GT Family Affair
Transcript of GT Family Affair
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FAMILY AFFA
Here’s a challenge for you. Other than
Mohammed Ali, the Coca-Cola bottle
and a Manchester United strip, think
of something more instantly
recognisable worldwide than the 911’s profile.
It’s practically impossible, a fact that h as led
the 911 to be one of the top five products ever.
What makes it such an achievement is the
staying power of those sleek lines. First penned
in 1959 by Butzi, the direct visual link
between the earliest and latest incarnations is
still obvious to even the untrained eye. Simple,
clean and aerodynamic, anybody with even
the most basic artistic skills can draw an
identifiable representation of the
just one stroke.
In this time-travelling feature, G
Porsche brings an example from e
readily defined styling generation
and charts the unique history of t
tarmac-bound transport of them a
The 911’s progress through motoring history has not alwthe smoothest, but its development has led to a spectacpolished product. GT Purely Porsche traces the rise, fall athe greatest sports car ever. Words: Jason Simms Photography: D
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FAMILY
MAR60 GT MAGAZINE
First Encounters – 1963 to 1973 Appearing for the first time at t he Frankfurt
International Auto Show in September 1963
bearing a 901 badge, the 356 replacement
didn’t go into full production until the
following year. Available until 1967 solely as a
130bhp two-litre coupé, innumerable changes
were implemented over successive years as
Porsche developed the 911 in the marketplace.
Fundamentally a well groomed product, the
continuous development was required as its
disproportionate weight distribution at the
rear meant only the best drivers could hope to
keep it on the tarmac when driving in anger.
Attempts to rectify this were initially crude, weights and two batteries in the front boot
being two examples of embarrassingly
low-tech attempts to solve the problem. For
the 1969 model year, a 57mm increase in
wheelbase offered a more satisfactory solution.
In the meantime, two significant derivatives
had appeared, the first being the ‘poor man’s
911’, the 912, in 1966. Launched to replace the
last surviving 356 (the SC), it housed the
outgoing model’s 90bhp 1.6-litre four-cylinder
engine in the 911’s body. Despite its inferior
image, the 912 out-sold the 911 globally at a
ratio of nearly 3:1.
However, the 911 range continued to
expand. In 1967, deliveries of Butzi’scompromised cabriolet, the Targa (Italian for
shield) started to arrive with its brushed
stainless steel rollover bar and zippered rear
screen. In the same year, a taster for the
ultimate Porsche also rolled into the
showrooms in the form of the 911 S. Higher
revving than the rest of the range with triple-
choke Weber carbs, a longer wheelbase, Koni
shocks, ventilated front discs and Fuchs alloys,
it was a fantastic enthusiasts car.
Five years later, the 911 line-up boasted
2.4-litre engines and Porsche decided it was
time to fully realise the niche market for an
even more focussed product than the S. The
result was the Carrera 2.7 RS, arguably thegreatest 911 ever. The 911 S was the real driver’s car from the 911 range before the Carrera 2.7 RS came on the scene. Although it was built i n the late ’60s and early ’70s,a 996 owner wouldn’t get los
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FAMILY
MAR
The Second Coming – 1974 to 19 The ‘70s were a crucial time for P
now had to deal more seriously th
the real-world problems of selling
globally. To fully exploit the finan
of producing its most famous spo
Porsche had to be able to sell the s
around the globe without any spe
concessions being made for any o
It was a dream that wasn’t realise
later but moves towards this goal
made. The compromises this forc
why Porsche couldn’t continue as
These were most graphically illu
the efforts Porsche went to in ordallowed into its largest market, th
result of ever more stringent safet
shock-absorbing bumpers were fo
the 911’s front and rump in 1974
that affected all Porsche’s worldw
Ride height, too, needed to be rai
Stateside models. But even worse
tighter emissions controls, lower
engines were fitted.
