Ten of the Greatest Porsche 911s Ever Made
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Over its 53-year history, Porsche has produced a lot of different 911s. All are excellent sports cars, but for us, some are more special than others. Here, then, are what we consider some of the greatest 911 variants of all time.
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1967 911 S
We expect Porsche to build race-inspired 911s now, but that tradition arguably started with the 1967 911 S. While this model wasn't designed for a specific race series, it was much sportier than your average street car of the era. Its 2.0-liter flat-six produced 180-hp with a crazy 7200 rpm redline, and it was the first model offered with the iconic Fuchs alloy wheels.
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1967 911 R
In 1967, you could walk into a Porsche dealer and buy a 911 S, but the R was a much different proposition. Only 23 were built, featuring ultralight fiberglass bodies and 50 more horsepower than the 911 S. Its spirt lives on today in the 2016 911 R.
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1973 911 Carrera RS
For the last 30 years, the 911 Carrera has been the most basic 911 you could buy, but in 1973, that word denoted something special. The Carrera RS 2.7 was lighter, more powerful, and rarer than other 911s of the era, and are now considered the pinnacle of classic 911s.
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1975 930 Turbo
The 911 was always a fine sports car, but the introduction of the Turbo in 1975 is what turned it into a giant killer. With 260 horsepower out of its 3.0-liter flat-six and a propensity to oversteer, the original Turbo became known as s widow maker. The Turbo was a beacon of hope in a dark age for performance.
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1992 964 Carrera RS
Introduced in 1989, the 964 was the first major revision to the 911 since it debuted in 1963. In 1992, Porsche brought back the iconic RS moniker for a stripped-out 911 aimed squarely at hardcore enthusiasts. At first, it didn't come to the U.S., but American 911 fans complained and we ended up with the brilliant RS America.
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1995 993 GT2
Porsche 911s don't get much crazier than the 993 GT2. Take the twin-turbo flat-six from the 911 Turbo, and stick it in a wide-body rear-drive chassis and you get a wild masterpiece. Only 57 were built, and one just sold for $2.4 million.
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2004 996 GT3 RS
Enthusiasts don't love the 996-generation 911, but they've got to give it credit for the giving us the GT3. In 2004, Porsche gave us the first GT3 RS, which got all sorts of incremental upgrades to produce one of the best driving 911s of all time.
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2011 997 GT2 RS
When the 911 Turbo received all-wheel-drive in the mid-1990s, it lost its widow maker reputation. The GT2 RS brought it back, with 620 turbocharged horsepower sent to the rear wheels only. It remains the fastest 911 ever produced, at least, until the new GT2 RS comes out.
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2012 997 GT3 RS 4.0
Notice a theme here? Many 911s we've featured wear the RS badge, which stands for Racing Sport in German. The 997 GT3 RS 4.0 was the last of its type to come equipped with a manual transmission, and was the last car to use the so-called Mezger engine, variants of which powered many Porsche racing victories. An instant classic.
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2016 991 R
Porsche controversially went dual-clutch only with the current generation 911 GT3 and GT3 RS. In response to the controversy, Porsche created a modern 911 R with the RS's engine and a glorious six-speed manual. It's our idea of a perfect 911.
Over its 53-year history, Porsche has produced a lot of different 911s. All are excellent sports cars, but for us, some are more special than others. Here, then, are what we consider some of the greatest 911 variants of all time.