Table of contents for The Total 911 Collection Vol. 4 in The Total 911 Collection

The Porsche 911: with more than 53-years of glorious history to its name, no other sports car comes close. Over the last half-century, Zuffenhausen’s darling creation has evolved almost beyond recongition, starting with impact bumpers, then turbocharging, fixed wings and then active wings, four-wheel-drive, water-cooling, direct fuel injection, Coupe, Cabriolet and Targa body styles on its way to being the all-purpose, all-conquering driving machine we know today. However, despite all this, that quintessential Porsche 911 DNA remains at the heart of every single model, providing a driving experience like no other and continuing its unprecedented success on the racetrack. With over 900,000 Porsche 911s ever made, and 70% of them still on the road today, the legacy of the car is unrivalled. In The Total 911 Collection Volume 4 you’ll…

There’s a chuckle from the roadside as we hastily deploy the small soft top to protect ourselves from the sudden tropical rain, which is a daily occurrence in this part of the world. Akin to having a mere umbrella for its roof, this is not the only source of astonishment from my bemused passenger. “Why so few buttons?,” Bo Tan asks as he absorbs the interior delights of our special Porsche Carrera. Of course, he is posing questions that pedestrians at the roadside would never think about because, more or less, only new cars can be found on these urban Chinese roads. This is no modern Porsche, but one from comparatively prehistoric automotive times in China, which only ended around 12 years previously. Not only is this particular Carrera a…

Few could have feasibly predicted it beforehand, but 2015 has undoubtedly been the year of the 996. Historic stories of the generation being unloved are plentiful, though after values of the 996 GT3 RS and both GT3 generations rocketed north in 2014, enthusiasts this year turned to the Turbo as the last bastion of affordable Mezgerengined thrills. As such, these too have seen values increase: what was a £25,000 supercar is now pushing £50,000 for a clean example, which places the humble 996 Turbo directly onto the heels of its younger 997 Turbo brethren. While the 996 Turbo has appreciated, values of the Gen1 997 Turbo have remained strong. Boasting an extra 60bhp and more modern aesthetics, the 997 makes for an attractive option to those courting the famed Turbo…

Oh how we all enjoy an impressively good road trip. Just think about it; I’d wager that for most reading this fine bookazine, there’s not too much in life that can usurp the idea of slinging some essential luggage into the front of your Porsche 911 and taking on a drive to unfamiliar territory, hitting up some of the most delectable roads on Earth in the process. It is what Butzi’s seminal sports car was built for, after all. Your editorial team is no different, of course, and you’ll commonly find our excursions through the continent documented in detail among these very pages. A Total 911 road trip usually sees us head east, too, this being the direction you’ll find most of Europe from the bookazine’s humble UK offices. However,…

Isn’t it remarkable how associations of certain cars and specific events in our lives become etched into our memories? The more impressive the car is, based on your experience of it at the time, the more vividly you remember it. My first experience of an air-cooled 993 Turbo was during the first year after I finished high school. I joined the Porsche Club in the Western Cape, South Africa (without having owned a car of any kind, whatsoever), and I recollect that I turned up at the national event in my parents’ 1977 Volkswagen Kombi. Fortunately, I shared a passion for air-cooled motors – and, at the very least, the Kombi’s engine position and layout, albeit a flat four, was reasonably the same as that of the 911’s! The highlight…

The year 1999 seems like an eternity ago now. The 996 was still box fresh, though Porsche took very little time to offer 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. 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 highrevving naturally aspirated, dry-sumped, 3.6-litre Mezger flat six, with its DNA directly traceable to Porsche’s GT1 endurance racer, arguably injected the…

Let’s face it: the 911 Carrera has never been far away from a controversy or two. Right from launch as a non-Rennsport model in 1974, the Carrera headlined a sizeable shake-up for Porsche’s darling 911, as the adoption of impact bumpers changed the car’s silhouette for the first time after more than a decade of design perpetuance. It was an episode that would go on to become something of a trend for the model. Fifteen years later, it was the Carrera that introduced all-wheel drive to the 911 legend, a full year before Porsche’s traditional sports car setup was then revealed in 964 C2 form. Then, just before the turn of the century, the 996 Carrera heralded a change from air-cooled to water-cooled flat six engines in the biggest and…

