Porsche 911: The complete guide

Some cars get replaced and some are worthy of evolution. The Porsche 911 has been honed since 1963, and there’s no end in sight for the all-conquering coupe.

Andy Goodwin looks back at the illustrious history of Germany’s most famous sports car.

If you could time travel back in time to a Porsche showroom in the 1950s, your eyes would fall upon the pretty Porsche 356. It might have been based on the Volkswagen Beetle, but it was a sports car none the less.

But by the 1960s it was getting left behind by rivals in the speed stakes, and Porsche needed something new. Step forward Ferdinand Porsche, son of Ferry Porsche, the company’s foundation.

Porsche intended to call their new car the 901, but Peugeot kicked up a fuss deeming the name too similar to their model designations.

Instead Porsche chose 911, and a legend was born.

View pictures of every generation of Porsche 911

Porsche 911
1963 - 1989

The stylish 911, with design work by Butzi Porsche, was small and chic, proving an instant hit with the fashionable upper and middle classes.

But perfection did not – the air-cooled six cylinder, rear-engined 911 had unpredictable handling on the limit which gained it a reputation for violent skids and untimely trips off-road.

Amazingly the handling woes were temporarily cured by fitting heavy metal weights into the front bumper of each 911 built, improving its balance.

In 1965 a Targa was added to the model line-up, with a removable roof section between the windscreen and roll hoop. It was named after the Targa Florio road race and proved a popular addition to the range.

The Porsche 911 Carrera RS was born in 1973, a highlight in the continued evolution of the model. Its engine had grown to 2.7-litres in size and the 130bhp of the original car swelled to 210bhp. It was also lightweight – a devastating combination making it a force to be reckoned with.

Never content to stay still and always pioneering technology – the next bold move for engineers was into turbocharging the air-cooled engine.

The 1978 911 Turbo was producing around 300bhp, making it amongst the fastest cars on the planet.

Porsche 911 (964)
1989 - 1993

The first all-new 911 came in 1989, at a time of a global economic recession which undoubtedly dented sales success.

Despite the gloomy budget forecasts and frantic tightening of purse strings, Porsche’s engineers managed to pull something special out of the bag.

The car was an evolution of the classic 911 ‘teardrop’ shape of its predecessor, but more than 80 per cent of its parts were new - including a larger 3.6-litre 6-cylinder engine.

And, for the first time, 911 owners could experience four-wheel-drive and the extra grip it offered in the Carrera 4 model.

Porsche 911 (993)
1994 - 1996

Many Porsche followers believe the 993 is the ultimate 911, for its mix of classic and modern looks and breathtaking performance.

The 130bhp of the original 60s car, was a fading memory as the twin-turbocharged 911 (993) took to the streets with a mind blowing 400bhp.

It was the last 911 model with an air-cooled heart and even the lowliest model had 270bhp.

All cars were fitted with a cutting edge six-speed gearbox and sophisticated multi-link rear suspension, ensuring and engaging drive.

The Porsche 911 (993) GT2 is launched as a Le Mans racing homoglation special and stuns the world with its speed and looks. Its blistered wheelarches hide near-racing spec suspension and 430bhp.

It accelerates from 0-60mph in 4-seconds and hits 184mph and quickly gained a reputation for being rather unforgiving in the wrong hands.

The 993 generation also bore the RUF Yellow Bird – a car tuned to such an extent it took on the name of its builders RUF and was no longer called a Porsche.

It was the world’s fastest production car until the Ferrari F40 stole its crown.

Porsche 911 (996)
1996 - 2005

The last Porsche 911 of the 20th Century was also the most controversial. It was the first to feature a water-cooled engine and had a smooth nose which moved away from the raised wings and headlights of its predecessors.

Its design language was in-line with the new Porsche Boxster roadster, and quite a few parts were shared too.

Despite criticism from hardcore fans, it was undoubtedly one of the greatest 911s of all time to drive. It was more accessible and easier to own than any sports car before it and still had mind-bending performance.

The GT2 and GT3 were closely related to Porsche racing cars and had true supercar performance.

With an staggering top speed of 198mph, the Porsche 911 (996) GT2 was a true supercar.

View pictures of every generation of Porsche 911

Porsche 911 (997)
2004 -

The 911 on sale today is a pedigree beast. The 911 997 is immediately recognisable as a development of the 911 996, but reverting to the 911 trademark round headlights.

It’s the ultimate all-rounder, being able to cruise along the motorway one moment and attack your favourite racing track the next.

The 911 997 Turbo packs an almighty 473bhp and 457lb/ft of pulling power, and dispatches a 0-60mph run in 3.9 seconds before reaching 192mph.

It’s also the first 911 with a model capable of more than 200mph – in GT2 guise with 530bhp.

The GT2 model is the most expensive Porsche 911 ever sold, at a cool £131,070 a pop.

And, the forward momentum of this model shows no sign of slowing. A facelift has just been announced featuring another Porsche first – a seven-speed twin clutch gearbox.

We picked the Porsche 911 GT2 as one of our cars of the year. Find out why on the Auto Trader Blog

Check out this official video of the Porsche 911 GT2 (Video has no audio)