THE MILESTONE CARS

Consistent evolutionary change is the Porsche way, sticking to the principles that make its cars great but always embracing change to make them even be er. These are the cars that have built the brand

356/1 – 1948 The forefather of the legendary 911 and Porsche’s first seriesproduction model, the 356 excelled both on road and racetrack.

550 Spyder – 1953 This lightweight, midengined race-homologation special found fame in such iconic races as the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio, as well as infamy as the car in which James Dean lost his life.

901/911 – 1963 It defined Porsche’s tenets of 2+2 seating and a rear-mounted flat-six. Over seven generations, it’s gone from air- to water-cooled, RWD to AWD, introduced turbos and spawned a plethora of variants.

914 – 1969 The first collaboration between two German giants, the 914 was to provide Porsche with a new entrylevel sportscar and Volkswagen with a halo coupé.

911 Carrera RS 2.7 – 1973 This is the Holy Grail. Capable of more than 240 km/h and sporting the most iconic rear spoiler in performance-car history.

924 – 1976 The move from a rear- to front-mounted engine layout, plus an Audi-provided powertrain, was met with criticism, but the 924 saved a then-ailing Porsche.

928 – 1977 Intended as a comfier, more usable replacement for the 911, the V8engined 928 marked the pinnacle of Porsche’s transaxle era.

944 – 1982 Based on the 924 and offered in coupé, cabriolet, naturally aspirated and turbocharged guises, the 944 was one of Porsche’s most successful models.

959 – 1985 Upon its introduction, the 959 was a supercar sensation. Its 317 km/h top speed gave it the distinction of being the fastest road-legal car of its day.

968 – 1991 The last of Porsche’s transaxle, front-engined cars, the 968 combined the liveliness of its 944 predecessor with the luxurious GT bearing of the 928.

Boxster – 1996 A spiritual successor to the 356 roadster, the midengined Boxster formed an entry point into the Porsche stable and would go on to introduce a new generation of buyers to the brand.

Cayenne – 2002 The controversial decision to venture into the SUV sphere was met with howls of despair from Porsche purists but this dynamically gifted 4x4 has proven a huge money-spinner.

Carrera GT – 2003 Since the days of the Porsche 356, the firm had designs on producing a 10-cylinder sportscar to crown its range. The 450 kw Carrera GT V10 was as formidable as it was beautiful.

Cayman – 2005 The Boxster’s hard-top coupé sibling, the Cayman, has edged its way ever closer to the 911 in terms of both performance, dynamic handling ability and desirability. Would join Boxster in the adoption of a flat-four engine.

Panamera – 2009 Porsche’s extensive model-diversification strategy spawned the Panamera. Although as polarising as the Cayenne, the four-door has evolved into an accomplished foil to the luxurysedan staples.

Macan – 2014 The Cayenne’s success paved the way for a smaller but similarly entertaining SUV in the shape of the Macan, which has garnered great success in its segment.

918 Spyder – 2014 A showcase for Porsche’s performance hybrid powertrains, the 918’s 661 kw unit helped a Weissach model become the first production car to post a sub-seven-minute Nürburgring lap time. A total of 918 units were built, of which 294 went to the United States. One of the 918 units belongs to Porsche SA’S Toby Venter.