Porsche 911 classic - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The original Porsche 911 was a sports car

Sports car

A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....

made by Porsche

Porsche

Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....

Aktiengesellschaft

Aktiengesellschaft is a German term that refers to a corporation that is limited by shares, i.e. owned by shareholders, and may be traded on a stock market. The term is used in Germany, Austria and Switzerland...

of Stuttgart

Stuttgart

Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. The famous, distinctive, and durable design was introduced in autumn 1963 and built until 1989. It was succeeded by a modified version, internally referred to as Porsche 964

Porsche 964

The Porsche 964 is the company's internal name for the version of the Porsche 911 model manufactured and sold between 1989 and 1994. It featured significant styling revisions over previous versions of the 911, most prominently the more integrated bumpers , although it was still obviously a 911...

but still sold as Porsche 911, as are current models.

Mechanically, the 911 was notable for being rear engined and air-cooled

Air-cooled engine

Air-cooled engines rely on the circulation of air directly over hot parts of the engine to cool them.-Introduction:Most modern internal combustion engines are cooled by a closed circuit carrying liquid coolant through channels in the engine block and cylinder head, where the coolant absorbs heat,...

. From its inception the 911 was modified both by private teams and the factory itself for racing, rallying and other types of automotive competition. The original 911 series is often cited as the most successful competition car ever, especially when its variations are included, mainly the powerful 911-derived 935

Porsche 935

The Porsche 935 was introduced in 1976, as the factory racing version of the Porsche 911 turbo prepared for FIA-Group 5 rules. It was an evolution of the Porsche Carrera RSR 2.1 turbo prototype which had scored 2nd overall in the 1974 24 Hours of Le Mans....

which won 24 Hours of Le Mans

24 Hours of Le Mans

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...

and other major sports cars races outright against prototypes.

Introduction

The Porsche 911 was developed as a much more powerful, larger, more comfortable replacement for the Porsche 356

Porsche 356

The Porsche 356 was the company's first production automobile. It was a lightweight and nimble handling rear-engine rear-wheel-drive 2 door sports car available in hardtop coupe and open configurations. Design innovations continued during the years of manufacture, contributing to its motorsports...

, the company's first model, and essentially a sporting evolution of the Volkswagen Beetle

Volkswagen Beetle

The Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003...

. The new car made its public debut at the 1963 Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung, better known to English speakers as the Frankfurt Motor Show.

It was initially designated as the "Porsche 901

Porsche 901

Porsche 901 was the name originally intended for the Porsche 911.By the early 1960s, Porsche project design numbers had reached into the 19th century. For instance, Porsche's 1962 F1 model was called Porsche 804....

", after its internal project number. However, Peugeot

Peugeot

Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...

protested on the grounds that in France it had exclusive rights to car names formed by three numbers with a zero in the middle. So, instead of selling the new model with another name in France, Porsche changed the name to 911. It went on sale in 1964.

2.0-litre / O, A and B series (1964–1969)

The earliest editions of the 911 had a 130 PS flat-6 engine, in the "boxer

Flat engine

A flat engine is an internal combustion engine with multiple pistons that move in a horizontal plane. Typically, the layout has cylinders arranged in two banks on either side of a single crankshaft and is sometimes known as the boxer, or horizontally opposed engine. The concept was patented in 1896...

" configuration like the 356, air-cooled and rear-mounted, displaced 1991 cm³ (cc) compared with the 356's four-cylinder, 1600 cc unit. The car had four seats although the rear seats are very small, and the car is usually called a 2+2 rather than a four-seater (the 356 was also a 2+2). It was mated to a five-speed manual

Manual transmission

A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...

"Type 901" transmission

Transmission (mechanics)

A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...

. The styling was largely by Ferdinand "Butzi" Porsche

Ferdinand Alexander Porsche

Ferdinand Alexander Porsche , nicknamed "Butzi", son of Ferry Porsche, grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, is a German designer whose best known product is the first Porsche 911....

, son of Ferdinand "Ferry" Porsche

Ferdinand Anton Ernst Porsche

Ferdinand Anton Ernst Porsche , mainly known as Ferry Porsche, was an Austrian technical automobile designer and automaker-entrepreneur. He operated Porsche AG in Stuttgart, Germany. His father, Ferdinand Porsche Sr was also a renowned automobile engineer. His nephew, Dr...

. Erwin Komenda

Erwin Komenda

Erwin Komenda ex Dr Ferdinand Porsche employee, helped in the design of the bodies for the VW Beetle and various Porsche sports cars....

, the leader of the Porsche car body construction department, was also involved in the design.

