The Complete Book Of Porsche 911

Born in the Bohemian town of Maffersdorf on September 3, 1875, Ferdinand Porsche displayed unparalleled automotive engineering genius from his earliest years. Following stellar work at Austro-Daimler, as well as with his own engineering firm, he formed his own automobile company after World War II, developing a line of sports cars which culminated in the fabled 911, the ultimate expression of Porsche’s original vision for the perfect sports car. The Complete Book of Porsche 911 provides a model-by-model overview for each year of the 911’s production, from the original 901 prototype to the current models. In addition to production cars, the book includes all of the factory's racing, prototype, and special-production cars illustrated with both current and archival photography. This book is the ultimate single-volume resource for the 911 aficionado.

For over 40 years, Porsche’s legendary 911 has ruled the realm of sports cars. The Porsche 911 is the benchmark. The 911 recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, making it one of the longest-running models currently in production from any manufacturer. A leader on the race track as well as the street, it posted an outright, overall victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2003, beating Corvettes, Ferraris, and even purpose-built Daytona Prototype race cars. This, despite the fact the 911’s rear-engine configuration was long ago rejected by rivals. Why does it hold such a coveted spot at the pinnacle of the sports car world? In Porsche 911: Perfection by Design, best-selling author/photographer and noted Porsche historian Randy Leffingwell adeptly answers this question, tracing the amazing story of its development and rise to international success, from the 1963 Type 901 through 2005 models. In tandem, he weaves the racing 911’s rich history, where it reigned victorious at Le Mans, Daytona and many more of the world’s most prestigious races. With more than 350 pages and 300 vivid color and black and white photographs, this amazing hard-cover book showcases why the 911 continues to impress enthusiasts and engineers alike. Leffingwell interviewed dozens of former and current Porsche engineers, designers and executives – including Ferdinand “Butzi” Porsche, the father of the 911 – as well as Porsche competitors (who used the 911 as a benchmark for their own designs) to create a true, hands-on anecdotal history of the 911. Straight from the key players and decision-makers, he explains: “This book is an inside story of how the 911 came to be what it was, what it is now and how it moved through 40-plus years of evolution, growth and improvement.” A jaw-dropping and unprecedented collection of 911s between two covers (Leffingwell and David Newhardt’s stunning, full-page, color photography features more than 80 Porsche 911s) complements the text, enticing readers to an up-close-and-personal view of these exotic, wish-list cars.

The introduction of the Porsche 901 in 1963 marked↵ a milestone in automotive history. Although the name later had to be changed because Peugeot had patented having a 0 in the middle of car model numbers, the 911 didn't let anything stand in the way of its becoming an iconic sports car. This success story spans all the way from the 901 and the Carrera RS 2.7 (which with its characteristic rear spoiler--the so-called "ducktail"--was the fastest production car of its time) right up to the current generation of the 991. For the 50th birthday of the populous 911 family, the famous automotive photographer Rene Staud, whose The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Book has also been published by teNeues, showcases the most important models--all in his typically radiant and distinctive style.

This richly illustrated book offers a complete history of Porsche, Germany's premium sports-car maker. Porsche 70 Years focuses on engineering and design stories, while also paying homage to key players.

In a book of Porsche photography and engaging conversation, Lance Cole journeys through a personal passion for Porsche –one that many supercar enthusiasts share. Herein light falls on sculpted metal and paint – shiny and less shiny. Throwing off the conventions of Porsche purism, yet at the same time always respecting the origins of Porsche, and the status of the 911, this is a book that celebrates the engineering and the design language of Porsche amid its culture. From an “oily-rag” 356 to old 911s and new 911s, with a brief alighting upon other cars of the Porsche clan, this is an eclectic collection of enthusiasts “moments” captured across a British Porsche landscape.

