[Aditya]

Some cars define their segments. Mention the words luxury sedan and the first car that comes to most peoples’ minds is the Mercedes S-Class or say luxury SUV and an image of the Range Rover appears in front of your eyes. Similarly, mention sports car and it is the Porsche 911 that most people start thinking about.

Over the years, the 911 has been the yardstick when it comes to sports cars. It’s pretty much the car everyone tries to match when it comes to technology, engineering, performance and handling. The 911 has a huge fan following across the world. Its shape has become so iconic that Porsche dare not change it drastically. Instead, with each generation, the company has kept on mildly modernising it to make it more aerodynamic and safe. Of course, every generation comes with better with more advanced features and engines and transmissions. So, among the various generations, please vote and let us know which one is your favourite.

911 (1963-1973)
The original 911 was a replacement for the Porsche 356 with 2 additional seats. It had a rear-engined, rear-wheel drive layout and an air-cooled flat-six engine which ranged from 2.0 litres to 2.4 litres. A higher performance
version called the Carrera RS with a 2.7 litre unit was available as well.



Variants:
2.0-litre – 0, A, B series (1964–1969)
2.2-litre – C, D series (1969–1971)
2.4-litre – E, F series (1971–1973)
Carrera RS (1973, 1974)

911 - G-Series (1973-1989)
The G-Series came a decade after of the launch of the first 911. Apart from the coupe, targa and cabriolet versions were launched. The car featured some styling updates such as new bumpers and a red panel running between its tail lamp clusters. On the safety front, it got three-point safety belts as standard and seats with integrated headrests. On the powertrain front, this was the first 911 generation to feature turbocharged engines. The G-Series went on to become the longest running 911 model. Star performer was the 930 Turbo which came with wide wheel-arches, bigger wheels and tires and a large rear “whale tail” spoiler. It started out with a 3.0-litre, 257 BHP engine. By 1978, it had a 3.3-litre unit with close to 300 BHP on tap. In 1989, Porsche gave it a 5-speed gearbox.





Variants:
2.7-litre – G, H, I, J series (1974–1977)
Carrera 2.7 – G, H (1974-1975)
Carrera 3.0 (1976–1977)
930 Turbo (1974–1989)
SC – L, M, A, B, C, D series (1978–1983)
3.2 Carrera – E, F, G, H, I, J, K series (1984–1989)

911 - 964 (1989-1994)
The 964 was the last generation to feature the classic 911 styling. The car however, featured many notable updates. The interior was redesigned and features such as all-wheel drive, power steering, ABS and airbags were introduced. The car also got a Tiptronic automatic transmission, dual-mass flywheel, twin-spark ignition and a retractable rear spoiler. The Turbo variants started with the same 3.3-litre unit, but later Turbo S versions got a 3.6-litre engine with close to 380 BHP.





Variants:
Carrera 2 Coupe & Cabriolet
Carrera 4 Coupe & 4 Cabriolet
Carrera Turbo Coupe
Carrera Turbo S Coupe
Carrera Turbo S LM-GT
Carrera RS, 964 Speedster

911 - 993 (1994-1998)
The last of the air-cooled 911s, the 993 came just 5 years after the 964 had first gone on sale. Most 911 fans consider this the best 911 ever. It also had a reputation of being very reliable. It featured a redesigned front end and a lower slung body compared to earlier 911s. It had an aluminium subframe and aluminium multi-link suspension. The car had an all-wheel drive system similar to the one from the 959 supercar and was the first 911 to feature a 6-speed gearbox. A Tiptronic automatic transmission was also available. The Turbo version got a 3.6-litre twin turbo engine that put out close to 400 BHP and in 1997, a Turbo S version with even more power and better cooling was introduced. Additionally, a Carrera RS and a 450 BHP GT2 version were also sold.





Variants:
Carrera Coupe & Cabriolet
Targa
Carrera Turbo Coupe
Carrera Turbo S
Carrera 4S
Carrera S
Carrera RS
GT2
Speedster
Carrera Turbo Cabriolet

911- 996 (1997-2004)
The 996 replaced the much loved 993 and had big boots to fill. With redesigned headlights, it looked disappointing to traditional 911 fans. Additionally, it used water-cooled engines instead of air-cooled ones like its predecessors. Its range of engines included a 3.4-litre naturally aspirated and a 3.6-litre twin turbo petrol engine.

The Turbo put out close to 415 BHP and came with an all-wheel drive system and either a 6-speed manual or a 5-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. The range also included an RS and GT3 and GT2 versions.





