The 10 best Porsche 911s ever

Porsche 996 GT3 RS

No list of great 911s can ignore the GT3 RS, so it's only right we include the original: the 996 GT3 RS. This was the first model to bring pure race-bred thinking to a modern 911 — essentially a GT3 RSR for the road. It debuted carbon-ceramic brakes on the 911 and lost 50kg over the already stripped-to-the-bone standard GT3. That was thanks to a carbon bonnet and wing, even the enamel badge was binned in favour of stickers, shaving off grams in the name of purity. Its aero and suspension weren't for show, either, but the product of Porsche's RSR programme.

That the standard GT3's Mezger engine was left untouched tells you everything about its excellence. Derived from Porsche's Le Mans machinery, the Mezger spun to 8,200rpm, gaining and shedding revs like a superbike thanks to its single-mass flywheel. It was mechanical art, and the RS wrapped a cage, aero and stunning decals around it.

Porsche 997 GT3 RS 4.0

The Mezger engine has taken on mythical status in Porsche circles as the greatest flat-six the company ever built. Hans Mezger honed his genius on Porsche legends like the 917 and 935, then applied that same thinking to road-going 911s. When Porsche switched the mainstream 911 to the M96 engine for the 996 era, the motorsport department refused to follow — and history vindicated them. Type "IMS", "RMS" and "problems" into Google and you'll quickly read why.

Which brings us to the GT3 RS 4.0: the final 911 to carry a Mezger engine and a masterpiece worthy of the bloodline. Using titanium conrods and the RSR's crank, Porsche stretched its capacity by 200cc to unlock more torque down low and more power up top. A carbon intake and titanium exhaust gave it a racing-car voice, complete with the whirring backing track of a gear-driven intermediate shaft. Carbon panels, rose-jointed suspension and deep motorsport knowledge made it so capable that it lapped the Nordschleife as quickly as a Carrera GT. Not a bad send-off for the Mezger era.

Porsche 991 R

The 991 arrived with the same fanfare as any 911, but something jarred. It was bigger, techier, and more mature than the 997, and its new electric steering lacked the chatter of the old hydraulic system. And while Porsche offered a manual, everyone bought the PDK, because it was brilliant — and because the manual seven-speed… wasn't. Porsche knew this was a problem, and it set about building the best driver's car it could: the 911 R. 

Like a Michelin-star chef, Porsche tweaked its 911 to enhance the flavour in all the right places, using only the best ingredients — parts from the GT3 and the GT3 RS. The R got a carbon-fibre bonnet and wings, plexiglass rear quarter lights and reduced sound deadening. The engine from a GT3 RS, hooked up to a titanium exhaust, provided the fiery main, while the dessert came in the form of a closely stacked six-speed manual gearbox with a citrus-sharp single-mass flywheel. Porsche then garnished the lot with a unique body kit, a Pepita tartan interior and green dials inspired by the 1967 911 R's. The result was a car 50kg lighter, and with a 200mph top speed it was 7mph faster than a GT3 RS.

Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Sport

Porsche 911s don't come much more memorable than the Carrera RS 2.7 Sport – a car made by engineers unhindered by the concerns of marketing and finance. Marketing threw a wobbler when it saw the RS's ducktail spoiler that 'ruined' the 911's iconic shape: who on earth would buy such a monstrosity? The wing reduced rear lift by 100kg, vastly improving high-speed stability and turning the 911 into the cornering machine it always could have been, which was conversation over as far engineering was concerned.

Discussions over weight saving would go a similar way. Like a shoal of half-starved piranha, the engineers picked the car to the bone, binning everything from the steel bumpers (the fibreglass replacements were decidedly less bump-worthy) and engine-cover strut on the outside, to the carpets, stereo, door armrests, clock, glovebox and sound deadening from the inside.

Getting super geeky, Porsche then built the roof, doors and bonnet from steel 0.08mm thinner than the standard car and fitted glass that was also up to 1mm thinner. Even the legendary Porsche badge wasn't safe, binned in favour of a gram-saving sticker. Marketing was weeping by this point, but it needn't have. The engineers were right; the market for a super-focused car was there, and sales soared far beyond expectations. 

Porsche 964 RS

The 964 was the first car to feature the famous 'RS' badge after the 2.7-litre model launched 20 years previously, and it arguably set the tone for a modern RS. Out went the delicate feel and daintiness of the 2.7, in came a compromising ride and cabin noise that was hard to live with every day. 

