
Professor Porsche’s Wars- The Secret Life of Legendary Engineer Ferdinand Porsche Who Armed Two Belligerents Through Four Decades
Professor Porsche’s Wars- The Secret Life of Legendary Engineer Ferdinand Porsche Who Armed Two Belligerents Through Four Decades
Bruce Anderson and me at Rennsport IV, Laguna Seca, Mazda Raceway, Monterey, California the weekend of October 14 – 16, 2011 – photo by Dede Seward
PORSCHE 935 – Moby and the Warhorse Gang
PORSCHE 935 – Moby and the Warhorse Gang, the award-winning story of the 935 as seen through the eyes of the highly successful Porsche shop Garretson Enterprises. The 935s they prepared won Sebring 3 times in a row, the Daytona 24, the IMSA Championship, and the World Endurance Driver’s Championship. Made with the cooperation of the Porsche Archive, and co-written by team member/Porsche guru Bruce Anderson, the production has been digitally re-mastered in 2009, and is now available on DVD at http://www.SmartRacingProducts.com. Porsche fans will appreciate the almost 4 hours of this well-produced video!
The Porsche 911 Performance Handbook focuses on 1963 thru 1998 Porsche 911 model years. It covers a brief history of the model, a very useful buyer’s guide, then projects and enhancements you can undertake on your prized Porsche. Everything from rebuilding and modifying the power plant in your 911 to tuning your suspension.
Here are the main sections:
- Porsche 911 Performance History
- Buying a Used 911
- 911 Engine Development
- Engine Rebuild Fundamentals
- Engine Performance Modifications
- Suspension, Brakes, Wheels, and Tires
- Transmission
Bruce pictured with blue and whte cap on the far right at Dry Lake. Source: Bruce Anderson 911 Porsche Blog
lse Nädele Porsche Club Coordinator and Pebble Beach Concours de Elegance judges left to right Dennis Frick, Bruce Anderson, Dale Miller, Mark Smedley, Weldon Scrogham, and Kirby Hollis. Source: Bruce Anderson’s Blogspot
Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Coupé
Over 820,000 Porsche 911s have been built, making it the most successful sports car in the world. For each of its seven generations the engineers in Zuffenhausen and Weissach have reinvented it, time and time again demonstrating to the world the innovative power of the Porsche brand.
The company is also sending an authentic 1967 model 911 on a world tour. Over the course of the year, this vintage nine-eleven will travel to five continents where it will be shown in places like Pebble Beach CA, Shanghai, Goodwood UK, Paris and Australia. As an ambassador for the Porsche brand, this vintage 911 will be in attendance at many international fairs, historical rallies and motor sport events. Fans and interested individuals can follow the car’s progress at http://www.porsche.com/follow-911 (end of February).
Porsche 911 Carrera 4 3.6 Cabriolet, 1990; (first: 911 Carrera 4 3.6 Cabriolet; second: 911 Carrera 4 3.6 Targa; third: 911 Carrera 4 3.6 Coupé)
The 964 (1988) – Classic Modern
Just when automotive experts were predicting the imminent end of an era, in 1988 Porsche came out with the 911 Carrera 4 (964). After fifteen years of production the 911 platform was radically renewed with 85 percent new components, giving Porsche a modern and sustainable vehicle. Its air-cooled 3.6 litre boxer engine delivered 250 hp. Externally, the 964 differed from its predecessors only slightly, in its aerodynamic polyurethane bumpers and automatically extending rear spoiler, but internally it was almost completely different. The new model was designed to captivate drivers not only with sporty performance but also with enhanced comfort. It came with ABS, Tiptronic, power steering, and airbags, and rode on a completely redesigned chassis with light alloy control arms and coil springs instead of the previous torsion-bar suspension. A revolutionary member of the new 911 line right from the start was the all-wheel drive Carrera 4 model. In addition to Carrera Coupé, Cabriolet and Targa versions, starting in 1990 customers could also order the 964 Turbo. Initially powered by the proven 3.3 litre boxer engine, in 1992 the Turbo was upgraded to a more powerful 360 hp 3.6 litre power plant. Today, the 964 Carrera RS, 911 Turbo S, and 911 Carrera 2 Speedster are particularly in demand among collectors.
