Car Reviews

Small SUVs aren’t usually our thing, but Mazdas are. We’ve got 40,000 miles to find out if the CX-30 can transcend its genre. More

The noble, dirty sport of rally racing has been responsible for many roadgoing performance heroes. Cars such as the Audi Quattro, Lancia Delta Integrale, Ford Sierra RS and Escort RS, Toyota Celica GT4, and the Subaru WRX were all born of manufacturers having to build streetgoing version of their racers. But when the homologation requirement for a winning World Rally Championship car to be based on a purchasable vehicle ended in 1997, the link was broken.
Until now, that is. The Toyota Yaris GR isn’t a roadgoing WRC car, but it does get impressively close, having been created by Gazoo Racing, Toyota’s in-house motorsports arm. It is the first product born of Toyota boss Akio Toyoda’s insistence that his company’s return to topflight rallying and that motorsports should have direct relevance to the company’s products.

Toyota Yaris Hatchback Goes Beyond the Basics

2020 Nissan Versa vs. 2019 Toyota Yaris

The 2020 Toyota Yaris Hatchback

We drove the Yaris GR in England, on damp and twisty roads almost perfectly suited to demonstrating the talents of this all-wheel-drive hot hatch. Sadly, there are no plans to bring the Yaris GR to the United States. Customers didn’t exactly line up to buy the Mazda-based Yaris before it was quietly dropped from the lineup. But we will see a version of this all-wheel-drive powertrain in a U.S.-bound performance model better suited to American tastes.

View Photos

Toyota

There have been motorsport-inspired versions of the Yaris before—we drove the supercharged GRMN in 2018—but the GR is radically different. Beyond its name, the two-door GR has very little in common with the European Yaris or the former American Yaris. Although its wheelbase is the same, it sits on a Franken-platform version of Toyota architecture. The Yaris GR combines the regular Yaris’s front-end structure with a rear section made using the GA-C architecture that underpins Corolla and C-HR. The rear suspension has upper and lower control arms and a radically enhanced track width, plus there’s an underfloor tunnel to package the all-wheel-drive system’s driveshaft. The only parts shared between GR and Euro Yaris are the headlights, tail lights, side mirrors, and the antenna on the roof.
The Yaris GRMN from a few years ago used a supercharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine tuned by Lotus. Despite losing a cylinder and some displacement, the GR’s engine boasts more power than the GRMN’s four. The turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder is closely related to the one used in the junior World Rally Championship 2, and its 257 horsepower makes it the most powerful production three-pot in the world. No attempt has been made to hide its turbocharged character. It is hesitant and laggy at low revs with an elasticity to its power delivery as turbo boost builds. It sounds great—like many three-bangers, it almost has the aural character of a V-6 when worked hard—and it pulls keenly to a 7200-rpm redline.

View Photos

Toyota

The best rally cars have torque-juggling active center differentials and sequential gearboxes. Toyota has kept things simpler in the GR with a six-speed manual transmission, and it has one of the nicest shift actions we can remember from a transverse-engine layout. Torque diverts rearward through an electronically controlled clutch pack at the back of the transmission. This is similar in principle to the Haldex system most associated with Volkswagen Group products, but Toyota’s boasts a lighter clutch and permanent engagement. The GR is all-wheel drive all the time.
Toyota overdrives the rear axle, which allows the front-rear torque split to be biased by either slipping or engaging the rear clutch. There are three modes: Normal sends 60 percent of torque forward, Sport changes the balance and dispatches 70 percent rearward, and Track splits the torque equally. Open differentials are standard at each end, but an optional Circuit Pack swaps these for Torsen limited-slip differentials and also brings forged 18-inch alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer rubber and a stiffer suspension.
Even equipped with the Circuit Pack, the GR doesn’t have an excess of dynamic aggression. The steering is heavier than Toyota’s normal generous level of assistance, but the GR doesn’t have the darty responses that chassis engineers often use to indicate enthusiasm. The rack delivers proportional responses and makes accuracy easy, allowing the clever all-wheel-drive system to shine.

View Photos

Toyota

In Normal mode, the GR feels like an extra-agile hot hatch, being powered to the edge of front-end breakaway and then brought back onto a chosen line with a slightly eased throttle while still maintaining traction. Toyota admits the rear-biased Sport mode has been designed for loose surfaces as much as hard ones; it gives a definite back-end bias without turning the GR unruly. Despite its name, the 50/50 split in Track mode actually feels best suited for use on slippery British asphalt, combining huge grip with a near-perfect balance between each axle.
A firm ride manages to avoid being abusive. The GR doesn’t have adaptive dampers or any switchable dynamic modes beyond its torque bias. At low speeds the Circuit Pack’s stiffened springs did prove adept at magnifying surface imperfections, but as both velocity and loads rise the chassis is more pliant, handling even big bumps and camber changes without complaint. The brake pedal lacks firmness but is properly placed to allow heel-and-toe downshifts. The GR also gets a defeatable rev-matching system of unerring accuracy.

View Photos

Toyota

Despite the substantive differences between it and the European Yaris, the GR feels similar from the driver’s seat. The instrumentation, switchgear, and dark plastics are all familiar. Equipment levels are good, including an 8.0-inch touchscreen, adaptive cruise control, auto-leveling LED headlights, and sports seats. The rear seat is much tighter than it would be in the regular Yaris, with access made awkward by limited headroom and the protruding driveshaft tunnel. And one strange omission: Unlike the regular Yaris, the GR doesn’t have a rear wiper. That’s something you’d expect from a rally car, and it’s nice to have when the inevitable English rain begins to fall.
In an ironic twist of fate—given its reason for being—the one thing the Yaris GR will miss is a competition-spec sibling. Toyota’s 2021 WRC entrant was set to be based on the Yaris GR, but COVID-19 caused testing to be halted. The team will be using the older four-door Yaris WRC for another season before the arrival of hybrid regulations in 2022 requires an all-new car. Still, it’s good to know that Toyota cares about cars such as this one. Now let’s hope the eventual U.S.-bound GR keeps the spirit that makes this Yaris feel so special.

