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The Evolution of an Icon: Angus MacKenzie’s Definitive Top 5 Porsche 911s of All Time For automotive journalists, the Porsche 911 isn’t just a car; it’s a benchmark, a recurring touchstone against which all other sports cars are measured. I’ve been privileged to test these legendary machines for four decades, experiencing the 911’s evolution from a raw, analogue machine to a technologically sophisticated masterpiece. Over the years, this icon has been refined, reimagined, and occasionally challenged, but it has never lost its soul. My journey with the 911 began with a pristine, white 3.0-liter Carrera, stripped down to its essentials: no power steering, no rear wing, and a five-speed manual gearbox. It was a beautiful, unadulterated driving machine. While I found myself impressed by the 944 Turbo, which was faster and more technologically advanced, I ultimately fell for the 911. It demanded attention, respect, and understanding, and in return, it offered a level of driving engagement that was, and still is, intoxicating. “The 944 Turbo is a faster, more competent car,” I wrote, “but the 911 Carrera is a sports car from another age, one that reflects different values. It’s not tailored to the average driver, but it rewards those who understand and respect it.” This sentiment has stayed with me throughout my career. While I’ve encountered Porsche models that have occasionally raised doubts about the 911’s future—the 964 comes to mind—I’ve always returned to the fold. I’ve marvelled at Porsche’s ability to keep this icon fresh, relevant, and exhilarating. And after all these years, I can honestly say that the 911 remains one of the few new cars I would actually spend my own hard-earned money on. From the raw, brutal power of the original Turbo to the hyper-focused engineering of the GT3 RS, here are the five Porsche 911 models that have left the most indelible mark on me. The 1975 Porsche 930 Turbo: The Widowmaker Earns Its Legend For years, Porsche 911 Turbo veterans spoke of the original 930 with a mixture of awe and terror. They whispered tales of drivers whose confidence outstripped their skill, of binary boost delivery that could snap a car into a spin with brutal efficiency. They called it the “widowmaker,” and for 35 years, I took their warnings seriously, even as the legend of the 930 grew. Finally, I had the chance to get behind the wheel of one of the very first 930s ever produced, a pristine example from Porsche’s own heritage fleet. I approached it with trepidation, testing the throttle gingerly, trying to decipher the turbo’s power delivery. What I found was a surprisingly tractable engine at low revs. But as the 3.0-liter flat-six approached 3,500 rpm, the turbo spooled up and delivered 0.8 bar of boost—a palpable acceleration surge, yes, but not the violent sledgehammer blow I had been conditioned to expect. The trick to taming the original 930, I quickly learned, was to keep the engine above 4,000 rpm. This ensured the turbocharger remained “on boost” and ready to deliver power. Yes, there’s turbo lag by modern standards, but it’s manageable. It might be more than 50 years old, but the 930 remains an incredibly fast car on the road. First gear reaches 50 mph, second 90 mph, and third nearly 130 mph—enough to devour most winding roads using only second and third gear. And with only 256 hp and weighing just 2,513 pounds, it’s surprisingly agile, carving through corners with the same nimbleness that defined the 911 since 1963. Back in its day, this performance was otherworldly. The 1996 Porsche 911 (993): The Air-Cooled Farewell For Porsche purists, the 993 generation represents the end of an era—the last 911 that breathed air instead of relying on liquid cooling. It is the Porsche you drive with your knuckles grazing the dash, the visceral experience of an air-cooled flat-six symphony playing behind your head. But when the 993 was first released in 1994, it was seen as the future, the 911 that had finally come to grips with modern engineering. Sure, the 993 still carried some of the 911’s endearing quirks. The front end demanded a gentle but firm loading to hit the apex, and the rear end could still feel a bit lively on rougher turns. But compared to its predecessor, the 964, the 993 offered a level of confidence and cohesion that was revolutionary. The driving experience was smoother, faster, and more secure without sacrificing the essential 911 character. The key to this transformation was a completely new rear suspension. Gone were the semi-trailing arms, replaced by a sophisticated multilink setup. This new design allowed for a tiny amount of initial toe-out on corner entry, then progressively adjusted to toe-in as cornering forces increased. It also significantly reduced the camber change that had been the Achilles’ heel of 911s since 1963. This engineering breakthrough was paired with a quicker steering rack (2.5 turns lock-to-lock) that made the front end feel more decisive, and a slick new six-speed manual transmission. The 3.6-liter flat-six, boosted by lighter internals and a Bosch Motronic 2.0 engine management system, felt responsive and eager, pulling hard to its 268 hp power peak at 6,100 rpm. Under the leadership of Ulrich Bez, later CEO of Aston Martin, the 993 was a revelation both mechanically and aesthetically. Design chief Harm Lagaay’s exterior redesign corrected the visual imbalances of the 964—a car he felt was too tall at the front and too narrow at the rear. The interior was cleaner, more user-friendly, and less cluttered. The 993 was a faster and more forgiving 911, but most importantly, it was more desirable. It was a perfectly executed farewell to the air-cooled era, a machine that proved the 911 could evolve without losing its identity. The 1996 Porsche 911 (996): The Water-Cooled Revolution When Porsche decided to put a water-cooled engine in the tail of the 996-series 911, it was, for many aficionados, the automotive equivalent of Bob Dylan electrifying his guitar at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. It was heresy. But for me, the 996 was a hero car—the 911 that saved Porsche. The 996 was the first clean-sheet redesign of the marque’s legendary sports car in 34 years. Engineered and developed under the direction of Porsche R&D chief Horst Marchart, the 996 was a stroke of genius. Its greatest strength, and the key to its survival, was its synergy with an all-new, lower-cost, mid-engine roadster known as the Boxster. Porsche’s iconoclastic boss, Wendelin Weideking, knew the Boxster was essential to keep dealership doors open while the aging 928 and 968 models were phased out. “We built two cars for the price of one and a half,” design boss Lagaay said with a smile after the company unveiled the 996. But while much of the media attention focused on the Boxster link and the controversial water-cooled engine, the 996’s true significance lay elsewhere. In 1994, it took Porsche 130 hours to build a 993; the 996 took just 60 hours to produce. This wasn’t just a new engine; it was the arrival of the modern 911. It was roomier, equipped with all the features expected of a late 20th-century sports car, but still undeniably a 911. More importantly, it still drove like a 911. But it drove better. There was a new veneer of sophistication to its performance, but the 996 retained the delicious tactility and urgent response that made the 911 unique. And together with the original Boxster, it single-handedly pulled Porsche back from the brink of extinction. The 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera (991.2): The Unassuming Hero Among all the 911s I’ve ever driven, it was a base model 991.2 Carrera that truly stole my heart. And judging from the feedback from my colleagues at the time, I wasn’t alone. Typically, press fleets are loaded with high-spec vehicles covered in expensive options, as if we journalists are impressed by such things. So, when Porsche Cars North America included a base 911 Carrera in the roster of new 991.2 models available for our 2017 MotorTrend Car of the Year testing, it seemed like a bold move. In