Saturday morning rolls around and it’s perfect weather to take the Porsche out. What better place to go than to see the new Carrera S at Brumos. I check the oil in the 912 and take a look at the tires to see that they are all properly inflated, I grab my camera and away I go.

I’m not exactly excited to see the new Carrera. Of course it’s good to know what developments Porsche has made to the cars I love but quite honestly, It was the “Evolution of the 911″ display that had me getting there at 8:45am (and the free Hurley Haywood Autographed poster for the first 25 PCA members).

Being the young guy that I am (and because I look even younger) I tend to get the “this kids dreaming attitude” from most Porsche sales people which proved to be true once again at Brumos. As they chased around the deep-pocketedelder enthusiasts it gave me more room to take pictures! There was a 959 Prototype on display as well as a Bahama Yellow 68, 911 (just like my 912!) and a 74 Carrera among others. It was neat to walk through the early cars all the way to the newest Carrera.

Apparently there was noone officially offering a history lesson on the Evolution Of The 911, I’ll give you my version. This is from memory so cut me some slack!

Porsche started the 911 development around 1962 when they decided the 356 had served its purpose and the market would embrace something new. Porsche originally designated the 911 as a Type 901 but trademark issues with Peugot became an issue and Porsche elected to use the 911 designation.

 In 1963 Porsche introduced the 911 to the public and it became a desirable car. The new 911 had the race proven horizontally opposed 6 cylinder engine boasting 130bhp. The 911 was available to buyers in 1965 but you see very few 1965 models in the US.

 Unfortunately sales figures weren’t that great for the early years of the 911. Porsche decided that they could use the trusty 356 Engines which, in the reliable engines that could easily last 150K+ miles when properly maintained. These little 4 cylinder engines put out around 90bhp with a 1582cc displacement, weighing in the car at 2100lbs and a top speed of 115mph. The 912 sold nearly double the amount of 911′s and kept Porsche afloat in some peoples opinion. The 912′s were discontinued in 1969.

The Longhood 912 shown in Bahama Yellow

For 1967 Porsche offered the 911 in a Targa model. The targa had a removable top and zip out plastic rear window (thru 68) which was replaced by a glass rear window in 1969. The Targa gave you an open air car with the safety of a roll cage. In 1969 Porsche added slight flares above the fenders which gave the car a bit more of an updated and sporty look. That year they also lengthened the wheel base by about 2″. I have both a short wheel base and long wheel base 912. In my opinion I do not notice a difference under normal driving habits. I think the 911 may see a more significant difference due to weight and HP. From 1965-1973 Porsche produced different variations of the 911 with different engines. Porsche always made the car better and better however, US Smog restrictions really made it difficult at times to give Americans the best they had to offer enginewise. The cars built from 65-73 are sometimes called Longhood cars because of the hood running down further than later years. The ultimate 911 of this period and one that is still sought after today is the 1973 Carrera 2.7RS shown in this video.

In 1974 Porsche again made significant changes in the 911 styling and engine configurations. It seems that the larger the displacement got the shorter the lifespan of the engine was from the 1974-1977 models. I was told that the more the cylinders were bored out the hotter they got creating valvetrain wear that significantly reduced engine life. An owner had to be in tune with the car and the car had to be in tune all the time. Nonetheless they were still beautiful cars.

The shorter hood Carrera of 1974

1978 brought about positive changes for the now called 911SC. Porsche put the 3.0 motor which had been proven for durability and ruggedness. The SC carried basically slight changes in trim all the way through its end in 1983. The 911sc is probably the best entry level 911 a person can get into. They are easy to maintain, parts are readily available and they are super dependable. These cars are also easy to track for drivers ed events. The 911sc was available in Coupe, Targa and in 1983 in a Convertible. As with all the 356, 911 and 912 engines there were a few improvements that made the 911SC even more durable like Hydraulic chain tensioners, upgraded head studs and a pop-off valve in the airbox to name a few. One of the most important maintenance items on most all of the aircooled engines was keeping the valves adjusted.

My 1980 911SC. This car sat in storage for 15 years before I found it and revived it. It was one of the most enjoyable Porsche cars I’ve ever had.

