911

Sixty years, one place — a sports car in constant evolution. After debuting as the 901 at the IAA in September 1963, this is the one sports car that has evolved for over sixty years from a single position: a six-cylinder engine slung behind the rear axle. A trademark dispute with Peugeot forced a rename to 911 within a year, but almost everything else has changed — air-cooled to water-cooled, naturally aspirated to turbocharged, and in 2024, the first hybrid. Self-denial as a means of survival. In the early 1990s, Porsche stood on the edge of bankruptcy. In 1997, the 996 shared a platform with the Boxster and switched to water cooling — a self-denial of the 911's identity, but also the decision that saved the company. The M96's IMS failures and the "fried-egg headlight" backlash were redeemed by the 1999 GT3 and the 2003 GT3 RS, and the 911 was made whole again. Naturally aspirated and turbocharged — two 911s. From the 991.2 (2015), every Carrera went turbo, and the naturally aspirated engine was reserved for the GT3, R, and S/T. From the 2011 GT3 RS 4.0 (997) to the 2023 911 S/T (992), the cars that kept a manual seven-speed and a 4.0-liter natural-aspiration engine soared past three times their list price — building the sanctuary of the "last NA 911". The first hybrid 911 — the T-Hybrid era. Unveiled in May 2024, the 992.2 Carrera GTS combined a 1.9 kWh battery, an electric turbo, and an integrated-motor PDK as the 911's first hybrid — 540 ps, 0–100 km/h in 3.0 seconds. The GT3, however, still keeps its naturally aspirated 4.0-liter, and so even in the electrified era the 911 carries its dual identity — daily and track — down two separate roads.