Porsche 911

Porsche 911 at a glance

Porsche's other models, from the Porsche 959 supercar to today's SUVs, are listed in the Porsche catalogue, and the company's story is told in our history of Porsche.

Generations at a glance

Power and performance of individual versions can be checked against other cars, such as the Nissan GT-R, in our car rankings.

The original 911 (1964–1973)

Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, known as Butzi, sketched the car in 1959 as the successor to the 356. It was shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963 as the 901, and production began in September 1964. Peugeot objected to the name because it used three-digit model names with a zero in the middle, so after 82 cars Porsche switched to 911.

The first engine was an air-cooled 1,991 cc flat-six with 96 kW (130 PS). A cheaper 912 with a 1,582 cc four-cylinder and 66 kW (90 PS) followed in 1965, and the 911S of 1966 had 118 kW (160 PS). The Targa with a removable roof panel and a fixed roll hoop joined the range in 1966/67, and the Sportomatic, a clutchless semi-automatic with a torque converter, became an option for the 1967 model year.

The car grew steadily. For 1969 Porsche moved the rear wheels back by 57 mm, lengthening the wheelbase from 2,211 to 2,268 mm without changing the body. The 2.2-litre engine of 1970 gave 92–132 kW (125–180 PS), and the 2.4 of 1972 gave 96–140 kW (130–190 PS) in Europe.

The high point was the Carrera RS 2.7 of 1973. Built to homologate the 911 for Group 4 racing, it had 2,687 cc, 154 kW (210 PS) and a touring weight of 1,075 kg. Porsche made 1,580 of them.

Impact bumpers and the first Turbo (1974–1989)

For 1974 the 911 received impact bumpers and a 2.7-litre engine with 110 kW (150 PS), or 129 kW (175 PS) in the 911S. In 1975 the 930 Turbo became the first production 911 with a turbocharger: a 3.0-litre engine with 191 kW (260 PS). Its 3.3-litre successor of 1978 had 221 kW (300 PS).

The 911SC of 1978 simplified the range with a 3.0-litre engine of 132 kW (180 PS), later 150 kW (204 PS); 58,914 were sold. The 3.2 Carrera of 1984–1989 used 3,164 cc and 174 kW (237 PS), or 154 kW (207 hp) for North America, and reached 76,473 cars: 35,670 coupés, 19,987 cabriolets and 18,468 Targas. In 1988 Porsche marked the 250,000th 911 with 875 Commemorative Edition cars.

The 964 and 993: the last air-cooled cars

The 964 arrived in 1989. Its 3.6-litre engine gave 184 kW (250 PS), and the Carrera 4 of 1989 was the first series 911 with all-wheel drive; the rear-wheel-drive Carrera 2 followed in 1990. The Turbo had 235 kW (320 PS) and, from 1994, 265 kW (360 PS) with a 3.6-litre engine.

The 993 of 1994–1998 was the last air-cooled 911. It produced 200 kW (272 PS), and 210 kW (286 PS) from the 1996 model year. The 993 Turbo of 1995–1997 was the first production 911 with twin turbochargers and standard all-wheel drive, rated at 300 kW (408 PS). Racing derivatives of this period include the lightweight 911 Carrera RS Clubsport of the 993 generation and the road-legal 911 GT1.

The 996 and 997: the switch to water cooling

The 996 of 1998 was the first 911 with a water-cooled engine. The Carrera had a 3.4-litre flat-six with 221 kW (300 PS), increased to 3.6 litres and 235 kW (320 PS) in 2002. The 996 Turbo of 2001 delivered 309 kW (420 PS), or 331 kW (450 PS) with the X50 package.

In the 997 of 2004–2012 the Carrera had a 3.6-litre engine with 239 kW (325 PS) and the Carrera S a 3.8-litre with 261 kW (355 PS). The Turbo reached 353 kW (480 PS) and the GT2 390 kW (530 PS). The PDK dual-clutch gearbox arrived for 2009.

The 991: lighter and longer (2011–2019)

The 991, built from September 2011 to December 2019, was the first 911 with a mostly aluminium body and was up to 50 kg lighter than before although larger. Its wheelbase grew by 100 mm to 2,450 mm, and buyers could choose a seven-speed manual or a seven-speed PDK. The Carrera had a 3.4-litre engine with 257 kW (350 PS), the Carrera S a 3.8-litre with 294 kW (400 PS).

The 991.2 update of 2015 made the turbocharged 3.0-litre flat-six standard in the Carrera, with 272 kW (370 PS), and in the Carrera S, with 309 kW (420 PS). The Turbo S reached 427 kW (580 PS). The naturally aspirated GT models included the GT3 RS with 368 kW (500 PS), later 382 kW (520 PS), and the 911 R of 2016 with 368 kW (500 PS), limited to 991 cars. The GT2 RS of 2017 had 515 kW (700 PS) and lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 6:47.3.

The 992 (since 2019)

Porsche revealed the 992 on 27 November 2018 in Los Angeles. The Carrera S and 4S came first, and the base Carrera followed in July 2019. At launch the eight-speed PDK was the only gearbox; a seven-speed manual returned later for selected models. The wheelbase stays at 2,450 mm, while length is 4,519–4,535 mm, width 1,852–1,900 mm and height 1,289–1,303 mm. Kerb weights run from 1,380 to 1,710 kg.

The first 992 Turbo S had a 3.7-litre twin-turbo engine with 478 kW (650 PS) and 800 Nm, reaching 100 km/h in 2.7 s and 330 km/h.

The 992.2 and T-Hybrid (2024)

The update known as 992.2 was presented on 28 May 2024, and production of the Carrera GTS T-Hybrid began in June 2024. The GTS and Turbo S use a 3.6-litre flat-six with an electric motor and a 2 kWh, 400-volt battery; the Carrera and Carrera S keep a 3.0-litre twin-turbo engine.

The Carrera coupé weighs 1,516 kg and the GTS coupé 1,595 kg. Wikipedia lists Nürburgring laps of 7:16.931 for the GTS and 7:03.92 for the new Turbo S.

GT models and special editions

The 992 generation has many limited models. The GT3 RS of the 992.1 generation produces 386 kW (525 PS) at 8,500 rpm and lapped the Nordschleife in 6:44.848. The S/T of 2024 uses the same 4.0-litre engine with a six-speed manual gearbox; 1,963 were built. The Sport Classic of 2022 combines a 3.7-litre twin-turbo with 405 kW (550 PS), rear-wheel drive and a seven-speed manual, limited to 1,250 cars.

The 911 Dakar takes the car in the opposite direction: 353 kW (480 PS), all-wheel drive, an eight-speed automatic and a top speed limited to 240 km/h, in a series of 2,500 cars. The open-top line-up includes the Cabriolet and the Targa, and an earlier open model is described in our article on the 911 Carrera Cabriolet.

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