Table of contents for No. 211 in Total 911

It is perhaps a little strange to open a tome dedicated to Porsche’s iconic 911 sports car, only to be greeted with a picture of its smaller, mid-engined brother in the Cayman at the top of my welcome note this month. It is for good reason however, as I am about to disclose. The Cayman v 911 debate is one that’s raged on for some time now, though I confess it’s not something I’ve ever really understood. They are completely different cars in the way they drive, handle and feel. Since the Cayman’s inception in 2006, Porsche has always been keen to ensure a tangible distance between it and a 911 in the performance stakes, with the mid-engine car often getting a de-tuned version of a 911 engine. And while…

Get out and drive Dear Sir, Having had both of my trips cancelled at short notice, myself and some friends (997.1 GT3 RS, 997.2 Turbo, my GT3, and somehow a GT4 crept into the group) decided to escape to Wales for a couple of days. In truth it was only on the third attempt we managed to find a 72-hour break in the weather. Driving in the rain is great, if you are on track and have run offs, but on the public road a dry stretch of tarmac and good visibility makes for a safer and more ‘spirited’ pace. We left London late on a Sunday evening and drove up ready for an early start. The first day took place in Bala, Snowdonia, the Evo Triangle (average speed cameras…

The early 1990s was something of a purple patch for performance cars. In 1989, Nissan launched the third-generation (R32) Skyline GT-R, a turbocharged giant-killer packed with motorsport hardware. A year later, Honda delivered the NSX, a visceral mid-engined supercar that was as docile to drive as a Civic. Then came the Ferrari F355, complete with the first production paddle-shift gearbox and a feral 8,500rpm V8. These cars burned bright, but hidden in a secret warehouse near Zuffenhausen is one that could have extinguished them all. According to Dieter Landenberger, head of corporate history at the Volkswagen Group, it was planned as “a cheaper successor to the 959” – and a standalone replacement for the 930 Turbo. The 965 story is one of admirable ambition and cruel commercial reality, of game-changing…

Ian Harris Shoreham, UK @harrisclassics Model 3.2 CARRERA COMMEMORATIVE EDITION Year 1988 Acquired DEC 2020 Model 911 SC Year 1980 Acquired JUNE 2020 Model 964CARRERA Year 1993 Acquired JULY 2021 Model 991.2GT3 Year 2019 Acquired MARCH 2021 I’ve been enjoying the 964 a lot: I love the new interior with its stripped-out look and roll cage. We removed all the sound deadening and it’s made the cabin fill with more mechanical engine sounds and the single mass flywheel sounds great. The next stage of my build is the cosmetics. One of my planned jobs, which will be nice and easy, is to fit the RUF front lower splitter. I had ordered this from RUF direct and although it’s pretty expensive for what it is, the fit and quality is superb…

It is the old myth we’ve all heard so many times, we can recite it ourselves. Namely, if you want to buy a car with any form of opening roof, then buy it over the winter period. That, we are purportedly told, is when anything open top is hardest to sell, therefore prices plummet alongside the temperature. But is that fact or fiction when it comes to open top 911s? We asked this to two 911 specialists who have weathered more than a few winters: Sussex-based Paragon, and London-based Hexagon Classics. Paragon’s Jamie Tyler sets us straight. “There isn’t really any change in price of a 911 Cabriolet during winter,” he says. There are, instead, other factors which can affect sales. “Cabriolet sales certainly slow during winter,” says Tyler, but…

Porsche celebrates 50 years of Weissach The birthplace of Porsche vehicles since the 1970s has reached a milestone anniversary Porsche is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its Weissach Development Centre, which today stretches across 100 hectares and employs 6,700 people. Located just 15 miles from Zuffenhausen, the site in Weissach became home to the Porsche design and development departments when it opened on 1 October 1971, but the area’s history with Porsche can be traced even further back in time. Porsche first began its search for a dedicated test track and research site in the 1950s, but finding the right location was far from simple as Ferry Porsche placed great importance on the environmental impact of such a facility. Racing driver, Herbert Linge, suggested his home town, Weissach – it…

