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Porsche 911 Type 991 - The Story

The 2012 model 911, internally (and confusingly) called the 991, was introduced at the IAA Frankfurt on September 15, 2011. On April 5, 2012, the 991 was voted as the “2012 World Performance Car” at the New York International Auto Show. Most sadly, on the very same day, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche died at the age of 76. Despite the 991 being already the 7th generation of the 911, the original F. A. Porsche 901/911 design can still be clearly seen in the car.

Porsche 991 Model Guides

There are too many "regular" 911 models to mention in just this paragraph. In fact, during the 991 911 generation we saw a total of 35 individual models (not including special edition cars). The base Carrera, Carrera S, Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S were all available as both coupe and convertible bodystyles and were made as both 991.1 and 991.2 models. The Targa 4 and Targa 4S are both all-wheel drive and likewise were available in both generations. The Carrera GTS range grew, now with five models (GTS Coupe, GTS Cabriolet, 4 GTS Coupe, 4 GTS Cabriolet and Targa GTS). The 911 Turbo and Turbo Cabriolet continued to sit at the top of the regular range, with an entirely new Carrera T variant making an appearance in 2018 as a refreshingly simple carl with just the basics for a great driving experience. The biggest difference between the 991.1 and 991.2 cars is obviously the change from naturally aspirated engines to the turbocharged flat-six unit, as well as some design tweaks and a much improved PCM and entertainment system. The Carrera T was the only regular model not offered as a 991.1 generation car.

