911: A number that has all performance car amateurs daydreaming… and has been doing so since the 1960s! In fact, the Porsche vehicle that wears this emblematic name, has never ceased to prove its worth as a sports car that is ultra-capable both on the open road and on the racetrack. It is so versatile, it can be driven daily!
Porsche Lauzon, your Porsche dealership in Laval, on the North Shore but also in the rest of the greater Montreal area, is taking advantage of the Porsche 911 turning 60 in 2023, to look back at the most emblematic sports car of all time and its road to success!
An iconic exterior styling, which is the result of absolute mastery.
The Porsche 911 was officially presented at the Frankfurt auto show in 1963, which is exactly 60 years ago. Indeed, in the early 1960s, despite a brilliant career both commercially and on the racetrack, the illustrious Porsche 356, which had been commercialized since 1948, began showing certain signs of age. This was the perfect time for Porsche to design a replacement.
The light and maneuverable car had proven its worth both on the track and on the open road. In fact, the 356 had won the European Rally Championship in 1953 and in 1961, but also the Liège-Rome-Liège race in 1952, 1954, 1957 and 1959, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1951 and 1952 (victory in the 1.1-Liter category).
As for the 911, its very first sketches were the responsibility of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, nicknamed “Butzi”, Ferry Porsche’s son. The first interpretation of what would become the 356’s replacement took shape as a 1:7.5-scale plasticine model called the “Type 754 T7”, finished on October 9th 1959, before a full scale model was completed on December 28th, 1959.
The model’s shape was, from the very beginning, very close to the final product. In fact, the only significant differences were in the rear window and the wheelbase, which Ferry wanted to reduce to 2,200 mm for a sportier behavior on the road. For similar reasons and for greater aerodynamics, it boasted a fastback roof as well.
According to Ferry’s vision, for whom a car design must neither be too aggressive nor too ostentatious, the newest model was both streamlined and elegant while also offering beautiful visual balance and presence. So, for Butzi Porsche and the 911, the streamlined, timeless and immediately recognizable design (even by children!) was a definite success!
An engine that is just as legendary as the vehicle itself.
Another element that also served to make the 911 as unique as it is mythical, is its powertrain. In fact, the 911 has relied, from its very beginnings up until now, on the same engine architecture, a boxer engine, which was inspired by the 356’s one. Contrary to the 356, however, the newest Zuffenhausen sports car did not rely on four cylinders but on six.
This type of powertrain includes several advantages, the first of which is bringing the gravity center closer to the ground. Contrary to inline engines or those with a V configuration, it allows for the engine to be lower inside its compartment, given that the piston layout and movement are horizontal. This results in better road handling. Boxer engines are also very smooth, given that they are naturally balanced.
In fact, while in use, each piston’s movement is counterbalanced by an opposite piston, with a movement that is exactly opposite to the first. These are also shorter engines (in length) compared to inline engines, allowing –in the case of the 911– to prevent from having too much weight on the rear wheels (on the 911, the six-cylinder is in a rear-mounted position), which would take away from the driving experience and characteristics.
Similarly, this rear-mounted engine also brings with it another advantage: loss of traction on rear wheels is limited during accelerations (historically speaking, the 911 is rear-wheel drive). This feature is very interesting when it comes to spirited driving, since it allows for several things like, for example, being able to reaccelerate quickly without losing any traction during turns.
It also allows for better launches from a complete stop. Also –and logically- these improved general grip levels provide you with better traction in the rain. This is why the 911 has an advantage over its rivals in motorsports, given that they often have front or center-mounted engines. Compared to these, on a wet track, the added traction allows for the 911 to overtake them.
This same rear-mounted flat-six also provides the 911 with a very unique driving experience, which also adds to its charm, on top of offering even more space at the rear and allowing the 911 to provide you with two extra seats (historically, the 911 is a 2+2 seats Porsche sports car).