Variants:
Carrera Coupe & Cabriolet
Carrera 4 Coupe & 4 Cabriolet
Carrera 4S Coupe & 4S Cabriolet
GT2 Coupe, GT3 Coupe, Targa
Turbo Coupe & Turbo Cabriolet
Turbo S Coupe & Turbo S Cabriolet

911 - 997 (2004-2011)
Replacing the 996, the 997 featured round headlights – much to the delight of traditional 911 fans. The interior was updated too and the 2008 facelift way the introduction of direct injection and a 7-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission called the Tiptronic S.

The Turbo was powered by a new 3.8-litre twin turbo flat six that put out around 490 BHP, while the Turbo S developed around 523 BHP. It had a 0-96 km/h time of less than three seconds.





Variants:
Carrera Coupe & Cabriolet
Carrera 4 Coupe & 4 Cabriolet
Carrera 4S Coupe & 4S Cabriolet
Carrera GTS Coupe & GTS Cabriolet
Carrera S Coupe & S Cabriolet
GT2 Coupe
GT2 RS Coupe
GT3 Coupe
GT3 RS Coupe
Targa 4 & Targa 4S
Turbo Coupe & Turbo Cabriolet
Turbo S Coupe & Turbo S Cabriolet

911 – 991 (2011-2019)
The 991 came in 2011 and is the last 911 to have naturally aspirated Carreras. The 2017 facelift saw a turbocharged flat-six for every variant except the GT3 and GT3 RS. It also was the one millionth Porsche 911 and we got the most powerful 911 yet - the GT2 with 691 BHP on tap. This car could do a 0-96 km/h sprint in 2.7 seconds, and touch a top speed of 340 km/h (210 mph).

The 991 also got Porsche Torque Vectoring, centerlock wheels and a 7-speed manual gearbox apart from a PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission.





Variants:
Carrera Coupe & Cabriolet
Carrera T
Carrera 4 Coupe & 4 Cabriolet
Carrera 4S Coupe & 4S Cabriolet
Carrera GTS Coupe & GTS Cabriolet
Carrera S Coupe & S Cabriolet
GT2 Coupe
GT2 RS Coupe
GT3 Coupe
GT3 RS Coupe
Targa 4 & Targa 4S & Targa 4 GTS
Turbo Coupe & Turbo Cabriolet
Turbo S Coupe & S Cabriolet
Speedster

911 - 992 (2019 onwards)
As expected the 992’s silhouette hasn’t changed. However, there are no narrow body cars as the front track has been widened. It also features staggered wheel sizing and a lightbar that runs across the rear. The 992 has a 3.0-litre turbocharged flat-six that develops around 380 BHP. It comes with an 8-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission. The Turbo S is powered by a 3.8-litre, twin-turbocharged engine that produces 641 BHP.





Variants:
Carrera Coupe & Cabriolet
Carrera 4 Coupe & 4 Cabriolet
Carrera S Coupe & S Cabriolet
Carrera 4S Coupe & 4S Cabriolet
Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition
Turbo Coupe & Turbo Cabriolet
Turbo S Coupe & Turbo S Cabriolet

Information and images - Supercars.net, Wikipedia

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line.

[S15]

Cant vote, but if I could, I'd happily vote for 996.
The most distinctive 911 to me.
This was the car that started the GT3 variant.

Ofcourse the purists hate it because the headlights are not round enough for them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OFuYRe1NLQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr2dzAZEhk4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhF0EELKynY

[karan561]

911's became special for me when for the 1st time i clocked 300+ km/h on the Autobahn in the latest 992 Gen Carrera S;



However i voted for the 993 Gen as it has achieved a legendary status thanks to it being the last air-cooled Porsche & also thanks to Car Modification Companies like RUF which have made the 993 highly desirable;

[suhaas307]

What a great thread!

Every single generation of the 911 is special, even the controversial 996 generation that ushered in the water-cooled era of the 911.

I haven't driven any 911 unfortunately, but if I had to pick a favourite, it would be the 993 generation 911 - specifically the garden-variety Carrera S.



What makes this particular car special is that Porsche gave it the Turbo's wider flared rear-arches and wheels towards the end of its life-cycle, giving it that fantastic squat stance that 911s are known for.

The 993 is also special because it was the last 911 that stayed true to the original silhouette and body-shell, only receiving minor redesigns.

Amongst the modern 911s, the 997 is the one I would take. It replaced the supremely controversial runny-egg-headlight 996 generation and also inherited design cues from the 993. And although subsequent 911 generations (991 and 992) were fantastic cars, they grew in size substantially. My pick from the 997 generation would be the 997.2 GT3 RS 4.0 powered by the last of the famed Metzger engines:



The howl from this engine is yet to be replicated by Porsche in any of their road cars, barring the obvious Carrera GT of course.

While there are a few privately imported 993s in India, I don't think there is a single 997 GT3 in the country, let alone a 4.0 RS.