Specifications

Specifications
2020 Toyota Yaris GR
VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback
BASE PRICE (UK) Base, $36,276; Convenience Pack, $38,933, Circuit Pack, $40,530
ENGINE TYPE turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 12-valve inline-3, aluminum block and head, port and direct fuel injectionDisplacement 99 in3, 1618 cm3Power 257 hp @ 6500 rpmTorque 266 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm
TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual
DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 100.8 inLength: 157.3 inWidth: 71.1 inHeight: 57.3 inCurb weight (C/D est): 2900 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST) 60 mph: 5.0 sec100 mph: 11.8 sec1/4 mile: 13.4 secTop speed: 143 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST) Combined/city/highway: 28/25/33 mpg

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

Kia’s updated Niro hybrid belongs to an already bygone era when efficiency demanded sacrifice. More

First, a recap. Maybach (pronounced MY-bahk) used to be its own thing. Founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach as an engine builder for Zeppelins, by 1921 the company was producing a luxury car that essentially superseded Mercedes-Benz as the poshest of all German mechanical contrivances. The company stopped making cars and switched to building engines for Panzer and Tiger tanks during World War II. After the war, the company died. By 1960, Daimler-Benz acquired the leftovers and the name, and in 2002 Maybach was revived as its own brand. That super-luxe experiment ended in 2012. Mercedes-Maybach now exists as a super-luxury sub-brand within Mercedes-Benz itself. Got it? Good.
With that history lesson in mind, this is the first time the Maybach name has been placed on an SUV—in this case, Mercedes’s large GLS-class model assembled in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. At present, Alabama is not in Germany. The Maybach GLS may just be the most prestigious consumer product currently coming from that state. Roll Tide.

View Photos

Mercedes-Benz

2021 Mercedes-Maybach S580 Luxury Liner Has It All

Mercedes-Maybach GLS600: Chauffeur-Ready Top Model

Mechanically, the Mercedes-Maybach GLS600 closely parallels the Mercedes-AMG GLS63. The powerplant is the same twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 with a few modifications that relax output from the AMG-spec 603 horsepower to a still-mighty 550 horses. It’s supplemented, as is the AMG version, with a 48-volt electric motor that can add as much as 21 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, all of which flows through a nine-speed automatic transmission. The combination of internal-combustion engine and electric motor results in a silken ride of torque.

View Photos

Mercedes-Benz

Unlike the Maybach S-class sedan that enjoys extensive changes to the dimensions and exterior design, the wheelbase of the GLS is unchanged from the Mercedes GLS-class and the sheetmetal carries over intact. The bits attached to the bodywork, like the grille, lights, and bumpers, are glamorously redone, but the most significant physical change to the GLS package is the elimination of the third row of seats. The second-row seats are pushed back for more legroom and so that an optional champagne cooler can be fitted between them. This is critical if the GLS is being used to ferry the kids to school every day and they need a mimosa in the morning to get the day going.
It also means that this is a four- or five-seat SUV. So, as a family hauler, its utility is limited. And since the rear seats don’t fold down, hauling new rain gutters home from Lowe’s is probably not happening.

View Photos

Mercedes-Benz

Cooled, heated, ventilated, and adjustable in nearly as many ways as the human body, the rear seats are sculpted for royalty and covered in leather from cows who may have volunteered for the honor of sacrificing their hides. There’s a 7.0-inch tablet set between the thrones for controlling the seats, the Burmester audio, and four-zone Executive Climate Control systems (with separate rear air conditioner). The driver and shotgun passenger (maybe literally armed) are there to support the titans of industry lucky enough to sit in back—nothing else.
The GLS Maybach on hand for our event featured seatback-mounted screens to display a presentation on the GLS600 while we were chauffeured. Word is that United States-market versions won’t have those screens since widespread use of iPads and other tablets in this country make them redundant.
All that plushy-plush indulgence doesn’t mean the Maybach GLS doesn’t drive well. In fact, it’s astonishingly athletic for a vehicle focused on ride comfort. But, well, the Mercedes GLS is astonishingly athletic considering it’s a three-row SUV.

View Photos

Mercedes-Benz

The powerplant is long on low-end grunt, almost freakishly quiet, the steering is precise but has a non-disclosure agreement with road surfaces, and the brakes could stop a crashing stock market. Road noise is muffled until it stops squirming, wind noise is slight and melodic, and the double-paned glass shushes anyone yelling about the injustices of capitalism.
Performance? When the masses arise against the oligarchs, the GLS600 will help them flee in a hurry. With a couple hundred pounds of additional curb weight over the GLS63 and slightly less power, we expect the zero-to-60-mph blitz to take 4.1 seconds. That’s hustling for a three-ton object.
This isn’t an SUV about sport or utility. It’s a vehicle for arriving, for making a big splash when it pulls up to an event, a club, or office building. It’s an announcement of intimidation, not something that’s built to dive into corners, take families on vacations, or even put at risk dirtying its standard 22-inch or optional 23-inch wheels.

View Photos

Mercedes-Benz

With a price starting at $161,550, after adding a few options like the 23-inch wheels and the champagne cooler, a total chit nearing $200,000 wouldn’t be surprising. An AMG GLS63 has even more power, is optimized for better handling, and is still very, very luxurious. Plus, it has a third row of seats and the second row folds down. It also starts about $30,000 less. As a daily driver, it’s more practical and fun than the Maybach.
If you’re rich enough to afford a Maybach GLS, do you want to announce your prosperity so brashly? Doing so might be fine for that sliver of glitterati without the self-awareness to question their own need for social validation. Like an Aston Martin DBX, Bentley Bentayga, Rolls-Royce Cullinan, and Italianate villas in Miami Beach, the Maybach makes a strong statement. But while those competitors don’t require an explanation, the Maybach may require a history lesson.

Specifications

Specifications
2021 Mercedes-Maybach GLS600
VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 4- or 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
BASE PRICE $161,550
ENGINE TYPE twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injectionDisplacement 243 in3, 3982 cm3Power 550 hp @ 6500 rpmTorque 538 lb-ft @ 2500 rpm
TRANSMISSION 9-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 123.4 inLength: 204.9 inWidth: 79.9 inHeight: 72.4 inPassenger volume: 116 ft3Cargo volume: 14 ft3Curb weight (C/D est): 6100 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST) 60 mph: 4.1 sec100 mph: 9.4 sec1/4 mile: 12.5 secTop speed: 130 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY Combined/city/highway: 15/19/16 mpg

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

Hyundai’s North American senior designer Davis Lee walks us over to the new 2021 Hyundai Elantra and quickly addresses the car’s boldly styled flanks. He reaches down and runs his hand along the three prominent creases that intersect on the sedan’s front doors. “It can look out of place at first,” he says, “but we wanted the car to stand out. And it adds character to the car.”
Those character lines are a risky element of the Elantra’s redesign, one that isn’t shared with the larger Sonata or the 2022 Tucson. “We want to avoid a Russian-doll lineup,” he adds. “Our design philosophy is that each vehicle must stand on its own visually. Notice how it’s way more angular and edgy in back than the Sonata.”

