Eight generations. One icon.
Reinvented time and again since 1963. And yet always unmistakably a Porsche 911.
Since its presentation in 1963, Porsche has continuously developed the 911 further. Across eight generations, technology, performance, safety and comfort have been fundamentally transformed. The central idea, however, has remained: a six-cylinder boxer engine at the rear, an unmistakable silhouette and that special combination of sporting character and everyday usability.
The entire development at a glance
The original 911
Presented as the 901, renamed the 911, Targa and Carrera RS 2.7.
G-Series
Bellows bumpers, Turbo, Cabriolet and Carrera 3.2.
964
3.6-litre boxer, all-wheel drive, ABS, power steering and Tiptronic.
993
Multi-link rear axle, biturbo and the last air-cooled production 911.
996
Water cooling, an entirely new design, GT3 and GT2.
997
A return to classic round headlights, direct injection and PDK.
991
New platform, lightweight construction and later turbocharging for the Carrera models.
992
Digitalisation, eight-speed PDK and, for the first time, T-Hybrid in the Carrera GTS.
1. The Original 911
1963–1973
1963–1966 · From the 901 to the 911
What sounds self-evident today was never originally planned. The most famous sports car in the world was in fact to be called the Porsche 901. Only a naming dispute with Peugeot led Porsche to choose a new number. For its market launch in 1964 the model was renamed the 911. A necessary change gave rise to a legend. Its air-cooled 2.0-litre six-cylinder boxer engine initially produced 130 hp.
In 1963 the story of an icon begins.
The first 911 combined a modern, timeless design language with a technical concept that would shape Porsche for decades.
1966–1968 · The S, the Targa and a growing model family
In 1966 Porsche presented the 160 hp 911 S. At the end of 1966 the first 911 Targa came onto the market. Its wide roll bar made it a distinctive open interpretation of the 911. From 1967 the semi-automatic Sportomatic was also available.
A sports car becomes a model family.
Coupé, Targa and various output levels broadened the character of the 911 without altering its original idea.
1968–1971 · A longer wheelbase and more displacement
With the B-Series, Porsche lengthened the wheelbase of the 911. This improved driving stability in particular. From 1969 displacement rose to 2.2 litres. The model range now comprised principally the 911 T, 911 E and 911 S variants.
The 911 gains maturity.
1971–1973 · 2.4 litres and the Carrera RS 2.7
In 1971 displacement grew to 2.4 litres. The high point of this era was the Carrera RS 2.7, presented in 1972. With 210 hp, low weight and its characteristic ducktail spoiler, one of the most famous models in 911 history was born.
The sports car becomes a motorsport legend.
2. The G-Series
1973–1989
1973–1977 · Safety shapes the design
For the 1974 model year Porsche fundamentally revised the 911. The new bumpers with bellows at the sides met stricter US safety requirements and became the defining feature of the second generation. Three-point belts and seats with integrated headrests further increased safety.
New requirements create a new face.
1974–1989 · The 911 Turbo
In 1974 Porsche presented the first 911 Turbo with a 3.0-litre engine and 260 hp. The first cars were delivered in 1975. From 1977 the Turbo received a 3.3-litre engine, an intercooler and 300 hp.
The Turbo defines a new performance class.
1978–1983 · 911 SC
The 911 SC combined a 3.0-litre boxer engine with high reliability and good everyday usability. At the same time it consolidated the position of the 911 during an economically difficult period for classic sports cars.
The 911 comes of age.
1983/1984–1989 · Carrera 3.2
For the 1984 model year the Carrera 3.2 replaced the 911 SC. Its 3.2-litre boxer engine produced up to 231 hp in European specification. For the 1987 model year it received the more modern G50 five-speed gearbox. The Cabriolet, the Targa and, from 1988, the Speedster broadened the model range.
The classic 911 reaches its maturity.
3. Porsche 964
1988/1989–1994
The Carrera 4, presented in 1988, marked the beginning of the third 911 generation. Around 85 per cent of the car was newly developed. The 3.6-litre boxer engine produced 250 hp. All-wheel drive, ABS, power steering, coil springs and an automatically extending rear spoiler brought the 911 technically into the modern era. The rear-wheel-drive Carrera 2 followed around six months later.
With the Tiptronic, the 911 received a fully automatic transmission for the first time. The Turbo, Carrera RS, Turbo S and Speedster also showed how broad the spectrum of the 964 was, ranging from a comfortable sports car to a purist driving machine.
The 911 enters the modern era.
4. Porsche 993
1993/1994–1998
The 993 interpreted the classic form of the 911 more softly and more harmoniously. A newly developed multi-link rear axle improved handling and comfort. The 993 Turbo received two turbochargers for the first time, while the newly conceived Targa used an electrically retracting glass roof.
In 1998 the era of air-cooled production 911s came to an end with the 993. It thus became the last representative of a technical tradition that had accompanied the 911 since its beginnings.
The air-cooled 911 reaches its culmination.
5. Porsche 996
1997/1998–2005
The 996 brought the greatest technical upheaval in 911 history to date. It was based on an entirely new design and used a water-cooled six-cylinder boxer engine for the first time. Water cooling made four-valve technology possible, along with advances in performance, emissions, noise behaviour and fuel consumption.
From 1999 the GT3 established itself as the motorsport-oriented variant. In 2000 the 911 Turbo and the particularly uncompromising GT2 followed. With the GT2, Porsche also introduced the PCCB ceramic brake to the 911 range.
The 911 breaks with its past in order to secure its future.
6. Porsche 997
2004–2012
2004–2008 · 997.1
With the 997, Porsche returned to the classic, almost round headlights. At the same time, technologies such as PASM, variable steering ratio and, in the Turbo, variable turbine geometry were introduced.
The 911 remembers its roots.
2008–2012 · 997.2
The model update brought direct petrol injection and the Porsche double-clutch transmission PDK in autumn 2008. The 911 thus combined faster gear changes with greater comfort and improved efficiency.
A new generation of performance begins.
7. Porsche 991
2011–2019
2011–2015 · 991.1
The 991 received a largely new platform with a longer wheelbase and wider track. An aluminium-steel composite construction reduced weight compared with its predecessor. The regular Carrera models continued to use naturally aspirated six-cylinder boxer engines.
The 911 grows without losing its soul.
2015–2019 · 991.2
With the model update, Porsche switched the Carrera and GTS models from naturally aspirated engines to turbocharged three-litre six-cylinder units. The engines offered more power with lower emissions and fuel consumption figures.
The turbo becomes the new normal.
8. Porsche 992
since 2018/2019
2018/2019–2024 · 992.1
The 992, presented in November 2018, took the 911 further into the digital age. Its defining features include a more strongly digitalised cockpit, a newly developed eight-speed PDK and numerous assistance systems. The design of the transmission already allows for the possible installation of an electric motor.
The icon goes digital.
since 2024 · 992.2
On 28 May 2024 Porsche presented the model update of the 992 generation. The Carrera GTS became the first road-legal 911 to receive a particularly lightweight performance hybrid. The T-Hybrid system combines a newly developed 3.6-litre boxer engine with an electric exhaust gas turbocharger, an electric machine integrated into the eight-speed PDK and a compact high-voltage battery. The regular Carrera initially retained the further developed 3.0-litre biturbo boxer engine.
In addition, the revised 911 received a fully digital instrument cluster for the first time. The 992.2 thus marks a further step in development not only in terms of its powertrain, but also in its controls and displays.
The 911 keeps getting better and better.
Eight generations, countless variants and more than six decades of development. What remains is that unmistakable idea which began in 1963 as the Porsche 901 and lives on in every 911 to this day.