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My 40 Years with the Porsche 911: The 5 Cars That Defined the Icon
For four decades, I’ve been fortunate enough to drive some of the most iconic performance cars ever created. But through all the advancements in engine technology, driver aids, and aerodynamic wizardry, one name has remained the North Star of the sports car world: Porsche 911.
When I first got behind the wheel of a 911, nearly 40 years ago, it was a stark contrast to the competition. I recall a pure, 3.0-liter Carrera with black Fuchs wheels, a manual five-speed, and no power steering. It was brutally honest. While a contemporary 944 Turbo offered more power and torque for the same price, the 911 possessed an intangible allure that transcended raw speed.
“The 944 Turbo is undoubtedly the superior machine,” I noted back then. “But when the moment of truth arrives, if I were agonizing over my choice, I would take the 911 Carrera home.” The 911 demanded respect—it wasn’t for everyone—but for those who understood its language, it was the ultimate reward. It wasn’t just a car; it was a philosophy on wheels.
Every generation since the 964 (a questionable detour, in my opinion) has managed to polish this icon without losing its soul. Even today, 40 years on, the 911 remains one of the few cars I would genuinely spend my own money on. Out of the dozens of 911s I’ve experienced, these five stand out as the most memorable defining moments in Porsche history.
The Original Widowmaker: A Look Back at the 930 Turbo
When I first started testing Porsches in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the original 911 Turbo—the 930—was spoken of in hushed, awed tones. Veteran journalists warned it was a car that demanded the utmost respect, a machine that punished mistakes with brutal, binary boost delivery. The legendary tightrope walk between corner-entry understeer and corner-exit oversteer was more precarious than ever. They called it a “widowmaker” for a reason.
It took me 35 years to get behind the wheel of an original 930, and the reality was far more nuanced than the legend suggested. I finally experienced one of the first 30 production Turbos ever built, now preserved in Porsche’s heritage fleet. Aware of its fearsome reputation, I took it easy at first, gently easing into the throttle, monitoring the tachometer, and building a mental map of the power band.
To my surprise, the 3.0-liter flat-six was remarkably tractable at lower revs. Driving at 45 mph in top gear, the engine burbled along happily at 2,000 rpm. But once the needle passed 3,500 rpm, the turbocharger kicked in, delivering 0.8 bar of boost—and the acceleration surged. The sledgehammer blow I expected wasn’t quite there.
I discovered the secret to smooth, quick progress in the 930: keeping the engine revving above 4,000 rpm to keep the turbocharger energized. Yes, there’s turbo lag by modern standards, but it’s manageable. Even half a century later, this 911 is impressively fast on the road. First gear tops out at 50 mph, second at 90 mph, and third pushes past 130 mph. With a modest 256 hp and a featherlight 2,513-pound curb weight, the 930 handles corners with startling agility. In its day, its performance was otherworldly.
The Last of the Line: The 993 Generation
For purists, the 993 generation is the end of an era—the last air-cooled 911. This is the car you drive with the snarling, metallic clatter of the legendary air-cooled flat-six echoing behind you, a raw, visceral experience that has been lost in the modern world. But back in 1994, when I first drove the 993, it represented the pinnacle of Porsche engineering, pushing the boundaries of physics further than ever before.
The 993 still had the trademark 911 feel—the subtle twitchiness at the front end demanded careful loading to hit the apex, and the rear end still rhumbaed slightly through rough corners. However, the connection between the front and rear of the car was significantly improved. It still did all the things a 911 should, but within a much larger margin of error.
The secret lay in a revolutionary new rear suspension. Porsche replaced the aging semi-trailing arms with a state-of-the-art multi-link setup. This allowed for minimal initial toe-out on corner entry and progressive toe-in as lateral loads increased, all while virtually eliminating the negative camber change that had plagued 911s since 1963.
This engineering marvel was combined with a new six-speed manual transmission and a racier steering rack—just 2.5 turns lock-to-lock, making the front end feel far more decisive. The 3.6-liter flat-six, benefiting from lighter internals and the Bosch Motronic 2.0 engine management system, delivered 268 hp at 6,100 rpm with a new dual exhaust note that was simply intoxicating.
Compared to the 964 it replaced, the 993 was a revelation. The engineering upgrades were significant, but the exterior redesign, led by design chief Harm Lagaay, corrected visual flaws he found in the 964. The 933 was a faster, more forgiving, and significantly more desirable 911. It’s the last air-cooled 911 that doesn’t feel like a compromise. It truly is the end of a legendary era, but we were lucky to witness it.
The 996: The Controversial Heart That Saved Porsche
In 1994, Porsche made a decision that sent shockwaves through the automotive world: they installed a water-cooled flat-six engine in the tail of the new 996-series 911. To the purists, this was equivalent to Bob Dylan switching from acoustic guitar to electric at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival—a shocking betrayal of tradition. But to me, the 996 was a hero. It was the 911 that saved Porsche from extinction.
Engineered under the direction of Porsche R&D chief Horst Marchart, the 996 was a masterstroke of intelligent design. It shared 38 percent of its components with the all-new, less expensive mid-engine roadster that would become known as the Boxster. Iconoclastic Porsche boss Wendelin Weideking knew the Boxster was essential to provide dealerships with something else to sell once the aging 928 and 968 models were discontinued. As design chief Harm Lagaay quipped after the unveiling, “We did two cars for the price of one-and-a-half.”
While the media fixated on the new water-cooled engine and the Boxster connection, the 996’s real legacy runs much deeper. In 1994, it took Porsche 130 hours to build a 993-series 911; the 996 took just 60 hours. The modern 911 had arrived: roomier, equipped with all the features expected of a late-20th-century sports car, and yet still recognizably a Porsche icon.
Most importantly, it still drove like a 911. Only better. There was a new veneer of sophistication, yes, but the 996 retained the delicious tactility and urgent response that had made the 911 a sports car like no other. It wasn’t just about saving Porsche; it was about ensuring the 911 would thrive in the new millennium. It was a brave move that paid off brilliantly.
The Best of Both Worlds: 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera (991.2)
Of all the 911s I’ve driven, it was a base 991.2 Carrera that truly stole my heart. It stole everyone else’s too. Most press fleets are loaded with high-spec models, presumably because automotive PRs think we’re impressed by such things. So Porsche Cars North America’s decision to include a base 911 Carrera in the launch lineup for the new 991.2 generation felt like a brave move. In truth, it was pure genius.
The 991.2 generation debuted a new 3.4-liter turbocharged engine, offering 370 hp in the base Carrera or 420 hp in the Carrera S. Even in 370 hp trim, the engine delivered a broad torque curve and impressive efficiency. This Carrera proved that even on the standard wheel and tire setup, the chassis was staggeringly communicative and adjustable. Visually, the 991.2 was a subtle refresh of the larger, skillfully reproportioned 991.1—a superb interpretation of classic 911 themes, modern