2021 Hyundai Elantra Sedan Looks Good, Adds Hybrid

Hyundai Elantra N Prototype Knows the Hustle

The redesign may turn off some traditional buyers, but the risks are small. The Elantra’s 10-percent share of the compact sedan market is far less than the Honda Civic’s and the Toyota Corolla’s, both of which together command more than half of the segment’s sales. To gain market share, especially among younger buyers, Hyundai had to go big. And it has, both visually and literally.

View Photos

Hyundai

The seventh-generation Elantra is physically larger than it ever has been. At 184.1 inches, the Elantra stretches 2.2 inches longer than before and is nearly two inches longer than the best-selling Civic. It’s also an inch wider and 0.8 inch lower than its predecessor, matching the dimensions of the Honda. More important, Hyundai stretched the wheelbase by 0.8 inch to 107.1 inches, giving the Elantra both the longest wheelbase in its class and a substantial amount of rear legroom. Rear headroom remains the same despite the sedan’s lower overall height and swoopier roofline, but it’s still tight for those taller than six feet. The Elantra’s 14 cubic feet of trunk space is also about the same as before, splitting the difference between its two main rivals. A 60/40-split folding rear seat is standard.
Built on the third-generation of Hyundai’s K platform, the Elantra features struts in front and a torsion-beam rear axle. Only the hybrid, N Line, and full-strength N models get an independent rear suspension, but you won’t miss that more sophisticated setup on the standard car. The Elantra’s handling dynamics have been tuned by people who actually like to drive. Body control in corners is excellent, and there’s surprisingly good feel from the well-balanced steering.

View Photos

Hyundai

On twisty two-lane roads, the Elantra impresses with ample front-end bite, and its rear end isn’t easily upset by midcorner bumps. We drove a top-of-line Limited model with chunky 17-inch wheels wrapped in 225/45R-17 Kumho Majesty Solus all-season tires, which proved to be quiet to our ear while offering plenty of grip. The Elantra’s ride quality is pleasantly firm, and there’s a nice heft to its steering. It’s relaxed around town yet still direct enough to be engaging. The view out front is expansive, thanks to a low dash and thin, carefully formed A-pillars.
Under the Elantra’s hood, Hyundai’s naturally aspirated 2.0-liter inline-four is paired with a standard continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) that responds well to manual inputs for its simulated gear ratios. Though the combo is a bit sluggish off the line, the engine is generally responsive and makes good power above 4000 rpm, which is conveniently positioned at 12 o’clock on the tachometer. The engine’s 132 pound-feet of torque peaks at 4500 rpm, and its 147 horsepower crescendos at 6200 rpm. Just as important, the SEL and Limited’s EPA estimates of 31 mpg city, 41 mpg highway, and 35 mpg combined are competitive in its class. The base SE sees a 2-mpg bump in all three economy metrics.

View Photos

Hyundai

Inside, the Elantra takes some additional design risks, such as the unnecessarily large grab handle on the passenger side of the center console. And the abstract circular design in the black void left of the steering wheel looks a bit weird. But the new cabin is otherwise spacious, attractive, comfortable, and nicely equipped. Even the base SE model, which starts at $20,645, gets an 8.0-inch touchscreen and the first application in the class of wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Automatic front- and rear-collision avoidance assistants with pedestrian detection are standard, as are lane-keeping and blind-spot collision avoidance assists.
That commendable amount of standard gear makes the SE a solid value. But the sweet spot in the lineup is the $21,895 SEL model with the optional $950 Convenience package, which nets 16-inch wheels, pushbutton start, a proximity key, a digital gauge cluster, a wireless phone charging pad, and other upgrades. Splurge for the $26,445 Limited trim and you’ll gain a 10.3-inch touchscreen and customizable ambient interior lighting.
With the 2021 Elantra’s new eye-catching wrapper, impressive feature count, and solid dynamics, Hyundai has smartly followed the playbook used by Honda when it introduced the current Civic—the most successful Civic generation on record and consistently Honda’s best-selling car. Whether that formula works as well for the Elantra has yet to be seen, but it does make Hyundai’s compact sedan more compelling than ever.

Specifications

Specifications
2021 Hyundai Elantra
VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
BASE PRICE SE, $20,645; SEL, $21,895; Limited, $26,445
ENGINE TYPE DOHC 16-valve Atkinson-cycle inline-4, aluminum block and head, port fuel injectionDisplacement 122 in3, 1999 cm3Power 147 hp @ 6200 rpmTorque 132 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
TRANSMISSION continuously variable automatic
DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 107.1 inLength: 184.1 inWidth: 71.9 inHeight: 55.7 inPassenger volume: 100–102 ft3Trunk volume: 14 ft3Curb weight (C/D est): 2750–2900 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST) 60 mph: 8.1–8.3 sec1/4 mile: 16.4–16.5 secTop speed: 120 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY Combined/city/highway: 35–37/31–33/41–43 mpg

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

From the January 2008 issue of Car and Driver.
Steerage class has suffered a bad rep ever since the Titanic sailed. But if you’re prowling the lower decks of the new-car market, at least one company thinks you shouldn’t have to curb your enthusiasm.

Every New Compact Car You Can Buy in 2020

Best Hatchbacks of 2020

2008-2009 Compact Car Comparison

Neither tinny, tippy, nor asthmatic, the 2008 Suzuki SX4 Sport starts undoing expectations at a base price of $15,395. Corollas, Civics, and Mazda 3s are strippers at this price. Hyundais and Kias are no match for the SX4’s firmer suspension tune, quicker steering, tighter shifter, and more abundant fun.
The front-drive SX4 Sport, a sedan spin-off of the SX4 all-wheel-drive hatchback, is a true Suzuki, not a Korean-made pretender like the Daewoo-sourced Forenza and Reno. The genetic ties are to the plucky Swift hatchback, a hit in hot-hatch-crazy Europe. The SX4’s standard equipment includes 17-inch alloy wheels inside 205/50 V-rated Dunlop SP7000 Sport tires. A/C, ABS, curtain airbags, power windows, and remote entry are also baked into the base price. The SX4’s options include a $500 convenience pack of cruise, auto climate control, and leather-wrapped wheel.

