Final Gear Top 100 - The Winner - 18 votes

Overheat

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So, here it is - most of you already guessed it quite some time back (I think one of the first was mautzel, but don't quote me on that) - the winner of the first ever Final Gear Top 100, conducted at the end of 2005, is:

Porsche 911

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The Porsche 911 is a sports car made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. The famous, distinctive and durable car has undergone continuous development since its introduction in 1964. Mechanically it is notable for being rear engined and, until the introduction of the all-new Type 996 in 1999, air-cooled. All 911s use six-cylinder boxer engines.

Since its inception the 911 has been modified, both by private teams and the factory itself, for racing, rallying and other types of automotive competition. It is often cited as the most successful competition car ever.


2.0-litre / A and B series (1963-1969)

The 911 was developed as a more powerful, larger, more comfortable replacement for the Porsche 356, the company's first model, and essentially a sporting evolution of the Volkswagen Beetle. The car made its public debut as the 'Porsche 901' (901 being its internal project number) at the 1963 Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung, better known to English speakers as the Frankfurt motor show. After a legal protest from Peugeot (on the grounds that they owned the trademark to all car names formed by three numbers with a zero in the middle), but before production started, the car had its name changed to 911. It went on sale in 1964.

Its 130 PS1 (96 kW) six-cylinder engine, in the 'boxer' configuration like the 356, air-cooled and rear-mounted, displaced 1991cc compared with the 356's four-cylinder 1600cc unit. The car had four seats although the rear seats are very small, and the car is usually called a 2+2 rather than a four-seater (the 356 was also a 2+2). It was mated to a five speed manual 'Type 901' transmission. The styling was largely by Ferdinand "Butzi" Porsche, son of the company founder Ferdinand "Ferry" Porsche. Erwin Komenda, the leader of the Porsche car body construction department, was also involved in the design.

The 356 came to the end of its life in 1965, but there was still a market for a 4-cylinder car, particularly in the USA. The Porsche 912, introduced the same year, served as a direct replacement. It used the 356's 4-cylinder, 1600cc 90 PS (66 kW) engine but wore the 911 bodywork and was in most respects a 911.

In 1966 Porsche introduced the more powerful 911S, the engine's power raised to 160 PS (118 kW). Alloy wheels from Fuchs, in a distinctive 5-leaf design, were offered for the first time. In motorsport at the same time, installed in the mid-engined Porsche 904 and Porsche 906, the engine was developed to 210 PS (154 kW).

In 1967 the Targa version was introduced. The Targa had a removable roof panel, a removable plastic rear window (although this was soon replaced by a fixed glass item) and a stainless steel roll bar. (Porsche had, at one point, thought that the NHTSA would outlaw fully open convertibles in the US, an important market for the 911, and introduced the Targa as a 'stop gap' model.) The name 'Targa' came from the Targa Florio road race in Sicily, in which Porsche had notable success: victories in 1956, 1959, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1973.

The 110 PS (81 kW) 911T was also launched in 1967 and effectively replaced the 912. The staple 130 PS (96 kW) model was renamed the 911L. More excitingly, the 911R was produced in tiny numbers (20 in all). This was a lightweight racing version with thin aluminium doors, a magnesium crankcase, twin-spark cylinder heads, and a power output of 210 PS (154 kW).

In 1968 the B series was introduced: the wheelbase for all 911 and 912 models was increased from 2211 mm to 2268 mm, an effective remedy to the car's nervous handling at the limit. The overall length of the car did not change: rather, the rear wheels were relocated aft. Fuel injection arrived for the 911S and for a new middle model, 911E. A controversial semi-automatic Sportomatic [1] model, composed of a torque converter, an automatic clutch, and the four speed transmission, was added to the product lineup.

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2.2-litre / C and D series (1970-1971)

For the 1970 model year the engines of all 911s was increased to 2195 cc. Power outputs were uprated to 125 (911T), 155 (911E) and 180 PS (911S). The 912 was discontinued, thanks to the introduction of the Porsche 914 as an entry model.

The 2.2 litre 911E was called "The secret weapon from Zuffenhausen". Despite the lower power output of the 911E (155PS) compared to the 911S (180PS) the 911E was quicker in acceleration up to 100 mph (160kmh).

911bstrd1.JPG



2.4-litre / E and F series (1972-1973)

The 1972-1973 model years consisted of the same models of 911?the entry level T, the midrange E and the top of the line S. However, all models got a new, larger 2341 cc/142 in? engine. This is universally known as the "2.4 L" engine, despite its displacement being closer to 2.3 litres ? perhaps to emphasize the increase over the 2.2. The new power ratings were 130 hp (97 kW), or 140 hp (104 kW) in the U.S., for the T, 165 hp (123 kW) for the E and 190 hp (142 kW) for the S.

