20 Top Historical Porsches
Just how much history is there behind the famous German Automobile manufacturer?
1. 911 GT1-98
In 1998, this car won the 24 Hours of Le Mans—the holy grail of motorsports. It placed first and second overall and solidified Porsche's reputation for building bullet-proof race cars. The GT1-98 was a purpose-built prototype with a 3.2-liter mid-mounted 6-cylinder engine that put out 592 hp.
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2. 908
The 908 didn't achieve victory at 24 Hours of Le Mans, but in 1969, a long-trunk, closed-top version—the 908 LH Coupe—came in second, behind a Ford GT40. However, they ruled other races in '69, often claiming the top five spots in a single race.
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3. RS Spyder
Porsche had abandoned prototype racing in 1999. They picked it back up 2005 when they introduced this RS Spyder. They built the car specifically for the 'slower' LMP2 class. In 2008, they claimed a remarkable victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring beating many other competitors.
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4. 911 RSR
The one that started it all. For many things, that is. First, Porsche laid the blueprint down for what would become one of the greatest engineering strategies in motorsports - turbocharging. This vehicle also laid the platform down for many of the racing 911's that followed. It's not uncommon to find one of these yielding six figures in price.
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5. 956 and 962
The first 956's owned first, second, and third places at the 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Porsche started selling the cars to private parties after these wins. The 962 was subsequently developed to improve safety. It was slightly longer, with the front wheels set further forward. Like its brother, the 962 was very successful.
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6. 911 (997) GT3 RSR
The 911-based GT3 race cars have been the Porsche's creme of the crop in motorsports over the last decade or so. The 911 GT3 is one of the most successful race cars in automotive history. The number of class and overall wins were varied and plentiful. Even more amazing is that it starts life on the same assembly line that builds road-legal Porsches.
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7. 718 RS 60 Spyder
Sometimes referred to as the sports car for the street, this vehicle had a four cylinder engine mounted just ahead of the rear wheels. (Unlike 911's) This is called a “mid-engine” setup, and it was also used on other Porsche race cars, such as the 965, 962, and GT1-98. This beautiful car was considered fast, agile and efficient. One of its notable accomplishments was the victory at the 1960 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race.
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8. 911 GT3 R Hybrid
Not your typical hybrid. In fact, a monster-like Frankenstein creation of sorts. What makes this vehicle different is that other race cars don't have a 102-hp electric motor powering each front wheel. oh, and not to mention that's on top of the 480-hp six-cylinder gas powered engine at the rear.
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9. 917K
The 917 had a rocky start in the beginning. It wasn't until a shortened version was built with a reworked rear end, called the 917 Kurzheck (meaning "short tail"), aka 917K, that Porsche dominated first and second places at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in 1970. Another interesting face as that it was the first Porsche with a 12-cylinder engine.
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10. 917/30
Porsche started participation in the Can-Am Challenge in 1972 with this car. They beefed up their 917 with a bored out 12-cylinder engine fitted with twin-turbochargers. Max output was up to 1,580 hp. Its zero-to-sixty time was 1.9 seconds and on to 100 mph in 3.9 seconds. Top speed was more than 260 mph. The 1973 Can-Am season belonged to Porsche.
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11. 911 3.2 Carrera
This is around the time Porsche transitioned their car building from race cars to road cars. What stayed with this model was the classic looks of the 911. Porsche designed a very specific look from 1974 all the way through 1989. This configuration came with a longitudinal V6, naturally aspirated motor putting down 231hp to the rear wheels. This is the last model to keep the classic design. After this one, the 911 took on more drastic styling and configuration changes.
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12. 944 Turbo
With the 944, Porsche proved it could build a great front-engine sports car just as well as their RWD fleet. This car was so adaptable, that it could often be found racing at amateur level in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) events even today. The turbo model stepped up the performance of its four-cylinder engine a notch. The 944 Turbo, also benefited from a wider body with special bumpers.
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13. 911 Carrera RS
To the untrained eye, most people would look at this and pass it off as your "normal 911". But, this one is far from normal. First, the power plant went from 2.4 to a bored out 2.7 naturally aspirated V6. It also benefited from wider fenders, wider wheels, and larger bumpers. This also integrated a redesign of the front air dam and rear "ducktail" spoiler. This spoiler became the main feature as it reduced rear end lift by 75%. This is a crucial factor to consider when lap times are at hand on the track. It kept the entire vehicle more planted through each corner and each pass with speed.
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14. 911 (993)
From years 1993-1998, this future classic was born and coined the name '993', internally. This brought in a new age of styling to both the exterior and the chassis. It kept most of the namesake traditions in places such as keeping the body compact and light but also by maintaining the air-cooled engines so many love and adore. Many of the changes took place in the rear suspension area where previous models suffered from rear weight bias. Another change was the dashboard. This model was the last of the "air-cooled" Porsches and to many, this is a sentimental point in Porsche fandom.
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15. 911 Turbo S (997)
This version of the "new" Porsche was built in response to demand for more power and greater performance. It started around 2004-2008 and again in 2010 and until the present day. The Turbo S has 30 hp more than regular Turbo models, for a total of 530 hp. It comes with the company's seven-speed, dual clutch transmission. This model came in both coupe and Cabrio options. It's top speed was 195mph and it reached zero-to-sixty times in 3.3 seconds.
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16. Boxster Spyder
It is not the most powerful or technologically advanced, but it's certainly the lightest and most uncomplicated. It takes shape and elements from the classic 550 Spyder and 356 Speedster. It is the Boxster reborn with creature comforts such as folding soft top, stereo, air conditioning, cup holders, etc. Its mid-engine layout is found to be better handling than the rear-engine setup of the 911's. Thus, the Boxster Spyder is the ultimate Cabrio Porsche for driving enthusiasts.
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17. Cayman R
The Cayman R is the rougher coupe equivalent of the Boxster. The Cayman R comes close to unseating its bigger brother, the 911 with a more capable engine under its hood. It applies the same weight distribution concepts as the Boxster Spyder to improve driving dynamics, but has a more rigid chassis and 10hp more.
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18. 911 GT2 RS (997)
The 911 GT2 RS is the most powerful production 911 in history. The standard GT2 has the same output as a Turbo S (530hp) but has a gutted interior with modifications to make it more suited for track driving. The GT2 RS is even more extreme in that it weighs 150 pounds less and comes with an additional 90 hp, for a total of 620 hp.
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19. 911 GT3 RS 4.0 (997)
The GT3 RS 4.0 is the best modern 911 ever. While the Carrera GT is more exotic and the turbocharged GT2 RS is more powerful, the 500-hp GT3 RS is more raw and reminiscent to real Porsche race car engineering. Thus the non-turbocharged GT3 RS is a street-legal Porsche track car, with race-spec suspension, chassis, and brakes. The 4.0 version has a larger motor than the GT3, which gives it an additional 56 hp.
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20. 550 Spyder
The one car that bears legendary racing heritage, is the 550 Spyder. Based on the 356, it started as a road car and evolved into a purpose-built race car—the 550A. The 550 Spyder uses a mid-engine layout, which improved handling. Only about 90 were produced making this model as rare as they can be. Besides winning against larger and more powerful cars, it is known infamously for being the car that actor James Dean died while driving on Sept. 30, 1955. RIP James Dean.
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