HIHGS: Smart handling, comfy back seat, the cure for the common Corolla.

The four-speed auto transmission is $1000, and a Touring package with stability control, upgraded stereo, spoiler, and keyless ignition is also $1000.
The SX4 Sport comes sporty only. It’s solid-feeling on the road and notably refined inside, the low-gloss plastics and metal-like trim giving a deluxe feel. Aside from owing its shape to a British bowler hat (and supplying enough headroom for a Texan 10-gallon hat), the SX4 has only one potentially deal-busting flaw: The back seats don’t fold. Suzuki opted to plug the tunnel with chassis braces for body rigidity. At least the trunk gets 15 big cubic feet, and the inert rear seatback is pitched at a comfortable 27 degrees with lots of knee- and legroom.

LOWS: No folding rear seats, looks like a bowler hat on roller skates.

The SX4 ran the skidpad at 0.83 g and stopped from 70 mph in 174 feet. It pulled five successive stops without breaking 180 feet, better than decent performance in this dollar class. Acceleration takes slightly more patience, the 143 horsepower of the 2.0-liter twin-cam four carrying this Sport’s 2762 pounds to 60 mph in 9.2 seconds. The lighter Honda Fit does it quicker, but with no more driving satisfaction.
A leap forward for the brand, the SX4 Sport upgrades Suzuki to well above the water line.

Specifications

SPECIFICATIONS
2008 Suzuki SX4 Sport
VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE AS TESTED $16,895 (base price: $15,395)
ENGINE TYPE DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, port fuel injectionDisplacement 122 in3, 1995 cm3Power (SAE net)143 bhp @ 5800 rpmTorque (SAE net) 136 lb-ft @ 3500 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 5-speed manual
DIMENSIONSWheelbase: 98.4 inLength: 177.6 inWidth: 68.1 inHeight: 60.8 inCurb weight: 2762 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS Zero to 60 mph: 9.2 secZero to 100 mph: 28.4 secStreet start, 5-60 mph: 9.8 secStanding ¼-mile: 16.9 sec @ 82 mphBraking, 70-0 mph: 174 ftRoadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.83 g
FUEL ECONOMYEPA city/highway driving: 22 mpgC/D observed: 25 mpg

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

From the February 1974 issue of Car and Driver.
The tachometer needle is closing in on the fourth gear redline. The speedometer indicates 105 mph. Bobby Allison is feeling the Porsche 911 into the wide, banked Turn One of Pocono’s short road course. He has driven this section of the tri-oval dozens, maybe tens of dozens, of times before, always in a stock car . . . and always in the other direction. But that doesn’t matter. Now he is turning right instead of left.

Defining the Porsche 911: New vs. Old

Tested:1969 Porsche 912 vs. 911T Targa, 911E, 911S

Tested: 1984 Porsche 911 Carrera

“You could really hang up your spare parts in this corner if something went wrong.”
At this speed, the Porsche is toeing an awkward threshold. Aerodynamic forces have lifted its front enough to make the steering light and vague, yet very twitchy. The rear has lifted too and the tires are light enough to want to break out into a drift.
“I can feel it trying to hang but it can’t quite do it.”

View Photos

CHUCK BOONE

Each time the tail comes loose, Alli­son catches it with a microscopic correction of the steering and an adjustment of his foot on the gas. But almost as soon as it’s caught, the rear comes unstuck again. And each time it does, the on­rushing boiler-plate wall seems to click into even sharper focus.
“It’s telling me to expect something bad, it doesn’t say how bad. It’s not real­ly a strain at this speed . . . we might even be able to run right to the mat in a few laps . . . but I just know better than to crowd it too soon. Porsches are quite a bit different from anything else I’ve driven . . . except maybe a Volkswagen and I’ve only driven VWs a minimum number of times.”
Bobby Allison, successful driver and equally successful race car builder, feels no reverence toward the name Porsche. Which makes him the perfect driver to test the 1974 line-up of 2.7-liter Porsch­es. It’s easy to find someone who has raced Porsches successfully, someone with a factory deal . . . or someone try­ing to carve out a factory deal . . . who will be more than happy to help out on a test such as this. And you’ll get a glow­ing report. But Allison is non-aligned. With him, the chips fall where they may. And he points out exactly where that might be in a precise, deep, gentle drawl that does not leave room for misinterpre­tation. To be sure, Bobby Allison is a stock car driver, and, with more than for­ty NASCAR wins, an exceedingly com­petent one. But he is much too diverse to be categorized in that narrow pigeon hole. He has also won on road courses—Riverside this past summer to name a recent one—and driven open-wheelers for Roger Penske at Indy. He has even raced Porsches, at the Lime Rock Trans-Am last season and most recently as one of the select field of 12 at the International Race of Champions at Riv­erside just before this test. In fact, he even bought a new 911T to drive on the street in preparation for the IROC.