The thinking man's sports car: a symbol of the relentless desire for peak power and limitless performance. The Porsche 911 inspires a worldwide ripple effect. When Ferdinand Porsche could not find a sports car he liked, he decided to build one himself. And now, the rest is history: Jerry Seinfeld drives it; Boris Johnson admires it; Steve McQueen loves it; and Jeremy Clarkson hates it. The Porsche 911 moves the world. Despised by many in Germany as a set of wheels for fat cats, it is the favorite car of free spirits and intellectuals in the U.S. and across the globe. The Porsche 911 was not just invented by one of the most fascinating and controversial families - it is also a technical meisterwerk. Since its launch in 1963, the 911 has built a reputation for itself as "the thinking man's sports car." Both a car and a cultural icon, it has earned a fan base that spans from young to old, East to West, connoisseur to enthusiast. Porsche 911: The Ultimate Sportscar as Cultural Icon explains how this German car became a global phenomenon and a symbol of aspiration, freedom, and the appetite for perfection, and even more, why, around the world, the 911 continues to fascinate gentlemen, ladies, and rogue drivers. In this book, Ulf Poschardt sends Porsche drivers to the shrink and concludes that a little narcissm can be a healthy thing; he then takes them on an engaging journey through the checkered history that defines their pride and joy. Not everyone can, nor indeed should, drive a Porsche, but Porsche 911: The Ultimate Sportscar as Cultural Icon lays bare the raw driving force behind the 911 for anyone intrepid enough to discover.

No other sports car has had a run like Porsches, on the street or on the world's racetracks. This richly illustrated volume tells the story of that fabled marque. Renowned automotive writer and photographer (and Porsche aficionado) Randy Leffingwell focuses his lens on each important model the first 356 to today's Cayman and 911. His pictures, in-depth analyses of each car and its context, and interviews with key personnel comprise a complete, compelling, and often revealing history of the world's premier name in sports cars.

In Porsche 911: 50 Years, bestselling author Randy Leffingwell celebrates a half-century of one of the world's premiere sports cars, focusing on the major themes that have defined Porsche's rear-engined wonder. Randy tells the whole story--design and development, racing and competition, engineering and technology, style and culture. All the iconic 911 models are included: the original 901 prototype that set the standard; the legendary RS models that made the little Porsche a dominant force on the world's racetracks; the infamous Turbo, the car that kept the performance flame alight during the dark, dismal decade of the 1970s; the fabled 959, the model that redefined the term "sports car"; the 993, last of the original air-cooled models; and the 996, 997, and 991, the liquid-cooled cars that brought the 911 into a new millennium. Beyond telling the story of the cars, Porsche 911: 50 years also spotlights the people behind them: Ferdinand "Butzi" Porsche, the son of legendary Porsche founder Ferdinand "Ferry" Porsche, who co-designed the instantly recognizable 911 shape; Peter W. Schutz, the Porsche CEO who saved the 911 from extinction; and Dr. Helmuth Bott, the engineering genius behind many of the groundbreaking technologies that have defined the 911, including fuel injection, turbocharging, and all-wheel-drive. Leffingwell also tells the story of the 911 community--the clubs and culture that surround the car. Together, all of these facets make Porsche 911: 50 Years the most essential book in any Porsche owner or fan's library.

One of the classic German sports cars, the 911, is covered here in a complete history from the drawing board of Dr. Porsche to the Carrera 2. Packed with profiles, road tests, buying tips, maintenance and care of these sporty legends.

Porsche's fabled 911 represents the ultimate expression of Ferdinand Porsche's original vision of the perfect sports car. In The Complete Book of Porsche 911, author and photographer Randy Leffingwell provides a year-by-year overview of Stuttgart's most famous car, from the original 901 prototype to today's technologically advanced GT2 and GT3 derivatives and the latest 992-generation 911. Along the way, he highlights the racing, prototype, and limited-production cars—offering the most complete reference available to these top-tier sports cars. In this book, you'll find the air-cooled cars of 1963 to 1998, then the water-cooled 911s of 1998 to present day. With behind-the-scenes info on the evolution of this iconic sports car, this book offers the detail craved by Porsche enthusiasts. Illustrated throughout with images from Porsche's own historical archive and complemented by the author’s stunning photos, along with detailed technical specification tables, The Complete Book of Porsche 911 offers a thorough account of one of the most beloved enthusiast cars ever produced.