Porsche Explore the milestones

Sports car fascination

In the beginning I looked around and could not find quite the car I dreamed of. So I decided to build it myself.

Ferry Porsche

19481957

Origin of the Sports Car

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1948

356/1: The Porsche type 356 "No. 1" Roadster.

1948 saw the birth of the Porsche brand in Gmünd (Austria), with construction number 356 and chassis number 356-001: Porsche type 356 "No. 1" Roadster.

1950

Series production of the 356

The then Porsche KG returned to Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen and commenced series production of the Porsche 356.

1951

356 SL: first Le Mans class victory

The young sports car manufacturer, Porsche, first attracted international attention with a class victory by its further enhanced 356 SL at the 24h of Le Mans.

1953

550 Spyder

From 1953 onwards, Porsche began to use a mid-engine roadster designed for motorsport, which was to have a long tradition of spectacular success: the 550 Spyder.

1956

The 10,000th Porsche 356

Just eight years after the Porsche Typ 356 "No. 1" Roadster, the 10,000th Porsche 356 was produced.

19581967

Sports Car Icon 911

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1960

718 RS 60

In 1960, the Spyder – now called 718 RS 60 – was given an increased displacement. The 718 RS 60 delivered the greatest successes to date, particularly in long-distance racing.

1962

Porsche 804 achieved victory in Formula 1

In Formula 1, the Porsche 804 won the French Grand Prix. In the same year, the 50,000th Porsche rolled off the assembly line, a 356 B.

1963

901 – birth of the legendary 911

Porsche introduced its successor to the 356: a fastback Coupé with a 2+2 seating arrangement and two-liter, 6-cylinder 130hp horizontally opposed engine at the rear. The legendary 911 was born. Back then, however, it was still called the 901.

1964

904 Carrera GTS

Although officially named the Carrera GTS, the 904 opened a new chapter in Porsche racing history under its internal works designation.

1964

The Porsche 911 entered series production

Following an objection by Peugeot, the new sports car was quickly renamed the 911, entered series production and began a long and successful history that still shapes the identity of the Porsche brand today.

1966

The first 911 Targa

Presented as the ‘Safety Cabriolet’, the Porsche 911 Targa was launched, entering series production in 1966.

1967

Porsche 910 victory at the Targa Florio

Following the previous year’s success of the Porsche 906 Carrera 6, the Zuffenhausen works team scored a triple victory with the Porsche 910 at the Targa Florio.

1967

911 R – motorsport icon with slimmed-down design

In 1967, the Porsche 911 R was built for use in motorsport. Weighing 800kg, it had a 6-cylinder, naturally aspirated and horizontally opposed engine producing 154kW (210hp), making it incredibly fast.

19681977

Diversity of the Sports Car

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1968

Overall victory for the Porsche Type 908 LH

Porsche achieved its first overall victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona with the Type 908 LH.

1969

VW-Porsche 914

The mid-engine VW-Porsche 914 sports car made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show and subsequently entered production.

1970

917 Short-Tail Coupé – first ever overall victory at Le Mans

In 1970, the 917 not only gave Porsche its first ever overall victory at the 24h of Le Mans, but also brought Porsche the World Manufacturers’ Championship.

1972

911 Carrera RS 2.7

The Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 was launched as the sporty leading model of the 911 range.

1973

Easy victory for the Porsche 917/30

The Porsche 917/30 won the Canadian-American racing series (CanAm) with ease.

1975

911 Turbo

At the height of the oil crisis, Porsche presented the first 911 Turbo – the world’s first production sports car with exhaust turbocharger and pressure regulator.

1976

The Porsche 924 front-engine sports car

With the 924, Porsche first produced a front-engine sports car in a transaxle configuration and with galvanized body panels.

1976

935 and 936

The Porsche 935 and 936 race cars won the World Championship in both the Sports Car and Make rankings.

1977

936/77 Spyder crowned World Champion

A typical feature of the 936 Spyder optimized for the 1977 World Championship: the large air intake above the cockpit and the high tail fins. The Turbo-Porsche straightaway won the Sports Car World Championship at an early stage.

1977

928 with light alloy V8 engine

Conceived as the successor to the 911, the Porsche 928 broke new ground in terms of technology and design. It was powered by a light-metal alloy V8 engine.

19781987

Transaxle models and golden motorsport years

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1982

944 transaxle model

The Porsche 944 with a 163hp, 4-cylinder engine rounded off the transaxle model range.

1982

956

The 956 was the first Porsche race car with a monocoque chassis and the so-called ground effect, which generated a vacuum to create a downforce beneath the car. Pioneering electronic injection and ignition systems enabled the 2.6-litre turbo engine to produce 640hp.

1983

TAG turbo engine – most successful German racing engine in Formula 1

With 25 Grand Prix victories and three World Championship titles, the extremely durable Porsche V6 TAG turbo engine became the most successful German F1 racing engine.

