Porsche has a long history of building ground-breaking cars. Their vehicles are always built to an incredibly high standard, and their most famous model, the 911, is no different. But many people still wonder if the Porsche 911 is a supercar.
The Porsche 911 is definitely considered a supercar. It can take on some of the world’s best high-performance cars and in some cases even beat them in a race. The Porsche 911 has long been considered one of the best cars ever built, and it’s easy to see why.
Porsche designed the 911 to be an iconic car, and they definitely succeeded. The shape and look of the car have remained true to its roots since the inception of the 911, and this has created an iconic and recognizable supercar. Let’s take a look at the Porsche 911 in more detail.
History Of The Porsche 911
The First Porsche 911
The first Porsche 911s came around in 1963 and they were originally named the 901. However, in order to avoid confusion with the Peugeot 901, Porsche quickly renamed their brand-new car to the 911.
Early 911s featured a 2.0-liter engine that produced a mere 130 horsepower. The car however weighed exactly a ton, which made it pretty lightweight for cars at the time. This meant that the power to weight ratio of the first 911 was actually quite high.
G-Series
It wasn’t until 10 years later in 1973 that Porsche changed the look and style of the 911. But of course, there were only some small changes made, as it retained the same iconic shape and general look of a 911.
This model of the 911, named the ‘G-series,’ was produced until 1989, which is 6 years longer than the previous generation ran. The most significant improvement to the supercar during these years was the addition of a turbocharger in 1975. This increased the 911’s power output up to 260 horsepower.
Porsche 911 ‘964’
The next generation of the Porsche 911 ran from 1989 to 1994. This short-lived generation of the supercar saw a massive addition of brand-new technology including four-wheel drive, power steering and ABS.
Unfortunately, this model of the 911 is considered to be the worst of all the generations and it has often been used for spare parts. Second-hand models can therefore be found for relatively low prices.
Porsche 911 ‘993’
This model of the Porsche 911 has been considered by many as the best-looking model. The 993 was manufactured from 1994 up until 1998. During this era, the 911 GT2 was born, and this car had the famous 911 handling model that likes to power slide around corners.
Porsche 911 ‘996’
The next generation was received rather poorly. It received a major styling overhaul which many considered to look too similar to Porsche’s cheaper Boxster model. This model ran from 1998 to 2001 and also saw the introduction of the GT3 version.
Porsche 911 ‘996 Mark 2’
In 2001 the 996 model got a major facelift and interior update which was aimed at silencing its critics. This generation of 911 also got another GT2 version that could push to nearly 200 MPH.
Porsche 911 ‘997’
The 997 ran from 2004 up until 2008 and saw another change in styling, but the shape remained the same as the previous generation. However, there were more modern details added to the look of the car. The car also pushed its engine power up to 300 horsepower, and the GT2 version went up to 530 horsepower.
Porsche 911 ‘997 Mark 2’
This mid-generation update from 2008 to 2011 featured no external changes at all. Everything that Porsche changed was underneath the hood of the 911. They introduced fuel injection systems and double clutch gearboxes which both improved the performance and the reliability of the 911. This generation also birthed one of the most famous 911 models – the GT3 RS.
Porsche 911 ‘991’
This model of the 911 was considered to be the best-looking version of the car since the 993 way back in 1998. Despite the great reception externally, many Porsche enthusiast were deeply disappointed by the new electric steering system that Porsche built into the new 911. These models were built from 2011 to 2014.
Porsche 911 ‘991 Mark 2’
With their usual mid-generation update, Porsche redeemed itself by updating the engine to a turbocharged 3-liter flat six. Initially, the enthusiasts were upset again, but it all turned around when it was revealed what an incredible machine this car turned out to be.
This generation of 911 ran from 2015 to 2018, and during that time it had massive success, setting multiple lap records at the Nürburgring, beating the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini. Porsche built its millionth 911 model and also released the most powerful 911 in history, a GT2 RS that produces a staggering 691 horsepower.
Porsche 992
The Porsche 992 is the current generation of 911. Although it has received some major styling updates, the performance aspects of the car remain somewhat the same as the previous generation. Porsche is looking to take the 911 into the hybrid era, which will most likely be controversial as with any major update to the 911 always proves to be.
