This month’s car is one I consider to be one of the best cars ever made. I’m talking about the Porsche 911!

The Porsche 911 series started in 1964, and Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG (everybody knows it as Porsche) still makes them. It is important to know that some 911 models are, for example, called “Porsche 930”, “Porsche 964”, or with another numbers, but in the end, they all belong to the 911 series.

Engine

As all the cars in this series have the same engine, I’ll just say it once.

All the 911s have a rear-mounted flat-six engine. All of the engines were air-cooled until the 996 series in 1998.

Porsche 911 (1963-1973)

Considered as the most classic Porsche, the 911 was introduced in 1963. It had a rear-wheel drive system, and the available engine displacements went from 2.0L to 2.7L. The most powerful models could reach 200hp.

Fun fact: Originally, the 911 was going to be called 901, but as Peugeot had the name’s rights, they had to change it to 911.

Porsche 911 Carrera RS (1972-1973)

Produced only for one year, the Porsche 911 Carrera RS was meant to be a race car. In this version, the only available option was the 2.7L engine, the RWD was kept the same and this model could reach a maximum of 210hp. The car was also slightly lightened and some aerodynamic changes were made with the purpose of racing. Only 1.580 units were made.

Porsche 930 (1975-1989)

In this version, the engines could go from 3.0L up to 3.3L. Many changes were made to this brand new Porsche. Between the most important ones:

• A turbocharger which increased the power up to 330hp.
• ABS included.

This major upgrade made it possible for the car to go 0-60mph in under 5 seconds, a quite impressive time for that decade.

Fun fact: The rear spoiler was also called “whale tail”.

Porsche 964 (1989-1994)

The 964 Carrera4 version was the first one to include four-wheel drive. On the other hand, the normal 964 models had RWD like their predecessors. It had a 3.9L engine, which could produce up to 250hp on the most powerful versions. Another minor changes were made on the steering and suspension system. Finally, some other changes were made to the exterior and interior appearance.

Porsche 993 (1994-1998)

The Porsche 993 was the last model in the 911 series that included air-cooled engines. However, it was the first model to include a 4-speed automatic transmission. Its 3.6L engine could make up to 285hp. Once again, minor changes were made on its appearance and suspension system, and also more powerful brakes were included.

Porsche 996 (1998-2004)

As mentioned earlier, the 996 was the first model to include a water-cooled engine. Also, this version shared the M96 platform, which is basically the chassis, the appearance, some systems, such as the suspension, with the Porsche Boxster. The available engines went from 3.4L to 3.6L, which the most powerful ones could reach an output of 345hp.

Also, the exterior and interior was once again modified.

Fun fact: Many people complained because of the new design of tail lights.

Porsche 997 (2004-2012)

This version included engines from 3.6L to 3.8L. Apart from improvements to the suspension and steering systems, some new technologies were included, such as: Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), which regulated the suspension depending on the surface, or the Porsche Stability Management (PSM).

More changes to the appearance and aerodynamics were made. One special edition which could achieve a maximum of 408hp was also introduced, and it was called Porsche 911 Carrera GTS.

Porsche 991 (2012-2019)

Produced between 2012 and 2019, the Porsche 991 included engines from 3.4L up to 4.0L. The most powerful ones could make up to 700hp. RWD and AWD version were available. Also, a new transmission system was introduced, which had a seven-speed dual-clutch PDK (Porsche Doppelkupplung), which is a system that makes gear shifts fast and smooth.

Porsche 992 (2019-present)

Presented in 2018, this version included a whole lot new technologies, such as a new 11 inch screen, lane keeping assistant, night vision assistant, driver assistant and more safety systems. Engines went from 3.0L to 3.8L. The most powerful engine could produce 650hp.