The 5 Most Unforgettable Porsche 911s of All Time
It’s surreal to think that after nearly four decades of experiencing Porsche 911s, I can still recall the first one with striking clarity. My initiation into the world of the 911 happened in Australia many years ago, behind the wheel of a relatively unassuming white 3.0-liter Carrera. It was a “pure” 911, devoid of the fancy aerodynamics and power steering that would become commonplace. Back then, I remember being impressed by its speed but simultaneously confused by the hype. After all, I was testing it alongside the 944 Turbo, a car that cost virtually the same at the time but felt faster and more potent with far less effort on winding roads. Yet, despite the pragmatic evidence, the 911 carved out a special place in my heart.
“After two days and 600 miles,” I concluded in my notes, “I know the 944 Turbo is the better car in many respects. But if faced with the decision, I’d take the 911 Carrera home.” The 944 Turbo, I argued, was so competent that it could make an average driver look good. Its performance was incredible and its chassis astounding. But the 911 had something else—an emotional draw. I described the 911 Carrera as “a sports car of a different age and different values. It is not tailored to meet the needs of most drivers. It demands understanding and respect. That’s why I’d take it home.”
Since that first encounter, I’ve had the privilege of driving countless 911 models. With every evolution—except perhaps the 964, which I thought was heading in the wrong direction for the iconic 911 idea—I have been amazed at how Porsche has refined its icon, keeping it relevant, exciting, and engaging. Even after 40 years, the 911 remains one of the few new cars I would gladly purchase with my own money. From the history-making to the hyper-modern, these are the five Porsche 911s that have left the deepest impression on me over the years.
The Legendary Original: 1975 Porsche 930 Turbo
When I first drove the 3.0-liter Carrera, the original Porsche 911 Turbo was the stuff of legend among veteran automotive journalists. They spoke of it with reverence, describing it as a car that demanded absolute respect when driven hard. It was a machine with a binary boost character that transformed the traditional 911 tightrope between corner-entry understeer and corner-exit oversteer into a high-stakes performance that required quick reflexes and courage. The original 911 Turbo did not forgive mistakes or tolerate sloppy driving; it was known as a “widowmaker” for a reason. Ironically, it took me 35 years to finally get behind the wheel of one and discover the truth for myself.
The car I drove was one of the first 30 production Turbos ever built, now a cherished part of Porsche’s classic collection. Aware of its fearsome reputation, I began cautiously, gradually probing the throttle and watching the tachometer to understand the power delivery. The engine proved to be remarkably tractable at low revs, easily chugging along at 2,000 rpm in top gear at around 45 mph. Once the needle passed 3,500 rpm, however, there was a noticeable surge as the turbocharger pushed 0.8 bar of boost into the intake. Yet, the sledgehammer force I expected wasn’t quite there.
I discovered that the key to smooth and rapid driving in the original 911 Turbo was to keep the 3.0-liter flat-six spinning above 4,000 rpm to keep the turbocharger energized. Yes, turbo lag exists—and it’s very noticeable by today’s standards—but it’s manageable. Even though it’s over 50 years old, this 911 is still an incredibly fast car on the road today. First gear reaches 50 mph, second reaches 90 mph, and third approaches 130 mph, meaning it can devour most winding two-lane roads using only second and third gear. And while it might only have 256 horsepower, it weighs just 2,513 pounds, allowing it to handle corners with agility. Half a century ago, its performance would have been considered revolutionary.
The Last of the Air-Cooled Icons: 1996 Porsche 911 993
For Porsche purists, the 993 generation is the last of the true 911s—the last of the air-cooled era. It’s the car that defines the classic 911 experience, where your knuckles might graze the dashboard and the snarling metallic clatter of the air-cooled flat-six is right behind your head. However, when I first drove it back in 1994, the 993 was the 911 of the future, the first generation to significantly challenge the laws of physics. While it still retained that classic 911 front-end feel that demanded careful loading through corners to hit the apex, and the rear end still danced on the edge of stability through rougher turns, there was a new harmony between the front and rear. The 993 did what 911s do best, but with a much wider margin for error.
Central to this revolution was a new rear suspension system. It replaced the aging semi-trailing arms with a sophisticated multilink setup that allowed for minute initial toe-out on corner entry, followed by progressive toe-in as lateral loads increased. Critically, this reduced the camber change that had been the Achilles’ heel of 911s since 1963. This was coupled with a steering system that was 16 percent quicker, with only 2.5 turns lock-to-lock, making the front end feel far more precise. The new six-speed manual transmission perfectly complemented the 3.6-liter flat-six, which delivered more power and torque, peaking at 268 hp at 6,100 rpm thanks to lighter internals, Bosch Motronic 2.0 engine management, and a new dual exhaust system.
Compared to the 964 it replaced, the 993 was a revelation. It wasn’t just the engineering upgrades, developed under the leadership of Ulrich Bez (who would later lead Aston Martin); the exterior redesign, overseen by design chief Harm Lagaay, corrected visual flaws he perceived in the 964, which he felt was too tall at the front and too pulled down at the rear. The interior was also cleaner, with fewer buttons scattered in random locations. The 993 was a faster, more forgiving, and most importantly, a more desirable 911.
The Game-Changer: 1996 Porsche 911 996
At the time of its release, it was considered heresy. Porsche’s decision to install a water-cooled flat-six engine in the rear of the 996-series 911 was, to the purists, the automotive equivalent of Bob Dylan abandoning his acoustic guitar for a Fender Stratocaster at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. However, the 996, the first complete redesign of Porsche’s relentless sports car in 34 years, was a hero car to me. It was the 911 that saved the company.
Engineered and developed under the direction of Porsche R&D chief Horst Marchart, the 996 was a masterclass in clever engineering. It shared a remarkable 38 percent of its components with an all-new, less expensive mid-engine roadster that the world would soon know as the Boxster. The iconic Porsche CEO at the time, Wendelin Weideking, knew the Boxster was essential to provide dealers with another model to sell once the aging 928 and 968 models were discontinued. As design boss Lagaay humorously noted after the company unveiled the 996, “We did two cars for the price of one-and-a-half.”
But while the media focused on its relationship with the Boxster and the water-cooled engine, the 996’s true significance ran much deeper. In 1994, it took 130 hours to build a 993-series 911; the 996 required only 60 hours to assemble. The modern 911 had arrived: it was roomier, equipped with all the features expected of a late 20th-century sports car, yet still undeniably a Porsche. Most importantly, it still drove like a 911—only better. While there was a new layer of sophistication in how it performed, the 996 retained the delightful tactility and urgent response that had made the 911 a sports car like no other. Along with the original Boxster, it saved Porsche from extinction.
The Perfect Balance: 2017 Porsche Carrera 991.2
Out of all the 911s I’ve driven, it was a base model 991.2 Carrera that truly captured my heart. And judging by the feedback I received from colleagues at the time, it captured theirs too. Most press fleets tend to feature highly customized vehicles packed with expensive options