The 356 came to the end of its production life in 1965, but there was still a market for a 4-cylinder

Flat-4

A flat-4 or horizontally opposed-4 is a flat engine with four cylinders arranged horizontally in two banks of two cylinders on each side of a central crankcase...

car, particularly in the USA. The Porsche 912

Porsche 912

The Porsche 912 is a sports car that was manufactured by Porsche of Germany between 1965 and 1969 as their entry-level model. The 912 is a nimble-handling compact performance four-seat vehicle, delivering 90 SAE horsepower at 5800 rpm. It is capable of up to fuel economy. This combination is...

, introduced the same year, served as a direct replacement. It used the 356's 4-cylinder, 1600 cc, 90 hp engine but wore the 911 bodywork

Coachwork

Coachwork is the body of a horse-drawn coach or carriage, a motor vehicle , a railroad car or railway carriage. Usually reserved for bodies built on a separate chassis, rather than being of unitary or monocoque construction...

.

In 1966 Porsche introduced the more powerful 911S, the engine's power raised to 160 PS. Alloy

Alloy

An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal history...

wheels from Fuchs

Fuchs

- Industry :* Fuchs Petrolub, the world's largest independent manufacturer of lubricants, and related speciality products.* Fuchs Group, spice company based in Germany* Fuchs Systems Inc., a German manufacturer of equipment for making steel- People :...

, in a distinctive 5-leaf design, were offered for the first time. In motorsport at the same time, installed in the mid-engined Porsche 904

Porsche 904

The Porsche 904 is an automobile which was produced by Porsche in Germany in 1964 and 1965. It was officially called Porsche Carrera GTS due to the same naming rights problem that required renaming the Porsche 901 to Porsche 911.- History :...

and Porsche 906

Porsche 906

The Porsche 906 or Carrera 6 was the last street-legal racing car from Porsche. It was announced in January 1966 and 50 examples were subsequently produced, thus meeting the homologation requirements of the FIA's new Group 4 Sports Car category to the letter...

, the engine was developed to 210 PS (154 kW).

In 1967 the Targa

Targa top

Targa top, targa for short, is a semi-convertible car body style with a removable roof section and a full width roll bar behind the seats. The term was first used on the 1966 Porsche 911 Targa, and it remains a registered trademark of Porsche AG....

version was introduced as a "stop gap" model. The Targa had a stainless steel

Stainless steel

In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....

-clad roll bar, as Porsche had, at one point, thought that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is an agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. government, part of the Department of Transportation...

(NHTSA) would outlaw fully open convertible

Convertible

A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...

s in the US

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, an important market for the 911. The name "Targa" (which means "shield" in Italian) came from the Targa Florio

Targa Florio

The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973...

sports car road race in Sicily

Sicily

Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...

, Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

in which Porsche had notable success, with seven victories since 1956, and four more to come until 1973. This last win in the subsequently discontinued event is especially notable as it was scored with a 911 Carrera RS against prototypes entered by Italian factories of Ferrari and Alfa Romeo. The road going Targa was equipped with a removable roof panel and a removable plastic rear window (although a fixed glass version was offered alongside from 1968).

The 110 PS 911T was also launched in 1967 and effectively replaced the 912. The staple 130 PS model was renamed the 911L. The 911R had a very limited production (20 in all). This was a lightweight racing version with thin aluminium

Aluminium

Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....

doors, a magnesium

Magnesium

Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and ninth in the known universe as a whole...

crankcase, twin-spark cylinder head

Cylinder head

In an internal combustion engine, the cylinder head sits above the cylinders on top of the cylinder block. It closes in the top of the cylinder, forming the combustion chamber. This joint is sealed by a head gasket...

s, and a power output of 210 PS.

In 1969 the B series was introduced: the wheelbase

Wheelbase

In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...

for all 911 and 912 models was increased from 2211 to 2268 mm (87 to 89.3 ), an effective remedy to the car's nervous handling at the limit. The overall length of the car did not change: rather, the rear wheels were relocated aft. Fuel injection arrived for the 911S and for a new middle model, 911E. A semi-automatic Sportomatic model, composed of a torque

Torque

Torque, moment or moment of force , is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot. Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist....

converter, an automatic

Automatic transmission

An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...

clutch

Clutch

A clutch is a mechanical device which provides for the transmission of power from one component to another...

, and the four speed transmission

Transmission (mechanics)

, was added to the product lineup.

B17 (1969)

It is a concept designed by Pininfarina by lengthening the wheelbase by 7.5 in (190.5 mm), resulting in a car 2500 lb (1,134 kg) heavier than original.

