The Porsche 911 model traces its routes all the way back to the year 1959. Sometime during that year, a sketch got drawn by the son of Austrian-German technical automobile designer, Ferry Porsche, Ferdinand "Butzi" Porsche. The 911 was specifically created to serve as a successor model to Porsche's first production automobile, the 356, and was a major improvement from both a mechanical and design standpoint. The Porsche 911 eventually made it's global public debut at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show, and from there, the rest is history.
Today, Porsche has developed seemingly millions of different Porsche 911 examples, spanning across numerous variations and generations. The models shown here are just a handful, and considered to be some of the most sought-after representations of the 911's history from the early 1960s all the way to current day.
10 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Lightweight (1972-1973)
Of the 1,580 Carrera RS 2.7 examples produced for the world, only around 200 or so got developed with the 'Lightweight M471' trim between 1972 and 1973. This makes the RS 2.7 Lightweight one of the most desirable Porsche 911 models of all time. It's truly a race car for the road in every way, shape, and form. The main difference between the standard 'Touring' Carrera RS 2.7 and the "Lightweight" examples is ultimately the subtraction of hundreds of pounds.
Porsche was able to achieve a total weight of around 1,984 lbs on the Lightweight variants by removing the rear seats, power windows, radio, sound insulation, and much more. Underneath the hood of the Carrera RS 2.7 Lightweight is a 2,687cc air-cooled horizontally flat-six engine which unleashes around 200+ horsepower at 6,300 rpm.
9 Porsche 911 (992) Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition (2020-2021)
This particular model of the Porsche 911 is unbelievably exclusive, with just 992 examples built for the entire population. It's safe to say that seeing a 992-generation Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition in the wild would be quite a rare experience. This unique 911 model is particularly loved by collectors and enthusiasts around the world for its retro-themed (1950s and 1960s) design styling.
The Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition features the historical Porsche crest of 1963 in numerous areas such as the headrests, the key pouch, the keys themselves, and even the steering wheel, plus individually numbered metal badging indicating which of the 992 examples you are in the presence of. The retro theme is further emphasized by large circular decals on the doors with individually selected numbers, as well as gorgeous striping to bring it all together.
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8 Porsche 911 (964) 3.6L Turbo (1993-1994)
The 964-generation Porsche 911 3.6-liter Turbo has increasingly become one of the most desired Porsche models over the years. Of the near 63,000+ 964-generation Porsche 911 examples produced for the world, only around 1,427 of those were 3.6-liter Turbo cars. The 964-generation 3.6-liter Turbo was officially released by Porsche in January 1993, and since that day, automotive enthusiasts worldwide have begun to realize the specialty and rarity behind these cars.
Underneath the hood of this Porsche 911 model lies a 3.6-liter turbocharged flat-six engine which develops approximately 335 horsepower, one of the main highlights. The 3.6-liter Turbo features wider bodywork in comparison to the standard 964-generation 911, and comes equipped with aerodynamic side mirrors, a fixed rear spoiler, and a number of other performance-focused elements.
7 Porsche 911 (930) Turbo ‘Flachbau’ (1982-1989)
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Despite the extremely high demand for the 930-generation Porsche 911 Turbo 'Flachbau', unfortunately for most, only around 948 examples were built from 1982 until 1989. The 'Flachbau' (German for slant nose) 930-generation Porsche 911 idea came to life in the early 1980s when TAG Heuer co-owner Mansour Ojjeh commissioned Porsche to construct a one-off road legal variation of the Porsche 935 racing car.
After enough enthusiasts discovered this project, the demand for further examples to get developed grew quickly, and as a result, Porsche introduced a factory 'slantnose' or 'flatnose' 911 model through the 'Sonderwunsch Programm' (Special Order Program). The outcome was a 930-generation 911 with bodywork reminiscent of the 935, featuring a sloped front end, pop-up headlights, boxed rocker panels, and 935-style back wheel arches with rectangular air scoops. After 1987, the Slantnose became a factory option, M505 for the US and M506 for the rest of the world, and in total, M505/M506 factory production amounts to around 600-650 total units.
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6 Porsche 911 (964) Carrera 2 Speedster (1992-1994)
Porsche originally planned to develop approximately 3,000 units of the 964-generation 911 Carrera 2 Speedster, but after two years of production, only 936 examples were actually built and sold for the entire world, making this a truly hard-to-find 911 variant. Following up the single-year 1989 Porsche 911 Speedster, just 2,104 units got built for the world. The 964-generation Porsche 911 Speedster was available in two trim levels, consisting of either standard or the lightweight Clubsport.