The 911E and 911S used mechanical fuel injection (MFI) in all markets. The U.S. 911T also used MFI, while the RoW (rest-of-the-world) 911T was carbureted, which accounts for the 10 hp (7.5 kW) power difference between the two. In January, 1973, US 911Ts were switched to the new K-Jetronic CIS (Continuous Fuel Injection) system from Bosch. These cars are commonly referred to as 1973.5 models.

With the power and torque increases, the 2.4 L cars also got a newer, stronger transmission, identified by its Porsche type number 915. Derived from the transmission in the Porsche 908 race car, the 915 did away with the 901/911 transmission's 'dog-leg' style first gear arrangement, opting for a traditional H pattern with first gear up to the left, second gear underneath first, etc. Some say this was because the dog-leg shift to first was inconvenient for in town driving, other say it was due to Porsche?s desire to put 5th gear outside the main transmission housing where it could easily be changed for different races. The Sportomatic transmission was still available, but only as a special order.

In 1972 tremendous effort was made to improve the handling of the 911. The biggest thing Porsche did was relocate the oil tank from its position behind the right rear wheel to in front of it. This had the effect of moving the weight of almost 9 quarts of oil from outside the wheelbase to inside, improving the handling. To facilitate filling of the oil tank, Porsche installed an oil filler door (much like the fuel filler door on the left front fender) on the right rear quarter panel. Unfortunately, this unique design was scrapped after only one year, some say because inattentive gas station attendants were putting gas in the oil tank! The oil tank was moved back to its original position for the 1973 model year, and there is stayed until it was moved back within the wheelbase for the 964 models. 1972 911s are now one of the most desirable early 911s because of this feature.

These cars also gained a discreet spoiler under the front bumper to help high-speed stability. With the car's weight only 2314 lb (1050 kg), these are often regarded as the best classic mainstream 911s. For racing at this time, the 911 ST was made in tiny numbers. The cars were available with engines of either 2466cc or 2492cc, producing 270 bhp at 8000 rpm. Weight was down to 960 kg. The cars had success at the Daytona 6 Hours, the Sebring 12 Hours, the Nurburgring 1000 km and the Targa Florio.

LDL_PORSCHE_911S24.jpg



Carrera RS 2.7

This model, much prized by collectors, is one of the all-time classic 911s. It was built so that Porsche could enter racing formulae that demanded that a certain minimum number of production cars were made. Compared with a standard 911S, the Carrera RS had a larger engine (2687cc) developing 210 PS (154 kW), revised and stiffened suspension, a 'ducktail' rear spoiler, larger brakes, larger wheels & wheel-arches, and was about 150 kg lighter?most of the saving coming from the thin-gauge steel used for the bodyshell. In total 1636 were made, comfortably exceeding the 500 that had to be made to qualify for the vital FIA Group 4 class. A more powerful version, the Carrera RS 3.0, was also made. The 3.0-litre cars used standard-gauge steel, and thanks to that extra 180 kg the extra 20 PS (15 kW) did not give it a performance advantage.

The Carrera RSR 3.0 and Carrera RSR Turbo (its 2.1-litre engine due to a 1.4x equivalency formula) were made in tiny numbers for racing. The turbo car came second at Le Mans in 1974, a significant event in that its engine would form the basis of many future Porsche assaults on sportscar racing, and can be regarded as the start of its commitment to turbocharging. The large rear spoiler and the 3.0 turbo engine were to be used again in the production 911 Turbo and the 934 racing car.

1973_porsche_911_carrera_rs_prototype_2.7.jpg



2.7-litre / G, H, I and J series (1974-1977)

From 1974 a detuned version of the 2687cc engine from the Carrera RS was used in the mainstream production cars. The cars looked rather different from the previous year's thanks to bulky new bumpers front and rear, to conform with low-speed impact protection requirements of US law. The interior was refreshed too. The model line-up was now: 911, 911S and 911 Carrera (the latter now a regular production model). The Turbo was introduced in 1975 (see below). In 1976 the Carrera model was upgraded to the Turbo's 2992 cc engine, minus the turbocharger, developing 200 PS (147 kW). The 2.7 engines proved to be less reliable than the 'bulletproof' 2.4 units. In effect, the 2.4-litre engine had been enlarged with no additional cooling capacity. The engines saw problems, particularly in hot climates, where the different rates of thermal expansion between the magnesium of the crankcase and the aluminium of the cylinder heads contributed to major failure. In addition, some engines saw problems whereby the cylinder head studs would pull themselves out of the crankcase. The 3.0-litre engine of the Turbo and Carrera had not used magnesium, but rather aluminium, thereby showing equal expansion rates to the cylinders. The move to that engine across the board was welcome for reliability reasons. However, the aluminium case weighed 15 lbs more than the magnesium one. In addition with the 1973.5 engines Porsche moved away from MFI to Bosch K-Jetronic CIS. This system varied fuel pressure to the injectors dependant on the mass airflow. While this system was exceedingly reliable, it did not allow the use of as "hot" cams as MFI or carburators allowed. Therefore the 911S's horsepower decreased from 190 to 165 despite the displacement increase from 2.4 to 2.7L. However, the engine did have increased drivability.

