Total 911 No. 203

The pre-impact bumper 911s, colloquially known as the ‘long bonnets’, represent a fascinating period of Porsche history. Presenting Ferdinand Alexander’s design in its original form, they are the quintessence of Porsche’s iconic flat six sports car: small, lightweight and nimble, with clean lines harmonising both practicality and performance. The long-bonnet era lasted a full decade, yet in that time the 911 evolved quietly yet dramatically: its model lineup blossomed into three separate lines, engine sizes increased across the board – twice – and the wheelbase extended, too. That’s before we even consider the switch-around in carburettors and then a gradual move to mechanical fuel injection, or the change in wheel dimensions, or the advent of aerodynamic aids and anti-roll bars… “They are the quintessence of Porsche’s iconic flat six sports car” A lot…

Porsche increases stake in Rimac Zuffenhausen now owns 24% of electric supercar manufacturer Porsche has invested further funds in the manufacturer of electric supercars, Rimac Automobili, upping its share from 15% to 24% of the Croatian company. Aside from its own supercar production programme, Rimac also specialises in high-tech components for electromobility, including high-performance drives and battery systems, which has proved most useful to Porsche. This latest investment is the third time Porsche has sought to intensify its relationship with Rimac, first investing in 2018 and then increasing its stake to 15% in 2019. The recent 9% increase in Porsche’s stake was the result of a cash injection of some 70 million Euros from the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer, which is looking to strengthen its own channels of innovation and production in the…

This month I want to take Total 911 readers back in time and discuss my experiences at the 12 Hours of Sebring. My first race at the 12 Hours of Sebring was in 1968 for John Wyer. I was driving with Jacky Ickx in a GT40. During the race I made a huge mistake. I tried to outbreak Jo Siffert in his Porsche 907 at the end of the back straight. I wasn’t too concerned if I made a mistake because there was a lot of runoff area. However, I braked too late, and spun. So, I was spinning down the road, which in itself wasn’t too bad. Except that before it came to a halt going backwards, I slotted it into first gear, gave it a big rev and let…

Rare shades Dear Sir, I had to do a double take when I opened the latest T911 and read the piece on the bulletproof 996. I was ready to put money on it being Ipanema blue metallic, the same as our C4 GTS, until I read the colour description: Dragonfly turquoise metallic. They are so close, and nearly 20 years apart! Ipanema blue is a pretty rare colour in the UK with perhaps only five (or less) 911s in this colour. From what I’ve read (in my 911 Red Book) Ipanema blue was only available at the very end of the 997 production cycle and possibly spilled over and was still an option for the earliest 991s. After that it seems to have been discontinued. Not that I’m complaining, of course, as it…

Scott Gardner Job title Workshop manager Place of work Porsche Centre Bournemouth, UK Time at Porsche 15 years One of my favourite things about my 991.1 GTS are the pops and cracks that it makes in Sport mode. I find myself playing with the throttle to make it happen. But my question is whether this is good for the engine/exhaust in the long term? Presumably Porsche wouldn’t engineer a feature that is bad for the components, but is it a bit like a Launch Control system that, while designed, isn’t meant to be overused? Phil Farrell I couldn’t agree more with you, Phil – the noises the 991-generation engine makes when the Sports exhaust is open are incredible. Like you mention, the overrun and crackles they make are all okay and safe. As suggested, it wouldn’t be engineered or…

The last five years has been a time of great change within the classic car world. The market’s taste in cars – what models are hot and not – has subtly shifted, as has the way cars are bought and sold. And let’s not forget that the age of buyers is also in constant flux; we’ve seen a flood of younger enthusiasts join the fun, bringing with them an appetite for different cars. The manufacturers have also adapted, and supporting historic models has now moved from being a commercial afterthought to indeed one of the key strands of many prestige companies’ operations. These changes have been keenly felt in the Porsche community. Of the 60 models of Porsche 911 tracked by the Hagerty Price Guide, 45 have risen in value an…