Finally, the flat-six engine is incredibly melodious. With a smooth rumble at low speeds, it comes out as a purring roar as it accelerates, with metallic notes as you approach the red line, thus providing you with an auditive experience that is as exciting as it is addictive!
A road to success that is still evolving and worthy of the greatest adventures.
However, despite all of its qualities and unique elements, the 911 would never have become legendary without its mythical journey. First named Porsche 901, it then became the 911 because of Peugeot. In fact, the French manufacturer disputed this “901” title, claiming to have the rights to any model name with a number containing a “0” at the center, in France. As Porsche was launching its newest sports car, the Zuffenhausen carmaker decided to use a number that had already been produced for the model’s name, in order to allow for quick production; this is when the number “1” was chosen. And as we say, the rest is history!
The 911 met with instant commercial success, with 10,000 copies already sold by 1967. Instead of simply riding the waves of success, Porsche decided to develop, that same year, a complete 911 range on the already existing body styles (911 coupe and Targa), while still offering the 2.0-Liter flat-six but with different levels of power. This is when the 911 S with 160 horsepower appeared, along with the 911 T with 110 horsepower, for the entry-level version. As for the 130-horsepower variant, it was then baptized the 911 2.0 “L”.
Around August 1968, Porsche improved its GT’s road handling significantly by increasing the wheelbase to 2.268 meters. In fact, road handling in straight lines at high speeds along with its tendency to oversteer during turns made it relatively delicate to handle with the initially shorter wheelbase. The changes that were made improved the driving experience, making it easier to drive, without taking anything away from the enjoyment at the wheel.
From then on, the 911 never stopped evolving for even greater levels of performance, but without changing anything in terms of the engine’s architecture, even to this day. This same engine was even one of the last air-cooled engines in the automotive industry. In fact, all of the 911 destined for the open road had this type of cooling system, from the original 911 to the 911 Type 993. Iconic models were also born during this air-cooled-911 era, one of which was the 1973 2.7-Liter 911 Carrera RS and its iconic ducktail wing.
This period also marked the arrival of the 911 Turbo models, with –as early as 1975– the famous 911 Turbo Type 930 in its 3.0-Liter version, before moving on to 3.3 Liters in 1978. As for all-wheel drive on 911s, it appeared first with the 911 Type 964, after being extensively tested with the 959, a supercar that also came from the 911, at the Paris-Dakar rally.
The water-cooled 911s – which are all 911 versions belonging to the Types 996, 997, 991 and 992 – also had versions that have now turned into legends. The 911 GT3 appeared with the 996 generation. This model is mostly considered as the perfect universal racetrack car for whomever loves performing on the track, while also wanting to be able to drive it there and back, while listening to the melodious roar of the naturally aspirated engine.
Adrenaline junkies and performance amateurs who were looking to reunite with the brute force of the first 930 Turbo could rely on the 911 GT2 Type 996, a type of 911 Turbo with 2-wheel drive, presented in January 2001 at the Detroit Motor Show (although a 993 GT2 was produced in very limited numbers). As for the following generations, they served to refine the recipe even further with even better versions each time, like with the very desirable 911 GT3 Touring, offering the same powertrain as the “regular” 911 GT3 but without the rear wing, for a more “Grand Touring” type of experience. More recently, Porsche has even offered a Porsche 911 Dakar on the 992 generation for off-road driving, which only serves to show that there truly is a 911 for everyone!
You now probably better understand why –to quote Ferry Porsche- “the 911 is the only car that takes you from an African Safari to Le Mans, then to the theatre and then onto the streets of New York” and why it is so popular amongst sports car lovers, especially since you can choose between a 911 Cabriolet, coupe or even Targa.
Would you like to find out more about the Porsche 911 for its 60th birthday? Contact one of our specialists at Porsche Lauzon today, your Porsche dealership in Laval and the Greater Montreal area! We will be happy to answer any and all of your questions. We will also be glad to share our passion for the German manufacturer with you, by helping you discover the entire Porsche vehicle family. We are looking forward to meeting you soon at our dealership in Laval!