View Photos

CHUCK BOONE

Like many of today’s best drivers, Alli­son turns out to be more than just a driv­er. He is also a car builder. His shop in Hueyton, Alabama turns out parts and completed stock cars, as many as a hundred a year, for serious racers. So Bobby Allison knows about automobiles from both sides of the steering wheel. With credentials such as these, Allison’s assignment for Car and Driver was to probe the performance and personality of Porsche’s newest collection of road cars as represented by three models: a 911, a 911S Targa and a Carrera, $42,940 worth of rear-engine machinery.
Porsche’s model line-up has under­gone a substantial overhaul. The T and E models are gone. At the bottom of the new heap is the no-suffix 911 which lists for $9950 POE East Coast, plus every­thing. Up from there is the 911S. And that, in turn, is topped by the Carrera at $13,575, at that price as naked as the Venus de Milo.
There is bound to be confusion over the Carrera. You’re probably thinking—or at least hoping—that it has much in common with the Carrera RSRs that have been mowing down the opposition around the world in GT racing and that made up the field for the IROC. It doesn’t. It’s a 911S overlayed with a few of the RSR’s accoutrements: Carrera side stripes, the upturned rear deck spoiler (a “mandatory option” at $285), slightly flared rear fenders and wider (seven inches compared to six in front) rear wheels mounted with appropriately fatter tires.
This is in bold contrast to the Europe­an Carrera, known as the RS, which is strictly a stripped homologation special. It is very light—just under 2000 lbs. dry—with a high compression engine and is strictly verboten on public roads here because of smog and safety laws. Upon special order, the factory will con­vert the RS into the RSR, which is a pure racing car, the kind that ran in the IROC. These cars have 3.0-liter engines that produce 330 hp (DIN) at 8000 rpm, fiber­glass bumpers and widely flared fend­ers, special suspensions, brakes from the 917, wide wheels (9.0-inch in front, 12.0-inch in back) and all the racing equipment you need, right down to a 6-point seat belt, roll bar and on-board fire extinguisher. The RS and RSR have about the same relationship to the U.S.-market Carrera that Bobby Allison’s number 12 Chevelle has to the one you’ll find covered with shipping wax in your local Chevy dealer’s lot.
All of the new Porsches have 2.7-liter 6-cylinder engines, big-bore versions of the 2.4-liter powerplant introduced in 1972. They also have a new fuel injec­tion system from Bosch known as the K-Jetronic, a continuous flow type with nozzles directed at the underside of the intake valves. It determines fuel flow by measuring the quantity of intake air, the same principle as the original Rochester device introduced on 1957 Corvettes.

View Photos

CHUCK BOONE

For 1974, the engines come in only two stages of tune. The regular 911 has what is basically the old “T” engine, but with 300cc additional displacement. It has an 8.0-to-1 compression ratio and is rated at 143 hp (net) at 5700 rpm. The S and the Carrera share a similarly en­larged “S” engine. It has a higher (8.5-to-1) compression ratio, larger intake ports and a cam with more lift and duration on the intake lobes. It is rated at 167 hp (net) at 5800 rpm. Though, in com­parison to the old T and S, quarter-mile acceleration of the new models is virtu­ally unchanged, the new engines are clearly less fussy to drive. The increased displacement and less overlap in the cams (for emission control) has made them both highly tractable. The S still has a noticeable rise in the torque curve as you approach 3500 rpm, but even it will slug through traffic without trauma. In past models, we felt the output curve of the S was too peaky for U.S. driving conditions and, in fact, the E was quick­er at speeds below 100 mph. But the new S is at least as flexible as the old E and we no longer have reservations about it. To compliment the two larger engines, fourth and fifth gear ratios in the 5-speed transmission have been slightly changed—lengthened for quieter cruising and better fuel economy.
The new 911s have undergone other changes to make them more compatible with Uncle Sam’s requirements. The new bumpers with wide aluminum face bars add 5.0 inches to overall length. For the American market they are mounted on hydraulic shock absorbers (another “mandatory” option at $135) so that they will be self-restoring after a low-speed crash. Surprisingly, this has been done without adding much weight. The new models are only about 50 lbs. heavier than their predecessors. And at least half of that can be charged off to the enlarged fuel tank (21 gallons, up from 16.4).

View Photos

CHUCK BOONE

There are other changes beneath the surface and some of them do not seem like progress. To help weight distribution, Porsche has for years fitted the 911 with two small batteries, one on each side just forward of the front wheels. This year, there is just one, a large one, located at the left front. In 1972 the dry sump oil tank was moved forward of the right rear wheel, also to improve weight distribution. A year later it was moved back behind the axle into the engine compartment. The front anti-sway bar has also been redesigned for 1974 to a less costly, but also less efficient, arrangement.
All of these moves give the appear­ance of being cost reductions . . . ex­cept that you’d never know it by the price, which has gone up about $2500 in two years with the blame being laid on fluctuations in the international money market and inflation in Germany. Per­haps some of the changes in weight dis­tribution are made up for by the new, cast light-alloy semi-trailing arms in the rear that replace the previous steel suspension components. On the other hand, perhaps small differences in weight distribution make very little differ­ence. That’s why we went to Pocono. To find out. And that’s why we summoned Bobby Allison, as a non-aligned driver, to give us an impartial view.
It is a tribute to Porsche that we find it necessary to test its models on the race track. It all comes down to the fact that the Porsche 911 is one of the very few truly high performance street cars in pro­duction today. Because of its racing suc­cesses, its capabilities are legend. But reputations cut no ice in road tests. What the car actually does is what counts. And at Pocono we explored the extremes of three new 911s.
The 911’s uniqueness looms up as soon as you fit yourself into the seat. Allison discussed the difficulties he found in adapting: “Compared to the pedals, the steering wheel is way too far away. The height and angle would be fine if it were about two inches closer. All the stock car guys at Riverside complained about that. Petty, who is used to driving right up on top of the wheel, really had a problem—when he got somewhere close to what his arms wanted he had to work the pedals with his knees.

View Photos

CHUCK BOONE

“The pedal position and the shifter are all so very strange. I never missed the clutch at Riverside, but I did originally in that first Porsche I drove at Lime Rock . . . and even in my street car. It’s over so far to the right compared to a normal car I had to work to get used to it.
“I’ve found the shifter itself to be a problem in the car I bought as well as the race cars. It’s very mushy in feeling. At Lime Rock I only got a couple laps of practice before the race and had to start at the rear of the grid. In the race I had come from 33rd to tenth in like ten laps. Then there was a spin out. In order to miss a spinning car, I tried to make a quick shift while I was in a turn. Instead of going from fourth to third, I went from fourth to first. It blew the engine up. That showed me right there that I’d better find out where the gears were.”
With that as motivation, Allison bought his own street Porsche a few months lat­er when he committed to run the IROC. But he still doesn’t find shifting easy.
“On a road course, with any kind of cornering pressure on the car—which transfers into your body also—you can’t find the detent for the gear you want.”