The seventh generation 911 was revealed 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show as an all-new model. It sports a longer wheel base, seven-speed gearbox and more efficient 3.4-liter flat-6. Major options include a 7-Speed automatic transmission , dynamic engine mounts and a Sport Chrono Package with a dash mounted analog stopwatch. This package also features a Sport Plus button that changes the settings of the chassis, engine and transmission for spirited driving. Launch Control is also new.
Porsche is doubling the driving fun to be had from the new 911 Carrera by putting a Cabriolet alongside the Coupé. The debut of the new generation of the sports car classic is being followed only a few months later by the open-top models of the 911 Carrera and 911 Carrera S in the new 911 design. What the Coupé began with the new aluminium-steel body, the Cabriolet continues with the all-new, unique hood: As a result, the typical 911 roof line is initially retained in its entirety.
The 991 Carrera S continued the time honored Porsche 911 tradition of growing in physical size and power. Over the years the 911 has continued its evolution from a pure sports car to a luxurious super-car and the 2012 Carrera S Coupe was no exception. The seventh generation 911 launched in 2012 and it sits on a new platform, with a longer wheelbase and shorter overhangs. It also featured new headlights and taillights. Features a 3.8-liter flat-six engine mated as standard to a world's first seven-speed manual transmission.
The open-top 991 Carrera S Cabriolet requires an $11,600 premium over a comparable coupe; ta not-cheap $108,950 price point for those shopping. For that, you get the best overall open-top sports car around. With the 400-hp, 3.8-liter six and the benefit of the PDK automatic’s launch control, the Carrera S cabriolet should hit 60 mph in 3.8 seconds and cover the quarter-mile in the low 12s. Performance is on-par with the coupe on backroads so any fears that this is a soft-911 are thrown out the window. This is a serious sports car, sans roof.
The 2013 Porsche Carrera 4 featured a 3.4-liter flat-six engine. It was mated as standard to a world's first seven-speed manual transmission. An automatic, PDK (dual-clutch) transmission was offered as an option. The Carrera 4 featured an all-wheel-drive torque distribution in the instrument cluster display. The most distinctive identifying feature of the 911 with all-wheel drive is still the wide rear section: compared to the two-wheel drive 911 Carrera models, the rear wheel housings 22 mm wider, and each of the rear tires is 10 mm wider.
The new Porsche 911 Carrera 4 unites the excellent performance and efficiency of the new generation of the 911 Carrera with the dynamic benefits of the latest version of the active all-wheel drive system PTM (Porsche Traction Management). The typical Porsche all-wheel drive with rear-focused layout in this latest 911 version guarantees maximum vehicle dynamics on a wide variety of road surfaces and in all weather conditions. The new 911 Carrera 4 models deliver traction and dynamic performance the power of four.
The new all-wheel drive 911 is being launched on the market in four versions – as the 911 Carrera 4 and 911 Carrera 4S and each as Coupé and Cabriolet. The Coupé and Cabriolet of the 911 Carrera 4 S each have a 3.8-litre rear-mounted boxer engine that produces 400 hp (294 kW); this enables acceleration to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds (Cabriolet: 4.3 seconds) and a top speed of 299 km/h (Cabriolet: 296 km/h) with a suitable equipment configuration. Fuel consumption values with PDK are 9.1 l/100 km (CO2 215 g/km) for the Coupé and 9.2 l/100 km (CO2 217 g/km) for the Cabriolet.
The 2012 Carrera 4S Cabriolet had the same wider rear track when compared to the non-S version of the vehicle. It wasn't something everyone would notice, but the difference was there for a reason, and that reason was the wider tires installed. From behind, a rear red light-strip united the LED taillights. Inside the Carrera 4S Cabriolet, there were some luxury features. The leather-covered sport-bucket seats were covered in leather. Even the rear, unusable, seats were wrapped in leather. The center console was higher to give a sense of a single-seat racing roadster.
The 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo is a technological extravaganza. Adaptive aerodynamics, four-wheel steering, torque vectoring, active four-wheel drive, adaptive dampers, launch control, twin-clutch automatic gearbox – you get the picture. This is the first time we've had a chance to sample all of this on British roads. Two versions are available; both are powered by an uprated version of the previous 911 Turbo's 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six engine. The new 911 Turbo has even more power and more electronic systems. It is still a straight-line monster that will blow you away in terms of the sheer might of that engine and traction.