The latter meant that after just
availability, the ground-breaking T
seen in the US in 1976, was disco
didn’t return for six years. Thankf
Porsche, the rest of world was eag
driving gloves on the steering wh
most brutal road-rocket, and early
prompted a second generation, th
packing a 300bhp 3.3-litre power
Despite having a f our-speed ‘box,
considered it good enough to conunchanged until 1989.
For the rest of the range, though
was a constant. Despite the nome
Super Carrera (SC) the three-litre
year 911 actually represented a co
the old 2.7-litre 911’s parts with th
the ‘Carrera’. It also gave rise to the
cabrio in 1983. Despite not being
greats, it helped Porsche on its qu
unified ‘world car’.
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64 GT MAGAZINE
The Third Degree – 1984 to 1989 As anybody who has just binned one will tell
you, it’s all too easy to get carried away with
the 911. And that’s not a fault that lies with
just its owners and drivers either. During the
‘80s, the record sales figures that came in
conjunction with the new 3.2-litre Carrera
were fuelled more by economic forces than
any other factor, and Porsche took its eye off
the ball.
It’s a well-documented fact that Porsche
now moved into a period of scant product
development and, towards the decade’s end,
die-hard followers began to loose faith. That
was all very well when queues of people moreconcerned with having the ‘right’ badge on
their cars were lining up at the dealerships, but
when they dried up, it left a precariously weak
model range for the real fans.
That’s not to say th e 911 hadn’t moved on.
The 3.2-litre engine now teased its owners
with a 231bhp output, thanks not only to its
larger bore but also the introduction of the
now obligatory Motronic engine management
system. Bigger brakes, anti-roll bars and
torsion bars made the SC body handle the
bends a little better.
For the 911, these were hardly massive
strides forward, and Porsche was intent on
releasing gimmicky models rather than
substantially better ones. Speedster, Turbo-
look and flat-nose 911s deflected attention
from where it was really needed and it was not
until late in the Carrera’s production life that a
significant development occurred. Thereplacement of the long-serving 915
transmission was replaced with the Getrag
G50 in 1987, accompanied by a 240mm
clutch, the same as the Turbo.
It was a deeply frustrating time for Porsche
fans, as the 1986 959 proved that the Stuttgart
factory was still more than capable of taking
the 911 and, using technology, making it an
ever-more impressive performer.
This 1989 3.2 Carrera was fitted with the superior Getrag G50
gearbox and that was one of the reasons its owner bought it.
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Huge thanks are due to the follow,who
and assitance this featured would not h
Karan Ruggles at Autofarm 01865
01484 425944,Colin Baigent,Steve Ca
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FAMILY
MAR66 GT MAGAZINE
The Fourth Dimension – 1989 to 1993 When it was launched, press releases told usthat the 964 (or Carrera 2 or Carrera 4, if
you’d rather) was 87 per cent new: enough for
some to mark the 964 down as the beginning
of a second generation of the 911. It proved, if
little else, that Porsche was taking the 911
seriously again, and was looking to produce it
for sometime into the future.
Despite this, the 964 was by no means a
sales success. The recession that the world wasplunging into restricted the potential market.
On top of that Porsche had to convince its old
followers that this was a 911 they could put
their trust in. Although the 964 was far better
than its predecessor and excellent in its own
right, reversing Porsche’s fortunes was simply
too big a task for any one model to overcome.
It did, however, start the resurgence and
exemplified the combination of old and newthat a 911 of the future would have to embody.
Keeping much of the Carrera 3.2’s body
panels, visually it was clear this was a 911
whose shape still harked back to Butzi’s
original design. The fact that these were bolted
onto an all-new structure beneath made it
clear serious thought had gone into the car’s
on-road talents. The arrival of an automatically
activated rear wing that raised itself at 50mph was an innovative solution to improving high
speed stability.
The newly bored and stroked engine now
displaced 3.6 litres, a necessary increase if the
new four-wheel drive Carrera 4 was to be f aster
than the old 3.2 Carrera. Now pushing out
250bhp and 228lb/ft torque, it just as
importantly allowed Porsche to realise its
dream of supplying cars around the worldusing one, unadulterated engine.
