The 991 was only the third all-new platform in the 911's long history
Porsche rarely starts the 911 from scratch. The seventh generation, the 991, unveiled in September 2011, was only the third genuinely new platform since 1963. Its engineers moved the rear wheels backwards relative to the engine, and the result was better balance for a car famous for its tail-heavy layout.
The 991 replaced the 997 and was slightly bigger, with a wheelbase 100 millimetres longer. A newly developed transaxle let the rear wheels sit 76 millimetres further back relative to the engine, improving weight distribution and cornering. High-strength steel, aluminium and composites trimmed weight, so a manual Carrera came in at 1,380 kilograms. The optional seven-speed PDK gearbox, essentially two gearboxes sharing one casing with two clutches, reached top speed in sixth, keeping seventh as a long cruising gear to save fuel.
The GT3 added active rear-wheel steering, which turns the back wheels with or against the fronts depending on speed, and it was the first GT3 offered with an automatic. It had a rough start: after two cars caught fire early in 2014, deliveries stopped and Porsche replaced the engines in all 785 GT3s built by then. The later GT3 RS used a 4.0 litre engine, a magnesium roof and seats derived from the 918 Spyder.
Special editions multiplied. For the 911's 50th anniversary, Porsche built 1,963 numbered cars, a nod to the model's launch year, with green retro dials and houndstooth seat inserts, sold only to existing owners. A Martini Racing edition honoured the brand's motorsport past, and some runs were tiny, like 13 Club Coupes in Brewster Green.
The purist favourite was the 911 R of 2016, essentially a GT3 RS without the roll cage and big wing, 50 kilograms lighter, manual only and limited to 991 examples. Production of the generation ended in December 2019 after 233,540 cars.
Source: Porsche 911 (991)
