With the exception of a few disparate models scattered over the decades, Porsche has built its fame and fortune on a single rear-engine sports car, the 911. From rather humble beginnings, the Porsche 911 has gone on to be one of the most influential and most recognizable vehicles in the world. Today's version of the car provides stunning levels of performance without sacrificing much in terms of day-to-day usability, and many Porsche purists still consider the 911 the only "real" Porsche.
For the sports car shopper, a wide choice of drivetrains and body styles through the years means there should be a new or used 911 that fits one's desires. And although other sports cars have been able to outperform the 911 in one area or another, nothing has yet to match Porsche's overall blend of performance, practicality and that endearing connection between car and driver.
Current Porsche 911
If there's one thing you can't blame Porsche for, it's not offering enough variety. The Carrera and Turbo models are available in coupe and convertible (Cabriolet) body styles, while the Targa model is essentially a hatchback coupe with a large sunroof and rear hatch made from glass. All-wheel drive and larger rear fenders are added to the Turbo models and any 911 with "4" in its name. The bigger rear fenders are also found on the GTS and Speedster. The GT3 models and GT2 RS are coupe only, while the 911 Speedster is convertible only.
The Carrera models get a 345-horsepower 3.6-liter flat-6 engine and the S models get a 385-hp 3.8-liter flat-6. This engine produces 408 hp in the Carrera GTS and Speedster trims or when equipped with the optional Carrera S Powerkit.
Then there are the high-performance offerings: Turbo, Turbo S, GT3, GT3 RS, GT3 RS 4.0 and GT2 RS. The all-wheel-drive Turbo gets a twin-turbo 3.8-liter flat-6 good for 500 hp and the Turbo S gets an additional 23 horses. The rear-drive, sport-tuned GT3 has a 435-hp naturally aspirated 3.8-liter flat-6 and the GT3 RS is a track-ready version of the same car with 450 hp. The GT3 RS 4.0 has a 4.0-liter twin-turbo flat-6 good for 500 hp, while the outlandish GT2 RS gets a version of the Turbo S engine turned up to a truly sensational 620 hp. A six-speed manual transmission is standard on all 911 models, but optional on all but the GT3 and GT2 trims is Porsche's seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual known as PDK.
At once refined and visceral, most of the 911 variants are equally comfortable tearing through a twisty road or smoothly dealing with the daily commute. This dual nature is improved with the PDK dual-clutch automated manual gearbox, which represents the best of both transmission worlds. In manual mode, shifts are smooth and rapid, giving a level of control to the driver that the old Tiptronic auto could never approach. At the same time, PDK allows for seamless gearchanges in full-automatic mode without the herky-jerky nature of similar automated manual transmissions.
The high-performance 911 editions are less commuter-friendly, but they offer performance and handling on par with exotic supercars. Yet the "base" 911 Carrera should be more than enough, as that car will blast to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds and hit a top speed approaching 180 mph.
We've never been shy about our affection for the Porsche 911 -- regardless of body style or engine -- and our complaints were few. We say "were" because Porsche addressed most of them in its most recent redesign, leaving "overpriced options" as its lone detractor.
For the sports car shopper, a wide choice of drivetrains and body styles through the years means there should be a new or used 911 that fits one's desires. And although other sports cars have been able to outperform the 911 in one area or another, nothing has yet to match Porsche's overall blend of performance, practicality and that endearing connection between car and driver.
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Current Porsche 911
If there's one thing you can't blame Porsche for, it's not offering enough variety. The Carrera and Turbo models are available in coupe and convertible (Cabriolet) body styles, while the Targa model is essentially a hatchback coupe with a large sunroof and rear hatch made from glass. All-wheel drive and larger rear fenders are added to the Turbo models and any 911 with "4" in its name. The bigger rear fenders are also found on the GTS and Speedster. The GT3 models and GT2 RS are coupe only, while the 911 Speedster is convertible only.
The Carrera models get a 345-horsepower 3.6-liter flat-6 engine and the S models get a 385-hp 3.8-liter flat-6. This engine produces 408 hp in the Carrera GTS and Speedster trims or when equipped with the optional Carrera S Powerkit.
Then there are the high-performance offerings: Turbo, Turbo S, GT3, GT3 RS, GT3 RS 4.0 and GT2 RS. The all-wheel-drive Turbo gets a twin-turbo 3.8-liter flat-6 good for 500 hp and the Turbo S gets an additional 23 horses. The rear-drive, sport-tuned GT3 has a 435-hp naturally aspirated 3.8-liter flat-6 and the GT3 RS is a track-ready version of the same car with 450 hp. The GT3 RS 4.0 has a 4.0-liter twin-turbo flat-6 good for 500 hp, while the outlandish GT2 RS gets a version of the Turbo S engine turned up to a truly sensational 620 hp. A six-speed manual transmission is standard on all 911 models, but optional on all but the GT3 and GT2 trims is Porsche's seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual known as PDK.
At once refined and visceral, most of the 911 variants are equally comfortable tearing through a twisty road or smoothly dealing with the daily commute. This dual nature is improved with the PDK dual-clutch automated manual gearbox, which represents the best of both transmission worlds. In manual mode, shifts are smooth and rapid, giving a level of control to the driver that the old Tiptronic auto could never approach. At the same time, PDK allows for seamless gearchanges in full-automatic mode without the herky-jerky nature of similar automated manual transmissions.
The high-performance 911 editions are less commuter-friendly, but they offer performance and handling on par with exotic supercars. Yet the "base" 911 Carrera should be more than enough, as that car will blast to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds and hit a top speed approaching 180 mph.
We've never been shy about our affection for the Porsche 911 -- regardless of body style or engine -- and our complaints were few. We say "were" because Porsche addressed most of them in its most recent redesign, leaving "overpriced options" as its lone detractor.
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