There’s a lot of excitement for the mid-generation update which could see the addition of a brand new GT2 or GT3 model. This model could be the most powerful Porsche 911 to date, with extra hybrid power and better fuel efficiency.
What Defines A Supercar?
In order to see why the Porsche 911 can be considered a supercar, we need to define what it means to be a supercar in the first place. Supercars are an elite category of vehicles that are classified as being fast, flashy, and expensive. In recent years, the lines have been blurred between supercars, hypercars and sports cars.
But the Porsche 911 would definitely fall into the supercar category. It’s certainly fast enough to be cleared of the sports car range, and it’s cheap enough to be excluded from the hypercar range. The 911 is also a fantastic track car that makes excellent use of its performance. Therefore, it ticks the boxes of being fairly flashy, a little bit expensive and definitely very fast.
Porsche 911 Specifications
The Porsche 911 is definitely a fast car, there’s no doubt about that. However, there are different models on the market, and there’s a massive difference between a standard 911 and a GT3. So, below we have compared various different models of the Porsche 911.
| 911 Turbo S | GT2 RS | GT3 RS | |
| Engine | 3.8L twin turbo V6 | 3.8L twin turbo V6 | 4.0L V6 |
| Horsepower | 571 HP | 690 HP | 492 HP |
| Top Speed | 198 MPH | 211 MPH | 197 MPH |
| 0-60 MPH | 2.5s | 2.6s | 3.0s |
| Price | $99,200 | $239,200 | $187,500 |
Comparing The Porsche 911 To Other Supercars
The Porsche 911 has been known as somewhat of an underdog when it comes to comparing it to other supercars. Porsche is often overlooked in head-to-head battles, but a Porsche 911 can beat some of the best supercars on the planet.
For example, the Porsche 911 Turbo S edged a Lamborghini Huracan in a quarter mile race by 0.1 seconds. It might not be much, but the Porsche still took down the latest Lamborghini, which is pretty impressive!
When it comes to comparing the 911 to a Ferrari 458, the Ferrari does beat the Porsche on top speed, but the 911 is still quicker to 60 MPH. This proves that the Porsche 911 is a supercar, and it can take on some of the best cars ever built.
Nürburgring
The Nürburgring has long been the ultimate proving ground for manufacturers to compete on. The Porsche 911 GT2 RS holds third place in the Nürburgring records, beaten only by the Mercedes AMG-GT Black Series and the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ. The Porsche 911 is ahead of the likes of the Ferrari 488 Pista, the Lamborghini Huracan and various entries from McLaren.
Is The Porsche 911 Reliable?
There have been very few reports of unreliability with the Porsche 911. The German manufacturer has not just built a car that is extremely fast, but also reliable and practical at the same time, which is somewhat rare to find in a modern supercar.
This alone makes the Porsche 911 one of the most sensible supercar buys. You’ll still have some practicality for everyday use, and you won’t be at risk of damaging any high-performance parts driving on public roads.
Is The Porsche 911 A Good Track Car?
The Porsche 911 is an excellent track car. From the Nürburgring records it’s clear to see that the 911 was built with track days in mind rather than just all out ludicrous performance stats. The GT3 RS was in fact solely designed to be a track car that you can drive on public roads.
Porsche made the GT3 lighter in order to improve its handling, whilst giving it a larger engine. It might not have the outright pace and power that the GT2 has, but on track its handling model can help it to keep up despite the sheer performance deficit.
In Motorsport
The Porsche 911 is such a great track car that it often appears in various ranks of motorsport. You’ll often see it in endurance races such as the WEC. There’s even a Porsche Supercup, which sees equal 911s racing against each other on the world’s best tracks, serving as a support series to Formula 1.
Final Thoughts
The Porsche 911 can definitely be considered a supercar, and it will easily take on some of the most well-known supercars on the planet. There’s a lot of history associated with this car, and for good reason. As it’s one of the most iconic cars in the world, along with the fact that it’s one of the fastest, it’s no surprise that the Porsche 911 continues to be an extremely popular model.