Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 (pronounced as Nine Eleven, German: Neunelfer) is a sports car made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. The famous, distinctive, and durable design is notable for being rear engined like the Porsche-designed Volkswagen Beetle it had been based on. It was also air-cooled until the introduction of the all-new Type 996 in 1998. Since its introduction in autumn 1963, it has undergone continuous development.
Air-cooled engines (1963–1996)
The Porsche 911 classic was developed as a much more powerful, larger, more comfortable replacement for the Porsche 356, the company's first model, and thus essentially a sporting evolution of the Volkswagen Beetle.
911 Carrera RS (1973 and 1974)
These models, valued by collectors, are considered by many to be the greatest classic 911s all-time. RS stands for Rennsport in German, meaning race sport in English. The Carrera name was reintroduced from the 356 Carrera which had itself been named after Porsche's class victories in the Carrera Panamericana races in Mexico in the 1950s. The RS was built so that Porsche could enter racing formulae that demanded that a certain minimum number of production cars were made. Compared with a standard 911S, the Carrera 2.7 RS had a larger engine (2687 cc) developing 210 PS (207 hp/154 kW) with MFI, revised and stiffened suspension, a "ducktail" rear spoiler, larger brakes, wider rear wheels and rear fenders. In RS Touring form it weighed 1075 kg (2370 lb), in Sport Lightweight form it was about 100 kg (220 lb) lighter, the saving coming from the thin-gauge steel used for parts of the bodyshell and also the use of thinner glass. In total, 1580 were made, comfortably exceeding the 500 that had to be made to qualify for the vital FIA Group 4 class. 49 Carrera RS cars were built with 2808 cc engines producing 300 PS (221 kW).
911 Turbo (Type 930) (1974–1989)
In 1974 Porsche introduced the first production turbocharged 911. Although called simply Porsche 911 Turbo in Europe, it was marketed as Porsche 930 (930 being its internal type number) in North America. The body shape is distinctive thanks to wide wheel-arches to accommodate the wide tires, and a large rear spoiler often known as a "whale tail" on the early cars, and "tea-tray" on the later ones. Starting out with a 3.0 L engine 260 PS (256 hp/191 kW), these early cars are known for their exhilarating acceleration coupled with challenging handling characteristics and extreme turbo lag. For 1978, capacity rose to 3.3 L 300 PS (296 hp/221 kW), and an intercooler was added which was placed under the rear spoiler.
Porsche 912
The Porsche 912 was a sports car manufactured by Porsche of Germany between 1965 and 1969 as their entry-level model. The 912 was a nimble-handling compact performance four-seat vehicle, delivering 90 SAE horsepower at 5800 rpm.
Porsche 914
The Porsche 914 was a mid-engined sports car built and sold collaboratively by Volkswagen and Porsche from 1969 through 1976.
Porsche 944
The 944 is a sports car built by Porsche from 1982 to 1991. It replaced the 924 as Porsche's entry level model, although 924 production continued through 1988. The 944 was intended to last into the 1990s, but major revisions planned for a 944S3 model were eventually rolled into the 968 instead, which replaced the 944. The 944 was a successful model and was available as both a coupe and cabriolet in naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms.
Porsche 928
The Porsche 928 is a grand tourer automobile sold by Porsche AG of Germany from MY 1978 to MY 1995, during which time it was one of their most expensive offerings.
In 1983 the 928S with 5-speed manual transmission and 4.7L-16v M28/19 engine was the fastest car sold in North America, at 146 mph. It was the fastest production road-car in the world in 1986, having been recorded at 172 mph (277 km/h) on the salt flats in Utah using an early 928 S4.
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