The 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet is a great companion to its coupe sibling. The Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet delivers the same blend of dynamism, performance and efficiency offered by the Coupe. The turbocharged 3.8-litre six-cylinder engine delivers 520 bhp and it helps drivers accelerate from zero to 60 mph in just 3.1 seconds (there goes your hair style). Compared to the 997.2 Turbo Cabriolet the new Turbo Cab delivers 30 bhp more power and are 0.2 seconds faster in terms of their standard acceleration. It is also up to 15% more efficient and more luxurious and comfortable to boot.
For this 991 generation Targa, Porsche went back to the original Targa concept, albeit with an even sexier design and some very cool technical tricks to boot. Porsche wanted to resurrect its classic design, but the company feared that owners would not want to get out of the car, lift off the roof panel, and stow it in the trunk. The other issue was, in the words of 911 product line director Dr. Erhard Mossle, "that the manual solution was a little bit old-fashioned." The 911 Targa 4 gets the same 350 horsepower, 3.4-liter six-cylinder motor as its hardtop siblings.
This is the open-top model for those who don’t want the full convertible experience – and it’s only available in the wide-hipped four-wheel drive bodyshell. The new Targa is a striking design, echoing the 1965 original with its fixed rollover bar. The Targa 4S, gets you the more powerful 3.8 engine from the Carrera S. It mixes regular Carrera 4S go with a sense of style and everyday usability (those occasional rear seats, the real possibility of 30mpg in everyday driving). Great car.
More aggressive looks, significant extra power, and highly desirable options. This is the perfect all-round 911. In manual, there is nothing that feels as complete. Some of the technical ingredients that generate even more driving dynamics and driving fun: 430 hp (316 kW) power, the Sport Chrono package and the PASM active damper system which lowers the car's ride height by ten millimetres. The extra punch of the 430-hp engine pushes the 911 Carrera GTS coupe up to 190 mph in rear-wheel-drive/manual-transmission configuration, 2 mph higher than the 400-hp Carrera S.
Like the rest of the GTS lineup, the 991.1 Carrera GTS Cabriolet is essentially a kind of 991 Greatest Hits package, hand-picking some of the more desirable components and options from the 911 range.  It gets Porsche's PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management), Sport Chrono with Sport Plus, the Sport Exhaust system, and a ride height that's roughly four-tenths of an inch lower than non-GTS models. It also gets a version of Porsche's 3.8-liter flat-six with 430 hp, hits 60 mph in 4.0 seconds equipped with the PDK (4.4 to 60 mph for the manual), and tops out at 189 mph.
With all-wheel drive and all the GTS goodies, the Carrera 4 GTS sits in a very practical place in the Porsche 911 lineup. The 4 GTS is a Carrera 4S with all the items Porsche thinks you should have at a price that is less than choosing them yourself. Standard equipment on the GTS that is normally optional on the Carrera S includes the Sport Chrono Package, Sport Exhaust, bi-xenon lights with PDLS (Porsche Dynamic Lighting System) and PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management). Inside, four-way adjustable sport seats are standard.
So what else do you get when you buy a 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet? First of all you get a  30 hp bump over the Carrera 4S to 430 hp from the 3.8L naturally aspirated flat-six. You get forged centre-lock black 20-inch wheels, dynamic engine mounts, the Sports Chrono Package, PASM adaptive damping with a lowered ride height, an interior swathed in Alcantara, a sinister front fascia with black intakes and custom rear apron with black tailpipes that broadcast the goods through an uber-nasty sport exhaust system. Other trim details include black lettering and smoked headlights.
The Targa 4 GTS gets Porsche’s a powerful non-turbo rear-mounted flat-six engine with 430 bhp @ 7500 rpm and 325 ft lbs of torque from 5750 rpm, driven to all four wheels via Porsche Traction Management. Performance is also enhanced via the standard Sport Chrono package, which provides faster throttle response and more aggressive shift mapping. In addition, the GTS benefits from Porsche Active Suspension Management - Porsche’s proprietary adaptive suspension system with continuously variable dampers. Mechanically, this is the perfect package for a daily 911 that is also performance focused when you need it to be.
The 991.2 generation Carrera range update was a big one. The base coupe looks about the same, but under the hood Porsche did something crazy. Gone is the 3.4 liter naturally aspirated flat 6, replaced by a 3.0 turbocharged flat six. The good news is that the new engine is pumps out 370 hp and 331 ft lbs of torque, a big leap over the previous generation (output is up over the previous car by 20 horsepower and 44 lb-ft of torque). Inside, the updated 911 hasn’t changed dramatically, and although Porsche’s new PCM infotainment system is faster and more intuitive to use.
