Porsche has consistently stuck to this rule – except for a brief period in the 1970s. The rise of US emission regulations caught out all the motor manufacturers, especially America’s muscle cars, which were completely hobbled. However, thanks to its superior engineering, Porsche managed to avoid the worst of the power deficits: in 1976, the top-of-the-range Carrera 3.0 was only 13bhp down and had the same torque as the celebrated 2.7 of 1973- 74. However, when the Carrera and the lower output K Series 2.7 made way in model year 1978 for the SC, there was considerable disappointment that the latest Porsche was rated at ‘only’ 180bhp.…

Sixteen years ago. It all seems so fresh, the idea that at the turn of the millennium the world could stop revolving, while computer programmers would be cashing in sorting out the will-it-or-won’t-it ‘bug’. Never has a date change been so potentially cataclysmic, or in hindsight, such a let down. We all partied like it was 1999 because, finally, it was. Porsche celebrated with a special edition 911: the 996 Millennium. Fittingly it was painted in Violet chromaflair where, according to the brochure, “the colour changes from black to dark green to an elegant shade of violet.” Sitting under the sun today, that hue’s flipping between a deep brown to near black, with a bit of green there too, depending on how the light’s hitting it. Porsche certainly isn’t averse…

Up ahead, Total 911 Editor, Lee, is having a very good day at work. How can I tell just from looking at the back of his head? Well, he’s behind the wheel of a genuine, first 500, M471 ‘Sport’ specification 2.7 RS, and no one can have a bad day when in the driver’s seat of such a legendary 911. It’s even finished in Grand Prix white with the blue side script and colour-coded Fuchs. With the sun glinting o. the famous bürzel, it looks sublime. At this particular moment, I’d wager that I’m having an even better time though, and not just thanks to the glorious view of the original Rennsport shooting up the road ahead of me. You see, Lee may be at the helm of a 2.7…

There are two core elements that create a collectable 996-generation 911. The first is the obvious requirement of rarity. Limited numbers 911s always make the cut. The second is the Mezger engine. This core element, carried over and constantly evolved and updated through the timeline of the 911, creates a tempo, a personality that utterly transforms the 996. At a moment in the 911’s history when the faithful may have wavered in the face of a water-cooled car, the Mezgerengined 911s showed that Porsche still understood its enthusiast driver market. They are and always will be something special, as Total 911 finds out when putting all five dry-sumped 996s to the test.…

It’s incredible,_in terms of engineering evolution,_what Porsche has achieved in 15 short years_with the 911 Turbo._As the 996 Turbo sits_silently_next to its younger 991 brethren, their respective exhausts still_making light ‘pinging’_sounds_as they cool_from our_country blast,_the_overarching_theme of change – even visually – is very much evident. For context_though, we first need to look outside of Zu. enhausen_and_towards other manufacturers_with sports cars_who have_graced the road for a similar length of time (and we’re_talking_here_about_a_15-year_window, not the Turbo’s full 41-year lineage,_which is unmatched in the automotive world)._One of the most obvious examples is the humble Mazda MX-5._Through two generations from launch in 1989 right up to 2006,_the MX-5_barely changed in dimension, engine size, or technical assistance (namely because there wasn’t any). Not until the_third generation did the MX-5 get a new engine, a larger…

In 2017, the Porsche Supercup celebrates its 25th anniversary. The one-make series has, alongside the various national Carrera Cup Championships, used its level playing field to allow the best up-and-coming racers to rise to the top. Two decades before the Supercup was even formed though, Porsche was involved in another one-make series, one with a unique aim: to find out, across the worlds of Formula 1, NASCAR, IndyCar and sports cars, who was the greatest driver of all. For North American readers, IROC will likely be more familiar in Chevrolet or Pontiac circles, while in Europe, the International Race of Champions enjoyed little publicity over its 30-year run. However, before the succession of Camaros and Firebirds, the first series was actually run using 15 identical Porsche 911s: the IROC RSRs.…

It’s very sti_,” exclaims Autofarm’s Josh Sadler, wide-eyed as he clambers out of the blackand- orange Porsche 930’s roll cage-clad cockpit. “It just bumps around and wants to find its own path through the corners.” My heart skips another beat. Today’s test venue – Castle Combe – is not just one of the UK’s fastest circuits; it is universally renowned as the bumpiest, too. Therefore, as I’m sure you’ll appreciate, those weren’t the words I was hoping to hear just before donning my helmet and climbing behind the wheel for the first time. While I knew ahead of today’s Porsche Club GB trackday that I’d be piloting a tuned 930, I had little more than a few scant details ahead of my early morning trip from Bournemouth across Salisbury Plain…

Its brakes are the unsung heroes of the 911’s dynamics yet, surprisingly, Porsche was a reluctant convert to disc brakes, persisting with drums on the 356 as late as 1964. Drum brakes then were significantly lighter than the original steel disc combinations and, for Porsche, drums were justified because low unsprung weight contributed to those essential Porsche qualities; agility and control. But Zu. enhausen also recognised that the 911 would be heavier and more powerful than the 356 and opted for all-round disc brakes from the outset of the new model. The 911’s system was developed with Alfred Teves Break Systems (ATE) and comprised two-piston iron calipers on solid discs; the rear calipers were slightly smaller to reflect the greater work carried out by the fronts. Testing with the 911S…

In the beginning, the Gmünd Coupes used unmodified suspension and running gear directly from the VW Beetle. By 1951 the Porsche-developed VW flat four was beginning to overwhelm non-synchromesh VW cogs and so Porsche designed a four-speed Typ 519 gearbox with Leopold Schmid. This unusual application placed the five-speed constant mesh gearbox between the engine and the final drive and featured Porsche Synchromesh. Ferry’s engineers applied this to the Typ 519, which they o. ered to VW but were turned down by Wolfsburg in favour of the Borg Warner design used by Opel. The gearbox became the first major component that Porsche had to find elsewhere. It turned to Getrag in Ludwigsburg, a builder of truck gearboxes, who initially struggled with the miniaturisation required for cars, so Zu. enhausen had…