[Aditya]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Every single generation of the 911 is special, even the controversial 996 generation that ushered in the water-cooled era of the 911.

I have the same feeling. I am a big 911 fan. It's the car that defines German engineering and perfection for me. Voting for one of these is difficult because I love each and every one of them. I'm blown away by the technology of the new cars, but then it was the G-Series 930 Turbo that got me into Porsches. That's probably where my vote will go.

Old school rocks. Turn the volume up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOKtx7REMxo

Oh yes. My favourite racing game is still NFS 5 / Porsche Unleashed.

[androdev]

I love all the generations of 911. My top pick would be 993 followed by 997. Relatively speaking not a fan of 996 and 991.1 which feel like work-in-progress products compared to other generations.

[Invariance]

Wouldn't know which to vote for even if I could!

The classic remains an all-time great sports car, but the G-series 930 Carreras have always stunned me. They really are timeless beauties, if a bit temperamental (then again, which 70s sports cars weren't). And unlike most of their competitors, their designs aged really well (looking at you, Italian door wedges...)


(Okay, so this one's modded with a TAG V6, but that body shape remains lovely even today.)

The 997s were also lovely. They rank among my favourite modern classics, and I can see these becoming very valuable in the coming years.


And while I have never been particularly fond of GT3s, the 2021 model has been my wallpaper for a while now. I mean, look at that rear. That is, to my eye, the most striking 911 rear since the original ducktailed Carrera RS. And the specs don't hurt either. 4 litre naturally-aspirated flat six engine? I'm in love.

[nikhilthegunner]

The latest 992 gen is my favourite simply because of the performance. When I saw drag races of it on Carwow, I was amazed to see the 911 turbo S beat literally any car from a standing start. The interiors too are really nice and different from the previous generations. Would be interesting to see what Porsche does with the GT3 and GT2 variants of this gen.

[GTO]

992, indisputably. For one, it looks the best. I love the current-gen's butt. And all that tech has made it sharper & faster. I love what the 911 represents = top of the line performance with everyday usability & reliability. That greatly appeals to me. When I buy a supercar, I want to do road-trips in it...I don't believe in garage queens.

Great thread & replies

[Eshan Joshi]

Mine is the 997.

I have always loved the looks of this generation. Infact the 997.2 GT3RS is my dream car and is the reason why I fell in love with Porsches.

I also kinda like the looks of the 964 , especially the back with the ducktail spoiler. However the 997 remains my all time favorite.

[Jeroen]

Whereas I have never been a huge fan of Porsche 911 there is no doubt about their technical pedigree. These are tremendous cars, both from a design as well as a manufacturing point of view. They just don’t appeal that much to me. Never quite understand why.

I voted for the original one. Sure, all the later model have lots of things going for them, but the original one has aesthetic appeal that was never matched further down the line.

I am not a fan at all of the various Porsche 911 tuners. With the exception of one, Singer Vehicle Design. I read about this version some time ago, in a car magazine (Octane?). Really nicely done. If I had the money and if I were to buy a Porsche, I would buy the Singer version!

http://singervehicledesign.com

Jeroen

[aargee]

Porsche 911: Which is your favourite generation?

All of these boss!! And you can carry out even a performance improvement; don't you love it too?

[deetjohn]

I think I will take anyone of those generations except for the 993 or the 996. And that's purely for aesthetic reasons. I don't like the fender design of the former or the runny egg headlights of the latter.

The thing I love most with 911 is that, they have always tried to evolve the design (barring exceptions as noted above), while always pushing the envelope when it comes to technology and mechanicals under the skin. I like that approach when it comes to iconic models.

So, if we pick the older generations, one can experience the purity of driving whereas the newer ones are as technically advanced as they come. Infact the 992 Turbo is so fast that it's really scary. - I have never seen new age electric vehicles take such a beating on the track. On a straight-line that is. Talk about beating someone on their own game! Yet, none will mistake that insane machine for anything other than a 911. And I really dig that.

Porsche, please keep it that way!

Coming to picking one, a Porsche itself is a fantasy, let alone a 911. So, I might as well go the whole log here. I will pick the glorious 964 reimagined by Singer if I have to really pick one.

But the thing with 911 is that, you can have multiple 911s in the same garage - and get something different from each car to fulfill the garage. I don't think that can be really said about any other car models out there.

Here is the Singer with Henry!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogsV9LbDgOM&

[tweaker]

If money was no object, I would definitely pick up the 964 and take it straight to Singer! If money was an object but I still have a lot of it, I would pick up the latest gen for all the technological advancements Porsche has made to its 911 series of cars. Even though it seems impossible, Porsche seems to outdo itself every time and put its best foot forward with every generational increment.