The Porsche 911, also known as Nine Eleven or Neunelfer in German, is a two-door, two-plus-two, high-performance sports car that Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany first unveiled in September 1964. It had a flat-six engine that is located at the rear and had a torsion bar suspension at first. The car has undergone constant improvement throughout the years, but the fundamental design has not changed. The engines were air-cooled prior to the 1998 launch of the 996 series.
Private and factory teams have participated in numerous races using the 911 in a range of classes. It is one of the most effective competition vehicles. The naturally aspirated 911 Carrera RSR won several world championship events in the middle of the 1970s, including the Targa Florio and the 24 Hours of Daytona. The 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans was also won by the 911-derived 935 turbo. Porsche’s 911-derived cars helped the company win the World Championship for Makes in 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979.
The 911 placed fifth in a 1999 poll to choose the Car of the Century. It is one of just two top-five products that has been constantly produced (the original Beetle remained in production until 2003). The one millionth copy, which is now part of the company’s permanent collection, was produced in May 2017.
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What Justifies the Porsche 911’s Rear Engine Design?
Find out why Porsche is adamantly sticking with the 911’s rear-engine architecture.
The Porsche 911 has been renowned for its rear-engine design for many years. Since its beginnings more than 50 years ago, the classic German sports car has had its engine positioned behind the rear axle. This design was carried over from the 356 before it. There are a few exceptions, especially the current 911 RSR and the 911 GT1 from the late 1990s, both of which have mid-engine layouts. Even so, the 911’s rear-engine configuration is a key component of its design. However, is there a reason the company adamantly sticks with this choice?
After all, the location of the engine influences the interior space, functionality, acceleration, braking, weight distribution, and driving dynamics, making it one of the most important choices an automaker must make when building a car. Let Engineering Explained, a popular YouTube channel, and your instructor Jason Fenske educate you.
Fenske compares four scenarios between a rear- and front-engined automobile while explaining the advantages and disadvantages, and uses these comparisons to demonstrate Porsche’s engineering reasoning. The 911 benefits from improved weight transfer when braking with less weight on the front axle, but acceleration benefits from the extra weight at the rear axle. For the past 30 years, Porsche has been producing all-wheel drive 911s, which, according to Fenske, is the best configuration for a rear-engined sports vehicle since the rear-wheel bias keeps it tail-happy and frees the front wheels to handle braking and turning. Look no further than the rear-engined, 700 hp GT2 RS, which set a new lap record at the Nurburgring last year, if you’re still not convinced that this is the best arrangement.
Apprenticeship Program for Porsche Technicians Marks 20 Years
Since 1999, more than 700 American technicians have graduated from the Porsche Technology Apprenticeship Program (PTAP), a crucial source for superior customer care.
Midway through the 1980s, there were only four engines in use. We have always had examples of the engines in our cars ever since Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA) was first founded in 1984 and we started establishing our first training centers in 1985, according to Gilman. “Along with a 911 Carrera and a 911 Turbo motor, we also had a 928 and a 944 engine. At the time, those four were the only things we produced.”
Things have advanced much since then, and modern technology is accompanied by the addition of new engines. The four-liter flat-six in a 911 GT3 RS that roars to 9,000 rpm is one of the later modifications. It should come as no surprise that this 520 horsepower, naturally aspirated monster is a student favorite.
Currently, a 2001 911 Turbo’s engine serves as the oldest one in the Atlanta collection. However, PCNA also has engines that date back far further that are used for training sessions exclusively focused on Porsche Classic. To attend, technicians fly to Eastvale, California, where there is a second facility that naturally has the modern inventory but also has more vintage items. Among them are a two-liter flat-six engine from a 1969 Porsche 911 with mechanical fuel injection and a three-liter inline four from a 1992 Porsche 968. The third and last location is in Easton, Pennsylvania, and it has a contemporary collection of engines that are comparable to those in Atlanta and Eastvale.
Two types of equipment, however, are specific to Atlanta. One is the Porsche 918 Spyder’s 4.6-liter V8 engine, which generates 608 horsepower on its own and a staggering 887 horsepower when paired with the electric motors. The other is the sole V10 that has ever been installed in a Porsche road vehicle, most especially the storied Carrera GT. These two vehicles each have a distinct class because of how distinctive they are.
The collection, which includes four-, six-, eight-, and 10-cylinder engines in various configurations, serves as a timely reminder of Porsche engineers’ insatiable curiosity and their enthusiasm for embracing new technology. Some of the engines are naturally aspirated, others turbocharged, and even a few are aligned with hybrid systems. As the company searches for fresh and ever more ambitious ways to deliver performance, as exemplified by the new Taycan, the first electric sports car, Chris Gilman is making room for and looking forward to many more generations of Porsche engineering joining the engine room collection in the months and years to come.
new turbo engine with significant performance improvement
Performance has increased significantly with the 911 Turbo S. In comparison to its predecessor, the most potent six-cylinder boxer engine now produces 478 kW (650 PS), a boost of 51 kW (70 PS). Additionally, torque rose by 50 Nm to 800 Nm.
