One in a Million: We Test the Millionth Porsche 911!

From the February 2018 issue

To celebrate the millionth 911 produced, Porsche built a one-off Carrera S inspired by the first 911 owned by Ferry Porsche. Mr. Porsche himself took delivery of the third 911 off the line in late 1964; 53 years later, the millionth example was presented to us for a drive.

Both the third and the millionth 911 wear Irish Green paint, a nonmetallic color that was purportedly Ferry’s favorite (the family loved those hunting hues). The color—as well as just about any other you can dream up—is still available through Porsche’s Exclusive program, but it’ll cost you $6960.

Brand fetishists will obsess over the bits that the factory won’t mass reproduce. First, there are the vintage Porsche crests, which are a tribute to the ones that Porsche used in the 1960s; the horse in the center and the script used for “Porsche” and “Stuttgart” differ from those on current badges. Customers also can’t order the cloth houndstooth (Pepita in Porsche-speak) seat inserts, the proprietary 1,000,000th badges, the gold-colored accents, or the gauge faces rendered in green ink meant to emulate those of the early cars. The rest of the spec is available. It encompasses the ’60s-inspired mahogany interior ($3425) and aluminum side-window trim ($400), as well as the 20-inch five-spoke wheels ($1370) and the $12,350 3.0 S Powerkit that elevates the Carrera S’s 420-hp engine to GTS spec, or 450 horsepower. The flat-six is hooked here to a manual transmission, as any tribute to classic 911s should be, although this one has seven forward ratios instead of the five of the original.

The message we took away from our time with the car: Even special 911s should be driven. And driving this one feels, not surprisingly, a lot like wheeling a 911 GTS, albeit one with an unexpectedly cool wood interior. If you’re willing to slip the clutch at launch, 60 mph will fall in 3.4 seconds. The 1.03-g chassis strikes the perfect balance between ride and handling, a 911 attribute from the beginning.

People notice this Porsche, even Los Angelenos, impressed by that rarest of things: one that isn’t black, white, or silver. Many 911s are ordered by dealers who spec cars they think will sell. Ordering your own ensures your 911 will be one in a million.

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2+2-passenger, 2-door coupe

ENGINE: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve flat-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 182 cu in, 2981 cc
Power: 450 hp @ 6500 rpm
Torque: 405 lb-ft @ 2150 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 7-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 96.5 in
Length: 177.1 in
Width: 71.2 in Height: 51.0 in
Passenger volume: 70 cu ft
Trunk volume: 5 cu ft
Curb weight: 3295 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 3.4 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 7.8 sec
Zero to 150 mph: 18.1 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 4.7 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 11.7 sec @ 124 mph
Top speed (drag limited, mfr's claim): 193 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 151 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 1.03 g

C/D FUEL ECONOMY:
Observed: 18 mpg

EPA FUEL ECONOMY:
Combined/city/hwy: 21/18/26 mpg