Classic 911s put 1M mark in perspective
• For many production cars, one million units is not such a milestone. Heck, VW churns out that many Golfs in a year. Yet for the Porsche 911 — the storied arse-engined slot car that’s been steadily trickling out of Zuffenhausen since 1964 — the one-million mark is a huge deal, especially since it has taken 54 years.
But to really get an appreciation for the effort — and before we even start talking about the green Carrera S that rolled off the factory floor for the magic number — we need to look back to get some perspective. And the Porsche Museum has obliged us, in spades.
Oh sure, we could have wished for a first-generation car (’64-’69), a Carrera 2.7 RS (’ 73-’ 74) or a 959 ( as if ). But hey, the sun is shining, the smooth, sinuous Swabian blacktop beckons, and who can complain about the 1981 911 SC Targa, a 1990 964-ser- ies convertible and a 1998 996- series convertible, the first of the water-cooled 911s, all sitting before us?
Let’s go chronologically, for perspective on progression. I press the SC Targa’s stiff floor-hinged clutch to the mat, twist the key and slot the long, spindly shifter into first. The 3.0- L 204- horsepower flat- six bursts to life and settles into a silky idle. The unassisted steering requires some serious heft when first moving off. It’s an uncanny feeling, sitting in this time capsule that appears to have dropped in from a 1981 Porsche showroom. Also strange to think the SC was pegged to be the last of the 911s, as Porsche’s game plan at the time was to replace it with the front- engine, V8powered 928. Didn’t quite work out that way, thankfully.
Once the roads open up, this 36- year- old 911 comes alive. The steering gets light and communicative, the engine sings above 4,000 rpm and, despite its modest-by-today’s-standard power output, moves the 1,160-kilogram car along with alacrity. The SC feels pure, elemental, a bit raw and totally engaging.
Next up is t he 1 990 964- series 911 Cabriolet in dark purple, both inside and out. Prince and Jimi Hendrix would approve. This thirdgen 911 got a 250- hp 3.6- L boxer six, power steering, coil springs all around (versus torsion bars) and was offered with all-wheel drive and, for the first time, a four- speed Tiptronic auto box, the latter of which this car has.
Instantly, the 964 feels faster, more modern and more composed, yet a tad less intimate and urgent, much of that from an extra 220 kg and the Tiptronic that dulls the experience, yet admittedly responds to manual shifter inputs faster than I expected. Ah, but that 3.6- L engine hauls with a thrilling, deepchested authority.
And on to t he 1 998 996-series 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet. The first water-cooled 911 remains somewhat unloved among Porschephiles, and I think that sentiment is unfair. Sure, it’s not the prettiest, and the cabin suffers from too much cheap plastic, but once behind the wheel, this 996 Cab feels 100- percent authentic 911. Its revhungry 300- hp 3.4- L howls and metes out power in precise increments, and it digs into the corners and powers out as only a 911 can. The steering, clutch, throttle and shift action work in happy harmony.
One thing is f or sure, over 54 years of incremental improvement, the world’s most famous, unique and resilient sports car has taken Darwin’s credo to heart: Survival of the fittest, indeed.