Porsche ultimately adopted the moniker Carrera to honor its more potent engine types, most notably, these days, in the 911 model series. Carrera was originally the name of the Type 547 four-camshaft engine built by Dr. Ernst Fuhrmann. The word “Carrera” (which is Spanish for “race”) eventually honors Porsche’s triumph in the renowned Carrera Panamericana, a border-to-border endurance race in Mexico where Porsche enjoyed great success with the 550 Spyder in the 1950s.
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Porsche Code
Both a formal name and an internal type number are assigned to every Porsche model. How can the system be comprehended when the two are not always the same?
Some dreams have such long titles that it’s challenging to describe them in words. An illustration of this is the Porsche 356 A 1500 GS Carrera, which in 1955 put a joyful smile on the faces of car fans everywhere. The top model from Zuffenhausen at the time appeared to be from another planet. The Porsche 356 A 1,055 was already zooming past at its top speed of 200 km/h when the exquisite sports car was announced as being absolutely superb from a technological standpoint.
Yes, names may be challenging. The model designations, however, frequently have a logical justification. For instance, the 1955 model, which was a part of the elegant A series, was based on the Porsche 356. With a 1500 cm3 engine, it was impressive and distinguished as particularly quick by the suffixes GS (Grand Sport) and Carrera (Spanish for “racing”).
Avowed Porsche fans deftly juggle acronyms and codes, such as 356 and 911, 964 and 993, GTS, GT and S, Carrera, Spyder, and Speedster. Each and every cult has its own set of rules, and the Porsche cult is no different. However, the Porsche typology might be somewhat perplexing to a novice auto aficionado. How is it possible to call a car both a 911 and a 991 at the same time? Is that a Boxster or a 987 there? If not, is it a 981? What do the letters 4, S, and Executive on modern models stand for? Here are two useful tools to assist you in deciphering the Porsche code.
Boxster – “Box-ster”
The Porsche Boxster, which made its debut in 1993, is a combination of the words “boxer” and “roadster,” reflecting the pairing of the roadster style and boxer engine type. Each set of pistons in the boxer engine type moves in and out together, much like a boxer’s gloves do. The Boxster burst onto the scene as Porsche was on the point of bankruptcy and quickly became a runaway success.
Understanding Porsche jargon: Decoding internal model codes
Every carmaker has an own internal slang system for designating various models, but Porsche’s is more complex than others. The carmaker has clarified the meaning of the string of letters, numbers, and acronyms that makes up the internal names of many of its vehicles and provided background information on how it first adopted the alphanumeric system.
Ferdinand Porsche made the decision to start assigning a sequential number to each new project for his engineering firm in 1931, which led to the creation of the 356, 911, and other models. The type 60 eventually became the first Volkswagen, but the first car under this scheme (a sedan for the German company Wanderer) was actually given the number seven.
Porsche attained position 356 on June 8 of that year, becoming the company’s first sports car under its recently established production-car division. For later models, including the 550 Spyder, Porsche kept the method.
Porsche encountered a challenge, though, as it thought about extending its partnership with Volkswagen. VW’s numbering scheme conflicted with Porsche’s. The answer was to begin numbering Porsches in the 900-series, a system VW had not yet adopted. As a result, Peugeot claimed its trademark on three-digit automobile model names with a zero in the center, which led to the 901, which later became the 911. The typeface had already been made, but Porsche swapped the zero for a one.
After that, Porsche continued to use three-digit numbers that started with “9,” later adding additional numbers to indicate distinct generations of a certain model, giving us the designations 964, 993, 996, 997, 991, and 992 for the 911. Porsche has additionally occasionally utilized type numbers to designate particular iterations of a given model, such as the 930 911 Turbo.
For each model, Porsche now offers a hierarchy of variants by adding the suffixes Turbo, S, or GTS. And don’t forget about the RS variants, Targa models, and the classic Spyder and Speedster models of Porsche’s sports vehicles. Porsche has dropped a couple of these titles throughout the years, including Club Sport, SC, and L, which were applied to a 1967 911 “luxury” model. That’s probably for the best, given the variety of the current Porsche lineup.
What is Porsche’s abbreviation?
Porsche automobiles have been given a variety of nicknames throughout history. There are plenty others, including The Widowmaker, Pink Pig, Hippie Porsche, Whale Tail, Baby, and Turbo Panzer. For pretty obvious reasons when you are familiar with the vehicle, Moby Dick is maybe one of the most well-known names for a Porsche racer.
The wild seventies, a time largely dominated by Porsche racers around the globe, saw the introduction of the 1978 Porsche 935/78. It was a factory-developed racer that could outclass even the greatest customer-driven Porsche 935s while continuing to be loosely based on a street-911. The 935/78 automobile had a somewhat bigger engine and introduced water-cooled cylinder heads on an air-cooled block. The new, incredibly long and swooping body and the 3.2 liter twin-turbocharged flat-six engine upped power to an astounding 845 horsepower.
Although the car blasted down the lengthy Mulsanne straight at 228 mph (367 kph), which was designed for success at Le Mans, it was unable to take the victory. The car, which was only entered in four races and had the recognizable Martini livery on it in white, has been known as “Moby Dick” ever since. Jochen Mass, a Porsche driver, reconnected with the vehicle at Goodwood a few years ago.