The cylinder number and position (six, horizontal) remained the same as before, but the displacement has been reduced to 3.0 liters (from 3.4 liters) and a pair of turbos has been strapped on the engine. And thanks to the force-feeding’s high potential, the same 3.0-liter unit is used for the Carrera S as well (instead of the 3.8-liter flat-six). As a result, the power figures in the Carrera 2 Cabriolet gained 20 hp and some 40 lb-ft of torque vs the prior generation. More importantly, the turbocharging makes the Carrera’s 332 foot-pounds of torque available way quicker, from just 1,700 rpm.
Porsche purists might moan that the flat-six engine in the rear is no longer naturally aspirated, but with more power and torque, improved efficiency and some advanced interior tech giving this 911 an even bigger breadth of ability than before, this facelifted 991-generation model carries on where the old car left off. Sure, it’s lost a touch of that high rev zing from the old car, but if you add the sports exhaust, the bark from the engine inside and out is still intoxicating. And so is the speed. The 991.2 Carrera S is absolutely amazing on both road and track and still the best sports car around.
The switch to turbocharging delivers predictably faster acceleration, with 0 - 60 mph taking just 3.9 seconds with the PDK transmission and Sport Chrono optioned. The quarter mile is dispatched in 12.2 seconds and the top speed for the open top Carrera S is 190 mph. These numbers are pretty impressive for an open top 911 that is just as comfortable driving around town as it is on back roads on spirited runs. With the 991.2 Carrera S Cab, it can be argued that there is no real need dynamically to opt for. the coupe body. A great overall sports car that is fast, fun and happens to have no roof.
Thought it carries a similar design to the new 911, the Carrera 4 has its own unique features, the most obvious being an AWD system hooked up to its new turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-six engine. The C4 gets a spate of new goodies, including a unique taillight section, and an updated infotainment system that brings the sports car’s connectivity to a whole new level. Inside the new 911 Carrera 4, there are only a few changes, the most important is the new infotainment system. With 370 hp on tap from the direct-injection, twin-turbo flat-six and all-wheel drive putting all those ponies to the ground, the C4 is more than quick enough.
The Carrera 4 Cabriolet gets that wonderful extra-wide body and an AWD system hooked up to its new turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-six engine. Additionally, the Carrera 4 Cabriolet gets a spate of new goodies, including a unique taillight section, and an updated infotainment system that brings the sports car’s connectivity to a whole new level. The open top Carrera 4 does a great job as an all-rounder, giving drivers the all-weather assurance of all-wheel drive and combining it with open top driving fun. Dynamically, it is up there with its coupe sibling.
The new downsized flat-six gets forced induction, more power and greater efficiency, just like in the basic refreshed 911 Carrera, this time mated to a four-wheel-drive system nicked wholesale from the Turbo. Apparently one in three 911 buyers opt for a four-wheel-drive variant, so this is an important car to get right. The 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six in the 911 Carrera 4S is good for  414hp and 368 ft lbs of torque, helping it get from 0 to 62 mph in 4.2 sec with a manual, 4.0 seconds with the PDK and 3.6 sec with the PDK and optional Sport Chrono pack.
A new turbo flat-six engine is the headline news. Still super fast and surefooted all year round. The revised four-wheel-drive 911 makes the car's appeal on year-round, any-occasion usability even stronger. The 911 Carrera 4S receives a series of subtle styling updates as part of a reasonably comprehensive mid-life facelift. Included is a redesigned front bumper sporting active air ducts that open and close to channel air to the front-mounted radiators dependent on throttle load, revised headlights with altered internal graphics, larger exterior mirror housings and new door handles.
The 991.2 Targa did get some mild design changes, but they are all inline with the rest of the 991.2 changes. Despite the mild styling revisions, it’s a dramatically different car in terms of its engine. The iconic and highly regarded naturally aspirated 3.4-litre flat-six engine has been ousted for a more environmentally friendly twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre. It keeps its all-wheel drive system and is still an all-weather 911. A sports car with all-wheel drive is the first choice for more than one in three Porsche 911 buyers. It is sporty and comfortable, the turbo engines more powerful and consume less, with the improved all-wheel drive.
