The Best Porsche 911 In Today’s Lineup Will Return For The 992 Generation

And when we say 'best,' we mean the purist 911 for the money.

Porsche has become an expert in finding, developing, and ultimately building sought-after 911 variants. From the base 911 Carrera to the hardcore 911 GT2 RS, there’s literally a 911 for every budget north of the $90,000 entry price. We’re only a couple of months away from the official reveal of the next-generation 911, the 992, but Porsche is keeping its details a secret for now despite numerous spy shots and videos showing nearly camo-less 911 992s. But will Porsche continue with all of the outgoing 991’s trims or create new ones?

According to Road and Track, at least one recently launched 911 variant will return, the purist-focused 911 T. The publication spoke with 911 chief engineer August Achletiner at Porsche’ Rennsport Reunion last month and specifically asked him whether the 911 T will return.

“Absolutely,” he said. "In the last half-year, I almost only drove a Carrera T [with a] manual and I love this car," Achletiner added. "It's just pure. The only option I have beside the navigation system is a sunroof. Wonderful.” The Porsche 911 T still isn’t exactly cheap, beginning at around $100,000, but it is still a fair amount less than the GTS and GT3 Touring, for example. With its classic 911 styling, shorter gear ratios, and a more driver-focused chassis configuration, the 911 T quickly became a sales success, and it makes complete sense for Porsche to make this trim a permanent part of the future lineup. Another good sign for 911 purists is the fact that Achletiner is personally a huge fan of manual transmissions.

He told Road and Track that despite the PDK gearbox offering superior shift times, manuals are simply more fun. "I think the PDK from a technical point of view is a better solution, but it's just fun to operate the manual," he said. As long as Achletiner is running the show, it seems like the manual gearbox is safe in future 911s, despite the superiority the PDK offers. So, when exactly will the 992 generation 911 make its debut appearance? Soon, perhaps at the LA Auto Show late next month.

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Porsche Wanted To Build An SUV 45 Years Before The Cayenne Arrived

This is the story of the 597 Jagdwagen.

Things have never been the same for Porsche since it launched the first generation Cayenne SUV back in 2002. Many Porschephiles still haven’t gotten over the fact their beloved sports car brand branched out beyond ass-engined and GT driver’s cars. Their heads nearly exploded when the Panamera arrived in 2009, and ultimately did so upon the Macan’s 2014 debut. But back in the mid-1950s, Porsche designed and built the 597 Jagdwagen, which translates to “hunting car.”

It looks very much like a post-WWII SUV, but don’t think of it as the Cayenne’s ancestor. They have absolutely nothing in common, mechanically speaking. The 597 was very much a rough and rowdy SUV without a hint of luxury or comfort. Back then, Porsche was still trying to find its footing in the industry; was it going to stick solely with sports cars, like the 356 and 550 Spyder? Perhaps not. Porsche figured it was worth taking a shot at winning a NATO-issued tender for a light army-transport vehicle inspired by the original American Jeep. The 597 Jagdwagen was the result, and it had one significant thing in common with the 356: it was also rear-engined.

Both 1.5- and 1.6-liter air-cooled flat-fours were prepared, though the latter was the “premium” engine with a grand total of 50 hp. Top speed? Around 62 mph. Weighing just under 2,200 pounds, the 597 Jagdwagen came with a five-speed manual gearbox – a lot of gears at the time – and the capability of switching between two- and four-wheel drive on the fly. Like any good German-built vehicle, the Jagdwagen was very purposeful, offering solid off-road capability and even managing a climbing gradient of 65 percent. It also had some amphibious capabilities, specifically floating without taking on water. Its monocoque shell did not have doors, but the high sills made it difficult for passengers to climb in and out.

For better or worse (depending on whom you ask), Porsche lost the tender to the DKW Munga, an off-road vehicle built by Auto-Union, the predecessor to today’s Audi. Its winning 4x4 went on to have a 12-year production run with 46,000 examples built. However, selling the car to civilians and private owners wasn't easy. As for Porsche, instead of ending the prototype project completely, it wanted to try to rebrand the Jagdwagen as a 4x4 aimed at hunters, and those who worked in outdoor professions. Porsche invested 1.8 million Deutschmarks into the project, an especially large sum at the time. It wanted the 597 Jagdwagen to find appeal somehow, as the company wasn’t in the mood to take a financial hit just yet.

The result was a somewhat refined civilian version 597 Jagdwagen, now equipped with doors. It could still float, though it was by no means seaworthy. A grand total of 71 units of the 597 were from 1955 until 1958, although just 49 were made for civilians. Not all of them survive today, but the few that do sell for some serious bank. Jerry Seinfeld had one in his vast Porsche collection that later sold for $330,000 at auction. Unlike any generation Cayenne, the 597 Jagdwagen was ugly, but in a cool way. It was designed to be purposeful, not stylish. And in some ways it was ahead of its time; who knew back then that Porsche SUVs would make up a majority of its annual sales.

Aside from its looks, perhaps one reason why the 597 Jagdwagen didn’t find buyers was because it simply looked too much like a German military vehicle. Anything with even a hint of a connection to the Nazis in post-war Germany was considered taboo.

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This Extremely Rare 911 GTS Is Cheaper Than You Might Think

One of just 60 ever produced.

In the last few years, Porsche has become a collector's dream thanks to limited run, special edition models. We've seen that special edition 911 models have skyrocketed in value, and Porsche has actually released models like the GT3 Touring to try and stop speculators from buying its cars. E ven models like the 50th Anniversary Edition, that aren't as special as the 911 R, have still doubled in value. Porsche built 1,963 examples of the 50th Anniversary Edition, but we've found a cheaper 911 that is even rarer.