Also produced for the 1976 "model year", for the U.S. market, was the 912E, a 4-cylinder version of the 911 like the old 912 that had last been produced in 1969. It used the I-series chassis and the 2.0 Volkswagen engine from the Porsche 914. In all, 2099 units were produced. In 1976 the Porsche 924 took this car's place for the 1977 "model year" and beyond.

Porsche_gse_1975_Tur_007_full.jpg



911 SC (1978-1983)

The SC stands for "Super Carrera". All 911 models standardized on the 2994cc engine for the 1978 model year (introduced in late 1977). This engine was a unit fresh from the factory delivering 180 PS (132 kW) that was still capable of substantial extra tuning, compared with the 2.7 which was almost at its limit. Yet, the weight of the extra equipment on these cars was blunting performance compared with what would have been expected from earlier, lighter cars with the same power output.

The top three options for the Type 911, as this car was known, were all part of the new Sport Group Package (UK) which added the now loved and hated whaletail, the front air dam and the black Fuchs wheels.

In 1981 a cabriolet concept car was shown at the Frankfurt motorshow. Not only was the car a drop top, but it also featured four-wheel drive. In late 1982 (d?buting as the 1983 model) the first 911 cabriolet went on sale (the first Porsche cabriolet since the 356). To many, this was a much more attractive car than the Targa, the other open-top 911. But while the Targa was priced to match the regular car, the cabriolet cost significantly more. Cabriolet versions of the 911 have been offered ever since.

In 1979 Porsche made plans to replace the 911 with the 928, but the 911 still sold so much better than the 928, that Porsche revised it's strategy and inject new life into the Type 911 European editions. Those cars (1981-1983 911 SC's) would be massaged to yield 204 bhp @ 5900 rpm from their 2994cc power plants. North Americans would have to wait for the replacement 3.2L 911 Carrera in 1984 before seeing any extra horsepower. Still critics and reporters agree, these Type 911?s are some of the finest Porsches ever made.

http://img140.imageshack.**/img140/3088/8391110242we.jpg


911 Carrera (1984-1989)

In 1984 a new 3.2-litre car replaced the 3.0-litre SC model. It was called simply '911 Carrera', the first time the sporty label had been applied to the basic 911. Power was increased, brakes were better, the fuel injection was upgraded to enhance everyday reliability, and the car was more refined. The non-Turbo models became available as 'Turbo-look', a style that aped the Turbo with wide wheel-arches and the 'whale-tail', but did not reflect any mechanical changes. Buyers eagerly paid the increased prices.

In 1987, the Carrera got a new and better five-speed gearbox sourced from Getrag, model number G50. This included a hydraulic clutch for those drivers that did not want a leg workout while driving.

Limited editions: The 911 Speedster, a low-roof version of the Cabriolet, evocative of the Porsche 356 Speedster of the 1950s, was produced in limited numbers. The Carrera Club Sport from 1987 (340 produced) is highly collectible. It was stripped of electric windows, electric seats, and radio to save a claimed 50 kg in weight. Its engine was allowed to rev higher, and the engine developed a little more power.

http://img318.imageshack.**/img318/7242/19869115xr.jpg


Type 964 (1989-1994)

In late 1989 (for the 1990 model year) the 911 underwent a major evolution with the introduction of the Type 964.

This would be a very important car for Porsche, since the world economy was undergoing recession and the company could not rely on its image alone. It was launched as the Carrera 4, the '4' indicating four-wheel-drive, a decision that surprised many but demonstrated the company's commitment to engineering by reminding buyers that race and rally engineering (of the 959) does affect road cars. Drag coefficient was down to 0.32. A rear spoiler deployed at high speed, preserving the purity of line when the vehicle was at rest. The chassis was redesigned overall. Coil springs, ABS brakes and power steering made their debut. The engine was increased in size to 3600 cc and developed 250 PS (184 kW). The car was more refined, but thought by some journalists to have lost some purity of the 911's concept. The rear-wheel-drive version, the Carrera 2, arrived a year later.