In 1984 Porsche kept basically the same exterior and interior but bumped up engine displacement to 3.2 liters. They also designated the car as a Carrera. I have owned a couple 3.2 Carrera’s and they are great cars. The 3.2 ran from 84-1989 there were different variations offered of the model including the 930 Turbo and the slantnose M505 Option code sporting the 3.3 liter turbocharged engine. I believe it was late 1987/early 1988 that the G50 transmission was introduced which was a huge upgrade to the previous 915 Transaxle which often had syncro problems were expensive to repair.

My 1987 930 Slantnose Turbo.

1989 964 Models brought new cosmetic updates as well as the optional Carrera 4 all wheel drive version and an automatic transmission. The displacement was now 3.6 liters and the designation was 964. The 964 models had a few quirks but they were still great cars. The 964 Carrera RS and turbo models were beautiful cars and are still desirable today.

964 Carrera RS

In 1995 Porsche moved into a more thoroughly redesigned body and chassis with the 993. The new cars used the 3.6 liter aircooled engine but continued to be hampered by emmissions. The body was still very much Porsche but underneath utilized Porsche’s latest technological advances. The 993 was offered in a Twin Turbo and Turbo S options. These are highly collectible and flat out insane to drive. The 993 was the last of the aircooled Porsche cars and have held their value very well. The 993 was ended in 1998 and the 996 was introduced.

This car belonged to a friend of mine. It is a 1998 Carrera 4 S. He sold it and bought a 930 Slantnose!

For 1999 Porsche introduced their first water cooled 911 designated as the 996. The 996 models spanned from 1999-2004. The 996 was offered in a Turbo, Twin Turbo, Carrera 4, Carrera 4S, Targa as well as GT and other variants. The 996 models have significantly dropped in value and are affordable introductory Porsche cars. They too have their share of quirks but are dependable, easy to drive and offer AC that really works! To me, this is when Porsche 911′s turned into a sports touring car.

996 Porsche Targa

The 997 was introduced in 2005. It featured Porsche latest technology in suspension, engine management and overall design. The 997 seemed to be larger than the 996 but many said handled like a smaller car. Because of its shape it looks like a smaller car but I believe it’s because it has a more broad look to it. Again, the 997 is offered in similar variations to previous years but also offered in a GT3 RS which I would drive, alot, and fast.

The 997 GT3RS.

Back to the event.

My favorite of all of the display cars was of course the 959. When I was 18 Years old I had a 35 year, retired, factory trained (in West Germany) mechanic give me the original promotional poster with the 959 Debut prototype on it. Could it be possible I’m now seeing this same exact car in person! When seeing the car, I had this feeling inside,  that of a child separated from his parent at birth then gets reunited. That tells me it had to be the same car! But, I guess I’ll never know… 

So, the new Carrera S, to me is big, bulky, and has “Sport Seats” for a 285 pound, overweight American. And what really erk’s me is all of the electronic gadgetry. I know electronics have their place in today’s cars and the 911′s have become more and more electronically sophisticated (some people call it a luxury) since the 993′s. A computer may take the position of a human in the workplace. But it should never take the place of driving experience. And in my opinion that’s what’s happening. As one woman stated, they “need a tax write-off” as her husband was considering writing the check for the Carrera S on the showroom floor. This isn’t true Porsche ownership to me but whatever it takes I guess…  I liked my 87 930S because the clutch was so stinking heavy it took a man to sink it. Personally the new Carrera, is not the car for me, And I don’t know if Porsche makes a car for me anymore. They may have something close, But I have to have $190k+ to buy one new… So that’s out of the question. The last car Porsche made for a guy like me was probably in the 73 Carrera RS or if I splurged (in a technological advanced sort of way) a 964 Carrera RS or maybe it was the end of the aircooled 993-911′s… Porsche has engineered an incredible driving  marvel so don’t get me wrong. Alot of people live for this stuff and I think that part of it is great.  I guess you sell more cars when you market to the Masses… That’s why I don’t double take at a 997. I know it has 385hp and that it’s big and pretty heavy (okay, I admit it, I’m not into the new Porsche’s). You can find the full Specs here at Automobile Mag.