Table of contents for No. 238 in Total 911

It’s certainly an interesting time in the Porsche marketplace at present. While there’s no question there are challenges here not seen for some time, things don’t appear to be as bad as some are speculating. Cars are still selling, and some for a pretty penny, too. Just take the Magnus Walker-built STR II – cover star of our own issue 100 around 10 years back, no less – which recently sold for a staggering £315k plus buyer fees via a popular online car auction platform, usurping the princely $302k made at a rather more lavish Pebble Beach auction in 2013. Two days later, I went with a friend to our local Porsche Centre, which had just acquired a sumptuous 964 C2 manual, albeit a Cabriolet, for sale at a heady…

After last month’s astounding collection of white cars, we’ve gone full circle with our search for interesting 911s and found a single black car. Not just any black car either, but an IROC car. It’s possible that you’re unfamiliar with IROC. The International Race of Champions was a US racing series devised by Les Richter (an ex-NFL player), Roger Penske and Mike Phelps. The idea was simple. Twelve racing drivers drove identical specification cars that were all set up by a single team of mechanics, to create close racing and a true measure of driver talent. In 1973/1974 the IROC cars were Porsche 911 Carrera RSRs. It was the first and only year that the drivers would compete in 911s. Subsequent years – all the way to 2006 – would…

993 Carrera RS road test For 30 years, the 993 has enjoyed widespread acclaim as the last air-cooled 911, and therefore the ultimate classic Porsche. Values have always remained buoyant, while general stock condition has tended to be excellent. Almost universally, the 993 is dearly loved and admired. At the top of the tree sat the Carrera RS, introduced two years into 993 production. Sure, the GT2 might lay claim to being the ‘uber’ 993, adding power and subtracting mass from Porsche’s heady Turbo package, but the RS significance bleeds well outside the fourth-generation 911: it’s the pinnacle of two decades of air-cooled Rennsport evolution. As you might expect, the 993 RS has long been revered by purists, but today it’s achieved halo status as a simple, lightweight racer, with…

Total 911: Ollie, Chris, thanks for joining us. Please do tell us about yourselves: how did you get into the Porsche industry? Ollie Barclay: I started when I was 18 years old and now I’m 25. I started off working at a different Porsche specialist and did my apprenticeship with them. Since then, I’ve been at Philip Raby, focusing on starting up a service centre alongside the sales. Chris Wright: I’ve been working in the Porsche industry since 2011 and my dad has been doing it for what feels like his whole life – I’m sure he was born with a spanner in his hand. His main focus was engines and gearboxes to begin with, then racing. I actually started karting and racing when I was nine years old and…

Zuffenhausen production gears up for the future The Porsche plant in Stuttgart is undergoing extensive reconstruction. Could this mean an electric or hybrid 911 is just around the corner? Porsche is upgrading its main manufacturing plant at Zuffenhausen, carrying out an extensive €250m reconstruction project that will equip it for two-door Porsche sports car production well into the next decade. An increase in capacity and flexibility in the Porsche production process is the goal, with one eye on an advanced electric future through the integration of new production phases. The assembly line for two-door sports cars – including the 911 – at the main plant has been extended with increased use of automated guided vehicles (AGVs). These replace the classic assembly line with a “Flexi-Line” approach. This will enable the…

You’re all absolutely mad,” said Tony Hatter as he looked up and down the table over lunch. Around it, a dozen or so of us laughed heartily while tucking into our fish and chips, while another two dozen did the same on further tables nestled around our countryside pub. It was hard to argue with the sentiment. Outside, the rain was lashing down heavily – not just in the Sussex fields around us, but all over the south of the UK. And yet, in the pub car park, nearly 30 Porsche 993s of varying model, colour and age derivatives sat patiently, their elegant forms sullied by leaves, mud and other detritus that had attached themselves to the cars during our two-hour drive. For any owner of a classic 911, that…

