When one thinks of Porsche cars, it is usually the Porsche 911 series that comes to one’s mind. The Porsche 911, the most popular and enduring model of the Porsche cars is a sports car. Since its introduction in 1963 by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany, it has undergone continuous change and development.
The Porsche-designed Volkswagen Beetle served as the basic model for the design and production of the Porsche 911. Beetle was not a success and so, Mr. Porsche and his son, using parts from Beetle developed the 365 Roadster, a sports car. The 365 Roadster was a success and it gave way to the Porsche 911.
The Porsche 911 was actually launched as 901 in 1963 but had to change the name to 911 as another company had copyright on all three digit car models with a zero in the middle. Mr. Porsche himself had designed the body of the car. It had air cooled and rear placed six-cylinder engine and could go up to 60 mph in 8.3 seconds. It was a great success.
The Porsche 911, from the time of its inception, has been modified both by private teams and by the factory itself to meet the needs of automotive competitions like races or rallies.
Some of the popular variants of Porsche 911 are:
- Porsche 911 classic (from 1964 to 1989)
- Porsche 964 (from 1989 to 1993)
- Porsche 993 (from 1993 to 1998)
- Porsche 996 (1999 to 2004)
- Porsche 997 (from 2004 onwards)
The rear engined Porsche 911 is famous for its distinctive and durable design. The whale tail and the round headlights of most of the Porsche 911 models serve as the distinguishing styling cues of Porsche. This distinctive design is still adorned by most of the Porsche lovers. The Porsche 911 is a living legend.