Limited-edition model marks half a
century of the 911 with styling tweaks and wider bodyshell
For the second time in a few years, Porsche
has plundered its heritage to produce a retrospectively styled 911. Making do
with little more than aesthetic upgrades on a standard Carrera S, this 50th
Anniversary Edition is a less ambitious exercise than the 997-based Sport
Classic of 2010, which went to such lengths as bespoke chassis settings, are
worked engine and substantial bodywork revisions – most notably a ducktail
spoiler – to set itself apart from the rest of the range and achieve
collectible status.
The 50th Anniversary, arriving in the UK a
little late for its own birth day party, will run to 1963 units in a nod to the
year Porsche first unveiled its rear-engined sports coupe. With a production
run eight times greater than the Sport Classic’s, it isn’t likely to have
well-heeled 911 enthusiasts aquiver in quite the same way.
The
50th Anniversary Edition is based on the standard Carrera S but gains period
trims and the Turbo's wide body
If not a 911 for the ages, the 50th
Anniversary is surely the best-looking 991-spec Carrera so far. It is
rear-wheel drive but borrows the C4’s wider bodyshell, giving it a visual
tension missing from the other rear-driven Carreras; given the increased track
width that brings, it’s also the most significant engineering upgrade.
The nostalgic Geyser Grey paint will split
opinion – it looks better in low light and is more pearl than beige – but the
darkened headlights and Fuchs-inspired 20-inch wheels contrast against the pale
hue brilliantly. The chrome highlights across the engine cover sit a little
less comfortably, while the cloth trim within the cabin may also be divisive
among enthusiasts.
The
cabin is largely familiar
Aside from that wider track, which does add
a layer of sure-footedness when attacking a demanding road, the driving
experience is similar to that of a standard Carrera S, which is to say – for
the most part – very impressive indeed. The quality of the damping is beyond
doubt: even over heavy compressions at speed the car soaks up impacts in a
single motion without scraping its underbelly or running out of travel and
skipping off-line. Similarly, on uneven surfaces there’s sufficient compliance
in the suspension that the car breathes over lumps and bumps. Porsche Active
Suspension Management is standard and the system is adaptive, so even the
firmer setting works on rougher surfaces.
The
comfortable seats are cloaked in houndstooth fabric - few designs are more
'retro'
As with any other 991, the natural balance
is more neutral than that of 911s of old. The front end doesn’t feel quite as
light so there’s less initial push to work around, and the pendulum effect of
an engine behind the rear axle isn’t so marked. Body control is iron- fisted,
while the standard Porsche Torque Vectoring and limited-slip differential make
for truly impressive levels of poise and traction on corner exit. It isn’t a
perfect driving experience, however, and as we’ve come to expect of 991s, the
electrically assisted steering is a weakness. There are no weighting or
accuracy complaints, but never is there the intimate sense of connection for
which earlier 911s are celebrated.
50
Years badging appears throughout the car; each car is individually numbered
The 394bhp 3.8-litre at-six has a joyous,
elastic quality in the way it keeps pulling harder and harder with every
additional rev all the way to the red line. Beyond 5,000rpm the car feels
seriously rapid and with the optional ($3,036) sports exhaust fitted it sounds
fierce, too: over the final couple of hundred revs the quad pipes emit a
desperate, demonic h owl. A pity, though, that given the ultra-long gearing,
opportunities to sample it are few and far between – even in second gear you’ll
need to surpass the UK motorway speed limit to hear it bark. The seven-speed
manual gearbox, meanwhile, has improved since the 991 was first introduced, but
it still isn’t as slick and satisfying as Porsche’s superb six-speed manuals. A
seven-speed PDK is a $4,027 option.
The 50th Anniversary Edition is $15,095
more than a standard Carrera S, but it is, if only by a slim margin, the most
complete Carrera S we’ve come across yet.