I wonder if the folks at Porsche realised just how iconic the Rennsport models would become nearly 50 years later? Barely ten years since the inception of the 911 and the world was blessed with what for many remains the iconic 911, in 1973’s 2.7 RS. Starting a family bloodline that would go on to deliver some of the most valuable, desirable and downright fabulous-to-drive 911s that have ever existed, I guess we should be thankful for Porsche’s desire to go motor racing to prove its mettle. And as if the wonderful 2.7 RS wasn’t enough, that difficult second album delivered in spades with the 3.0 RS a year later – costing almost twice as much as the 2.7, it brought more power, less weight and 917 brakes to deliver…

Data file Full specs, ratings and market values of every Porsche 911 model, including the Carrera 3.0, can be found beginning on page 76 Plus Showroom Looking for a new 911? The classifieds from our independent specialist partners are the first place 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…

Despite the many complex technological advances, features and systems used over the lifespan of the 911, one vital element of the car relied on a simple, mechanical system for over 40 years – the use of torsion bar suspension. Invented by Ferdinand Porsche, he patented the system in 1931, when suspension designs typically relied on crude leaf spring systems more akin to horse and cart technology than sports cars. Torsion bars in comparison were smaller, neater, lighter and more comfortable, aiding traction and reducing roll. Porsche’s torsion bar idea was first used by Ferry Porsche in 1948 for the 356, as well as in prototypes and race cars. The 356 sports car design was modified for the later 911, where wishbones were used on the front axle. The system comprised…

Porsche Design creates hotel brand Porsche Design has joined with Deutsche Hospitality to create the Steigenberger Porsche Design Hotels brand. The luxury hotels will be located in 15 cities across the world such as London, Singapore, Dubai and Shanghai. The hotels will offer at least 150 rooms, suites and penthouses, plus restaurants and bars, ‘Meet&Greet Cubes’, a health and beauty facility and a gym. 2022 GT3 Cup car previewed Porsche Motorsport GB has unveiled its plans for 2022, which includes the introduction of the 992 GT3 Cup to Porsche Carrera Cup GB. The latest 992 Cup car uses an evolved 4.0-litre six-cylinder boxer engine producing 510hp and 470Nm, with double wishbone suspension featuring for the first time on a Cup car. The championship celebrates its 20th season next year.…

“The wide body, wider tyres and extra driven wheels build on the 911’s excellent traction to make a C4S awesomely competent” There’s no shortage of milestones throughout the long history of Porsche road cars, but if I were pushed to pick one pivotal year it would have to be 1996. That was the year a quarter of a century ago that Porsche transitioned from the past to the future, securing its survival and laying the foundations for today’s success. In the fallow years prior, Porsche sales had withered to just 12,500 units at the time of the 993-era 911’s introduction in 1993. In the success that followed, the new Boxster was joined by a radically redesigned water-cooled 911 and, later, the Cayenne SUV. But for a brief period from 1996…

“I’ve been obsessed with cars since I was young, and that developed into a love for Porsches, and the 911 in particular” Many 911 owners would already consider their car to be a piece of automotive art – we certainly do – and gazing over the curvaceous bodywork can give many hours of pleasure. But there’s more than one way to enjoy the stunning appearance, and having it committed to canvas would be special indeed. Which brings us to the work of renowned artist, Rob Hefferan. Fascinated with art since childhood, his first exhibition in 2003 showcasing his skills in figurative work and portraiture was a resounding success. It’s those skills along with an international reputation for quality and unrivalled attention to detail that has led to his work being…

The setting is the Steering Wheel Club in Mayfair and the date is October 1970. The occasion is the presentation of an award to that year’s Le Mans winners, Richard Attwood and Hans Herrmann. Behind them is Porsche competitions manager Rico Steinemann and presenting the prize, Stirling Moss, now well established in his second career, motor racing PR. The Club was opened in 1946 by pre-war Brooklands racer and pillar of the BARC, HJ Morgan, who had also done much to establish motor racing at Goodwood after the war. The Club became a mecca for racing drivers, aspiring drivers and the few hangers-on who managed to get through the door. In the days when sex was safe and motor racing was dangerous and deals were done over a drink and…