Porsche 911 991 vs 992 GT3: battle of the gearbox
Both these Weissach superstars are equipped with the same six-speed manual gearbox from Porsche Motorsport… but can Total 911 find any tangible differences between the two? Written by Lee Sible BATTLE OF THE GEARBOXMANUAL GT3S DO BATTLE Motorsport’s brilliant 991.2 takes on 992 North Wales. A glorious pocket of the UK, where the locals are friendly, the scenery is pretty and the roads are twisty.
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Porsche’s 1977 awards ceremony, which is traditionally held at Weissach every December
This classic ‘rogues gallery’ photograph was taken at Porsche’s 1977 awards ceremony, which is traditionally held at Weissach every December. 1977 had been a good year for Porsche Motorsports: another Le Mans win, and German national and world sports car champions. Indeed, it would prove something of a high watermark. Ernst Fuhrmann’s restrictions on high-profile racing and further development of the 911 would keep Porsche works teams out of top-flight competition until 1981.
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Sportomatic gearbox - Porsche’s first automatic gearbox is more than half a century old… here’s how it works
Introduced to the world in 1967 by Porsche, the Sportomatic was the company’s answer to reinvigorating the 911 range for a push in the USA, where automatics were gaining huge popularity. At its heart is an all-synchro, four-speed 901 manual, but with a torque convertor and single dry-plate clutch. Technology explained  - SPORTOMATIC GEARBOXThat clutch is controlled by a microswitch on the gear lever. Move the gear lever and the microswitch activates a vacuum servo motor.
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Sales debate - can you get a good Porsche 911 example for less than £25,000?
Talk of the 911 market is often ruled by the heady top-end, but this month we consider if exceptional cars are still available at the affordable end of the 911 spectrum? Philip Raby, of Philip Raby Specialist Cars, thinks there definitely are, but adds a few caveats: “A manual, early 3.4-litre 996 is becoming quite desirable. The problem is, finding a good one.” Philip advises spending £20,000 at a minimum. If you’re looking to spend anything less then you could be asking for trouble.
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Porsche 911 993’s historical journey is well known
The 993’s historical journey is well known. Peter Falk, the famed Porsche engineer, produced a Lastenheft in the late 1980s that found the incoming 993 would have to achieve new levels of agility and responsiveness – not to mention refinement – and so the new 911 was born with its multi-link rear axle and six-speed transmission, among other improvements.
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Discover how Porsche Side Impact Protection was developed, and how it keeps you safe
Safety has always been a concern at Porsche, and throughout the 911 development various ideas have been introduced to keep occupants safe while maximising driver enjoyment. The three-part safety steering system and Targa roll bar are both examples of Porsche’s safety-derived developments, but legislation also has played a part, like the impact bumper. Technology explainedMore recently as crash protection laws developed, so did requirements for passenger safety.
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Which are the most overlooked Porsche 911s in the marketplace?
Interest and enthusiasm for owning a 911 of any era has never been greater. Everyone knows and covets an RS, GT3 or Turbo, keenly eyeing values and ads, but aside from those go-tos, which models are currently overlooked by the market? Sales debateIt’s fair to say our panel struggled to immediately call out a list of forgotten models. In today’s market, there’s a buyer for all 911s.
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The history of the widebody Porsche 911
You can thank the gorgeous 1973 Carrera 2.7 RS for kicking off this fabulous look, swiftly followed by the RSR in ’74. By adding a little more metal these cars could carry more rubber, meaning better handling and faster lap times. The aesthetics? Almost a happy by-product. When the 911 Turbo burst on to the scene in 1975, complete with wings, wheels and spoilers, the die was cast for almost all range topping 911s to have a more ample derriere.
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Technology explained - torsion bar suspension
We take a quick look back at the history and development of the torsion bar suspension system Despite the many complex technological advances, features and systems used over the lifespan of the 911, one vital element of the car relied on a simple, mechanical system for over 40 years – the use of torsion bar suspension.
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Total 911 takes you back to the famous Steering Wheel Club of the 1970s
The setting is the Steering Wheel Club in Mayfair and the date is October 1970. The occasion is the presentation of an award to that year’s Le Mans winners, Richard Attwood and Hans Herrmann. Behind them is Porsche competitions manager Rico Steinemann and presenting the prize, Stirling Moss, now well established in his second career, motor racing PR.
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A Porsche 911 history of the Targa roof
Since the inception of the iconic Porsche 911 in 1963, Zuffenhausen had been investigating ways of making an open-top version of their range-topping sports car. However, a lack of structural rigidity and changing US regulations had made finalising a conventional design nigh on impossible. Step forward the 911 Targa.
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