2.2-litre / C and D series (1969–1971)

For MY

Model year

The model year of a product is a number used worldwide, but with a high level of prominence in North America, to describe approximately when a product was produced, and indicates the coinciding base specification of that product....

1970 the engines of all 911s were increased to 2195 cc. Power outputs were uprated to 125 PS in the 911T, 155 PS in the 911E, and 180 PS in the 911S. The 912

Porsche 912

was discontinued, thanks to the introduction of the Porsche 911T as an entry model.

The 2.2 L 911E was called "The secret weapon from Zuffenhausen

Zuffenhausen

Zuffenhausen is an urban district in the northern suburbs of Stuttgart, the capital of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It consists mainly of the formerly independent city of Zuffenhausen. The Zuffenhausen district has an area of 1,200 hectares and 35,568 inhabitants .The oldest surviving...

". Despite the lower power output of the 911E compared to the 911S, the 911E was quicker in acceleration

Acceleration

In physics, acceleration is the rate of change of velocity with time. In one dimension, acceleration is the rate at which something speeds up or slows down. However, since velocity is a vector, acceleration describes the rate of change of both the magnitude and the direction of velocity. ...

up to 160 km/h (99.4 mph).

C 20 (1970)

It was a prototype extended by 13.6 in (345 mm) over stock car, with 911S engine.

2.4-litre / E and F series (1971–1973)

The 1972–1973 model year

Model year

s consisted of the same models of 911— the entry level T, the midrange E and the top of the line S. However, all models got a new, larger 2341 cc engine. This is universally known as the "2.4L" engine, despite its displacement being closer to 2.3 litres— perhaps to emphasize the increase over the 2.2 L. The new power ratings were 130 hp, or 140 hp in the U.S., for the T, 165 hp for the E and 190 hp for the S.

The 911E and 911S used mechanical fuel injection

Fuel injection

Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....

(MFI) in all markets. The 911T was carbureted, except in the US where it also used MFI, which accounts for the 7 kW power difference between the two. In January, 1973, US 911Ts were switched to the new K-Jetronic CIS (Continuous Fuel Injection) system from Bosch

Robert Bosch GmbH

Robert Bosch GmbH is a multinational engineering and electronics company headquartered in Gerlingen, near Stuttgart, Germany. It is the world's largest supplier of automotive components...

. These CIS-powered cars are usually referred to as "1973.5" models by enthusiasts.

With the power and torque increases, the 2.4 L cars also got a newer, stronger transmission, identified by its Porsche type number 915. Derived from the transmission in the Porsche 908

Porsche 908

The Porsche 908 was a racing car from Porsche, introduced in 1968 to continue the Porsche 906/Porsche 910/Porsche 907 series of models designed under Ferdinand Piech....

race car, the 915 did away with the 901/911 transmission's "dog-leg" style first gear arrangement, opting for a traditional H pattern with first gear up to the left, second gear underneath first, etc. Some say this was because the dog-leg shift to second gear was inconvenient for city driving, other say it was due to Porsche’s desire to put 5th gear outside the main transmission housing where it could easily be changed for different races. The Sportomatic transmission was still available but only as a special order.

In 1972 a tremendous effort was made to improve the handling of the 911. Due to the 911's unusual engine placement (rear-mounted, with most of the vehicle's weight concentrated over the rear axle) early 911's were prone to oversteer when driven at the limit, and could easily spin in the hands of an inexperienced driver. In an attempt to remedy this, Porsche relocated the oil

Oil

An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....

tank from its position behind the right rear wheel to in front of it. This had the effect of moving the weight of almost 9 quart

Quart

The quart is a unit of volume equal to a quarter of a gallon, two pints, or four cups. Since gallons of various sizes have historically been in use, quarts of various sizes have also existed; see gallon for further discussion. Three of these kinds of quarts remain in current use, all approximately...

s (8.5 L) of oil from outside the wheelbase to inside, improving weight distribution and thus, handling. To facilitate filling of the oil tank, Porsche installed an oil filler door (much like the fuel filler door on the left front fender) on the right rear quarter panel. Unfortunately, this unique design was scrapped after only one year, some say because inattentive gas station attendants were putting gas in the oil tank. The oil tank was subsequently moved back to its original position for model year 1973, and remained there until it was moved back within the wheelbase for the 964 models.

911S models also gained a discreet spoiler under the front bumper to improve high-speed stability. With the car's weight only 1050 kg (2315 lb), these are often regarded as the best classic mainstream 911s. For racing at this time, the 911 ST was produced in limited numbers (the production run for the ST only lasted from 1970 to 1971.) The cars were available with engines of either 2466 cc or 2492 cc, producing 270 PS (199 kW) at 8000 rpm. Weight was down to 960 kg (2166 lb). The cars had success at the Daytona 6 Hours, the Sebring 12 Hours, the 1000 km Nürburgring and the Targa Florio

Targa Florio

Carrera RS (1973 and 1974)

These models, valued by collectors, are considered by many to be the greatest classic 911s all-time. RS stands for Rennsport in German

German language

German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....