View Photos

CHUCK BOONE

Allison is not the only one to have this problem. At Riverside, Petty, Johncock, McClusky and even Denny Hulme were having trouble finding the gear they wanted when they wanted it. And at Pocono we discovered that the problem is not confined to the RSR. The stock cars work well enough on the street where, even though the linkage might be somewhat imprecise, you’ll probably never miss a gear. But on the track, sometimes you move the lever and you can’t find anything. Or worse yet, you get the wrong gear. And while it’s possible that the driver is hurrying the operation under those circumstances, driver error is only partially responsible. We strongly sus­pect that certain combinations of corner­ing, braking and acceleration loads on the car, in conjunction with high engine speeds, produce distortions somewhere in the long shift mechanism that prevent it from working properly. Allison agrees and considers this to be one of the ma­jor problem areas in the car.
When it comes to handling, Allison ap­proaches the Porsches from years of professional experience and quickly sights in on their uniqueness. “Compared to American cars that have a good, positive front end feel and a back end that just trails along meekly, the Porsches are very much more aggressive. They are very quick reacting, al­most squirrelly, in what would be a nor­mal maneuver in any other car. I’ve driv­en my car pretty fast on interstate high­ways and, when you get it up to speed, it’s pretty comfortable. But you better not move the steering wheel very much. If you want to change lanes at 70 mph, you learn quickly to do it very carefully. The cars are heavy in the rear and very light in front—which makes the steering light. It’s a feeling you really have to get used to.”
Allison’s point is that, unlike an Ameri­can car, the Porsche’s back end doesn’t trail meekly behind the front. And it’s this feeling that convinces so many street drivers that they are in the world’s best handling car. At low speeds, city traffic and brisk marches through winding lanes, a 911 is supremely agile. The steering is quick and the car instantly changes direction with only the lightest touch. It feels for all the world like a civilized formula racer and gives great plea­sure. But the Porsche’s personality changes drastically as you approach its limit. Then the tail swings heavily, and the car responds to an unpracticed and unsubtle touch with a vengeance. Moderate street drivers never learn of this; the venturesome ultimately will find out. Allison, of course, has already served his apprenticeship on the race track.
“The hard thing to really get used to in the race cars at Riverside was, when you go too deep into a corner and lifted, the car would begin to spin. And if you went ahead and did the natural thing, lifted—or put on the brakes—the car would spin. But if you could make yourself put your foot back on the gas pedal, the car would drive out of the spin. That was how (Emerson) Fittipaldi crashed—he knew he had to get back on the gas, but while he was doing it he went too deep and ended up with his front—rather than back—end against the wall. Naturally, Mark (Donohue) and George Follmer knew this. The rest of us just had to kind of find out. It’s a completely opposite re­action to a stock car. When you lift in a stock car, it tends to straighten out.
“The other thing is that Porsches tend to oversteer very badly at first, and then correct. When you would expect it to be either lost or in a controlled broadslide, it snaps back straight, sometimes even over center toward the other direction. Which I feel would get an inexperienced driver into trouble.

View Photos

CHUCK BOONE

“These cars react the same way the race cars do. Naturally the RSR with the racing suspension and the big, fat racing tires will corner better. But these cars at 50 mph feel exactly the same as the race cars do at 70 or 80.
Curiously, the factory engineers speak of neutral handling as the reason for the Carrera’s tire set-up: 185/70 radials on 6.0-inch wheels in front and 215/60 radi­als on the 7.0-inch rims in back. Intuitive­ly, this sounds like the right approach—bigger tires on the end with the most weight. But in practice, we found no cir­cumstance in which any of the 911s fit our, or Allison’s, definition of neutral. In skid-pad testing, they all understeered heavily when under power. And if we lift­ed abruptly without correcting the steer­ing, they all spun in little more than the length of the car. It was like having a choice of power-on understeer, lift-throt­tle oversteer and nothing in between. Moreover, the consistency of this reac­tion in all three cars indicated that the Carrera’s wide rear wheels and rear tires make no noticeable difference.
The brand of tire, however, does make an enormous difference in cornering power. The basic 911 and the Carrera had identical suspension set-ups: optional Bilstein shock absorbers (which are very harsh for street use) and front and rear anti-sway bars (standard on the Carrera, optional on the 911). The 911 also had the optional 6.0-inch wide wheels (5.5-inch wide is standard). The only difference was tires—Michelin XWX on the 911 and Dunlops on the Carrera—and of course the Carrera’s wider rear wheels. The Michelin-shod 911 was far quicker on the skid pad, generating 0.83 G in cornering force compared to 0.80 G for the Carrera. The 911S Targa, also on Dunlops but burdened with air conditioning and lacking the optional rear anti-sway bar was a distant third at 0.74 G. The basic 911, contrary to all that is right, also managed to be easily the fastest on the road course. The high-back bucket seats—new this year—provide excellent lateral support, the Miche­lin tires are clean and clear in their re­sponse, and the optional suspension un­derpinnings are well suited to track driving. Allison was able to circulate easily at 1:22.0 (78.9 mph).
He did not, however, find the Targa’s road course behavior to his liking and his running commentary shows it. “Boy, this thing is top heavy compared to that oth­er one . . . very soft suspension. We’re way slower through here than we were in the other car. I guarantee you, you’d have to drive this thing all the way around . . . Yeah, now see, right here the car begins to mush over and pick up oversteer or understeer, depending upon where my throttle pedal foot is.”
Six laps of that was enough and he parked it, having recorded a best of 1:23.9 (77.2 mph). The conclusion was that the Targa’s extra weight and the Dunlop tires were more than enough to offset the extra power of the “S” engine. In addition, the lack of a rear anti-sway bar on the Targa increased the roll angle considerably which, besides making the car awkward to drive, also presented the tires to the road at a less favorable cam­ber angle (one of the intricacies of the Porsche order form, to wit: A 16mm front bar is standard on the 911 and 911S. But if you order the optional rear sway bar you also get a larger-20mm front bar—so that the understeer/oversteer nature of the two set-ups will be approxi­mately the same). So the standard sus­pension Targa was slower, by a lot.

