The Porsche 911 is the exception that proves the rule “to all good things comes an end”. This contemporary and luxurious, yet sporty, German sportscar was released in 1963. To this day, they are still being produced in large numbers, also a range of variants has been developed to mimic a tailor-made product range. Although the 911 has been refined over the decades, the basic design – which is recognisable and thus sublime – has generally remained unchanged. This pragmatic and contemporary approach only Porsche could ever succeed in.
The 911 is the successor to the Porsche 356 and was designed by Ferdinand Porsche - the grandson of Porsche’s founder – and presented at the Frankfurt Auto Show in the autumn of 1963. In 1964, the first models were delivered to customers, and due to its great success, the 911 was soon expanded: a cheaper 912, a faster 911S and the rollbar equipped and extremely safe convertible Targa were released. This Targa was named after a Sicilian race that was year by year won by Porsche.
Initially, this car would be called the Porsche 901, but Peugeot became the headwind as their models were named by a three-digit number with a 0 in the middle. “Don’t worry”, said Porsche and they replaced the 0 with a 1. The Porsche 911 was born! After that, there was still Porsche cars built that were named with a three-digit number with a 0 in the middle, however those were exclusively intended for racing and circuit purposes, not for public roads.
Undoubtedly, the 911 has been modified over the years; as durable a design may be, times change, and cars do too. Porsche has always been prepared for changes and innovation. They gradually increased the engine displacement, the power and the size. The biggest mechanical change was the transition from air cooled engines to water cooled engine. Water cooled engines ensure an evenly cooled engine, which results in uniform combustion. This results in lower consumption and less emission.
Porsche 997
The Porsche 997 is the sixth branch in the Porsche 911 family and was constructed from 2004 to 2012. The 997 was improved based on the ‘weaknesses’ of the previous 996. The car’s lights, the indicators and the interior underwent noticeable changes. Mechanically, not much changed, the same 3.6L engine from the 996 was used. However, in 2008, Porsche made a mechanical update to the 997. They powered it with an automatic double clutch transmission – which is today still a very progressive move – on a 3.8L flat-six engine with direct fuel injection (or DFI).
The 997 was available as a coupe, soft-top convertible, and as a Targa, all powered with a 3.6L or a 3.8L six-cylinder engine under the hood that produced 345 hp or 385 hp. Over time, sport versions of this sports car were released: the GT3, the GT2 and as the crowning achievement, the GT2 RS.
Technical information:
Body work
Mechanics
Option list
XSC Porsche crest embossed in headrests
XRR 19" Carrera Sport wheels in GT Silver incl. colored Porsche crest
022 Black instrument dials
025 Black-faced stopwatch
176 Sports exhaust system
182 Hot country version
250 PDK Porsche Doppelkupplung 7-speed gearbox
267 Automatically dimmable mirrors
268 Rain sensor
342 Seat heating
345 Steering wheel heating
425 Rear window wiper