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Why These 5 Porsche 911s Stand Out After 40 Years Behind the Wheel For four decades, I’ve had the privilege of testing some of the automotive world’s most exhilarating machines. Among them, the Porsche 911 holds a special place. From my first encounter with a narrow-body 3.0-liter Carrera in Australia, a car that felt both fast and flawed compared to the contemporary 944 Turbo, I was hooked. That white 911, with its manual transmission and lack of power steering, demanded respect, but it repaid that effort with a purity that transcended raw statistics. In that initial drive, I found myself choosing the imperfect 911 over the technically superior 944 Turbo. I concluded that the 911 represented a different era of sports car engineering—one that wasn’t designed to coddle but to engage. It required understanding and commitment, and that’s precisely why I’d take it home. Since then, the 911 has undergone numerous transformations, each iteration proving to be an intelligent evolution of the original concept. With the exception of the 964, which in the early 1990s hinted that the 911’s formula might be aging, the icon has consistently adapted to stay relevant and thrilling. Even after 40 years, the 911 remains one of the few new cars I would genuinely spend my own money on. Reflecting on the myriad 911s I’ve driven, a select few have left an indelible mark. These are the ones that redefined what the 911 could be, pushing boundaries while staying true to its soul. The Original 911 Turbo: A Legend Forged in Raw Power By the time I finally got behind the wheel of an original Porsche 911 Turbo—over 35 years after first hearing veteran road testers speak in hushed, awed tones about it—I understood the legend. This wasn’t just a faster 911; it was a statement. Back then, the 911 Turbo was considered a car that demanded extreme respect, where a binary boost response turned cornering into a tightrope walk between understeer and oversteer. It was unforgiving, sharp, and, in the parlance of the time, a potential “widowmaker.” The car I tested was one of the first 30 production Turbos ever built, now preserved in Porsche’s magnificent classic fleet. Aware of its fearsome reputation, I approached it with extreme caution. I spent time getting a feel for the throttle, observing how the boost built, and mapping the engine’s characteristics in my mind. To my surprise, the 3.0-liter flat-six was remarkably tractable. Ticking along at 45 mph in top gear at 2,000 rpm, the car felt manageable. The shift occurred at around 3,500 rpm, where the turbocharger would spool up, delivering 0.8 bar of boost. While the expected sledgehammer blow was more restrained than anticipated, it was still potent. The key to smooth, quick progress in this classic Porsche was to keep the revs above 4,000 rpm to keep the turbocharger energized. By modern standards, the turbo lag is noticeable, but it’s entirely manageable. Even half a century later, this 911 is blisteringly fast on the road. First gear takes you to 50 mph, second to 90 mph, and third to nearly 130 mph. This means you can tear through winding stretches of road using only second and third gears. While its 256 hp might seem modest today, its weight of just 2,513 pounds ensures the car is responsive and agile through corners. Its performance would have felt otherworldly to drivers of that era. The 993-Generation: A Masterclass in Air-Cooled Engineering For Porsche purists, the 993 is the definitive last-of-its-kind 911. It is the air-cooled masterpiece that demands driver involvement, with that visceral metallic clatter of the flat-six filling the cabin. Yet, when I first drove it in 1994, the 993 was ahead of its time, pushing the boundaries of physics. While it still possessed the classic 911 nose-heavy feel that required careful loading on corner entry and a slightly dancey rear end on rougher surfaces, the 993 achieved a new level of harmony between front and rear. It still behaved like a 911, but within a much more generous margin for error. The key innovation was a revolutionary rear suspension. Replacing the old semi-trailing arms with a new multilink setup allowed for slight initial toe-out during corner entry, which then progressively toeed-in as lateral loads increased. This dramatically reduced the camber change that had been the Achilles’ heel of 911s since 1963. This engineering marvel was paired with a new six-speed manual transmission and steering that was 16% quicker, at 2.5 turns lock-to-lock, making the front end feel far more decisive. The 3.6-liter flat-six also benefited from lighter internals, Bosch Motronic 2.0 engine management, and a new dual-exhaust system, allowing it to pull harder to its 268 hp peak at 6,100 rpm. Compared to its predecessor, the 964, the 993 was a revelation. The engineering upgrades, led by Ulrich Bez (who later helmed Aston Martin), were significant. But the aesthetic refinement under design chief Harm Lagaay was equally crucial. Lagaay corrected what he considered visual issues with the 964—a front end he thought was too tall and a rear that was too bulbous. The interior also became cleaner, with fewer buttons scattered haphazardly. The 993 was a faster, more forgiving 911. Most importantly, it was more desirable than ever before. The 996-Generation: The Porsche That Saved the Brand When Porsche first introduced the water-cooled flat-six engine in the 996-series 911, it was considered heresy by enthusiasts. It was the automotive equivalent of Bob Dylan trading his acoustic guitar for a Fender Stratocaster at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. However, the 996, the first clean-sheet redesign of Porsche’s iconic sports car in 34 years, was a hero 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 an exercise in brilliant engineering, particularly due to its 38% parts sharing with the all-new, less expensive mid-engine roadster that would become the Boxster. Porsche CEO Wendelin Weideking understood the necessity of the Boxster—it was needed to provide dealers with another product to sell once the aging 928 and 968 models were discontinued. “We did two cars for the price of one-and-a-half,” design boss Harm Lagaay recalled with a smile after the 996’s unveiling. While media attention often focused on its relationship with the Boxster and the water-cooled engine, the 996’s true importance ran much deeper. In 1994, it took Porsche 130 hours to build a 993; the 996 required only 60 hours. The modern 911 had arrived: roomier, equipped with all the features expected of a late 20th-century sports car, and yet still unmistakably a 911. Crucially, it still drove like a 911—only better. A new veneer of sophistication masked its business-like approach, but the 996 retained the delicious tactility and urgent responsiveness that made the 911 unique. Along with the original Boxster, it secured Porsche’s future at a critical time. The 991.2-Generation Carrera: Pure, Unadulterated Driving Joy Of all the 911 models I have driven over the years, it was a base 991.2 Carrera that captured my heart. It captured everyone else’s, too, judging by the feedback I received at the time from colleagues who tested it. Press fleets are often dominated by high-spec vehicles loaded with options, which automotive PR teams presumably believe impress journalists. However, Porsche Cars North America’s decision to include a base 911 Carrera in the roster of new 991.2 models for our 2017 MotorTrend Car of the Year testing was a bold move that turned out to be inspired. The 991.2 introduced a new 3.4-liter turbocharged engine, delivering 370 hp in the base Carrera or 420 hp in the Carrera S. Even in its 370-hp trim, the engine provided a broad torque band and impressive efficiency. This Carrera demonstrated that even on the base wheel and tire package, the chassis was staggeringly communicative and adjustable. Visually, the 991.2 was a subtle update to the larger, skillfully reproportioned 991.1—a superbly executed interpretation of classic 911 themes that was both modern and beautiful. The interior featured a new infotainment interface that looked sharp and