More than half a decade passed since the 911’s launch in Frankfurt, where the model quickly established itself as a “real Porsche“. The dynamics and appearance of the new sportscar were beyond all expectations. Worldwide success was guaranteed.
Source: Wroom
Undoubtedly this sportscar has been at the heart of the Porsche brand with its rich and constant traditions. The birth of the legend took place at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt, where the long-awaited successor to the 356 was presented in 1963. The new sports car, which was initially called the 901, followed in the footsteps of the famous predecessor—reflecting the aspirations of the brand and marking a transition to a higher class. However, the French Peugeot, which had a patent for indexes with 0 between two digits, challenged the name of the 901 model in court, and it was renamed 911. Overall, more than 820,000 pieces were produced, and it became the most successful car in the world in terms of sales.
With each new generation of the machine – and there are seven – the brand’s engineers from Zuffenhausen and Weissach have created something new, each time confirming the innovative power of the brand. This machine, like no other one, combined seemingly contradictory concepts such as sportiness and suitability for everyday use, tradition and innovation, exclusivity and social recognition, design, and functionality. Not surprisingly, each new generation has created its own unique success story. The most precise definition of the model was given by Ferry Porsche as “the only car you can drive in an African safari or race at Le Man, go to the theater or drive in the streets of New York.”
Source: Vintage Car Collector
This classic “sportsman” has always featured state-of-the-art technology at the time of its release. Many of the ideas that found their first expression in the 911 originated on the racetrack. After all, it always remained true to the principle of high performance, which was tested in motorsport’s most important testing laboratory. After the launch, it participated in all the prestigious motor races, winning and proving its versatility and reliability. 911 shares nearly two-thirds of the 30,000 Porsche wins.
Source: Petrolicious
An important period for the model was the fifth generation (series 996), which rolled off the assembly line from 1997 to 2005. A completely new “911” did not lose its spectacular origin. In 1997, the company decided to forego air cooling. After 34 years, the company had made a large-scale modernization of its legendary sportscar and this solved several urgent problems at once. First, this concerned the process of reducing production costs, which began with the previous model, by making the components as compatible as possible with other model ranges, for example, with the Boxster, as well as the compliance of vehicles with modern requirements for safety and toxicity of exhaust gasses. An absolute novelty in this generation was the use of a water-cooled boxer engine. Thanks to the presence of four valves per cylinder, it developed 300 hp and was one of the best machines in terms of exhaust toxicity, noise, and fuel consumption. 911’s 5th generation opened up new perspectives for the brand. In the 1997 model, traditional proportions have been preserved and combined with modern technology. The legendary sports car reinvented was ready for the challenges of the future: absorbing the heritage of previous generations, this sports machine opened the first chapter of a new era. This was evident even in its design.
Source: Carscoops
The design reinterpreted the classic lines of the model, resulting in a low drag coefficient of 0.30. The 996 series lines were the result of common parts with another successful model, the Boxster. Working on this machine, the designers decided to deviate a little from the traditional style and experiment. As a result, recognizable lines with new details were produced. Headlights with integrated turn indicators became a striking design element – at first, this decision was questioned by many, but then it was often copied by other manufacturers. Until 1997, the body remained virtually unchanged, and in the fifth generation, it was created from scratch. The driver’s cabin got a completely new interior. In addition to sporting qualities, driving comfort was also important. For the first time, the brand upgraded the wheelbase (increasing by 10sm) and the interior has changed drastically. And all these changes cost the consumer not very expensive – the new generation added only a couple of percent to the cost.
Like all representatives of its class, the 1997 Porsche 911 appeared not only on racetracks. Perhaps, the most memorable appearance of the 1997 model can be safely considered in the cult computer game Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed, as a Class 2 Modern Era vehicle, featured as a coupé and a cabriolet.
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