Back in 2015, Porsche released a special edition version of the Carrera GTS to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Porsche Club of America. This special model was only available in the US, and was limited to just 60 units. This makes the GTS Club Coupe far rarer than even the rarest 911 models like the GT2 RS and GT3 RS 4.0. Unlike other special edition 911 models, this one doesn't come with a ridiculous price. The GTS Club Coupe that we found is a 2016 991 generation 911. The car is currently for sale in Miami Beach at Prestige Imports. It has 4,700 miles on it and the asking price is just under $170,000.

This is not a terrible price considering that the GTS Club Coupe was originally sold for $136,060. The car has appreciated in value, but less than other specialty 911 models. We think that this is a bit odd, because this is a gorgeous special edition. For starters, the car is painted in a bespoke color called Club Blau, which was only available on this car. The exterior also features a ducktail spoiler, which further adds to the car's uniqueness. The interior is trimmed in leather/Alcantara seats, with Carmine Red stitching. There is also a “60” logo on the center compartment lid and special plates on the door sills and cup holder lid.

This car was also fitted with the optional Extended Club Coupe Package, which came with a vehicle key painted in Club Blau, a leather key pouch, and leather-edged floor mats with two-tone stitching in Carmine Red and Blue. This car is based on the 991.1 Carrera GTS, so power comes from a naturally aspirated, 430-horsepower flat-six engine going out to AWD through a seven-speed PDK transmission. The GTS Club Sport also benefited from standard GTS options like the sport exhaust, sport design aero package, GTS communication package, and black GTS Alcantara interior package.

The only people who were allowed to buy this car new were members of the Porsche Club of America (PCA), which makes this a rare opportunity to own a special edition 911. We really haven't seen any of these cars come up for sale, so we'd jump at the chance to own this stunning, low-mileage example.

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How Much Profit Does Porsche Average In One Day?

Put it this way, a lot more than you’ll make all year.

Porsche is the envy of many automakers not only because of its brilliant lineup, historical past, and state-of-the-art engineering and design departments but also due to its outstanding branding. The name Porsche gives instant recognition to greatness, like Ferrari. But Ferrari has an all-supercar lineup (though an SUV is coming) while Porsche offers a greater variety of still outstanding vehicles. And it’s because of all that Porsche continues to post impressive earnings.

In 2017, for example, it earned more than $4.82 billion before taxes, according to the exchange rate on November 8, the day CNBC did a few calculations of its own regarding Porsche’s finances. For example, based on the above dollar amount, Porsche earns just under $153 every second.

Going further, it averages $9,176 every minute, almost $550,595 per hour, over $13.2 million every day, and $92.8 million a week. Shocking, we know. CNBC also noted that Porsche every six seconds earned just over $917 in profit before taxes in 2017. To put that into some perspective, that figure is more than the median weekly earnings ($887) in the US for wage and salary workers in the third quarter of this year. In total revenue for 2017, Porsche took home just over $26.85 billion, or $73.3 million a day. Porsche, one could say, has mastered not only the sports car with its famed 911 but also high-performance luxury sedans and SUVs.

The cheapest Porsche, the 718 Cayman, begins at $56,900 and the most expensive, the 911 GT2 RS, goes for nearly $300,000. With a price and model range like that, it’s really not at all surprising Porsche earns what it does. And those figures are only likely to increase for 2018 and beyond. Remember, next year Porsche’s first all-electric model, the Taycan, will debut and not long after that the production version of the Mission E Cross Turismo Concept will arrive. Changes are happening at Porsche, but won’t change is its proven ability to earn lots of money.

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Introducing The Porsche 911 Speedster Concept: A Topless GT3

This stunning concept celebrates 70 years of the 911.

The next generation 992 911 is right around the corner, but Porsche typically likes to release a few special edition cars before putting a 911 out to pasture. Rumors were circulating that Porsche would revive the Speedster name, and it looks like the speculation was correct. The last Speedster was based on the 997 generation 911, and came out back in 2010. Unfortunately, this new 991.2 Speedster is only a concept car, and Porsche says it is a “potential series-production version.” That's Porsche speak for "we're building it, wink, wink."

As we expected, the chassis comes from the 911 GT3, which means this concept is powered by the same 4.0-liter flat-six producing more than 500 horsepower. Unlike the previous Speedster, which was PDK only, this Speedster will be offered with the option of a six-speed manual transmission. Inside and out, Porsche has focused on making the new Speedster as light as possible. The car ditches a traditional convertible top in favor of a light weight tonneau cover. The weight saving diet gets even more extreme with the removal of the infotainment system and air conditioning. This concept car is definitely for purists only.

As you'd expect, Porsche didn't just grab a GT3 off the line and cut the roof off. The body is based on a Carrera 4 Cabriolet, but the wings, hood, and rear deck are all made from lightweight carbon fiber. Of course, that rear deck features a double bubble, harkening back to the original 911 Speedster in 1988. Porsche says this concept was designed to pay homage to predecessors like the 356 1500 Speedster. Even the silver paint with brown leather interior is meant to harken back to classic Porsche Speedster models. Other small details from the past include a '50s-style central fuel cap on the hood and classic-style mirrors.

To finish it all off, Porsche placed the number 70 on the car to celebrate 70 years of the 911. Combine the livery with classic-style 21-inch Fuchs wheels, and the 911 Speedster looks remarkably retro. Although this is only a concept, we have a strong feeling that Porsche will build a few examples for a select group of lucky customers. We also expect that the loyal Porsche fans who can afford a Speedster are already on a list to buy one, and prices will instantly skyrocket as soon as they hit the used market.

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