The 991.2 911 Targa 4S is powered by the latest water-cooled 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six from Porsche, producing 420 hp and 368 lb-ft of torque. It can be optioned with a PDK seven-speed dual-clutch automatic (a seven-speed manual is standard) and all-wheel drive is standard. Whereas the two earlier generations of Targas were little more than 911 Carreras with large glass sunroofs, the 991-series Targa nailed the look and feel of the original.
The GTS coupe starts with the wider Carrera 4 body, with the rear fenders pushed out 1.7 inches, and the rear track widened 1.6in. Up front is the new SportDesign front fascia with its lower front spoiler and larger cooling air intakes. Standard wheels are 20-inch center lock items and 0.5 inch wider than standard Carrera S rims, finished in satin black. There are splashes of black elsewhere, too. The changes run more than skin deep. Bigger turbos pump up to 18psi of boost pressure which helps deliver not only 30 extra horses at 6,500 rpm, but 405 lb-ft of torque between 2,150 rpm and 5,000 rpm, up from 368 lb-ft. This is the sweet spot.
Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet (991.2)
Porsche really has hit its brief with the turbocharged Carrera GTS Cabriolet. It is hugely capable on the road, easy to live with on a daily basis, and come the weekend, it’s massively fast on track. For the money, and for drivers who really want just a little more 911, but without the mind-bending speed of a Turbo or uncompromising nature of a GT3, then this is the car for you. It also looks unique and has enough of its own style that it it feels special both on the outside and inside.
911 Carrera 4 GTS
Ultimately, the Carrera 4 GTS is the ideal all-round 911. Its bag of tricks gives you accessible, astonishing performance on the right road – but its price tag and comfort levels make it a little more acceptable for everyday use than a GT2, GT3 or Turbo. The GTS scores particularly well on the practicality to performance ratio. Its rear seats can accommodate people and its all-wheel drive system means you can really use this car all-year round. The GTS-spec 3.0-litre flat-six develops 30bhp more than a Carrera S (at 444bhp) and 37lb ft more torque (at 406lb ft).
Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet (991.2)
The GTS 4 Cabriolet reminds us how awesome Porsche cars are. This is a 911 that can be used as a regular car, an all weather convertible 911 that does everything really well. And when you want to push hard, the car transforms into a true sports car, a car that no enthusiast will ever complain about. Drop-top 911s have always played a supporting role to the fixed roof versions, but in GTS specification the Cabriolet is now better than ever.
Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS (991.2)
The 911 Targa 4 GTS isn't the fastest or best performing 911. It is heavier, softer and not as fast as every other GTS model. But we still love it. The Targa 4 GTS has amazing performance coupled with the sexiest body in the business. In GTS trim the Targa body looks even better. This is the car you get when you can only choose one 911 and you need it for fun weekends, daily driving and taking the wife out to a fancy restaurant. With 450 hp and 405 lb-ft from 2150 to 5000 rpm, it also has more than enough street performance than you could ever need. Buy one.
At the heart of the 991.2 911 Turbo is a twin-turbocharged flat-six with 540 horsepower and 523 pound-feet of torque. That’s a meaningful 20 more horses than the 991.1 Turbo. Improvements that come from increases in boost and fuel-injection pressures. Rounding the skidpad, the Turbo posts 1.02 g’s relatively easily. The wide P Zeros in back and the standard four-wheel steering conspire to hide the fact that 62 percent of the Turbo’s 3656 pounds sits over the rear wheels. With sport-plus selected, the 991.2 Turbo hits a 1.0-second run to 30 mph and a 2.6-second zero-to-60 time.
The Cabriolet version of the 991.2 Turbo got the same updates as its coupe sibling. The engine in the 991.2 911 Turbo Cabriolet is a twin-turbocharged flat-six with 540 horsepower and 523 pound-feet of torque, up a decent 20 more horses versus the 991.1 Turbo Cab. Improvements that come from increases in boost and fuel-injection pressures. Rounding the skidpad, the Turbo posts 1.02 g’s relatively easily. The wide P Zeros in back and the standard four-wheel steering conspire to hide the fact that 62 percent of the Turbo’s 3656 pounds sits over the rear wheels. 0 - 60 mph is over in just 3 seconds.
To the untrained eye, the Carrera T may appear to be a bare-bones and sparingly equipped 911 at first glance. The purpose of the T is to create a driver-focused 911, equipped with only the necessities required to appeal to those of a purist’s ilk. The Carrera T employs the same power plant used in the current base Carrera - a twin-turbocharged 3.0L flat-six with 370 horsepower and 331 lb-ft of torque. A 7-speed manual transmission comes standard with the T, along with a shorter final-drive ratio and the limited-slip differential. Porsche Sport Exhaust (PSE) is also standard. PASM sport suspension comes standard in the T, which lowers the chassis by 0.4 inches relative to the base Carrera and allows for two modes of dampening.

