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The Pinnacle of Performance: My 5 Most Unforgettable Porsche 911 Drives of All Time For four decades, I’ve had the privilege of getting behind the wheel of some of the world’s most legendary sports cars, but no machine has captured my imagination quite like the Porsche 911. It’s a car that has evolved remarkably since I first drove a white 3.0-liter Carrera back in the day. That early 911, a pure and analog experience with its five-speed manual and no power steering, may have been slightly flawed, but it possessed a magnetic charm that still pulls me in. Back then, in my native Australia, a 944 Turbo was the logical choice—more power, more torque, and faster with less effort. But as I discovered after two days and 600 miles, the 911 wasn’t about being the best on paper; it was about a connection that goes beyond the numbers. As I wrote, “The 944 Turbo is so competent, it can make a bad driver look good. Its soaring, searing performance is superbly counterbalanced by a chassis of astounding ability.” Yet, the 911 tugged at my emotions. “The gloriously imperfect 911 Carrera is a sports car of a different age and reflects different values. It’s not tailored to meet the needs of most drivers. It demands understanding and respect. That’s why I’d take it home.” Since that first drive, I’ve experienced numerous iterations of the 911, and with every evolution—except perhaps the 964, which I felt at the time was questioning the car’s relevance—I’ve marveled at Porsche’s ability to keep this icon cutting-edge. Even after 40 years, the 911 remains one of the few new cars I’d happily spend my own money on. After countless drives, here are five Porsche 911 models that stand out in my memory. The Legend Begins: A 1975 Porsche 930 Turbo When veteran road testers spoke of the original Porsche 911 Turbo, they used words like “awesome” and “respect.” This was a car that demanded precision, a tightrope walk between corner-entry understeer and corner-exit oversteer that required quick hands and no fear. It was often called a “widowmaker,” a reputation that kept me away for 35 years. Finally, I got the chance to drive one of the first 30 production Turbos ever built, now part of Porsche’s classic fleet. Aware of its daunting reputation, I was cautious at first, carefully manipulating the throttle and monitoring the tachometer to understand the power delivery. The engine was surprisingly tractable, content to idle at 2,000 rpm in top gear, but once the revs hit 3,500, the turbo kicked in, delivering a noticeable surge of acceleration. However, the “sledgehammer” effect I anticipated never materialized. I learned the trick to smooth and fast driving in the 930 Turbo: keep the 3.0-liter flat-six spinning above 4,000 rpm to keep the turbo energized. While the turbo lag is significant by modern standards, it’s manageable. Even today, this car feels quick on the road. First gear tops out around 50 mph, second around 90 mph, and third reaches nearly 130 mph, making it capable of dominating twisting roads with just those two gears. And though it has only 256 hp, its 2,513-pound weight makes it surprisingly nimble in corners. Half a century ago, its performance was nothing short of revolutionary. The Last Air-Cooled Icon: The 1996 Porsche 911 (993) For Porsche purists, this is the end of an era—the last of the classic 911s. It’s the car you drive with your knuckles grazing the dash, listening to the snarl of an air-cooled flat-six behind you. But back in 1994, when I first drove it, the 993 was the 911 of the future, a car that boldly challenged Isaac Newton’s laws of physics. Of course, the 993 still had that familiar nose-heavy feel that required careful loading on corner entry to hit the apex, and the rear end could still be lively over rough patches. However, the synergy between the front and rear was significantly improved. The 993 still did 911 things, but with a much better safety margin. The cornerstone of this improvement was a new rear suspension. It replaced the traditional semi-trailing arms with a sophisticated multilink setup that provided subtle initial toe-out on corner entry and progressive toe-in as lateral loads increased. This significantly reduced the camber change that had plagued 911s since their debut in 1963. This engineering feat was complemented by a new six-speed manual transmission that made the most of the 3.6-liter flat-six, which now produced 268 hp at 6,100 rpm thanks to lighter internals, Bosch Motronic 2.0 engine management, and a revised dual-exhaust system. Compared to its predecessor, the 964, the 993 was a revelation. It wasn’t just the engineering advancements, led by Ulrich Bez (who later headed Aston Martin); the exterior redesign by Harm Lagaay addressed the visual issues he saw in the 964, which he felt was too nose-high and rear-heavy. The interior was cleaner, too, with fewer buttons placed in random locations. The 993 was a faster, more forgiving, and, most importantly, more desirable 911. The Water-Cooled Revolution: The 1996 Porsche 911 (996) At the time, it was automotive heresy. Porsche’s decision to put a water-cooled flat-six in the tail of the 996-series 911 was, for many aficionados, the equivalent of Bob Dylan swapping his acoustic guitar for a Fender Stratocaster at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. But the 996, the first clean-sheet redesign of Porsche’s iconic sports car in 34 years, was a hero car to me. It was the 911 that saved Porsche. Engineered and developed under the leadership of Porsche R&D chief Horst Marchart, the 996 was a masterpiece of automotive engineering. It shared 38% of its components with a new, less expensive mid-engine roadster that would become known as the Boxster. Porsche boss Wendelin Wiedeking understood that the Boxster was essential to give dealers more options once the aging 928 and 968 models were phased out. As design chief Lagaay wryly put it after the 996’s unveiling, “We built two cars for the price of one and a half.” While the media focused on its relationship with the Boxster and the water-cooled engine, the 996’s real impact was far greater. In 1994, it took Porsche 130 hours to build a 993-series 911; the 996 took just 60 hours. The modern 911 had arrived: roomier and equipped with all the features expected of a late 20th-century sports car, but still unmistakably a Porsche. Most importantly, it still drove like a 911. Only better. While it had a new level of sophistication in its execution, the 996 retained the exquisite tactility and urgent responsiveness that made the 911 unique. Alongside the original Boxster, it pulled Porsche back from the brink of extinction. The Digital Age Icon: The 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera (991.2) Of all the 911s I’ve driven, it was a base model 991.2 Carrera that truly captured my heart. And judging by the feedback from my colleagues who drove it at the time, it stole theirs too. Most press fleets are filled with high-spec cars loaded with expensive options, presumably because automotive PR departments think it impresses us. So Porsche Cars North America’s decision to include a base 911 Carrera in the lineup for our 2017 MotorTrend Car of the Year testing was a bold move. In reality, it was a stroke of genius. The 991.2 introduced a new 3.4-liter turbocharged engine, offering 370 hp in the base Carrera or 420 hp in the Carrera S. Even in 370-hp trim, it provided a broad power band and impressive efficiency. This Carrera proved that even with standard wheels and tires, the chassis was incredibly communicative and controllable. Visually, the 991.2 was a subtle refinement of the larger, expertly proportioned 991.1—a beautifully executed interpretation of classic 911 themes, modern and elegant. Inside, the new infotainment system looked great and worked flawlessly. Porsche’s PDK dual-clutch automatic remains the gold standard for smooth, precise shifts. But the seven-speed manual on the no-frills Carrera was a delight, with an oily, rifle-bolt action that made us all fall in love with driving again. MotorTrend’s testing