The 964 incarnation of the 911 Turbo returned in 1990 after an absence from the price lists, using a refined 3.3-litre engine of the previous Turbo, but only two years later a turbo engine based in the 3.6 litre engine of the other models was introduced. It is possible to purchase a 911 Turbo from this generation with AWD.

Porsche introduced the ahead-of-its-time 'Tiptronic' automatic transmission in the 964 Carrera 2, featuring adaptive electronic management and full manual control. The 964 was one of the first cars in the world offered with dual airbags standard (from 1991).

In 1992, Porsche re-introduced a limited-edition RS model, inspired by the 1973 Carrera RS and emissions-legal in Europe only. Appeals from American customers resulted in Porsche developing the RS America of which 278 were built.

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Type 993 (1995-1998)

The 964 was replaced in late 1994 by the Type 993. The bodywork was smoother, having a noticeably more aerodynamic front end somewhat reminiscent of the Porsche 959. Styling was by Englishman Tony Hatter under the supervision of design chief Harm Lagaay. The redesign was widely seen as highly successful, and compares for elegance with the models of the early 1970s before the impact-absorbing bumpers disturbed the design. Mechanically and structurally it is an evolution of the previous car, having the same roof and front bonnet and many mechanical components. Chassis refinements enabled the car to keep up dynamically with the competition. Engine capacity remained at 3.6 litres, but power rose to 272 PS (200 kW) thanks to better engine management and exhaust design, and beginning with model year 1996 to 285 PS (210 kW). A new four-wheel-drive made a return as an option. A lightweight RS version saw capacity rise to 3.8 litres, with power reaching 300 PS (221 kW). The RS version had rear-wheel drive only.

The turbo version became the first standard production Porsche with twin turbochargers and the first 911 Turbo equipped with all-wheel-drive (in order to delete the 4WD, one had to refer to the turbocharged GT2). The similarity in specification and in performance levels inspired several comparison road tests with the Porsche 959 (f.e. Car and Driver, July 1997, p. 63). Non-turbo models appeared that used the Turbo's wide bodyshell and some other components (the Carrera 4S and later the Carrera S).

The Targa open-topped model also made a return, this time with a large glass roof that slid under the rear window.

The 993 was the last 911 family model to feature an air-cooled engine and the classic silhouette of the 911. The Targa and wide-body versions remained in production in model year 1998, when the entirely new Porsche 996 was launched, the 993?s ultimate successor.

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Type 996 (1999-2004)

The Type 996, introduced as a 1999 model, was a major leap for Porsche. For the first time in the evolution of the 911 the car shared no major mechanical components with its predecessor. An all-new bodyshell offered a dramatic 45% increase in torsional rigidity over the 993. The new shape and flush glass bring the drag coefficient down to 0.30. The 996 became the first 911 in the model's history to utilize an entirely water-cooled engine, an all-new unit of 3.4 litres, developing 296 PS (218 kW). Its mechanical layout stayed the same however, with the six-cylinder boxer engine mounted longitudinally beyond the rear axle. Suspension was by MacPherson struts at the front, as before, with a new coil-sprung multilink system at the rear.

Pundits criticized the 996's styling a great deal, largely because it shared its headlamps?indeed much of its front end, mechanically?with the less expensive Boxster. The 996 had been on the drawing board first and was a more advanced car in some respects, but the cost-cutting seemed inappropriate for an expensive car. Otherwise, the Pinky Lai-penned shape followed the original Butzi Porsche design very closely. The interior was further criticized for its plainness and its lack of relationship to prior 911 interiors, although this came largely from owners of older 911s.

The Type 996 underwent revisions in late 2002, receiving revised headlamps (now differentiating it from the Boxster), a revised front fascia and an increase in both displacement and power to 3.6 litres and 320 PS (235 kW). The Type 996 spawned over a dozen variations, including all wheel drive Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S models, the club racing-oriented GT3, and the forced-induction 996 Turbo and GT2. The Turbo, four-wheel-drive and twin-turbo, often made appearances in magazines' lists of the best cars on sale.