View Photos

CHUCK BOONE

Of course, everyone had high hopes for the Carrera. It’s price tag says it’s the best, right? But Allison just takes them as they come. “. . . this one doesn’t handle as bad as the Targa (911S) and its engine runs nice and strong. But it’s still very mushy compared to the 911. In handling, I’d say this one is about one-third better than the Targa and two-thirds poorer than the 911. I can feel the spoiler at high speeds, it pushes the nose up. But on the infield it’s just some­thing I can see in the rear-view mirror.” The Carrera finished the road course tri­als in a reasonably close second place at 1:22.8 (78.3 mph). It was agreed that the wide rear wheels and tires made no noticeable difference and that Dunlops in general were less sticky than Miche­lins. The spoiler is a mixed blessing. In the critical high speed banked turn it def­initely discouraged the rear end from its nervous tendency to hang out, but at the same time it increased the vagueness of the steering (See sidebar on aerodynamics, page 6).
Allison is emphatic about Porsche handling. “The most unnatural thing is, when you see that you are in a little bit of a problem and you lift off the gas, the problem increases. Then you’re in trou­ble. What do you do next? With the race cars we found out you stomp your foot down and start steering like a wild man. But I don’t think an inexperienced driver is going to do that. These cars do have a strong reputation . . . but I don’t see why. I’d guess it comes first of all from the racing versions, and then from its quickness at well under its limit.”

View Photos

CHUCK BOONE

On the subject of handling, at least, we are in agreement. When you get used to a Porsche, you can make it do some pretty amazing things. But the idea of evading emergency situations by ap­plying power is so unnatural for most drivers that it is unreasonable in a car intended for street use.
“The dealer where I bought my car happens to be a personal friend and I suppose he’ll be greatly disturbed by my comments about his little Kraut wagon.” Allison grins and continues, “To be fair, the car has unique characteristics and some people may like it. I don’t. I think they are $12,000 imported Corvairs.”
Allison, it turns out, sold his 911T with­in hours after he finished up at the Riverside IROC. And his reactions, we think, are typical of the general sports-car-driv­ing public. There is no middle ground, you either like Porsches or you hate them. But in all cases, you consider yourself among the fortunate few if you can afford one.
You’ve laid out the extra money to insure that the facto­ry will inscribe “Carrera” across the rocker panels of your new Porsche. And as a $285 “mandatory option,” your 911S will sport the boldest aerodynamic device to land on a street car since the awesome stabilizers of Plym­outh’s Superbird. But does that ski jump built into the Carrera’s deck-lid really do anything? Or is it simply a stylistic lure? Here is the answer.
The Carrera’s rear spoiler will indeed do more than turn heads at every stoplight. It does, in fact, coerce air molecules rushing over its gelcoat surface into doing gen­uinely useful work. Namely, the creation of substantial vertical down forces at the rear of the car.
To precisely measure the effects of the spoiler, we in­strumented our test Carrera and ran countless high speed laps on the tri-oval at Pocono International Race­way. An onboard strip-chart recorder plotted the informa­tion we were after: first of all, car velocity; and secondly, changes in wheel loadings—exactly how much force was pressing the tires to the pavement.

View Photos

CHUCK BOONE

A fifth wheel trailing behind the rear bumper delivered forward velocity data to the recorder. Tire loadings, on the other hand, came from a position transducer. It was actually capable of measuring suspension deflections while the car was moving. That information could be translated into “weight on the tires” only after the follow­ing pit-side calibration procedure. With the aid of a Turner wheel scale and a floor jack, we cycled the Carrera’s height up and down, plotting wheel weight indicated by the scales versus suspension deflation on the chart re­corder. With this base-line data, we then knew exactly what force linked the rubber to the road at any speed from zero to the all-out maximum.
The results show that without the spoiler (the test Carrera had been fitted with the Targa’s decklid for this com­parison) airflow begins lifting the rear of the car at 30 mph. And by 100 mph, the rear of the car is “lighter” by 200 lbs. But with the Carrera spoiler, weight loss stabi­lizes above 65 mph at only 35 lbs. As a result, the rear tires can develop more cornering force with the spoiler, because they have more vertical load forcing them to the pavement. And you don’t have to peg the speedometer before those benefits are delivered. The spoiler begins working to your advantage at 30 mph.
Front wheel weights are also affected—to a lesser ex­tent. With or without the Carrera decklid, the front tires’ weight loss due to airflow is approximately 200 lbs. be­tween 60 and 100 mph. But by 120 mph, the rear spoiler is actually a disadvantage, because it unloads the front end by an additional 60 lbs. over the non-spoilered car. Clearly, some sort of snow plow is needed in the front to match the effectiveness of the ski ramp in the rear.

Specifications

SPECIFICATIONS
1974 Porsche 911143-hp flat-6, 5-speed manual, 2470 lbBase/as-tested price: $9950/$12,225C/D TEST RESULTS60 mph: 6.1 sec100 mph: 18.0 sec1/4 mile: 14.7 @ 92.1 mphBraking, 70­–0 mph: 180 ftFuel economy: 17-20 mpg1974 Porsche 911S Targa167-hp flat-6, 5-speed manual, 2605 lbBase/as-tested price: $12,725/$15,670C/D TEST RESULTS60 mph: 5.9 sec100 mph: 16.9 sec1/4 mile: 14.6 @ 94.1 mphBraking, 70­–0 mph: 186 ftFuel economy: 16-21 mpg
1974 Porsche 911S Carrera167-hp flat-6, 5-speed manual, 2480 lbBase/as-tested price: $13,575/$15,045C/D TEST RESULTS60 mph: 5.8 sec100 mph: 16.0 sec1/4 mile: 14.4 @ 95.4 mphBraking, 70­–0 mph: 187 ftFuel economy: 16-19 mpg

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

From the April 1965 issue of Car and Driver.
No contest. This is the Porsche to end all Porsches—or, rather, to start a whole new generation of Porsches. Porsche’s new 911 model is unquestionably the finest Porsche ever built. More than that, it’s one of the best Gran Turismo cars in the world, certainly among the top three or four.
Porsche enthusiasts used to insist that the 356 model was as nearly-perfect an automobile as had ever been designed, an immutable classic that couldn’t be im­proved upon. Oh, no? Put a familiar 356 up alongside a 911. Only yesterday, the 356 seemed ahead of its time. Today you realize its time has passed; the 356 leaves you utterly unimpressed and you can’t keep your eyes off the 911. The 911 is a superior car in every respect … the stuff legends are made of.

Golden Anniversary: 50 Years of The Porsche 911

The Evolution of the Porsche 911 in the U.S.