There’s a famous quote, once uttered by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, which neatly elucidates the existence of a car on which this very publication is dedicated to. “I couldn’t find the sports car of my dreams, so I built it myself,” he said, of course in reference to the revelation of the 911 in 1963. More than half a century later, Ferdinand’s dream is still very much alive, with nearly one million examples of the 911 having rolled their wheels on roads (and offthem!) all over the world. But while Herr Porsche’s 911 may represent the pinnacle for many, for others there’s work to be done before that tag of a dream sports car can be truly upheld. It’s early autumn and I’m in California to get behind the wheel of…

‘L’must be one of the least exhilarating letters in the automotive world – and especially for those who appreciate Porsche 911s. After all, ‘L’ usually refers to long-wheelbase models, but letters such as S, R, RS, GT or GTS, well, enthusiasts pay more notice to those! There has been one L in the 911 range and, as it happens, it adorned a car with pride of place in the 911 lineage. In the days leading up to our drive in the 911L, social media was abuzz as the world’s motoring media descended on the new, improved Kyalami circuit in Johannesburg, South Africa, to attend the international launch of the 991.2 Turbo and Turbo S (see issue 137). This morning, before Porsche’s fastest production 911s set o. on their hot laps,…

Foot flat to the floor in third gear, I’m still waiting to make any meaningful progress around the high-speed test track, the location for today’s latest Total 911 drive. As the orange needle on the VDO tachometer sweeps past the 3,000rpm mark though, the whistling that had previously been but a mere mumble through the cockpit grows to a more pronounced shriek. The flat-six sound track swells, too, in unison, growling angrily as the aural experience combines with an old school dollop of single turbo boost. The pace has switched from ‘pedestrian’ to ‘brutal’ in the blink of an eye, the 911 Turbo galloping forward with indecent haste as the tree trunks lining the road blur into an organic mess in my peripheral vision. The road has seemingly narrowed, too,…

THE SECOND-GEN 997 RENNSPORT Given the desirability of the car you see here, it’s no real surprise that the second-generation 997 range would include a GT3 RS. It was no mild refresh though, as the new model would receive some substantial changes, not least of which was a 3.8-litre motor that sat on active engine mounts. With power and torque both increased – to 450hp and 430Nm respectively – the 0-62mph time was cut by 0.2 seconds to 4.0 seconds dead, and both response and mid-range shove were boosted. VarioCam Plus and a higher 8,500rpm redline also featured. Further revisions included gorgeous new centre-lock wheels and suspension that featured stiffer spring rates and tweaks to the anti-roll bars. Externally, the new model boasted various subtle changes, including redesigned air intakes,…

Born out of necessity, the Targa is an enduring if sometimes unloved model in the 911 range. Its inception was the result of Porsche’s obvious desire to offer an open-topped version of the 911 in the 1960s, though early 911s lacked the structural rigidity to offer a full open top. Fate would intervene, with proposed US safety legislation effectively killing development of conventional Cabriolets thanks to the anticipated demand for roll-over protection. Given the potential of the US market and as Porsche is not one to shy away from the insurmountable, it took a more unconventional approach to give customers an open-air choice. The solution was the Targa in 1967, which featured a full rollover hoop, to which a removable panel was fitted. On the earliest, short-wheelbase cars there was…

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 Mezger-engined 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 Zuffenhausen 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…

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…

“I actually don’t know what all the fuss is about,” remarked the owner when standing nex t to his 993 GT2 BPR championship contender. My jaw nearly dropped to the floor. He was referri ng to hi s beauti ful black with ora nge 997. 1 GT3 R S. Fortunately, he continued to explain his opin ion: “Once you’ve driven a 911 race car, even the good road cars simply don’t feel that specia l. They are less eager to turn i n, you can’t brake that late.” He does have a point, but this is coming f rom a collector that fully enjoys his 993 GT2 Clubspor t (see issue 121) on the road and the track – and why not? The ot her reason is t hat par…

I could not believe my eyes! Only a few weeks before I drove it, I had not even known this 911 existed. It all started when I visited a collector, who showed me fantastic pictures of the car in question while she was visiting like-minded enthusiasts in Johannesburg, South Africa. My initial thought was one of disdain – how could someone paint their 911 pink? However, it was explained to me that this was the car’s original colour, a small trinket that’s part of a very interesting history. A few phone calls later and an appointment was made with the owner. It turned out to be one of the most interesting 911 stories I have ever come across. “I was always a Ferrari fanatic. I really, really wanted a 246…