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Type 997 (2005-present)

Porsche debuted the 996's replacement, the type 997, in July 2004. The 997 keeps the basic profile of the 996, bringing the drag coefficient down to 0.28, but draws on the 993 for detailing. In addition, the new front fascia is reminiscant of the older generation "bug eye" headlights. It's interior is also similarly revised, with strong links to older 911 interiors while at the same time looking fresh and modern. The 997 shares about 30% of its parts with the outgoing 996, but is still technically very similar to it. The 0-60 acceleration for the Carrera S was noted to be as fast as 3.9 seconds in a recent Motor Trend comparison, but other sources contradict that. The 997 version of the Turbo is planned to be released in Germany on June 24, 2006 and the United States on July 8, 2006; according to the Porsche website, it produces 480 hp, starts $122,900, accelerates 0-60 in 3.7 seconds with manual transmission and 0-60 in just 3.4 seconds with Tiptronic S transmission, and has a top speed of 193 miles per hour. Porsche released an official minisite for one of two of their two-seating, lightweight 911 models, the GT3 on February 24, 2006; it is said to accelerate 0-60 in 4.1 seconds and have a top speed of 193 miles per hour. It will be released in August 2006, and it's cost will start at $106,000. Type 997 versions of the GT2, Turbo S, and Targa have yet to have a planned introduction date, but they will most likely start production during 2006 and 2007 (as of March, 2006).

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thank you all for your votes, your patience and your feedback on this Final Gear Top 100 series - as I stated before, I'm planning on conducting another one in the near future, a greater and more precise one based on what I've learned from this one - hope you've all enjoyed it!
 
8) :thumbsup: :woot: :mrgreen: :bow: :blush: :beer: :happy: :drool: :lmao: :wub: :ph34r: :music: :yes: :angel: :thumbup: :tease: :shifty: :clap: :dance: :banana: :hump: :richard: :james: :jc:

Finally! Amazing work by Overheat, now that he doesn't have to worry about that anymore! ;)
 
BlaRo said:
8) :thumbsup: :woot: :mrgreen: :bow: :blush: :beer: :happy: :drool: :lmao: :wub: :ph34r: :music: :yes: :angel: :thumbup: :tease: :shifty: :clap: :dance: :banana: :richard: :james: :jc:

Finally! Amazing work by Overheat, now that he doesn't have to worry about that anymore! ;)

I think you ran out of smileys :p

Nice work, Overheat. Thank you
 
Oh Hell No !!

(I mean ... Thanks Overheat for the awesome job :thumbsup: )

But the 911 ? :blink:

A flawed engineeering design from the laziest design studio in the whole world, the FinalGear Top100 top car ? :?

I much prefer the runner up. :)
 
Roman said:
Oh Hell No !!

(I mean ... Thanks Overheat for the awesome job :thumbsup: )

But the 911 ? :blink:

A flawed engineeering design from the laziest design studio in the whole world, the FinalGear Top100 top car ? :?

I much prefer the runner up. :)

Roman... yes, the 911 has been the same for years, but you've been listening to JC too much, the new 911 uses different body parts for most of the car... and the design has been an icon and perfection, why change it?
 
A worthy winner. :clap:

:cheers: Well done, this has been a really good exercise Overheat! It's obvious you've put plenty of work into compiling the results and doing those histories. Props to YF19Pilot for the original idea too!
 
Roman said:
Oh Hell No !!

Oh Hell Yeah!!

A worthy winner I must say :thumbsup:

Thanks for all the time you've put into this Overheat, props.
 
A BIG THANKS TO OVERHEAT FOR TAKING HIS TIME TO DO ALL THIS :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


911.....A worthy winner.
 
I must admit, im not a 911 fan aside from the racecars and the GT2,3 etc. But Im definitely not dissappointed w/ the results
 
Roman said:
A flawed engineeering design from the laziest design studio in the whole world, the FinalGear Top100 top car ? :?

I much prefer the runner up. :)

It's comments like that, that make me embarrassed to be a Canadian.

There would be a huge uproar if Porsche changed their "base" design, and you know there would be. You know that the 911 should always look like the other 911's.

Everybody says the same things on how Porsche's designers are lazy, but if the design was old then people wouldn't buy the cars.
 
here is an image of all the Turbo's up to the 997

http://img164.imageshack.**/img164/1190/porscheturboevolution4mo.jpg

So what one is the new one? :lol:
 
Evolution at its finest, perfection at every generation.
 
Congrats to the 911! Beautiful machine :thumbsup:
 
I like how every year the car manages to represent the slight changes in the times. If i was be in a horrible time machine accident and sent back to some random year all i would have to do is wait for a 911 to drive by and i could tell how far back i went...or look at a newspaper, whichever comes first
 
I think it's great that Porsche is sticking with the original concept when everyone else is trying their best to come up with more radical new designs.. And the old design still looks fabulous today! Exactly the car I wanted to see at the top of the list, and hopefully someday in my garage :D

Thanks Overheat!
 
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