Three decades went by before Porsche reintroduced the Speedster model, and before the 1989 model, the previous Porsche Speedsters got built in 1959. Designed to be a more focused drivers-car, the 964 Speedster was specially developed from 1992 until 1994 on the Carrera 2 platform. Serving as a hybrid between the 964 Carrera 2 Cabriolet and the 964 RS, the 964 Speedster shares the same engine as the base Carrera model, but showcases a stunning speedster-style design that is bound to capture your attention.
5 Porsche 911 (997) Speedster (2011)
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Even more exclusive than the 1989 Porsche 911 Speedster, and the 964-generation Speedster of 1992-1994, the 2011 Porsche 911 Speedster of the 997-generation was produced in just 356 units, all in the year 2011. This Speedster, much like the ones before it, pays tribute to the original 356 Speedsters of the 1950s, which is where the numerology of the production number for this model came for.
The 997 Speedster comes equipped from the factory with virtually every desirable option as standard, including the Sport Chrono Package, carbon ceramic brakes, and much more. The 997 Speedster was first ever revealed during the 2010 Paris Motor Show, becoming almost instantaneously collectible right away due to its highly limited production. Power for the Speedster from this generation comes from a 3.8-liter flat-six engine, which develops approximately 408 horsepower and allows for a 0-60 mph time of around 4.2 seconds.
4 Porsche 911 (997.2) Turbo S (2010-2013)
The 997-generation was packed with a number of highly appreciated models, but one that certainly sticks out from the crowd was the 997.2 Turbo S. This is a spectacular model that Porsche only developed from 2010 until 2013, and during that time, only about 2,000+ examples got produced between coupe and convertible variants.
In March 2010 at the Geneva Motor Show, Porsche announced the more powerful 'S' variant of the Porsche 911 Turbo, based on the second-phase of the 997-generation 911. Although this model was only made available with the seven-speed PDK transmission, the rest of the 997.2 Turbo S features make up for it entirely. The twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter flat-six engine in the Turbo S certainly delivers.
3 Porsche 911 (993) Turbo S (1997-1998)
Of all the Porsche 911 models, the 993-generation Porsche 911 Turbo S is one of the most appealing to enthusiasts. With just around 345 examples of the 993 Turbo S produced for the world, it's safe to say that this model is also one of the rarest. Of the approximate 345 examples built, it's said that only around 182 units were ever imported to the United States.
The Turbo S adds larger turbochargers, new exterior aerodynamics, a quad-tip exhaust, and much more. The 993-generation Porsche 911 was actually designed by British automobile designer, Tony Hatter, and in comparison to the previous 964-generation cars, only around 20% of parts got carried over, making the 993 a fresh new improvement.
2 Porsche 911 (991) R (2016)
With only 991 examples produced for the entire world, the Porsche 911 R from the 991-generation is the modern 911 for any true Porsche aficionado. The 911 R model was first shown to the public during the 2016 Geneva Motor Show press day, and most of the underpinnings are from the Porsche 991.1 Porsche 911 GT3 RS.
Unlike the visceral GT3 RS model, the 911 R loses the roll cage, large rear wing, and GT3 RS bodywork for a sleeker design that is ultimately lighter by 110 lbs. One thing the 911 R did keep from the GT3 RS was the powerful 4.0-liter six-cylinder naturally aspirated engine, which allows for a top speed of around 201 mph. The first time the 911 R model appeared was in 1967, and only around 20 examples were ever produced.
1 Porsche 911 (997) GT2 RS (2011)
Being that there are seemingly endless Porsche 911 models to crave, it's hard to say that just one is the king of them all. However, when it comes to the 997-generation Porsche 911 GT2 RS, enthusiasts around the world place this particular model on quite a high pedestal.
Production for this model got limited to just 500 examples for the entire world, after getting shown for the first time in May 2010 to German Porsche dealers in Leipzig. The 997-generation 911 GT2 RS gets its power from a 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six cylinder engine, which produced just about 612 brake horsepower and allows for a top speed of around 205 mph. This was the most powerful and quickest Porsche 911 of its generation at the time.