The newly created unit is based on the engine generation used in the existing 911 Carrera. The primary goal of development, using a gasoline particle filter, was compliance with the most recent emissions standards, in addition to obtaining a significant gain in performance (GPF). Enhancements to responsiveness, power, torque characteristics, emissions, and revving ability were also among the objectives. This has been made possible by the employment of piezo injectors, a newly developed charge air conditioning system, new, larger VTG turbochargers arranged symmetrically, and wastegate flaps that are electrically regulated.
Forced induction is a feature of the new six-cylinder engine’s redesigned intake system. For this reason, the charge air cooling and process air cooling paths were switched, and a portion of the process air now passes through the recognizable Turbo air intakes on the rear side sections. Two additional airflows through the rear lid grille have now been added in front of the air filters, which are now located in the rear wings. In order to increase engine efficiency, the Porsche 911 Turbo S has four intakes with a wider overall cross-section and less wind resistance.
Additionally new are two symmetrical turbochargers with greater size and variable turbine geometry (VTG). The compressor and turbine wheels are now counter-rotating; the turbine wheels’ diameter has increased to 55 mm from 61 mm, while the compressor wheel’s diameter has increased to 3 mm from 61 mm. Stepper motors are used to electronically control the wastegate flaps, which has the benefit of causing the catalytic converters to light off earlier after a cold start when the wastegates are fully and actively opened. Additionally, boost pressure control is quicker and more accurate.
The compressed air then passes through two newly placed, 14% larger charge air coolers further down in the intake system. They are positioned in the middle of the rear wing, straight over the engine. Their cooling efficiency is much increased by this new position, which also allows for better air entry and outflow of the cooling air.
There is no other way for any of you nerds to see the engine in your new Porsche 911 but through this.
I frequently hear complaints about the new 911s’ inability to view the engine at all. When you lift the tiny engine cover at the back, nothing greets you. merely some plastic To even work on it, the entire back end must be removed. The good news is that you can definitely view your engine by doing this: The dreadful automobile was open.
One of the 911 cutaways was on exhibit during the 2020 Porsche 911 media drive. It demonstrated the car’s structure, wiring, and—most significantly—how the engine actually appears in that back area.
I had never believed that a current 911 engine genuinely existed, much like Bigfoot, but I have now seen one for myself.
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And to my absolute dismay, there isn’t even enough room inside for your hand. How does anyone repair this vehicle? Perhaps elves will handle it. That would account for why the cost of the service is constantly so high.
And that flat-six isn’t exactly little either. The empty engine was on a different platform, and as you approach closer to the bottom of it, it becomes pretty large. Near the back wheels, the two turbochargers practically protrude from the sides of the vehicle.
However, the packaging must have been a pain. The new car must be faster, more powerful, and more efficient, but it cannot become significantly larger or heavier. What do you then? You put everything in there in any manner you can, ensuring sure it still functions throughout.
In any case, all you had to do was take a saw to your 911 to reveal the engine. Opening things up is fascinating. Invite some pals around and start a beer. It’s not like you’re operating on patients.
Porsche 911 has a rear or a mid engine.
Drive a modern rear-engine Porsche 911 for 90 minutes before switching to a mid-engine Porsche Cayman or Boxster. Pick which test track modules you want to drive on, and discover the key performance features of each vehicle. We will use this experience to assist you in determining which of these two dynamic machines best suits your driving preferences.
We think that learning best happens through action. We’ll hurry to get you behind the wheel.
You will learn the “why” behind how the car reacts from our elite instructors.
Restrictions/Prerequisites:
To participate, drivers must have a state-issued driver’s license that is currently valid and at least 21 years old. All drivers are required to be able to speak and comprehend driving instructions in English for reasons of safety. / All drivers must speak and understand English when receiving driving instructions for safety reasons.
Rear-engine Porsche 911s still exist?
Perhaps this explains why the RSR-19 won the GT Pro division of the 2019 WEC and took the pole for its class at Le Mans. Even while it may not initially appear to be a 911, it is actually a very serious racing car that comes in first, second, and third, with the 911 coming in only slightly after that. Because it has 508 horsepower, which is less than the GT3 RS on the ordinary street, according to its specifications. Its transmission only has six cogs as opposed to the road car’s seven. Furthermore, you cannot even purchase ceramic brakes for your RSR-19 at a price of – get ready – EUR1,000,000 (PS890,000) each set.
The engine isn’t where it should be, which is the first indication that there’s more going on here than might initially be obvious. No of its age or cost, if we only knew two things about the 911, they would be that it had a flat-six engine behind the back axle. This one doesn’t, though. This one, like the RSR-17, has a mid-engine design. The answer to the question of how laws that are meant to keep cars at least based around their road-going siblings could possibly allow a car to be so substantially altered is that, typically, they wouldn’t. The mid-engined 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman are also produced on the same platform, as required by the rules, so simply rotate the engine and transmission 180 degrees to create a mid-engined 911.
Porsche made a wise choice here, though perhaps not for the most obvious of reasons. It makes sense to centralize such a massive bulk, but Porsche didn’t do it for that reason. The space at the back of the 911, where a sizable diffuser could now be installed, was much more enticing. This space was made possible by the newly removed motor. And this gives us a hint as to what makes this automobile so unique in the first place: it’s an incredible aero monster.