Porsche 991 Special Models

The special editions is where it gets fun for the 991 generation 911. The anniversary edition was a stunning design exercise coupled with a tasty powerkit fettled 430 hp flat 6. The 991 generation GT3 was immediately polarizing when released thanks to no manual option, yet it still blew away every driver, taking performance cars to a new level (yet again). The Turbo S models continued to wow with their stupid-fast speed and GT-comfort, while the track-focused GT3 RS was still the weapon of choice for the track-rats. The finest 991.1 car though was definitely the 911 R, thanks to its 4-litre naturally aspirated flat-six engine and six-speed manual gearbox. Probably the best 911 of the modern era. For the 991.2 special edition cars Porsche listened to its buyers and released the 911 GT3 with a manual gearbox option as well as giving us the GT3 Touring option (no wings, subtler look, manual only) and a new Speedster model that proved that manuals are just better (always). There was no doubt that the 991.2 GT2 RS was the pinnacle of the 991 generation in terms of sheer performance. It is the fastest and most powerful 911 in history and the quickest production car to lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

The 2014 50th Anniversary Edition 911 was built by Porsche to commemorate the 911’s birthday, 50 years after its production launch in 1964. In homage to 1963, the year the 911 debuted at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show, production was limited to 1,963 units. The 50th Anniversary uses the wider body from a Carrera 4S (but remains only rear-wheel-drive) and is lower than a standard Carrera by 10mm. The 20 inch-alloys are a modern take on the original Fuchs wheels, and the seats are finished in “Pepita” cloth. Includes Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), sports exhaust and powerkit tickled 430 hp flat six.
Porsche introduced the 991 GT3 for the 2014 model year, as follow up to the multiple 997 GT3 variants. The 991 GT3 featured a new 3.8 litre direct fuel injection (DFI) flat-six engine developing 475 hp (354 kW; 482 PS) at 8,250 rpm, Porsche's Doppelkupplung (PDK) double-clutch gearbox, and rear-wheel steering. The 911 GT3 is claimed to be able to accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.1 seconds or less, and the quarter mile in 11.2 seconds at 126 mph (203 km/h). It evolved into the 991.2 GT3 for model year 2018.
Porsche offered the 991 Turbo S from the start of the production of the 991 Turbo. The unique features of the Turbo S were the GT3 mirrors, slightly different front spoiler grilles and interior features. As before, the Turbo S was a heavily equipped version of the Turbo. The powerkit added 29 KW of power and the following equipment came as standard: PDCC hydraulic rollbar system, Sport Chrono (Launch control and 0.15 bar overboost functions), dynamic engine mounts, PCCB Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes, central lock wheels, full LED dynamic headlights, 18-way Sport Plus seats with memory.
Everything you need to know about the 991.1 Turbo S Cab comes from Car and Driver test results. "Launch control puts the computer in charge and sends the 3741-pound Turbo S Cab to the far side of 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds. A quarter-mile that nearly breaks into the 10s—11.1 seconds at 124 mph—attests to how serious this car gets when provoked. We saw 1.0 g on the skidpad and a stopping distance of 151 feet, both strong numbers abetted by the hilariously staggered Pirelli P Zeros (245/35 in front, 305/30 in back)". This is in a comfortable, all-wheel drive, grand touring convertible.
For those who want more extreme performance, handling and track-day bragging rights, the RS is it. It's far from practical and may be too extreme for some, especially on the street, but on track it is exceptional. Only marginally quicker than the 991 GT3 that it is based on, but it delivers that performance with a different character. Massive grip, massive downforce and more extreme than the GT3. It delivers 80 per cent of the downforce of the full-on GT3 R race car, and with a carbon fibre bonnet and wings, a magnesium roof and polycarbonate rear windows and screen, it’s also light, weighing in at just 1,420kg.
Porsche 911 991 Safari Concept
The Porsche 911 Vision Safari a sports car-based rally car concept, designed and built by Porsche in 2012, based on the Porsche 911 (generation 991) and harkening back to the original car, the Porsche 911 SC Safari from 1978. Features a raised suspension, reinforced wheel housings and large bumpers.
Sticking to their strengths, Porsche has created the most sought after car in its line-up, the 2017 Porsche 911 R. We have seen numerous rumors about this car for a couple of months now and this time we finally get to see it. The new Porsche 911 R with 4-litre naturally aspirated flat-six engine with a six-speed manual gearbox is coming to us for sure. It's lighter and faster with its engines pumping out 493 bhp at 8,250 rpm and 333 lb-ft at 6,250 rpm. The result is probably the best 911 of the modern era. Porsche at its finest. 
911 Carrera Black Edition
The 2016 Carrera and Boxster Black Editions add some extra niceties for a value-adjusted price. And as the names suggest, both cars come in any color scheme you want so long as it’s, yes, black on black. Or black on black on black in the case of the ragtops. Available in coupe and convertible forms, with rear- or all-wheel drive, each powered by the base 350-hp 3.4-liter flat-6 engine, the 911 Carrera Black Edition adds other design treats too.
