A Quick Run Through the History of the Porsche 911

The original 911 was based off the Porsche 356. Peugeot claimed the rights over the 901 moniker, so Porsche was forced to select another name for its 356 successor. The new car maintained the 356's fastback design, and utilized an air-cooled flat-six that produced130 bhp.

Once production of the 356 finally ceased in 1965, Porsche used the 356's four-cylinder engine in the 912. The 912 was meant to be a cheaper version of the 911 and was only produced between 1965 and 1969.

Porsche introduced the innovative Targa in 1965 as well. The prominent, protective rollbar defined this design, and the roof panel between it and the windshield could be removed, creating an open air experience for the driver.

A new 911 was introduced in 1966 and saw a power bump up from 130 bhp to 160 bhp. In order to handle this extra 30 bhp, the chassis and brakes were improved, including the addition of lightweight Fuchs wheels. However, the rear engined character of the 911 remained, making it tricky to drive at the limit.

Porsche upped the displacement of the 911's engine in 1970 to 2.2 liters. The cars were lightened through the use of aluminum engine lids and partially aluminum bumpers.

In 1972, the engine was enlarged even further to achieve a displacement of 2.4 liters and the S-version made 190 bhp. It was quick, and the lightweight body (approximately 2,315 lbs.) made it extremely agile.

Ten years had passed since Porsche introduced its 911 models. In 1973, the famed Carrera RS was introduced. Designed as a race car for the FIA Group 4 class, the flat-six was bumped up to 2.7 liters. It made 210 bhp and had mechanical fuel injection and the famed ducktail spoiler. The name "Carrera" came from the Carrera Panamericana Race in Mexico during the early 1950s.

A year after the Carrera RS was introduced, the flat-six in the base 911s was also bumped up to 2.7 liters.

Development of a turbocharged 911 began in 1972, and in 1975, Porsche launched the first 911 Turbo. It was an immediate hit. The Turbo made 260 bhp from a 3.0 liter turbocharged engine. People were drawn to the car's wide hips and big rear wing. At the time, it was the fastest production car in Germany.

In 1976, the 2.7 liter engine was replaced for good by a 3.0 liter, favored because of its increased reliability and potential for tuning. More torque made it more enjoyable to drive, and by 1980, all models (except the American-spec ones) made 204 bhp.

For 1978, Porsche bumped the Turbo's displacement up to 3.3 liters to make 296 bhp. It was also fitted with an intercooler that required the rear of the car to be redesigned. As a result, the "tea-tray" tail was implemented.

In 1984, the SC's 3.0 liter engine was replaced with a 3.2 liter engine and the Carrera 3.2 made more power and had better brakes. Customers could also option their Carreras with the more aggressive Turbo's spoiler and wide body.

The 3.6 liter 964 Carrera had floor-hinged pedals and roared with the flat-six air-cooled brilliance.

A turbo version of the 964 was introduced in 1990. The 3.3 liter engine was upgraded to make 315 bhp. Toward the end of the 964's run, sales slowed down as buyers anticipated the debut of the 993 in 1993.

Porsche introduced the firstTurbo S in 1992. It was geared for performance, and the S featured a more spartan interior and a lowered stance. It made 376 bhp and in the only year of the Turbo S's production run, approximately 80 cars were produced.

In 1993, Porsche launched the new Turbo 3.6, which had a new 3.6 liter turbocharged engine that produced 360 bhp. It was only produced for one model year.

The last of the air-cooled 911s and widely regarded by many as the best of the 911s, the 993 generation featured new front and rear ends, which resulted in a smoother and more aerodynamic look. Suspension was improved through the use of a multilink rear system. The Carrera's engine was a 3.6 liter flat-six that made 268 bhp and it was the first 911 to offer a six-speed manual transmission, as opposed to a four- or five-speed.

This was the first standard production Porsche to use twin-turbos, as well as a permanent AWD system. Power grew to 400 bhp from the 3.6 liter engine and caused many people to compare it with the legendary Porsche 959.

The beginning of the water-cooled 911s, the 996 was criticized for sharing its front end with the cheaper Boxster. In 2002, Porsche changed the design of the headlights to quiet the complaining. The 3.4 liter engine produced 296 bhp.

The 996 was also the platform where Porsche first made the GT3 a regular production trim of the 911. The GT3 had a 3.6 liter naturally aspirated flat-six that produced 355 bhp. This was the same engine shared with the 996 Turbo (minus the turbo), and was derived from the Le Mans racer, the 911 GT1.