The 993 (1993) – The Last Air-Cooled Models
The 911 with the internal design number 993 remains the one true love of many a Porsche driver. The remarkably pleasing design has much to do with this. The integrated bumpers underscore the smooth elegance of its styling. The front section is lower-slung than on the earlier models, made possible by a switch from round to polyellipsoid headlights. The 993 quickly gained a reputation for exceptional dependability and reliability. It was also agile, as the first 911 with a newly designed aluminium chassis. The Turbo version was the first to have a bi-turbo engine, giving it the lowest-emission stock automotive powertrain in the world in 1995. The hollow-spoke aluminium wheels, never before used on any car, were yet another innovation of the all-wheel drive Turbo version. The Porsche 911 GT2 was aimed at the sports car purist who cherished the thrill of high speeds. An electric glass roof that slid under the rear window was one of the innovations of the 911 Targa. But the real reason dyed-in-the-wool Porsche enthusiasts still revere the 993 is that this model, produced from 1993 to 1998, was the last 911 with an air-cooled engine.
The 996 (1997) – Water-Cooled
The 996, which rolled off the assembly line from 1997 to 2005, represented a major turning point in the history of the 911. It retained all the character of its classic heritage, but was an entirely new automobile. This comprehensively redesigned generation was the first to be driven by a water-cooled boxer engine. Thanks to its four-valve cylinder heads it achieved 300 hp and broke new ground in terms of reduced emissions, noise, and fuel consumption. The exterior design was a reinterpretation of the 911’s classic line, but with a lower drag coefficient (cW) of 0.30. The lines of the 996 were also a result of component sharing with Porsche’s successful Boxster model. Its most obvious exterior feature were the headlights with integrated turn signals, at first controversial but later copied by many other manufacturers. On the inside, drivers experienced an entirely new cockpit. Driving comfort now also played a greater role alongside the typical sporty characteristics. With the 996 Porsche launched an unprecedented product offensive with a whole series of new variations. The 911 GT3 became one of the highlights of the model range in 1999, keeping the tradition of the Carrera RS alive. The 911 GT2, the first car equipped with ceramic brakes as standard, was marketed as an extreme sports vehicle starting in the fall of 2000.
The 997 (2004) – Classicism and Modernity
In July 2004 Porsche unveiled the new generation 911 Carrera and 911 Carrera S models, referred to internally as the 997. The clear oval headlights with separate blinkers in the front apron were a visual return to older 911 models, but the 997 offered more than just style. It was a high-performance vehicle, with a 3.6 litre boxer engine that turned out out 325 hp while the new 3.8 litre engine of the Carrera S managed an incredible 355 hp. The chassis was also substantially reworked, and the Carrera S came with Porsche Active Suspension Management as standard equipment. In 2006 Porsche introduced the 911 Turbo, the first gasoline-powered production automobile to include a turbocharger with variable turbine geometry. A model update in the fall of 2008 made the 997 even more efficient thanks to direct fuel injection and a dual clutch transmission. Never before had the 911 series made such extensive allowances to suit drivers’ individual preferences, and with Carrera, Targa, Cabriolet, rear or all-wheel drive, Turbo, GTS, special models, and road versions of GT racing cars, the 911 family ultimately comprised 24 model versions.
The 991 (2011) – Refined by Experience
This car, known internally as the 991, represents the greatest technical leap in the evolution of the 911. Already the class benchmark for decades, the new 911 generation raised performance and efficiency to new levels. A totally new suspension with a longer wheelbase, wider track, larger tyres and an ergonomically optimized interior – it all adds up to an even sportier yet more comfortable driving experience. Technically, the 911 is the epitome of Porsche Intelligent Performance – even lower fuel consumption, even higher performance. This is due in part to the smaller 3.4 litre displacement in the Carrera basic model (yet developing 5 hp more than the 997/II), and to its hybrid steel/aluminium construction, which significantly reduces curb weight. Other innovations include Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) and the world’s first seven-gear manual transmission. The design of the 991 has likewise met with high critical acclaim. With its flat, stretched silhouette, exciting contours, and precisely designed details, the seventh generation of the Porsche 911 Carrera remains unmistakably a 911 that has once again succeeded in redefining the standard for automobile design. It is the best 911 of all time – until the next generation.