To celebrate 60 years of Porsche Club of America, PCNA (Porsche Cars North America) ordered 60 units of 911 Carrera GTS Coupés in Club Blue from Porsche Exclusive. All 60 cars were equipped with SportDesign aerokit (including ducktail). These Club cars were not numbered because it wasn't a special series by Porsche AG, but a series of similarly equipped cars ordered by PCNA. The cars got a few unique touches by Porsche Exclusive, like the special "Club Blau" paint, the "Club Coupe" stickers on the doors, the door entry guards with ''GTS Club Coupe" lettering and number "60" embossed on the armrest cover.
This is the fastest convertible GT you can buy. The Turbo S cab gets 572 bhp (39 hp more than the base turbo cab) and 553 ft lbs (9 ft lbs more than the regular cab) of torque. With the Turbo S, the PDCC Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control hydraulic roll bars came as standard. The PCCB Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes had been standard on the Turbo S already since the 996 generation. New options included the radar-based lane change assist and a lift system for the front axle (increased ground clearance by 1.6″/40 mm). The PCM now had a multi-touch screen like in the facelifted 991 Carrera.
With the Turbo S, the PDCC Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control hydraulic roll bars came as standard. The PCCB Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes had been standard on the Turbo S already since the 996 generation. New options included the radar-based lane change assist and a lift system for the front axle (increased ground clearance by 1.6″/40 mm). The PCM now had a multi-touch screen like in the facelifted 991 Carrera. Routes and places could be visualized with 360-degree images and satellite images. Engine gets more horsepower too, now with 572 bhp and 553 ft lbs of torque.
The new Porsche 911 GT3 carries the same four-litre flat engine from the GT3 RS with its power increased by 25hp for a new total of 500hp. The chassis is also redesigned and now features a rear-axle steering and a lighter construction. The Porsche 911 GT3 type 991.2 comes in at 1,430 kg when its tank is full. Although it is a bit heavier than the previous model, it still manages to reach 0-100km/h in just 3.4 seconds and reach top speeds of 318km/h. What’s more interesting here is that Porsche finally decided to switch back to a 6-speed manual gearbox (7-speed PDK is standard).
Porsche is the most successful marque in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and British drivers have played an important role in delivering these historical achievements, and in celebration of this success a special limited edition model – the 911 Carrera 4 GTS British Legends Edition was created. Designed by the drivers who took wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the factory team – Richard Attwood (winner 1970), Derek Bell MBE (winner 1981, 1982, 1986, 1987) and Nick Tandy (winner 2015) – this model was developed by Porsche Cars GB and Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur.
The 500 hundred numbered 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series cars cross the 600 hp mark with their 446 kW engines. The power increase does not make much difference performance wise, but it is good to know you have more than 600 hp. Similar in acceleration and top speed to the ‘regular’ Turbo S, the car reaches 200 km/h (124 mph) in 9.6 seconds (0.3 seconds faster than the regular Turbo S). The car comes standard with the Turbo Aerokit and roof panel made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic.
The GT2 RS's reputation as the most powerful street-legal car is as monstrous as this comprehensive guide. Suffice to say, this supercar has been built with the best Porsche has to offer. It's not bragging, it's just facts. There is no doubt that the new GT2 RS is the pinnacle of the 911 in terms of performance. It is simply the fastest 911 in history, and that’s a fact. It is the quickest production car to lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife. It is the most powerful 911 ever made.
Matt Prior from Autocar nails the 991.2 GT3 RS: “While I don’t think the 3 communicates any better than a 2, the messages it does transmit are superior: you can feel that it’s lighter, more willing to turn, easier and more satisfying to ease onto the throttle and keep it pinned. It’s why this car is only a few seconds slower than a 2RS around the Nürburgring Nordschleife despite being almost 200bhp down.” He goes on... “And in the form of the GT3 RS it goes into creating - little by little, detail by detail - what might just be the best driver’s car currently on sale.”
2019 911 speedster
Make no mistake that the Speedster is an absolutely fitting conclusion to the 991-generation. The Porsche 911 Speedster is an ingenious amalgamation of the latest technologies on offer, and the more simple ingredients that have been a principle of driving enjoyment since the invention of automobiles. A 502-horsepower engine, without turbochargers. A modern transmission, with just one clutch. A state-of-the-art suspension and chassis, with an unsullied purity. The list goes on. Perhaps the only drawback is that the Speedster’s rarity and price.

