...is the topic of Road & Track's June issue. I'm a Car & Driver reader myself (I defected from R&T back in the '80s) but I picked this issue up since it was a 50th anniversary paean to the Porsche 911, which has always been somewhat of a dream car of mine. I've driven a couple of 911s, but still haven't owned one; the closest I've come is a pair of 924 volksPorsches: a '78 and an '87 "S" model. The latter's 50/50 weight distribution, high polar moment, and benign departure characteristics make it practically the antiparticle* of a '73 Carrera RS in the handling department.
The link in Marko's post went well with a lot of the reminiscing in the R&T retrospective. It's easy to forget that the early 911 was a success in spite of its handling, not because of it. That, and the fact that there was no word in German for "Ralph Nader" back in the Sixties.
*Firefox's spellchecker knows "antiparticle", which tickles me no end, for some reason.
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15 comments:
I figured you'd be in for C&D. Their level of snark is much better than R&T.
A co worker bought an 80's vintage 911 last fall. I helped him do some engine repair work over the winter (typical head bolt snappage)
The previous ones I'd driven were early 70's vintage. The newer one definitely has better manners but its still tail happy. Which is most of its charm. If I was going to have a dedicated toy, this would be high on the list.
For me, the toy would be a BMW 2002 tii or, if I was really loaded, one of the rare 170bhp turbos.
Except for the ridiculous upkeep costs (minor tune every 2K, major tune every 4) and the barely functional heater, one heck of a car for their day. Would stay with almost anything in the twisties, carry 4 adults with a reasonable amount of luggage.
Knew a girl whose brother hit a moose in one while driving across Canada. Firewall put the motor underneath, steering column collapsed as designed, passenger compartment stayed rigid as designed; he walked away.
My next car will be a Porsche. I have wanted one since I was about 4 years old. Last year I got a chance to tour the Porsche factory and museum in Zuffenhausen. That was ~amazing~, I loved every minute of it.
A friend recently bought a '74 911E, spent some time working on it and has it nicely restored. I know him well, he gets bored of cars quickly (in the decade I've known him, he's owned 16 different cars). I just have to bide my time until his is bored, and buy it from him.
-Rob
Saw a red one for sale on the roadside up here in Zionsville. I don't know 911s well enough to call out the year or specific type. But it had the classic nose and the big ol' whale-tail.
Didn't catch the price, but I know it's waaaay out of my league.
Maybe I'll get myself and MX-5 sometime...
My uncle had a mid-80's 911 SC. The perfect car.
No power assist on the steering, no power assist on the giant brakes. The clutch was an on/off leg press. Parking with those massive tires manually was a good upper body workout. The engine would spit and stutter at low speeds. The speedometer was smaller than the average gas gauge.
Find a road and hit the gas - and everything was right. No electronic intervention. Just you and the mechanically perfect car.
Sure it could bite you - where's the excitement without the fear?
I get both R&T and CaD. R&T has great features on racing and more exotic vehicles (not to mention Peter Egan, who is a treasure in his own right), CaD tends to cover the more accessible cars and has great snark.
Captcha code- breasedT Wesleyan... what you get when a Protestant can't quite handle the 911 in the corner and lets off the throttle at the worst possible time.
Bram,
By the mid-'80s, 911s were well on their way to civilised. ;)
Never owned a 911, yet.
I did have a 914-6 for a year or so. It was definitely tail-happy, but being a Corvair owner prior, I had no real qualms with the handling. I do kick myself for not snagging a Guards Red 944 Turbo being offered at a very reasonable price by a squadron mate...
I took my driver's license test in dad's 924S. Safe, neutral handling, antithetical to a 70's 911 (lift midcorner, reap the whirlwind).
New 911's offer rheostatic megapower and ultra civil manners. I prefer the old iron. And C and D. Got my subscrption at age nine. The golden era, Brock Yates, Patrick Bedard, LJK Setright, Jean Lindamood and Csaba Csere on a masthead lead by that guy "Ed", DED Jr. That guy's Snarkitron ratings would rate up there with Tam's.
Oh, and I'll buy pretty much anything Egan writes for. This month's Cycle World killed! Leanings is worth the price of admission, plus Freddie Spencer wringing out all the objects of my teenage bikelust: GSXR750LE, RC30, et cetera.
I'm new here, but I think "View from the Porche" blog is going to become a regular visit for me. Great stuff.
One of my roomates in college had a '68 912 (barebones 911 with a 1600 flat four). Such a fun car to drive in the Arkansas hills. Not so much fun on Interstate where things got boring. If the right mid 60's to '72 911 (or even a 912) came along, I'd have to think long and hard not to buy one.
Ask me some time about the 914 with a 350 Chevy transplant. It was the closest thing to a rocket sled on loose rails that I've driven,, just short of a Harley XR1000. Both caused ocular distortion.
Co-worker back in the mid 80's had a 911 with a small block Chevy. He was still using the Porsche clutch setup. Clutch replacements were a regular thing.
Friend has the last year air-cooled 911 Carrera FI six. '87? I've driven it a few miles, but no corners. The mechanical sounds are reminiscent of My old air-cooled Ducati. Launching hard onto the freeway seems a bit weaker than my turbo Talon.
He has a broken cyl/head stud, and the Porsche shop told him to keep the revs down until he can get it fixed. They quoted a 5 figure price to do the job. Low mileage car, a gift from his sister.
wv: anyExpo May
911s sense fear like a dog. They only bite when you're nervous and twitchy with the throttle (like a kid pulling his hand back from the dog). If she brings her tail around, snap her back into place with a firm throttle. Treat her right and She'll be your best friend. No car exits an apex quite like it (slow in, fast out). No car brakes like it. All that weight in the back keeps it poised during heavy braking, and allows those fat rear tires to do more work than a front engine car that is pitching forward. That said, take it easy on the downhill, off-camber turns...
Come to think of it, today is the 10 year anniversary of when I got mine. I should do something special for her.
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