Is The Porsche 911 The Quintessential Sports Car? We Talk With Several Owners To Find Out.

PART 1 – THE 911, AND WHAT OWNERS SAY ABOUT IT:

The definition of quintessential is “representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class”.  So could the Porsche 911 be the perfect, quintessential sports car? Since so much has already been written about the 911, we got in contact with two Porsche 911 owners, Pete and Ken, to get their own original perspective on the topic. Both are lifelong fans of the Porsche brand who have owned 911s of various generations over the years, and both currently own 1st-generation models presently. For reference, “Gen 1” Porsche 911s span from the first model year of 1965 through 1989. During a recent get together, Ken made a good point by saying it was the number of factors unique to the 911 that give it quintessential cred.

But first, lets look at basics. Thanks to rear-engine design that puts engine and transmission weight directly over rear drive wheels, 911s deliver exceptional traction and lightweight, responsive steering up front. Total vehicle weight is spread evenly over four corners, yielding shorter stops without the need for front brake proportioning bias.

While there are many sports cars with an engine located behind the driver, most of them have a “mid-engine” layout where the engine is located in front of the rear axle.  The 911 is the only gas-engine sports car produced today with an engine actually positioned behind the rear axle.  While this may create minor handling challenges, it also allows designers to avoid ungainly proportions that mid-engine sports cars tend to suffer from – a big plus in the eyes of many.

As a note, we consider single-motor EV sports cars (think base model Porsche Taycans, BMW i4s, Tesla Model 3s, Audi E-Trons, and more) with a motor in the middle of the rear axle to be “rear-engine” as well.  Some may even out-accelerate certain versions of the 911. However, none offer a manual transmission. For that reason, unique advantage goes to the 911 yet again.

TRUE TO ITS ROOTS

The next factor to consider is that the 911 has stayed 100% true to its roots in a continuous, unbroken chain since its introduction for the 1965 model year. 

The 911 has never been discontinued and brought back years later, nor have any model years been skipped between redesigns.  Speaking of redesigns, each and every one in the 911’s history has been evolutionary rather than revolutionary. The silhouette of a 911 from any year is recognizable.

Another factor we feel is important is the number of purpose-built factory racing edition 911s over the decades available at dealerships that customers could buy and drive legally on the street. Very unique.

Pete, owner of a 1986 Carrera, feels it is the quintessential sports car across all generations because its original DNA has remained pure without being watered down or morphing into something else entirely over the years.  “It’s hard to think of other vehicles of any type that this is true for. Maybe pickup trucks and the Mazda Miata can make the claim, but not many others.”

Ken, owner of a 1979 Targa-roof 911, recalled the first time he had the opportunity to drive a 1969 911 as a young man.  “All the controls felt so wonderfully mechanical.  There was no power steering numbness, only a direct connection to the front wheels.  The engine sounded great in the back.  Shifting gears felt just right – the short-throw shift lever and linkages felt so well-made that you felt connected to the transmission.  I’ve also noticed these same things in newer generations I’ve driven since.”

As mentioned earlier, both Pete and Ken have driven and owned newer 911 generations over the years.  They feel that while the level of refinement and power has improved with each generation, a 911 of today still generates the same basic enjoyment behind the wheel as first-generation models do.  “What’s good has consistently been improved, and what needed improvement got addressed.  You still feel connected to the car in a way that few others can match,” said Ken.  

Because a good sports car should communicate everything going on around the driver, both owners put a high value on the 911’s excellent rear and side visibility.  Pete commented, “In a 911, there are hardly any blind spots. You can see what’s coming up on the ride side without guessing, and you can back this car into or out of tight spots easily.  That lets you drive with more confidence, drive better when the going gets tricky”. Ken agreed, adding, “If you’re in a Dodge Viper, Vette, Lamborghini, or any mid-engine cars, you can’t see a damn thing backing up. It’s really a nightmare.  In the Porsche, it’s easy”.

Professional race drivers say these advantages listed above are why 911s win in so many racing categories. We say they make 911s the quintessential sports car.

PART 2 – OTHER VEHICLES THAT DO & DON’T COME CLOSE TO THE 911:

Another way to find out if the 911 is the quintessential sports car is to eliminate others that fall short for various reasons. Remember, a sports car’s reason for being is performance, handling, and driving feel as a whole. They’re supposed to be fun, aspirational vehicles that don’t need to be practical.

In considering other continuously produced sports cars or sporty cars that have remained equally faithful to their original form and function, it’s hard to deny the Mini / Mini Cooper deserves an honorable mention, even though it’s more of a sporty car (at best) than a sports car.  Its first generation ran unchanged from model years 1959-2000, then saw a complete modernization in the form of a 2001 Mini “Cooper” reboot that was completely faithful to the original.  Two successive generations of Cooper designs have barely changed their silhouette since, and it’s hard to deny continuity is as good or better than the 911.  But with a 3-cylinder engine standard in the base model, the Cooper just isn’t an all-around performance car.

One might naturally consider the Corvette as a contender for this title as well.  I certainly did because I’ve always been a fan – especially of the rear axle-mounted transmissions found in later generations.  It’s always been a 2-seater sports car with a fiberglass body, rear-wheel-drive, and a manual transmission option.  But when you consider the Corvette has actually seen some pretty big changes over its lifespan, it may not measure up. 

For example, the Corvette’s silhouettes have changed radically from the first “C1” generation (1953-62) to the second (1963-67), and then again to its third (1968-82).  It could be argued that fourth  through seventh generations were evolutionary before the current C8 design reinvented the Corvette as a mid-engine design.  Proportions have also changed in a major way over the years, as have instrumentation and interiors.  

We feel the Volkswagen Golf/GTI and Mazda Miata deserve respect as sports cars also.  Both have faithfully evolved from their original silhouette, and both still offer a manual transmission.  But neither have the power, handling, history, and racing pedigree of the 911.

Ferrari, like Porsche, has been a faithful manufacturer of undistilled, zero-compromise sports cars.  However, Ferrari designs and model names only last a designated period before they’re discontinued and replaced by something else entirely.  No production Ferrari can approach the enduring continuity of the 911.  Last, but not least, zero Ferrari models have been offered with a real manual transmission for over a decade – an unforgivable sports car sin in this writer’s opinion.  

Ford’s Mustang has been in continuous production a year longer than the 911, and during that time, it grew from a trim contender into a bloated heavyweight, then a scaled-down economy car built on a Pinto platform that couldn’t perform (weak powertrains) and couldn’t handle because of a super short wheelbase with huge amounts of overhang.  It wasn’t until the 1979 redesign that Ford created a winner that’s been steadily improving since.  The Mustang deserves an honorable mention, but cannot compare to the 911 as a whole.

The Nissan Z also deserves honorable mention as well as respect for staying pure to its 1970 first generation over the years.  Unfortunately, several gaps in production occurred over the decades as Nissan lost and gained focus on the Z, so it can’t match the continuity or racing chops of Porsche. 

Dodge Challenger  – After a good Gen 1 run as a muscle car (1970-74), the Challenger was dropped until it was reborn as a Japanese import for Gen 2 (1978-83), then dropped again for decades until it was brought back for a third generation in model year 2008 as a modern, distilled version of everything that was good about the 1970-74 generation.  We appreciate its faithful execution and successful modern adaption of a classic design, however Gen 2 and huge gaps in production put it out of the running.

The Chevrolet Camaro stayed pretty faithful in mission, but not design, until it was discontinued after four generations in 2002.  After a reboot for the 2010 model year that paid homage to the original 1967 design, styling updates have been conservative and evolutionary.