Britt Can Concoct Poisons, And Lucas Can Put Them In The Food At Wyndemere! GH Spoilers

Top 5 Most Unforgettable Porsche 911 Models in My 40-Year Driving Career After four decades immersed in the world of Porsche, the Porsche 911 remains one of the few new cars I would still purchase with my own money. The evolution of this iconic machine—with the notable exception of the 964, which seemed to cast doubt on the 911 concept in the early 90s—has been a masterclass in refinement. Each generation has successfully balanced timeless heritage with cutting-edge performance cars technology, proving that the 911 is more than just a sports car; it’s a legend in motion. For enthusiasts seeking the purest driving experience, the journey through the 911 lineage reveals a spectrum of personalities. From raw, visceral analog machines to precision-engineered track weapons, the 911 has consistently delivered driving excitement and driving enjoyment. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to drive countless 911 variants, but five models stand out as truly unforgettable. The Original 911 Turbo (930) – A Raw Powerhouse It’s hard to believe it’s been forty years since I first sat behind the wheel of a Porsche 911. Back then, during my early days testing cars, the veteran road-test journalists spoke of the original 911 Turbo with a mixture of awe and fear. It was described as a car that demanded absolute focus when driven with intent, a machine where the notorious turbo lag created a binary boost experience that required quick hands and a high nerve. The Porsche 930, they claimed, was unforgiving and intolerant of any sloppiness—a true widowmaker in its era. It took me 35 years to finally get my hands on an original 911 Turbo, and I was eager to discover if the legends held up. The car I drove was one of the first 30 production Turbos ever built, now a cherished part of Porsche’s classic fleet. Aware of its daunting reputation, I took it very easy at first, carefully manipulating the throttle and monitoring the tachometer, attempting to build a mental map of the power delivery. The 3.0-liter flat-six was surprisingly manageable at low revs, happily ticking along at 2,000 rpm in top gear, cruising effortlessly at 45 mph. However, once the engine hit 3,500 rpm, the acceleration surged noticeably as the turbocharger ingested 0.8 bar of boost. Yet, the sledgehammer blow I expected simply wasn’t there. The secret to making smooth progress in the 930 is keeping the engine spinning above 4,000 rpm to keep the turbo energized. While turbo lag is very evident by modern standards, it’s manageable. Even half a century after its debut, this classic Porsche remains remarkably fast on the road. First gear rockets to 50 mph, second to 90 mph, and third to nearly 130 mph, meaning you can tear through most twisting roads using only second and third gears. Despite its modest 256 hp, its low weight of just 2,513 pounds ensures it handles corners with agility. In its time, this performance would have seemed utterly otherworldly. The 993-Generation 911 – The Apex of Air-Cooled Engineering For Porsche purists, the 993-generation 911 represents the last of its kind—the last true air-cooled 911. It is the 911 that connects you physically to the machine, where the snarling metallic clatter of the flat-six engine is palpable just behind your shoulder. Yet, back in 1994 when I first drove it, the 993 was the 911 of the future, the model that dared to question the very laws of physics that had governed Porsche design for decades. Sure, the 993 retained the distinctive nose-heavy handling that demanded careful loading on corner entry to hit the apex, and the rear end still danced through the rougher turns, but there was a new level of synergy between the front and rear. The 993 still performed quintessential 911 behaviors, but within a significantly safer margin. The key innovation was a new rear suspension system, replacing the old semi-trailing arms with a multilink setup. This configuration allowed for slight initial toe-out during corner entry and progressive toe-in as lateral loads increased, all while minimizing camber change—the Achilles’ heel of 911s since 1963. This groundbreaking suspension was complemented by a new six-speed manual transmission that made the most of the 3.6-liter flat-six engine. The engine itself felt livelier, thanks to lighter internal components, a Bosch Motronic 2.0 engine management system, and a new dual exhaust. Compared to the 964 model it replaced, the 993 was nothing short of a revelation. It wasn’t just the engineering upgrades, implemented under the leadership of Ulrich Bez (later the head of Aston Martin); the exterior redesign, led by design chief Harm Lagaay, corrected visual issues with the 964, which Lagaay felt was too tall at the front and too low at the rear. The interior was also tidier, with fewer buttons scattered randomly. The 993 was faster, more forgiving, and ultimately, more desirable than any 911 that had come before it. The 996-Generation 911 – The Unexpected Savior In its time, the introduction of the 996-series 911 was pure heresy. Porsche’s decision to install a water-cooled flat-six in the rear of the 911 was, to the aficionados, the automotive equivalent of Bob Dylan abandoning his acoustic guitar for an electric Fender at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. But for me, the 996, the first clean-sheet redesign of Porsche’s tenacious sports car in 34 years, was a heroic achievement. It was the 911 that saved Porsche from financial ruin. Engineered and developed under the direction of Porsche R&D chief Horst Marchart, the 996 was a marvel of automotive engineering. Its genius lay in sharing 38 percent of its components with an all-new, more affordable mid-engine roadster that the world would come to know as the Porsche Boxster. Iconoclastic Porsche boss Wendelin Wiedeking understood that the Boxster was essential to give dealerships something new to sell once the aging 928 and 968 models were discontinued. “We built two cars for the price of one and a half,” design boss Harm Lagaay later remarked with a smile after the company unveiled the 996. While the media narrative focused on its relationship with the Boxster and the water-cooled engine, the 996’s true significance ran far deeper. In 1994, it took Porsche 130 hours to build a 993-series 911; the 996 required only 60 hours. The modern 911 had arrived. It was roomier and equipped with the all the features expected of a late 20th-century sports car, yet it remained undeniably Porsche’s icon. Most importantly, it still drove like a 911. Only better. While it possessed a new veneer of sophistication, the 996 retained the delightful tactility and urgent response that had made the 911 a sports car like no other. Alongside the original Boxster, it pulled Porsche back from the brink of extinction. The 991.2-Generation Porsche 911 Carrera – A Celebration of Driving Of all the 911s I’ve had the privilege of driving, it was a base-spec 991.2 Carrera that truly captured my heart. In fact, it captured the hearts of everyone else who drove it too, judging by the feedback I received at the time from my colleagues at MotorTrend. Most press fleets are usually loaded with high-spec cars festooned with options, presumably because automotive PR teams believe such things impress us. So Porsche Cars North America’s decision to include a base 911 Carrera among the roster of then-new 991.2 models available for our 2017 Car of the Year testing was a bold one. In truth, though, it was an inspired move. The 991.2 introduced a new 3.4-liter turbocharged engine, producing 370 hp in the base Carrera or 420 hp in the Carrera S. Even in the 370-hp trim, it delivered a broad torque band and impressive efficiency. This Carrera demonstrated that even on base wheel and tire combinations, the chassis remained staggeringly communicative and adjustable. Visually, the 991.2 was a subtle refresh of the larger, skillfully reproportioned 991.1—a superbly executed interpretation of classic 911 themes, both modern and beautiful. The interior featured a new infotainment interface that was visually appealing and easy to use. Porsche’s PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission remains a benchmark for its smooth, precise shifts. However, the seven-