, meaning "racing sport". The Carrera name was reintroduced from the 356

Porsche 356

Carrera which had itself been named after Porsche's victories in the Carrera Panamericana

Carrera Panamericana

The Carrera Panamericana was a border-to-border sports car racing event on open roads in Mexico similar to the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio in Italy. Running for five consecutive years from 1950 to 1954, it was widely held by contemporaries to be the most dangerous race of any type in the world...

races in Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

in the 1950s. The RS was built so that Porsche could enter racing formulae that demanded that a certain minimum number of production cars were made. Compared with a standard 911S, the Carrera 2.7 RS had a larger engine (2687 cc) developing 210 PS with MFI, revised and stiffened suspension

Suspension (vehicle)

Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...

, a "ducktail" rear spoiler, larger brake

Brake

A brake is a mechanical device which inhibits motion. Its opposite component is a clutch. The rest of this article is dedicated to various types of vehicular brakes....

s, wider rear wheels and rear wings. In RS Touring form it weighed 1075 kg (2370 lb), in Sport Lightweight form it was about 100 kg (220 lb) lighter, the saving coming from the thin-gauge steel used for parts of the bodyshell and also the use of thinner glass. In total, 1580 were made, comfortably exceeding the 500 that had to be made to qualify for the vital FIA

Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile

The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...

Group 4

Group 4 (racing)

The Group 4 racing class referred to regulations for cars in sportscar racing, GT racing and rallying, as regulated by the FIA. The Group 4 class was replaced by Group B for the 1983 season.-Production requirements:...

class. 49 Carrera RS cars were built with 2808 cc engines producing 300 PS (221 kW).

In 1974, Porsche created the Carrera RS 3.0 with K-Jetronic Bosch

Robert Bosch GmbH

Robert Bosch GmbH is a multinational engineering and electronics company headquartered in Gerlingen, near Stuttgart, Germany. It is the world's largest supplier of automotive components...

fuel injection

Fuel injection

producing 230 PS (169 kW).It was almost twice as expensive as the 2.7 RS but offered a fair amount of racing capability for that price. The chassis

Chassis

A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...

was largely similar to that of the 1973 Carrera RSR and the brake system was from the Porsche 917

Porsche 917

The Porsche 917 is a racecar that gave Porsche its first overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 and 1971. Powered by the Type 912 flat-12 engine of 4.5, 4.9, or 5 litres, the 917/30 variant was capable of a 0- time of 2.3 seconds, 0– in 5.3 seconds, and a top speed of over .There are 6...

. The use of thin metal plate panels and a spartan interior enabled the shipping weight to be reduced to around 900 kg (1984 lb).

The Carrera RSR 3.0 and Carrera RSR Turbo (its 2.1 L engine due to a 1.4x equivalency formula) were made in tiny numbers for racing. The turbo car came second at the 24 Hours of Le Mans

24 Hours of Le Mans

in 1974, a significant event in that its engine would form the basis of many future Porsche attempts in sportscar racing, and can be regarded as the start of its commitment to turbocharging.

2.7-litre / G, H, I and J series (1974–1977) The new impact bumper

Model year

1974 was the introduction of impact bumper

Bumper

An automobile's bumper is the front-most or rear-most part, ostensibly designed to allow the car to sustain an impact without damage to the vehicle's safety systems...

s to conform with low speed protection requirements of US law, these bumpers being so successfully integrated into the design that they remained unchanged for 15 years, MY 1989. The engine size was increased to 2687 cc giving an increase in torque

Torque

Torque, moment or moment of force , is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot. Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist....

. The use of K-Jetronic CIS Bosch

Robert Bosch GmbH

Robert Bosch GmbH is a multinational engineering and electronics company headquartered in Gerlingen, near Stuttgart, Germany. It is the world's largest supplier of automotive components...

fuel injection

Fuel injection

in two of the three models in the line up— the 911 and 911S models, retaining the narrow rear wings of the old 2.4, now had a detuned version of the RS engine producing 150 and 175 PS (110 and 129 kW) respectively.

Carrera 2.7 / G and H(1974-1975)

The Carrera 2.7, now a regular production model, inherited the wider rear wings of the RS together with its 210 PS (154 kW) MFI engine and was indeed mechanically identical to the 1973 RS and still weighed the same at 1075 kg (2370 lb). All three models were given high backed front seats.