It’s hard to believe the Porsche 959 is three decades old. Endowed with truly effortless performance and elegantly styled, it’s the original Porsche supercar (if you think modest of the 930 Turbo), a pioneering machine that has captured the imaginations of car enthusiasts across the globe ever since – and, as we shall find out, mapped significant chapters of the 911’s own evolutionary journey. Although there is conjecture to the contrary, the 959 is a close relation of the 911 at the very least. With a flat-six engine positioned past the rear axle, its layout is, crucially, the same, and even a quick look around the car will uncover various styling cues from Neunelfers of the time and thereafter. Consider it a Porsche 911 on steroids, then; a relative heavyweight…

The 9A1 Rennsport flat six fills the cabin with a howling crescendo of noise as the 991 dashes at an astonishing rate along the asphalt. My right foot buried into the floor, I glance down to see the tachometer needle thrash round towards the redline as the car’s crank spins wildly. Approximately 200 yards dead ahead, three pylon-mounted arrow signs point left as the road duly sweeps round and out of sight. Action is required to prepare the car for the upcoming corner, and quickly. Then something strange happens. After scrubbing some speed with a dab of the brake pedal, convention in a 991 GT car dictates that a mere pull of the left PDK paddle on the steering wheel is all that’s needed to change down a gear, a…

As introductions to a new track go, this undoubtedly registers at the ‘surreal’ end of the spectrum. I’m no stranger to learning unfamiliar circuits, but I don’t normally initiate myself to new surroundings quite like this. At the wheel of a 964 Carrera RS, I’m familiarising myself with Botniaring’s nine distinct turns, all the while battling 1.62 miles of damp Finnish Tarmac soaked an hour or so earlier by an unseasonably heavy rainstorm. As if that wasn’t challenging enough, I’m attempting to keep up the pace with one of Weissach’s racing legends, Jürgen Barth. Yes, that Jürgen Barth, the man who has stood on all three steps of the La Sarthe podium, topped offby a victory in the 1977 24 Hours of Le Mans. Did I mention that Jürgen is…

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…

GTS: three letters that, when siphoned together, evoke a strong yet wonderfully nostalgic sporting spirit in the Porsche world. As you’ll know, the legend started more than 50 years ago with the 904 Carrera GTS, a Targa Florio-winning car that gave rise to the infallible 917, and was reignited for the 911 production line in 2010 with the 997 Carrera GTS. A run-out special with high quality options appointed as standard to the specification, a 997 GTS is an exquisite Carrera with genuine sporting intentions. It’s a Total 911 favourite and, if that’s not reason enough for you to find similar endearment with it, just take a look at the classifieds to see its current value. Certainly, no other 997 outside of the GT2/3/RS lineup has enjoyed such refusal to…

During the 1974 and 1975 seasons, Porsche’s 3.0-litre 911 Carrera RSR reigned supreme in international GT competitions, helping Weissach to titles on both sides of the Atlantic. During each year of its tenure as the top racing 911, the 3.0 RSR secured both World Championship and European GT honours, while Stateside a similar feat was achieved in the Trans-Am and IMSA GT series. The naturally aspirated car was, therefore, no slouch in the hands of both seasoned professionals and the numerous privateers who campaigned them around the world. However, for the 1976 season, Porsche had a new ace up its sleeve: the 934. In January, Weissach’s valued customers were invited to the Nürburgring to watch Porsche’s latest GT contender in action. At the helm of the prototype was test driver,…

Some people swear by coffee; others vouch for less legal means of perking themselves up. Personally, I’ve never had a need for either, however, the automotive industry has – since the 1970s – preferred turbochargers as its means of giving petrol-powered cars a boost, with Porsche using forced induction to good effect on the 911 for over 40 years. From the standard Turbo to the simply crazy GT2s, turbocharging has helped define the performance Neunelfer. More recently, forced induction has found its way onto the 911 Carrera for the first time, dividing Zuffenhausen enthusiasts and causing naturally aspirated aficionados to grab their pitchforks. Despite this, forced induction has more than its fair share of fans, especially in the world of tuned Porsche 911s, where bigger turbines and remapped electronics can…