How are Porsche vehicles numbered?
It is required to look back to 1931 in order to comprehend the in-house numbering method’s origins. The in-house type designation was assigned to each order and each project at Ferdinand Porsche’s newly established engineering design firm, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche GmbH. Seven was where it all began: with the design of a saloon car for the German automaker Wanderer. Number 22 evolved into the storied Auto Union Grand Prix racer, while Type 60 became the Volkswagen. As a result, the numbers increased with every new order, every engine design, and every drawing for an axle, gearbox, or tractor. A novelty occurred on June 8, 1948, when the project count reached 356 and it was announced that for the first time, a car would be produced under the official Porsche brand name. Its name was the Porsche 356.
This not only signaled the beginning of a great brand but also the introduction of a timeless model. Each successive model year saw the 356 get better and better. The letters A, B, and C were added to denote significant development advancements.
What makes a Porsche a Cayman?
The caiman, a type of South American alligator, is the inspiration for the naming of the Porsche Cayman.
The Porsche Cayman, which took its name from the South American caiman, made its début in 2006 as a sportier sibling of the Boxster and the 911. The Cayman’s profile recalls the caiman’s formidable jaws and is meant to reflect the sharp nature and nimble bodies of its wild namesake. The caiman and the cayman control their respective environments without opposition because they have few natural predators.
What is the meaning of the name Porsche Macan?
Stuttgart. The Macan is the name of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG’s latest sports vehicle for the SUV market. The word Macan, which combines suppleness, power, attraction, and dynamics—essential traits of the new off-road vehicle—is taken from the Indonesian word for tiger.
Bernhard Maier, Member of the Executive Board Sales and Marketing of Porsche AG, stated that the Macan “combines all sports car traits with the advantages of an SUV and is a genuine Porsche.” A new Porsche’s name must be consistent with the brand, sound well in a wide variety of languages and dialects, and elicit favorable associations.
The Macan, Porsche’s fifth model line, is a key component of Strategy 2018, the sports car manufacturer’s ambition to increase the number of models it offers. Porsche wants the Macan to be as popular as the Cayenne was. In 2013, the SUV will begin rolling off Leipzig’s assembly lines. In order to achieve this, the property in this Saxon city is being transformed into a complete manufacturing facility, complete with a body assembly line and paint shop, as part of one of Porsche’s largest construction projects in company history, costing 500 million euros. The sports car maker will add more than 1,000 new employment here in the medium term.
At Porsche, word names are directly related to the corresponding model and its features. For example, the name Boxster describes the marriage of a boxer engine and a roadster, Cayenne stands for sharpness, the Cayman is quick and agile, and a Panamera is more than a Gran Turismo; it is also capable of winning the Carrera Panamericana long-distance race.
Please take note that authorized journalists can access photographs for download from the Porsche press database at https://presse.porsche.de.
The Porsche press database is available at http://presse.porsche.de/, where journalists and media representatives can find additional details and images.
What makes it a Porsche Boxster?
When Porsche unveiled the mid-engine Boxster concept study to the public in 1993, it immediately won over lovers of sports cars thanks to its authentic roadster appearance. Its name is an acronym. The Boxer engine type, so named because each set of pistons moves in and out like a boxer’s gloves, and that aggressive roadster design are combined to form the word Boxster. The first instance of this water-cooled, six-cylinder vehicle—known internally at Porsche as the 986—rolled off the assembly line in 1996. It instantly established new performance and safety standards for the roadster market. Even now, people still regard the Boxster as the pinnacle of top-down driving enjoyment.
What does the Porsche GT acronym mean?
Frank-Steffen Walliser and Mark Webber discuss legendary Porsche vehicles, production models with race roots, and the future of the GT “myth” in the most recent episode of the Porsche Podcast.
Only really rare Porsche vehicles—whether they are the 904 Carrera GTS, 914/6 GT, 911 GT2, 911 GT1, 911 GT3, Carrera GT, or Cayman GT4—get to have the designation “GT” in their names. The two letters normally imply “gran turismo,” which loosely translates as “excellent ride,” but at Porsche, they also stand for “racing with road approval.” The creator of the 911 and 718 model series, which includes the GT cars, Frank-Steffen Walliser, and former racer and Porsche brand ambassador Mark Webber explore the GT mythology in the most recent episode of the podcast.
The new 911 GT3, which among other things achieves remarkable lap times on the Nurburgring-Nordschleife, lives up to Porsche’s high GT claim, is a hot topic of discussion for the two. Webber has spent years making fast laps. He remarks, “Sub seven minutes is really astonishing how quick the lap time is. “Racing drivers like a company that embraces challenges. Put the automobile on the most challenging track in the most challenging weather, then start the stopwatch. The stopwatch is unreliable.”
What is so unique about Porsche?
Behind the rear axle is where the engine is located. The Porsche 911 provides a driving experience that is unmatched by any other vehicle because to the placement of its own engine behind the rear axle. A experienced 911 pilot can drop power earlier in a turn than they would be able to fly any other configuration thanks to the weight distribution that results.