The 930 Turbo was introduced in 1975 (see below).

The Carrera 3.0 was introduced in 1976 with what was essentially the Turbo's 2994 cc engine minus the turbocharger, and with K-Jetronic CIS although now developing 200 PS (147 kW).

The well known problem of pulled cylinder head studs with the K-Jetronic 2.7 engine only occurred in hot climates. This emerged in 1975 in California where thermal reactors, aimed at reducing emissions, were fitted below the cylinder head

Cylinder head

s thus causing heat build up around the magnesium crankcase

Crankcase

In an internal combustion engine of the reciprocating type, the crankcase is the housing for the crankshaft. The enclosure forms the largest cavity in the engine and is located below the cylinder, which in a multicylinder engine are usually integrated into one or several cylinder blocks...

and then made worse by the lean running K-Jetronic CIS. The fitting of a 5-blade engine fan instead of the usual 11-blade further compounded the situation.
Bearing in mind Porsche's largest market being the USA, the 930 Turbo, Carrera 3.0 and all subsequent models used aluminium alloy crankcases which were around 15 lb (7 kg) heavier.

The Bosch K-Jetronic CIS varied fuel pressure to the injectors dependent on the mass airflow. While this system was exceedingly reliable, it did not allow the use of as "hot" cams as MFI or carburettors allowed. Therefore the 911S's horsepower decreased from 190–175 PS (140–128 kW) despite the displacement increase from 2.4–2.7 L. However, the engine did have increased drivability.
The 210 PS (154 kW) Carrera 2.7 with MFI was not sold in the US owing to emission regulations— instead they received a 'Carrera' fitted with a 911S engine producing 175 PS, later reduced to 165 (121 kW), and in California even down to 160 PS (118 kW).

Also produced for the 1976 "model year", for the U.S. market, was the 912E, a 4-cylinder version of the 911 like the 912 that had last been produced in 1969. It used the I-series chassis and the 2.0 Volkswagen

Volkswagen

Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...

engine from the Porsche 914

Porsche 914

The Porsche 914 or VW-Porsche 914 is a mid-engined, targa-topped two-seat roadster designed, manufactured and marketed collaboratively by Volkswagen and Porsche from 1969 to 1976.- Development :...

. In all, 2099 units were produced. In 1976 the Porsche 924

Porsche 924

The Porsche 924 is an automobile produced by Porsche AG of Germany from 1976 to 1988. A two-door, 2+2 coupé, the 924 replaced the 914 as the company's entry-level model, and was the model that finally retired the 912. In production terms, the 924 was the first Porsche model powered by a...

took this car's place for the 1977 "model year" and beyond. The power was supplied by a 4-cylinder high-performance fuel injection motor also used in the 411 Volkswagen. Less than 6000 were built.

Turbo (Type 930) (1974–1989)

In 1974 Porsche introduced the first production turbocharged 911. Although called simply Porsche 911 Turbo in Europe, it was marketed as Porsche 930 (930 being its internal type number) in North America. The body shape is distinctive, thanks to wide wheel-arches to accommodate the wide tires, and a large rear spoiler often known as a "whale tail" on the early cars, and "tea-tray" on the later ones. Starting out with a 3.0 L engine 260 PS, it rose to 3.3 L 300 PS for 1978. The early cars are known for their exhilarating acceleration coupled with challenging handling characteristics and extreme turbo lag.

Production figures of the car soon qualified its racing version for FIA Group 4 competition as the Porsche 934

Porsche 934

The Porsche 934 was a racing version of the Porsche 911 Turbo, prepared to FIA Group 4 rules, similar to the Porsche 935 which was prepared to FIA Group 5 rules.-History:...

of 1976. Many participated at Le Mans and other races including some epic battles with the BMW 3.0 CSL "Batmobile"

BMW E9

-BMW 2.5CS:The last version of the E9 to be introduced was the 2.5CS in 1974. This was a response to the 1973 oil crisis, such that the buyer could choose the smaller, more economical engine. The engine, from the 2500 sedan, displaced and produced at 6000 revolutions per minute...

. The wilder Porsche 935

Porsche 935

, a finer tuned car in FIA Group 5 and evolved from the 2.1 L RSR Turbo of 1974, was campaigned in 1976 by the factory and won Le Mans in 1979. Private teams continued to compete successfully with the car until well into the 1980s.

Due to ever more draconian emission

Motor vehicle emissions

Motor vehicle emissions are composed of the by-products that comes out of the exhaust systems or other emissions such as gasoline evaporation...

s regulations, the 930 was withheld from the important US and Japanese markets from 1981 through 1985. In the same time period, Porsche was involved in several wrongful death lawsuits in California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

related to the 930, even involving privately imported European market 930's. It was finally re-introduced into the United States in 1986.