Porsche 991 Motorsport Racing Models

Porsche continued to invest heavily in developing motorsports models throughout the 991s lifecycle. The 991 GT3 Cup was a huge part of that investment, the successful racing series growing in size and influence.

As the rules do not permit higher output engines, the engine for the 991 RSR was taken from the 997 GT3 RSR 4.0 and the development work focused on the chassis, body, aerodynamics and the gearbox. A wishbone front suspension replaced the McPherson struts used in 997. A new development was the lightweight gearbox. One of the priorities in the development was the more evenly balanced weight distribution. The centre of gravity was lower, too.
The new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is powered by a 3.8-litre six-cylinder flat engine. It generates 460 hp (338 kW) at 7,500 revs, surpassing the predecessor by 10 hp. A six-speed dog-type gearbox developed by Porsche Motorsport which is operated via shift paddles at the steering wheel for the first time in a Porsche brand trophy race car transmits the power to the rear axle. The single piece race wheels with centre mount were also new.
Porsche 911 GT America (991)
The 911 GT America was based on the 991 GT3 Cup. It was built exclusively for the United Sports Car Racing (USRC) series and its GT Daytona class for 2014. While the GT3 Cup had a 3.8-litre engine at the time, the GT America was fitted with a 4.0-litre unit developing 351 kW. The main visual difference is the rear spoiler made to fit the USRC rules. Like the GT3 Cup, the GT America has 380 mm steel brake rotors at the front axle with 6-piston fixed calipers.
Based on the 911 GT3 RS production sports car, Porsche has designed a customer sport race car for GT3 series around the world: The 911 GT3 R. In developing the more than 368 kW (500 hp) racing nine-eleven, special attention was paid to lightweight design, better aerodynamic efficiency, reducing consumption, improved handling and optimised safety. The 911 GT3 R features the distinctive double-bubble roof, and the wheelbase which had been lengthened compared to the prior generation.
The rear of the world’s most-produced GT racing car now houses a 4-litre, six-cylinder flat engine for even more drive. Thanks to thoroughbred motorsport technology, the compact engine with direct fuel injection delivers peak performance of 357 kW (485 hp). A range of innovative details also improve efficiency in addition to engine performance, ensuring even better durability of the naturally aspirated engine in racing mode and reduced maintenance costs.
Two decades after the different 911 GT1 cars the mid-engined 911 is back! In order to install a proper diffuser under the rear end of the 991, the engine had to make room for it and the engine/transmission unit was rotated 180 degrees. The extended rear diffuser, a top-suspended rear wing and the new side mirrors help to increase downforce with reduced drag. The FIA rules meant no turbo was needed due to power limits, so the normally aspirated 4-litre flat-6 was taken from the 991 GT3 R.
This car was officially called as the 911 GT2 RS Clubsport, but the name is rather misleading. The car was not built for the GT2 racing class which is long extinct and club sport has stood for Porsche club track days while this non-streel-legal car is a real racing car. Finally, the car was based on the 991 GT2 RS, which already had the Clubsport version. So, in order to understand what is what, we call it "991 GT2 RS Clubsport racing version". The 991 GT2 RS engine with 515 kW was powerful enough, so it was not tuned.
This was the fourth version of the 991 RSR - the first two came with the rear engine, then the first mid-engine version was launched (all 4.0-litre) and finally the mid-engined RSR 4.2 with the largest 911 engine ever made. The increase in the engine capacity is a question mark as on production models the capacities are decreased and turbochargers are used. The 991 RSR 4.2 didn't have anything in common with the production cars anymore. No change in terms of power-to-weight ratio.
The GT3 R has always been placed between the GT3 Cup and the very expensive RSR. All the 991.2 racing cars have normally aspirated 4-litre engines. Compared to the 991.1 GT3 R, the 991.2 GT3 R engine offers a broader usable rev range and the engine response is more precise due to 6 throttle butterflies. The roof, front hood and fairing, wheel arches, doors, side and tail sections, rear lid and interior trim are made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic. Gets new double wishbone suspension.
The 935 tribute car was a non-street-legal collector's car built in a series of 77 cars. It was built from the 911 991.2 GT3 R racing car, fitted with the engine and transmission from the 911 991.2 GT2 RS street car and with the bodykit showing some design details from the 935 cars. The problem: it was not as powerful as the 1978 935 was with even smaller engine and the modern car is much heavier, so the power-to-weight ratio was almost 60% better 40 years earlier.
Porsche will only build 30 examples of the Clubsport 25. Mechanically, it's similar to the regular GT2 RS Clubsport. It makes the 691 horsepower from a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter flat-six. But it gets many, many changes to the exterior and even the cooling system. As you can clearly see, the body has been lengthened, and it has also been widened. The latter is necessary to house the wide, low-offset 18-inch wheels taken from the Porsche 935, though without the aerodynamic covers.

Porsche 911 Type 991 Specs & Performance Summary


Porsche 911 Type 991 (2012-2019) Technical Specs

Forget the summary, here is every seventh generation Porsche 911 (Type 991) broken out by model year and variant and the technical specifications for each one. Car data nerds, let us unite.

Porsche 911 (991) News & Updates

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Unveiled at Porsche’s 70th-anniversary celebration at Rennsport Reunion VI in California in September 2018, the new 935 was a limited-edition,...
This 2019 Porsche 935 is the 13th of 77 examples built as a track-only, non-homologated homage to the original 935...

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