Based on the Carrera Cup one-series race car, the 964RS featured lightweight magnesium wheels, front brakes from the Turbo and rear brakes from the race car. Doors and a bonnet made from aluminium saved weight, as did slinging the back seat and luxuries like an alarm, air conditioning and central locking. The RS's official 1,217kg kerb weight was more than 120kg lighter than the standard Carrera. Power, meanwhile, increased to 260PS (191kW) thanks to a twin-spark head, and it was sent through a lightened flywheel to a standard limited-slip differential on the rear axle.

The 964 marks the point when RS models turned from fast road cars to road-going race cars, and if you want to know how good that is – the fact that Walter Rohl (Porsche development driver and one of the best rally drivers of all time) owns one should be all you need to know.

Porsche 911 F R

The original Porsche 911 R provided the blueprint for the Porsche GT machines we know and love today. Power came from a familiar source, a 2.0-litre flat-six that produced 213PS (157kW). Porsche then set about adding lightness. Glass-fibre was used for the bumpers, bonnet, wings and doors, and all windows (bar the windscreen, which used crystal-thin glass) were made from plexiglass.

Inside, you got Porsche's now trademark door pulls while the ashtray, cigarette lighter, sun visors, and two of the five instruments you'd expect to find in the 911's iconic instrument binnacle were removed. As a result, the R weighed just 800kg, an impressive 230kg less than a 911S, could get from 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds, and lapped Hockenheim just 12 seconds slower than a 906 Group 4 racer.

Just 19 911Rs were built, and it went on to triumph in circuit racing, rallying and endurance events.

Porsche 911 G Turbo​

The second generation of the Porsche 911 – the 911G – went on sale in 1974 and remained on the market until 1989. It would bring several famous badges, including the 2.7 RS, SC and Carrera, but the Turbo proved to be the most seismic. It's easy to understand why. An exhaust-fed turbine cranked power up to 260PS (191kW) and gave the 911 effortless overtaking ability that perfectly matched the car's everyday usability.

Unfortunately, the Turbo's peak power delivery went a long way to earning the 911 its 'widow maker' reputation. However, if you could master the handling, few cars could touch the Turbo on the road. Few cars looked as good either, thanks to its blistered rear wheel arches, shark fin wing protectors and iconic whale tail spoiler. It's probably not a surprise to know that the current (now four-wheel drive) 911 Turbo remains one of the fastest point-to-point cars you can buy.

Porsche 964 911

The Porsche 964 went on sale in 1989 and, in true Porsche tradition, looked incredibly similar to the outgoing model, despite 85 per cent of its parts being new. The 964 added a few things that remain 911 trademarks to this day – a rear spoiler that automatically rises at speed and the four-wheel drive Carrera 4 which was the 964's original launch model. It had electronically controlled four-wheel drive that split power 31% front and 69% rear, giving the Carrera 4 the feel of a normal 911 but with more predictable handling on the limit and vastly improved all-weather performance.

The 964 also saw torsion bar suspension replaced with coil springs and dampers. The result was a sweet-handling sportscar with a 250PS (184kW) 3.6-litre flat-six that was good for 0-62mph in 5.5 seconds and a top speed of 163mph.

Porsche 993 911 GT​

The Porsche 993 is considered by many to be peak 911. It has the classic looks, small dimensions and air-cooled engine of the original car, combined with modern technology like twin-turbocharging and multi-link rear suspension that finally tamed the 911's wayward handling.

The GT – later known as the GT2 – represents the pinnacle of 993s and not just because only 57 examples were built. It got the same 430PS (316kW) 3.6-litre bi-turbo flat-six as the standard Turbo but without the heavy four-wheel-drive system. In all, Porsche shaved a hefty 205kg from the weight of a standard 911 by removing things like the back seats, central locking, electric windows, airbags and sunroof and by adding hardshell front seats and magnesium wheel centres.

The result was performance of 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds, a 187mph top speed and a blueprint that all future blown range-toppers could follow.

Porsche 911 992 S/T

While we've yet to drive it, the Porsche 911 S/T has a strong argument for being the best of the batch of the current 992 model range. Like the Touring, it borrows much from the current GT3, including its naturally aspirated, 525PS (386kW) 4.0-litre, flat-six engine, which is never happier than when revved to 9,000rpm, especially when you factor in the S/T's lightweight clutch and single-mass flywheel, which shave rotating mass by 10.5kg.

The wings, doors, bonnet and roof are made from carbon-fibre, and disposing of the GT3's rear-wheel steering knocks 40kg off the weight of a GT3 Touring. Porsche claims 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds and a 186mph top speed. And it looks as good as it goes. Outside, the Heritage Design Package adds Shoreblue Metallic paint, ceramic wheels and racing numbers, while inside, you get Cognac leather upholstery with carbon-fibre hardshell seats.