As demand for the Turbo soared in the late 1980s, Porsche introduced novelty variants including a slant-nose version (option M505/M506), while not significantly improving the range mechanically. Although these cars could be sold for extraordinary premiums over the standard models, the company's reluctance to invest in research and development of the entire 911 line at that time turned out to be an almost fatal decision not only for the 911, but for the company.

Only in 1989, its last year of production, was the 930 equipped with a five-speed gearbox. The 930 was replaced in 1990 with a 964

Porsche 964

version featuring the same 3.3 L engine.

There have been turbocharged variants of each subsequent generation of 911.

SC / L, M, A, B, C and D series (1978–1983)

Starting in MY

Model year

1978, the new 3.0 L 911 SC (2994 cc) was now the basic 911 model. It was in effect a Carrera 3 (known as a 911S in the US) detuned

Car tuning

Car tuning is both an industry and a hobby, in which an automobile is modified in order to improve its performance, handling and appearance. As most vehicles leave the factory set up for average driver expectations and average conditions, tuning has become a way to personalize the characteristics...

to provide 180 PS (132 kW). The "SC" designation was reintroduced by Porsche for the first time since the 356 SC

Porsche 356

(as distinguished from the race engined 356 Carrera). No Carrera versions were produced and the 930 Turbo remaining at the top of the range. Porsche’s engineers felt that the weight of the extra luxury, safety and emissions equipment on these cars was blunting performance compared to the earlier, lighter cars with the same power output, so in non-US cars, power was increased to 188 PS (138 kW) for 1980, then finally to 204 PS (150 kW). However, cars sold in the US market retained their lower-compression 180 PS engines throughout. This enabled them to be run on lower-octane fuel.

In model year 1980, Porsche offered a Weissach

Weissach

Weissach is a municipality in the district of Böblingen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany.The Weissach axle is named after the town, where the research centre of Porsche is located....

special edition version of the 911 SC, named after the town in Germany

Germany

where Porsche has their research

Research

Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...

center. Designated M439, it was offered in two colors with the turbo whale tail & front chin spoiler, body color-matched Fuchs

Fuchs

alloy wheels and other convenience features as standard. 408 cars were built for North America. In 1982, a Ferry Porsche

Ferdinand Anton Ernst Porsche

Edition was made and a total of 200 cars were sold with this cosmetic package.

SCs sold in the UK could be specified with the Sport Group Package (UK) which added stiffer suspension

Suspension (vehicle)

, the rear spoiler

Spoiler (automotive)

A spoiler is an automotive aerodynamic device whose intended design function is to 'spoil' unfavorable air movement across a body of a vehicle in motion. Spoilers on the front of a vehicle are often called air dams, because in addition to directing air flow they also reduce the amount of air...

, front rubber lip and black Fuchs wheels.

In 1981 a Cabriolet

Convertible

A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...

concept car was shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Not only was the car a true convertible, but it also featured four-wheel drive

Four-wheel drive

Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...

, although this was dropped in the production version. The first 911 Cabriolet debuted in late 1982, as a 1983 model. This was Porsche’s first cabriolet since the 356

Porsche 356

of the mid-1960s. It proved very popular with 4,214 sold in its introductory year, despite its premium price relative to the open-top targa. Cabriolet versions of the 911 have been offered ever since.

It was during this time, that Porsche AG decided the long-term fate of the 911. In 1979 Porsche had made plans to replace the 911 with their new 928

Porsche 928

The Porsche 928 was a sports-GT car sold by Porsche AG of Germany from 1978 to 1995. Originally intended to replace the company's iconic 911, the 928 attempted to combine the power, poise, and handling of a sports car with the refinement, comfort, and equipment of a luxury sedan to create what some...

. Sales of the 911 remained so strong however, that Porsche revised its strategy and decided to inject new life into the 911 editions.

Peter W. Schutz

Peter W. Schutz

Peter W. Schutz was the president and CEO of Porsche between 1981 and 1986, a time in which the company greatly expanded sales, primarily in the United States. Today he is a motivational speaker and co-founder of Harris and Schutz Inc., with his wife Sheila Harris-Schutz.-Early life and...

