2023 07 10 CCC Blog Post – Some of our Favourite Porsches
991.2 Porsche GT3
2023 07 10 CCC Blog Post – Some of our Favourite Porsches
Porsche makes some of the best driver’s cars the world has seen. In 2023, Porsche is one of few manufacturers still producing cars with manual transmissions. Porsche still aims to break production car records, and the brand is even developing a synthetic fuel to keep internal combustion cars running for the foreseeable future. Porsche is a household name associated with performance and every car enthusiast knows the Porsche 911. While the 911 might be Porsche’s most famous sports car, the brand has had a varied offering of vehicles. This is a look at some of our favourites.
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The Porsche 981 was the third generation of the Porsche Boxster and second generation of the Porsche Cayman. The 981 was produced from 2012-2016. The generation borrows some styling cues from the 991 generation of 911 as well as the Porsche 918 Spyder. This generation of Boxster/Cayman could be had with 3 different flat-6 engines. It was offered in several different trim levels and could be optioned as a Spyder or a coupe. One of the most sought-after Boxsters is the GT4, powered by a slightly detuned 3.8L flat-six from the Porsche 911. The GT4 could only be had with a six-speed manual transmission and featured more aero dynamic parts. The flat-six made the car powerful and the smaller body made it lighter than the Porsche 911, making the GT4 an ideal drivers car.
The Porsche 935 was a race version of the 911 Turbo (930) and prepared for FIA-Group 5 racing. The 935 was first produced in 1977 and went on to win the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans, and numerous other races. In total, the 935 entered 370 races and won a whopping 123 of these. The 935 was powered by a 3.3L Type 935 twin turbocharged flat-six engine and featured a fuel injection system, which enabled the car to produce 845 horsepower. The 935 was far more aerodynamic than any other 911 at the time. It was an interesting crossover from air-cooled 911’s to water-cooled 911s as the 935 has water-cooled cylinder heads and an air-cooled block – a setup employed later in the 959. Homage was paid to the 935 in 2019 when Porsche modified the 991 GT2 RS to appear as a modern interpretation of the 935. This new 935 was offered in multiple historic racing liveries. As with the original 935, this new generation of 935 is made for track use only.
Porsche’s 911 has a history that spans 60 years. Over the decades, there have been many different offerings and developments, the biggest being the transition from air-cooled to water-cooled. As well, there was the switch from long hood to short hood with the ’74 model year, brought on by U.S. bumper regulations. With all these changes, some 911s are more valuable and collectable than others. The original 911s (1963-1973) feature a “long hood”, meaning the hood extends all the way to the more shallow bumper. Long hood 911s are typically more valuable because fewer examples remain – 1967 was a significant year because it was the first year of availability for the 911S. The 911S featured an upgraded 2.0L flat-six engine which increased power (up to 160 horsepower) compared to the standard 911. The 911S also featured a rear anti-roll bar and adjustable Koni dampers. All these features make the 1967 911S a valuable collector’s item.
The Porsche 959 is one of the most important cars of the 1980s. The 959 began production in 1986 and lasted intermittently through 1993. The 959 featured technology that could not be found in any other car at the time, including active suspension, a sequential twin turbo charged engine leading to a top speed of almost 320km/h. in the early 1980s Porsche was toying with the idea of incorporating four-wheel drive into the 911. Porsche decided to build the 959 and intended to enter it as a group B rally car. Porsche engineers threw everything they had at the 959. For the first time, Porsche used a sequential twin turbo flat-six. All of the technology helped make the 959 the world’s fastest street legal production car. Most supercars of the time reached about 275 km/h as a top speed while the 959 could reach almost 320km/h, complemented by a 0-60 time of 3.7seconds – significant numbers for the 1980s.
Now available by online auction is this 37K km 2008 Porsche Cayman S 6-Speed Manual. This Cayman S is a US market car. The car was imported to Canada in 2011 and has only been driven 14k km since, new rear tires were just installed in the rear – Michelin Pilot Sport with the N2 marking to indicate Porsche factory spec. The Porsche Cayman is known as a high performance for dollar car. The light mid-engine two-seater has now been around for four generations. The Cayman is thought of as an easy sports car to live with for either daily driving or track use. Click here to see the auction listing.
What do you think? Got a favourite of your own? Let us know with a comment below.
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