Defining the Porsche 911: New vs. Old

Let it be understood at the outset that the 911 does not replace the 356, according to the factory. In the catalog, it replaces the fussy, little-appreciated Carrera 2 while the 356C (ex-Super) and 356SC (ex-Super 95) still roll off the assembly lines at about their normal rate. However, we can’t believe that Porsche will con­tinue making two entirely different cars, side-by-side, beyond the immediately foreseeable future. And let it also be understood that the 911 is not readily available. The first six month’s production is completely sold out and there’s a line of expectant owners going halfway around almost every Porsche agency in the country.
General
The 911—so-called because it is the 911th design project since Porsche opened its doors in 1931—is also the first all-Porsche Porsche. The 356 was the first car to carry the Porsche name, although when it was con­ceived in 1948 it was little more than a souped-up, special-bodied version of an earlier Porsche design, the Volkswagen. The 911, while true to the 356’s basic configuration, is an entirely new and different car. The engine is again air-cooled, again hung out behind the rear axle, but it’s a single-overhead-cam six-cylinder where the 356 was a pushrod four-cylinder (and the Carrera a four-cam four-cylinder). The new body is far more handsome—the work of old Professor Porsche’s grandson, Ferry, Jr. The 911’s 5-speed gear­box, already in service in Porsche’s 904 GT racing car, is probably the new car’s best single feature. Even the suspension is new, though tried-and-true torsion bars are retained as the springing medium.

JULIUS WEITMANN

The 911, or 901 as it then was, was introduced at the 1963 Frankfurt Auto Show. It was very much a prototype and its debut may have been premature. More than a year was to pass before it went into pro­duction, during which time the model number was changed (to indicate that it was a later model than the Frankfurt car and also because Peugeot reportedly had a lock on three-digit model numbers with zero in the middle), the price estimate dropped, the performance estimate rose, and a demand built up that the current four-a-day supply won’t be able to satisfy for some time to come.
The 901/911 was not the “best” car Porsche could have made. Porsche could have put the storied flat-eight engine into production, bored out to, say, 2.5 liters and tuned up to 240 horsepower. That would have put the 901/911 into the Ferrari-Corvette-Jaguar performance bracket. It also would have raised the price considerably, and Porsche was understandably nervous about entering the No-Man’s-Land market for $9000 GT cars. On price alone, it would have been beyond the reach of anybody but the Very Rich, and the V.R. are noted for such capricious perversity as preferring a $14,000 car to a $9000 car simply because it costs $5000 more. The four-cam flat-eight also would have had the same kind of maintenance and reliability problems the Carrera engine had; problems that are hopefully nonexistent in the 911’s sohc six-cylinder.
Considering what the Stuttgart design office has turned out in the past, Porsche could have come out with a supercharged six-liter 550-hp V-16 GT car to sell for $30,000 and not lose a drag race to anybody but Don Garlits, but their production facilities are hardly geared for that sort of thing, and it would be getting pretty far away from the Porsche image, wouldn’t it? In fact, Porsche had a full four-seater on the drawing boards at one point, but Ferry Porsche felt that his company’s business was not selling super-duper sedans or ultra-ultra sports/racing cars but optimum-priced, optimum-size, optimum-performance Gran Turismo cars, which is exactly what the 911 is.

JULIUS WEITMANN

At $6490 POE East Coast (or $5275 FOB Stuttgart), the 911 isn’t what you’d call cheap—no Porsche ever was—but then, quality never is. Porsche’s kind of quality cannot be had for less, viz. Ferrari 330GT ($14,000) or Mercedes-Benz 230SL ($8000). It’s of more than ordinary interest that the 911 costs a whop­ping thousand dollars less than the Carrera 2 it re­places. A Porsche is either worth it to the prospective buyer or it isn’t; he can’t justify the price tag by the way the body tucks under at the rear or by the way the steering wheel fits in his hands or the way the engine settles in for a drive through a rain-filled afternoon. But let’s see what he gets for his money.
Body
The 911’s eye-catching body is distinctive—slimmer, trimmer, yet obviously Porsche. While not as revolu­tionary as the original 356 design was in its day, the 911’s shape is far less controversial and slightly more aerodynamic. Though frontal area has grown, a lower drag coefficient (.38 vs. .398) allows it to reach a top speed of 130 mph on only 148 hp. It ought to weather the years without looking dated. Compared to the cur­rent 356 body, the 911 is five inches longer (on a four-inch longer wheelbase), three inches narrower (on a one-inch wider track) and just about the same height. The body structure is still unitized, built up of in­numerable, complicated steel stampings welded to­gether (with the exception of the front fenders which are now bolted on for easier repair of minor accidents). The glass area and luggage space have been increased 58% and 186%, respectively, and the turning circle is a bit tighter. The fully-trimmed (with cocoa mats) trunk will hold enough for a week’s vacation for two; additional space is available in the rear seat area. The trunk and engine lids can be opened to any angle and held by counter-springs and telescopic dampers—a nice touch. These lids, as well as the doors, are larger than the old Porsche’s, making access to the innards much less awkward. The gas filler cap nestles under a trap-door in the left fender, and the engine lid release is hidden away in the left door post.
The generous expanse of glass area does wonders for the rearward vision; all-around visibility is comparable to a normal front-engined car. The bumpers are well-integrated with the body, though provide barely adequate protection from those who park by ear. The standard appointments are lush and extensive: two heater/defrosters, padded sun-visors with vanity mir­ror, map and courtesy lights, 3-speed windshield wipers, 4-nozzle windshield washers, chrome wheels, belted tires, two fog lamps, a back-up light and a beau­tiful wood-rim steering wheel. About the only options we’d like are seat belts (for which massive, forged eye­bolts are provided), a radio and a fender mirror. Fitted luggage and factory-installed air-conditioning will be available shortly, we’re told.

Specifications

SPECIFICATIONS
1965 Porsche 911
VEHICLE TYPE rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2+2-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE AS TESTED$6,490
ENGINE TYPE flat-6 engineDisplacement 121.5 in3, 1991 cm3Power 148 hp @ 6100 rpmTorque 140 lb-ft @ 4200 rpm
TRANSMISSION 5-speed manual
DIMENSIONSWheelbase: 87.1 inLength: 164.0 inWidth: 63.4 inHeight: 51.9 inCurb weight: 2376 lb
C/D TEST RESULTSZero to 60 mph: 7.0 secZero to 100 mph: 20.0 secStanding ¼-mile: 15.6 sec @ 90 mphTop speed: 130 mph
FUEL ECONOMYEPA city/highway: 16/24 mpg

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More