(CEO Porsche AG 1981-1987) wrote:

“The decision to keep the 911 in the product line occurred one afternoon in the office of Dr Helmuth Bott :de:Helmuth Bott, the Porsche operating board member responsible for all engineering and development. I noticed a chart on the wall of Professor Bott’s office. It depicted the ongoing development schedules for the three primary Porsche product lines: 944
Porsche 944
The Porsche 944 is a sports car built by Porsche from 1982 to 1991. It was built on the same platform as the 924, although 924 production continued through 1988. The 944 was intended to last into the 1990s, but major revisions planned for a 944 S3 model were eventually rolled into the 968 instead,...

, 928
Porsche 928
The Porsche 928 was a sports-GT car sold by Porsche AG of Germany from 1978 to 1995. Originally intended to replace the company's iconic 911, the 928 attempted to combine the power, poise, and handling of a sports car with the refinement, comfort, and equipment of a luxury sedan to create what some...

and 911. Two of them stretched far into the future, but the 911 program stopped at the end of 1981. I remember rising from my chair, walking over to the chart, taking a black marker pen, and extending the 911 program bar clean off the chart. I am sure I heard a silent cheer from Professor Bott, and I knew I had done the right thing. The Porsche 911, the company icon, had been saved, and I believe the company was saved with it.”

911 SC sales totaled 58,914 cars.

3.2 Carrera / E, F, G, H, I, J and K series (1983–1989)

With the 911’s future assured, 1983 saw the launch of a replacement for the successful SC series. It was the MY

Model year

1984 911 3.2 Carrera, reviving the Carrera name for the first time since 1975. The 911 3.2 Carrera was the last iteration in the original 911 series, with all subsequent models featuring new body styling with new brake

Brake

A brake is a mechanical device which inhibits motion. Its opposite component is a clutch. The rest of this article is dedicated to various types of vehicular brakes....

, electronic and suspension

Suspension (vehicle)

technologies.

A new higher displacement motor, a 3.2 liter horizontally opposed flat 6 cylinder

Cylinder (engine)

A cylinder is the central working part of a reciprocating engine or pump, the space in which a piston travels. Multiple cylinders are commonly arranged side by side in a bank, or engine block, which is typically cast from aluminum or cast iron before receiving precision machine work...

, was utilized. At the time, Porsche claimed it was 80% new. The new swept volume of 3164 cc was achieved using the 95 mm (3.7 in) bore (from the previous SC model) combined with the 1978 Turbo 3.3 crankshaft's 74.4 mm (2.9 in) stroke. In addition, higher domed pistons increased the compression ratio

Compression ratio

The 'compression ratio' of an internal-combustion engine or external combustion engine is a value that represents the ratio of the volume of its combustion chamber from its largest capacity to its smallest capacity...

from 9.8 to 10.3:1 (although only 9.5:1 for the US market). New inlet manifold

Manifold

In mathematics , a manifold is a topological space that on a small enough scale resembles the Euclidean space of a specific dimension, called the dimension of the manifold....

and exhaust system

Exhaust system

An exhaust system is usually tubing used to guide reaction exhaust gases away from a controlled combustion inside an engine or stove. The entire system conveys burnt gases from the engine and includes one or more exhaust pipes...

s were fitted. The 915 transmission

Transmission (mechanics)

was carried over from the SC series for the first three model years. In 1987, the Carrera got a new five-speed gearbox sourced from Getrag

Getrag

Getrag is a leading manufacturer of automobile manual transmissions. The company was founded on 1 May 1935, in Ludwigsburg, Germany, by Hermann Hagenmeyer; as the Getriebe und Zahnradfabrik Hermann Hagenmeyer GmbH & Cie KG...

, model number G50 with proven Borg-Warner synchronizers. This slightly heavier version also featured a hydraulically operated clutch

Clutch

A clutch is a mechanical device which provides for the transmission of power from one component to another...

.

With the new engine, power was increased to 207 bhp at 5900 rpm for North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

n-delivered cars and to 231 bhp at 5900 rpm for most other markets. This version of the 911 accelerated 0– 60 mi/h in 5.4 seconds and had a top speed of 150 mi/h as measured by Autocar

Autocar

Autocar is a weekly British automobile magazine published by Haymarket Motoring Publications Ltd. It refers to itself as "The World's oldest car magazine".-History:...

. Factory times were more modest: 0-60 mph time of 6.3 seconds for the US version and 6.1 seconds for cars outside the American market.

The disc brake

Disc brake

The disc brake or disk brake is a device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a wheel while it is in motion.A brake disc is usually made of cast iron, but may in some cases be made of composites such as reinforced carbon–carbon or ceramic matrix composites. This is connected to the wheel and/or...

s were increased in size to aid in more effective heat dissipation and improved oil-fed chain tensioners were fitted to the engine. To improve oil cooling, a finned cooler replaced the serpentine lines in the front passenger fender well. This was further improved in 1987, with the addition of a thermostatically controlled fan.

