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Reluctant to match its 530-horsepower twin-turbo 3.8-liter engine to any of its manual gearboxes, Porsche chose to connect it only to the PDK. This made for excellent acceleration for the 3,494-pound coupe from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3.1 seconds. Porsche Archiv
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The new 991, introduced for 2012, was immense fun, especially when equipped as an S with PDK and launch control. Four hundred horsepower (or 350 in the base Carrera) accelerated the 3,043-pound S coupe from 0-to-60 miles per hour in 4.3 seconds. Dave Engelman/Porsche Cars North America
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Weissach engineers lengthened the wheelbase four inches to 96.5 and widened front track 2.24 inches, both of which changes improved ride and handling and virtually eliminated understeer. The seven-speed PDK transmission allowed engineers to develop a sevenspeed manual gearbox as well. Randy Leffingwell
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As design director Michael Mauer admitted, the harder character line changed the 911. With that emphatic crease, it suddenly became acceptable to introduce subtle (always a watchword with 911 styling) edges in other places. Randy Leffingwell
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“The roofline is inherited from all the 991s that came before,” Matthias Kulla, exterior styling boss, explained. The longer wheelbase allowed stylists some creative options and a slight edge appeared in headlight lenses. Randy Leffingwell
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As typical with all-wheel-drive 911 models in the past, Weissach engineers widened rear track, by 1.65 inches in this new model, with rear fenders flared 0.87 of an inch beyond normal. The Porsche traction management system, PTM, maintained the balance between front- and rear-wheel drive, making decisions in 0.1 second. Porsche Archiv—Photo by Dieter Landenberger
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Depending on traction that the car’s electronics sensed, power shifted from 100 percent at the rear axle to all at the front. A new system, standard on C4s equipped with PDK, was adaptive cruise control, called Active Safe, which reacted to closing distances suggesting a collision. Porsche Archiv—Photo by Dieter Landenberger
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Journalists reported that the additional front-drive hardware imparted more feeling to 991 C4 steering. This addressed a sense some writers expressed that the new electronic steering lacked some of the feedback present in the previous hydraulic system. Porsche Archiv—Photo by Dieter Landenberger
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C4 models were made for this, or for weather or surface conditions that were worse. Experience gained improving off-road capabilities of the Cayenne, as well as those managing the power and performance capabilities of the most potent Turbo models, improved all-wheel-drive hardware and software on the new 991 all-wheel-drive models. Porsche Archiv—Photo by Dieter Landenberger
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Driver Jo Schlesser and navigator Robert Buchet won the final stage of the 1966 Monte Carlo Rally. They finished second in GT class behind another Porsche 911. Porsche Archiv
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The 911 and the 904: On the left was the race-legal road car and on the right was a road-legal race car. Especially for international rallies, such as the Monte Carlo, these two models often competed together but in different classes. Porsche Archiv
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On the Rossfeld hillclimb in 1966, Eberhard Mahle drove this 166-horsepower 911 to victory. At season end, he placed first in the European Hillclimb Championship. Porsche Archiv
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Porsche provided a 911R for Nurburgring medical crews to use during the 1,000-kilometer race. With its four tires off the ground, it’s likely the M-car driver was Porsche racer and test driver Herbert Linge. Porsche Archiv
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Codriver Jochen Neerpasch settled into one of the three 1968 911R models that Porsche entered in the 1967 Marathon de la Route at the Nurburgring. He shared driving duties with Vic Elford and Hans Herrmann to win the 84-hour trial in this R equipped with the Sportomatic transmission. Porsche Archiv
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Around and around they went, four Swiss drivers challenging a collection of distance records in October 1967 on Monza’s banked oval circuit. With extensive factory support, Jo Siffert, Dieter Spoerry, Charles Vogele, and Rico Steinemann set five world and 11 European records in an already-tired 911R. Porsche Archiv
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The Tour de Corse in November 1966 was Vic Elford and co-driver David Stone’s first experience rallying in a 911. They adapted well, winning the under 2.5-liter GT class. Porsche Archiv
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The 1968 London-to-Sydney Marathon was perhaps one of racing’s most ambitious and audacious events, spanning four continents and 10,000 miles. Polish rally veteran Sobieslaw Zasada, who headed a private Porsche effort in cars prepared for battle against kangaroos and other wildlife, finished fourth overall. Porsche Archiv
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The starting line for the Spa European Touring Car race in July 1968 resembled a starting grid photo for Sports Car Club of America Trans-Am events. Erwin Kremer, Helmut Kelleners, and Willi Kauhsen won the race in a 911L. Porsche Archiv
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Claude Ballot-Léna and Jean-Claude Morénas took fourth overall and first in GT 2.0 in the 1969 Tour de France de l’Automobile. Paris distributor SonAuto entered this and a second 1969 911T that finished third overall and first in Special Touring 2.0. Porsche Archiv
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Porsche prepared several of these 1970 2.2-liter ST models for the Monte Carlo Rally and other events. Björn Waldegård had won the 1969 Monte and went on to win again in 1970 in one of these STs. Porsche Archiv
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