964/993 24v head If you’re an air-cooled 911 enthusiast, this is undoubtedly the most exciting time in the car’s history. Never before has there been such a plethora of restomods – and, more importantly, parts, options and engine builds available to owners who want to assemble their own 911 flavour. This was underlined when engineering company Swindon Powertrain unveiled its 24-valve cylinder head kit for the air-cooled M64 Porsche 911 engines. Kit is perhaps not the right word, though, because this part goes notably further than that. Let’s cover the basics first. The M64 engine refers to the naturally aspirated engines fitted to the 964 and the 993. Crucially, this newly developed kit offers four valves per cylinder, versus the standard engine’s two valves per cylinder. It also reduces the…

Of all the European tuners associated with the 911, one of the most recognisable is TechArt. Situated in Leonberg, just a short drive from the Stuttgart home of Porsche, the company’s made a name for itself by taking everything about the 911 that little bit further, as PR man Kevin Rohrscheidt explains to Total 911 in TechArt’s immaculate HQ showroom. Founded in 1987, TechArt started with interior upgrades, but quickly expanded to offer tuning packages to increase performance. Since then, the company’s flourished to become a leading name in the market, best known for its GT Street and GT Street RS cars. These were first launched on 996 Turbo or GT2 model variants in 2001, and pushed the aerodynamic styling and performance of 911s to new levels. Subsequent offerings have…

The village of Teloché, eight miles south of the Le Mans circuit, was famously the headquarters of the Porsche team during its annual French sojourn. Porsche’s importer and works driver Auguste Veuillet made the initial arrangements in May 1951 before Porsche’s first visit to la Sarthe. Only six years after the war, it was a brave move by a German works team to go to France to participate, even if the 24 Hours was already the world’s most important motor race. Yet in the event Porsche’s reception was far from hostile. On a political level, the governments of France and the newly established Federal Republic of Germany had already laid the basis of the European Community, and the visit of the modest Porsche team was timely. Auguste’s victory in the…

Driver training, or a faster 911? Dear Sir, I’ve been buying your magazine Total 911 for a while now. It’s a great read. I have an idea. You could take a normal (non-racing trained) but decent driver and go round a circuit in a Carrera S with some options. Then he or she could have a few advanced lessons (such as the ones offered by Porsche) and go round again in a basic Carrera to compare. The cost of the lessons is going to be, at most, a tenth of the difference in list price of the two cars, giving us all food for thought as to where some of our budget should be spent. Also, aren’t skills transferable to a driver’s other cars? Bargain… The comparison works as well…

HISTORY & TECH With the advent of the 996, Porsche decided to abandon GT2 racing and focus on GT3. The cars would be less expensive to build and expand the company’s opportunities to race 911s in championship series in front of a much wider public. Experiments with a prototype GT2 had also shown that even with 600hp, the turbocharged 911 would no longer be fast enough to beat GT2 competitors. Limitations of the M96 lubrication system (the engine fitted in the Carrera) meant that the new GT3 would require a bespoke unit. The first GT3 was revealed in 1999 – a limited production run to qualify the race credentials of the 996. It differed from its air-cooled RS forebears: in addition to a specific engine, it used a heavier chassis,…

CP MoreyAtlanta, USA @gtsence Model 997.2 CARRERA GTSYear 2011Acquired 2013 Model 992 GT3Year 2022Acquired 2022 Model 991.1 CARRERA GTSYear 2016Acquired 2020 My earliest memory of a Porsche 911 involves the original RS/R cars. Their widebody stance and iconic ducktail spoiler made them unlike anything else on the road. A 911 RS was my first Porsche, and it still holds a place in my collection… pocket-sized and sitting proudly on my desk! My fascination with cars started early in life, and the 911 RS came into my world when I was small enough to fit inside a shopping cart – a kind of hush money from my mom to keep me well-behaved during a trip to the grocery. Years later, as a teenager, I got my first chance to drive a…

Data file Full specs, ratings and market values of every Porsche 911 model from 1963 to 2023 can be found starting on page 82 Plus Showroom Looking for a new 911? The classifieds from our independent specialist partners are the first place where you should start your search Servicing & tuning Get the very best from your Porsche 911 with the help of our selected performance and maintenance specialists Porsche lifestyle Helping you make the right lifestyle choices to complement you and your 911. Don’t just drive Porsche – live the brand Insurance & finance Get your Porsche covered with the best insurance deals for road and track to ensure happy, safe motoring…