Driving refinement and motor reliability were improved with an upgrade of the fuel and ignition control components to a L-Jetronic with Bosch

Robert Bosch GmbH

Robert Bosch GmbH is a multinational engineering and electronics company headquartered in Gerlingen, near Stuttgart, Germany. It is the world's largest supplier of automotive components...

Motronics 2 DME (Digital Motor Electronics system). An improvement in fuel-efficiency was due to the DME providing a petrol cut-off on the overrun. Changes in the fuel map & chip programming from October 1986, further improved the power to 217 bhp at 5900 rpm for North American delivered cars as well as for other markets requesting low emissions, like Germany. Custom-mapped chips remain a popular upgrade. The fuel relay that is mounted externally on the DME is known to be a weak point of the system.

Three basic models were available throughout the Carrera years – coupe

Coupé

A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...

, targa

Targa top

and cabriolet

Convertible

A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...

. When launched in 1984 in the United States, the prices of the 911 Carrera lineup were $31,950 for the coupe, $33,450 for the targa and $36,450 for the cabriolet. Almost indistinguishable from the SC, external clues are the front fog lights, which were integrated into the front valance in the Carrera. Very modest cosmetic changes were made throughout the lifespan of the Carrera, with a redesigned dash featuring larger air conditioning vents appearing in 1986.

Two special editions of the Carrera were produced – the "Commemorative Edition" in 1988 to commemorate 250,000 911s produced and an "Anniversary" edition in 1989 which was the model’s 25th year of production. Both were cosmetic packages with limited production.

In 1984, Porsche also introduced the M491 option. Officially called the Supersport, it was commonly known as the "Turbo-look". It was a style that resembled the Porsche 930

Porsche 930

The 930 was a sports car built by Porsche, 930 actually being the "type number" for the pre-964 generation 911 Turbo produced between 1975 and 1989...

Turbo with wide wheel arches and the distinctive "tea tray” tail. It featured the stiffer turbo suspension and the superior turbo braking system as well as the wider turbo wheels. Sales of the Supersport were particularly strong for its first two years in the United States because the desirable 930

Porsche 930

The 930 was a sports car built by Porsche, 930 actually being the "type number" for the pre-964 generation 911 Turbo produced between 1975 and 1989...

was not available.

The 911 Speedster (option M503), a low-roof version of the Cabriolet which was evocative of the Porsche 356

Porsche 356

Speedster of the 1950s, was produced in limited numbers (2104) between January 1989 and July 1989 as both a narrow body car and a Turbo-look, which also featured 930 brakes, wheels, suspension, and front valence.
171 narrow body examples were built, and 823 examples were built for the US market. It started as a design under Helmuth Bott in 1983 but was not manufactured until six years later. It was a two-seat convertible that featured a low swept windshield.

The 1987 Carrera Club Sport, of which 340 were produced, is a collectible 911 that had a blueprinted engine with a higher rev limit, and had the electric windows, electric seats, and radio removed to save a claimed 50 kg (110 lb) in weight.

Total production of the 911 3.2 Carrera series was 76,473 cars (35,670 coupé, 19,987 cabrio, 18,468 targa).

In late 1989, the 911 underwent a major evolution, with the introduction of the Type Porsche 964

Porsche 964

(1989–1993).

Position vis-à-vis the Porsche 928

When 911 sales began to decline by the early 1970s, Porsche executives approved work on the Porsche 928

Porsche 928

in 1971. Larger, and featuring a front-mounted V8 engine considerably more powerful than the contemporary 911's flat six, the 928 was intended to be a comfortable grand tourer

Grand tourer

A grand tourer is a high-performance luxury automobile designed for long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement....

rather than a dedicated sports car. Capable of out-accelerating the 911, though not matching its cornering prowess, the 928 sold reasonably well from its introduction in 1977 until its discontinuation in 1995. In spite of its overall capability, it never outsold the 911. Unlike its smaller, sportier sibling, it achieved little success in racing.

External links

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Introduction

2.0-litre / O, A and B series (1964–1969)

B17 (1969)

2.2-litre / C and D series (1969–1971)

C 20 (1970)

2.4-litre / E and F series (1971–1973)

Carrera RS (1973 and 1974)

2.7-litre / G, H, I and J series (1974–1977) The new impact bumper

Carrera 2.7 / G and H(1974-1975)

Turbo (Type 930) (1974–1989)

SC / L, M, A, B, C and D series (1978–1983)

3.2 Carrera / E, F, G, H, I, J and K series (1983–1989)

Position vis-à-vis the Porsche 928

Further reading

External links