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The Icons of Zuffenhausen: A 40-Year Love Affair with the Porsche 911 It’s hard to believe it’s been four decades since my first drive in a Porsche 911. I remember it vividly: a pristine white 3.0-liter Carrera with black Fuchs alloys. It was raw, visceral, and fundamentally different from anything else on the road. While I initially compared it to a contemporary 944 Turbo—a car that offered more accessible power—I quickly found myself captivated by the 911’s soul. It demanded respect and understanding, and I was more than willing to oblige. Over the past 40 years, I’ve had the privilege of driving dozens of 911 variants. While the 964 generation nearly derailed the marque, Porsche has consistently refined its icon, proving that the 911 isn’t just a classic—it’s a living, breathing entity that continues to push the boundaries of automotive engineering. To this day, it remains one of the few new cars I would seriously consider buying with my own money. Here are the five Porsche 911 models that have left the most indelible mark on my automotive journey. The 1975 Porsche 930 Turbo: A Legend Worth the Fear For decades, veteran road-test journalists spoke of the original Porsche 911 Turbo in hushed, almost reverent tones. It was a car that demanded absolute respect, a true driver’s machine where the line between corner-entry understeer and corner-exit oversteer felt razor-thin. It didn’t forgive mistakes; it punished sloppiness. It was, in short, a legend that cultivated an air of fear. It wasn’t until 35 years after hearing these stories that I finally got behind the wheel of an early production 930. As part of Porsche’s impeccable classic fleet, the car was one of the first 30 ever built. Aware of its infamous reputation, I approached it with caution, carefully modulating the throttle and feeling the boost build. To my surprise, the legendary “widowmaker” wasn’t the savage monster I had been warned about. The 3.0-liter flat-six was remarkably docile at low RPMs, happy to trundle along at 45 mph in top gear. However, once the engine hit 3,500 RPM, the turbocharger spooled up, delivering 0.8 bar of boost. While the acceleration surge was undeniable, it lacked the brutal sledgehammer effect I had anticipated. I soon learned the secret to piloting this legendary machine: keep the engine above 4,000 RPM. The turbo lag is noticeable by modern standards, but it’s surprisingly manageable. Despite its age, the 930 remains an impressively fast car today. First gear reaches 50 mph, second hits 90 mph, and third tops out near 130 mph, allowing drivers to carve through winding two-lanes using only the mid-range gears. With 256 hp packed into a featherlight 2,513-pound chassis, the 930 corners with agility that still impresses today. Even half a century ago, its performance was otherworldly. The 1996 Porsche 911 (993): The Last of the Air-Cooled Masters For Porsche purists, the 993-generation 911 represents the definitive end of an era—the last air-cooled model before the paradigm shift to water cooling. Yet, back in 1994, the 993 was the 911 of the future. This generation was the first to truly challenge Isaac Newton’s laws of physics. While it retained the characteristic responsive front end and rear-wheel-drive character that defined the 911 experience, the 993 offered a new level of refinement and capability. The key innovation was the replacement of the traditional semi-trailing rear suspension with a multi-link setup. This ingenious design allowed for slight initial toe-out during corner entry, followed by progressive toe-in as lateral loads increased. Crucially, it also reduced the camber changes that had plagued 911s since their inception in 1963. This engineering breakthrough was paired with a new, quicker steering rack that shortened lock-to-lock travel by 16%, giving the front end a decisive, athletic feel. A six-speed manual transmission replaced the outdated four-speed, perfectly exploiting the updated 3.6-liter flat-six. Lighter internals, Bosch Motronic 2.0 engine management, and a new dual-exhaust system boosted power to 268 hp, delivered at a higher 6,100 RPM. Compared to its predecessor, the 964, the 993 was a revelation. But the improvements weren’t just mechanical. Under the leadership of Ulrich Bez (later CEO of Aston Martin), Porsche executed a masterful exterior redesign under the direction of Harm Lagaay. Lagaay corrected the perceived visual imbalances of the 964—which he felt looked too tall at the front and tucked in at the rear—and refined the interior, eliminating a cluster of poorly placed buttons. The 993 was faster, more forgiving, and arguably more desirable than any 911 that had come before it. The 1999 Porsche 911 (996): The Brave Leap into the Future At the time of its introduction, the decision to install a water-cooled engine in the 996-series 911 was nothing short of heresy. For purists, it was the equivalent of Bob Dylan trading his acoustic guitar for an electric Fender Stratocaster at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. However, the 996 was more than just a controversial engine swap—it was the first clean-sheet redesign of Porsche’s indefatigable icon in 34 years, and in my opinion, the car that saved the company. Engineered and developed under the visionary leadership of Porsche R&D chief Horst Marchart, the 996 was a masterstroke of shared engineering. It shared a remarkable 38% of its components with the all-new Boxster, a revolutionary mid-engine roadster designed to give Porsche dealers a broader product portfolio when the aging 928 and 968 models were retired. As design chief Harm Lagaay quipped after the unveiling, “We built two cars for the price of one-and-a-half.” While the media focused on the water-cooled engine and its relation to the Boxster, the 996’s true genius lay in its revolutionary production efficiency. In 1994, it took approximately 130 hours to build a 993-series 911. The 996, however, was constructed in just 60 hours. This transformation marked the arrival of the modern 911: roomier, equipped with every feature expected of a late 20th-century sports car, yet unmistakably a 911. Most importantly, it still drove like a 911—only better. A new layer of sophistication elevated the driving experience, but the 996 retained the delicious tactility and urgent response that had long defined the 911’s unique character. Along with the original Boxster, the 996 secured Porsche’s survival during a critical period in its history. The 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera (991.2): The Unexpected Heart Stealer Of all the 911s I’ve driven over the past four decades, it was the base 991.2 Carrera that truly captured my heart. In fact, it stole the hearts of my colleagues as well, judging by the feedback I received during our 2017 MotorTrend Car of the Year testing. Press fleets are typically stacked with high-spec vehicles adorned with every optional extra, presumably because automotive PR firms believe we are more impressed by horsepower figures and carbon fiber trim than by pure driving enjoyment. Porsche Cars North America’s decision to include a base 911 Carrera among the roster of then-new 991.2 models was, frankly, a bold move. However, it proved to be a stroke of genius. The 991.2 generation introduced a new 3.4-liter turbocharged engine, delivering a robust 370 hp in the base model or 420 hp in the Carrera S. Even in the base configuration, the engine offered a broad torque band and impressive fuel efficiency. But what truly astonished me was the chassis performance. Even with the standard wheel and tire setup, the base Carrera felt staggeringly communicative and delightfully adjustable. Visually, the 991.2 was a subtle yet masterful refresh of the larger, skillfully reproportioned 991.1. It perfectly executed the classic 911 themes with modern beauty and sophisticated proportions. Inside, a new infotainment interface looked great and performed seamlessly. Porsche’s PDK dual-clutch automatic remains a benchmark for smooth, precise shifts. But the seven-speed manual transmission in the base Carrera was a delight, offering an oily, rifle-bolt action that made us all rediscover the joy of driving. MotorTrend’s Testing Director at the time, Kim Reynolds, perfectly captured the Carrera’s visceral appeal: “When all cars but one are autonomous, please let