The 964 also spawned another great, the
Carrera RS. Backed by some to be the next best
collectable to the 2.7 RS of the early ‘70s, the
stripped-out street racer had a 260bhp engine
to add to its excellent lightweight package.
Equipped here with an extensive roll-cage,
they’re a fantastic tool on track or road.
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FAMILY
MAR68 GT MAGAZINE
The Fifth Generation – 1994 to 1998 Where the 964 had technologically been a
quantum leap forward for the 911, the 993
represented the first real change to the model’s
profile since its launch 30 years before. It was
sleek, modern looking, and took the
seemingly ages-old design to places it had
never been before. Love it or hate it, the 911
needed this stylistic breath of fresh air if it wasto achieve Stuttgart’s objective. Charged with
attracting customers away from their Mercedes
Benzes and BMWs, the 993 did so by the
stretch limousine-load.
Changes in detail rather than an all-new
exterior characterised its styling. The 964’s
flared rear arches’ lines were softened to make
them more of an integral part of the 993’s
flowing design, while at the front, combined
with more sharply-raked headlights, the
revised nose gave it an aggressive edge.
Under the skin there were changes, too. Not
least was the replacement of the semi-rear
trailing arm suspension with a multi-link
arrangement and a brand new six-speed
gearbox in 1995. Stuck at 3.6 litres, the engine was, however, more powerful at 272bhp, rising
to 285bhp with the introduction of VarioCam
in 1996 across the entire model range.
The system was pioneered on what is
arguably one of the best of the modern 911s,
the 3.8 Carrera RS. Its bored-out engine
delivered 300bhp and enabled a 0-60mph
time of five seconds; but it was more
concerned with the twists than the straights.
To such ends, the car was significantly stiffer
than the rest of the model range due to extras
like front strut braces. Created with the track
equally in mind, the turbo charged, rear-wheel
drive GT2 was another notable addition to the
993 range, as was the introduction of the first
four-wheel drive 911 Turbo.Just as exceptional in its own way was the
reintroduction of the Targa. Now fitted with an
all-glass roof, it promised the ideal balance
between open-and tin-top motoring (an ideal
solution for UK sun worshippers). Successful
in its ambition or not, it convinced enough
buyers for Porsche to repeat the exercise with
today’s 996 model. The 993 continued to carry the 911 towards the new millennium.Revisions to its front end, especially the headlight cluster,were the most daring styling changes Porsche made to Butzi’s
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FAMILY
MAR
Sixth of the Best – 1997 to date Water-cooling was the heavy artillery purists
traditionally used as ammunition against all
Stuttgart’s attempts to build anything other
than the 911. Regardless of the fact that one of
the main reasons Butzi didn’t use this method
to cool the original 911s was purely down to
space in the engine bay and contemporary
technology, was irrelevant. It simply wasn’t
Porsche, old boy.
So it could hardly have come as a surprise
to the Stuttgart factory that the announcement
of the 996’s powerplant was drowned out by the sound of toys being t ossed from prams.
The last bastion of true Porscheness (is that a
word? I’ll check my Porschist’s dictionary) had
been tainted by the dreaded H2O. Would it
ever be worth buying a 911 again? Of course it
would, and despite an unnoticeable blip in
sales figures while the overly concerned got
their head around the change, many have now
been converted.
There was plenty to attract them
though. Technology really march
3.4-litre engine’s 296bhp (and no
3.6-litre’s 320bhp) is t estament to
fraction of it. VarioCam Plus now
dollops of power and torque are a
across the range while the option
Stability Management makes sure
the straight, twisty and narrow. Ti
possibly the best automatic-derive
transmission available for road caIf more excitement is needed, t
offers two of the f astest road cars
in the Turbo and GT2, the latter b
most powerful and fastest Porsch
Perhaps the only thing the range d
stripped-out-normally-aspirated R
with sales figures as strong as ever
argue that Porsche hasn’t got it rig
The first water-cooled 911 continues to cause debate, although any concerns can now be put to bed with the lates