1984

Porsche 911 Carrera 4x4 won the Paris-Dakar Rally

Besides the Makes World Championship title, Porsche marked its first victory in the Paris–Dakar Rally with the 911 Carrera 4x4.

1984

962

The 956 served as the basis for the 962. The aerodynamics were modified and it had a 2,869-liter displacement and two-valve horizontally-opposed engine fitted with just one turbocharger.

1985

The high-performance sports car 959

Based on the 911, the Porsche 959 high-performance sports car was presented at the IAA in 1985, showing what was possible in the field of automotive design at that time. It had a limited production run of just 292 units. It was the fastest road-approved vehicle of its time.

19881997

GT models conquer the roads

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1989

911 Carrera 4

On the 25th anniversary year of the 911, Porsche introduced the newly developed 911 Carrera 4 with all-wheel drive.

1989

911 Speedster

Like its forebear, the 356 Speedster from 1954, the 911 Carrera 3.2 Speedster from 1988 also provided a purist driving experience, with its low windscreen, sparse interior and emergency soft top.

1991

968

The 968 heralded the final development stage of the Porsche four-cylinder transaxle models. The 968 was available as both a Coupé and a Cabriolet.

1993

Boxster Study

At the Detroit Motor Show, the study for a roadster with a horizontally-opposed mid-mounted engine was displayed: the Porsche Boxster.

1995

911 Turbo

A twin-turbo was used for the first time in the 911 Turbo. It was also the first Turbo model to be fitted with all-wheel drive.

1996

The 1 millionth Porsche

The 1 millionth Porsche rolled off the Zuffenhausen assembly line on July 15. It was a gift for the Stuttgart police force.

1997

911 Carrera with water-cooled engine

Under the motto ‘Evolution 911’, the new generation of the 911 was powered by a water-cooled four-valve 6-cylinder horizontally opposed engine for the first time.

1997

911 GT1

With the 911 GT1, Porsche developed a forward-looking high-tech racing concept that became the first 911 to have a mid-mounted engine.

19982007

Carrera GT super sports car and the first Cayenne

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1999

911 GT3

In 1999, the 911 series was rounded off with an exceptionally sporty version: the 911 GT3.

2000

Carrera GT Study – exhibited at the Louvre

Porsche displayed the high-performance Carrera GT sports car at the Louvre in Paris. The study featured a carbon-fiber chassis, as well as a 10-cylinder naturally aspirated engine.

2001

911 GT2

The new 911 GT2 was equipped with the PCCB Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake as standard and generated 462hp.

2002

The third series: Cayenne

Porsche presented its third series: the sporty, off-road Cayenne SUV.

2003

Carrera GT commenced series production

Series production of the Carrera GT commenced in Leipzig. By 2006, 1,270 units of the fast (up to 330km/h) high-performance sports car had been built.

2004

911 – resemblance to the design icon

With its oval headlights and auxiliary lights in the front apron, the new 911 generation continued to reflect the traditional 911 design.

2005

RS Spyder

In 2006, the RS Spyder won the driver, team and manufacturers' championships. The highlight: its double victory over the more powerful LMP1 class in Central Ohio.

2005

Cayman S – exhibited at the IAA

The Porsche Cayman S with a flat-six mid-mounted engine was presented for the first time at the IAA.

20082017

Unbridled capacity for innovation

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2009

The fourth series: Panamera

With the new Panamera – the fourth series – Porsche brought sports car technology to the premium segment, with its highly dynamic interpretation of 'luxury'.

2010

918 Spyder Concept Study – exhibited in Geneva

At the Geneva Motor Show, Porsche presented the 918 Spyder high-performance hybrid as a concept study. With hybrid technology for the 21st century sports car.

2010

Boxster Spyder

The Boxster Spyder was a radical return to the origins of the roadster: two seats, enhanced performance, no room for incidentals.

2011

911

90% and therefore almost every component of the 911 was new or fundamentally redesigned. This was our way of doing justice to the legendary 911.

2013

918 Spyder Nürburgring lap record

The 918 Spyder set a Nürburgring lap record: the hybrid super sports car was the first road-approved car to complete a lap in under seven minutes - in six minutes and 57 seconds to be precise – shaving 14 seconds off the previous record.

2014

Porsche 919 Hybrid

Porsche returned to Le Mans in 2014 with its LMP1 prototype 919 Hybrid. The result of two years of intensive work and one of the most complex development programs in the company's history.

2014

The Macan – the fifth series

The Macan, the sports car manufacturer's fifth series, joined the Porsche family. Production in Leipzig was massively expanded for this CUV.

2015

Cayman GT4

The mid-engine Cayman GT4 sports car became the new benchmark at the top of its segment, with a lap time of seven minutes and 40 seconds at Nürburgring-Nordschleife.

2015

Double Victory in Le Mans

Earl Bamber, Nico Hülkenberg and Nick Tandy in the 919 Hybrid were the first to see the chequered flag and clinch the 17th overall victory for Porsche at Le Mans, exactly 45 years to the day after its first overall victory at Sarthe.

2015

Mission E: the first all-electric Porsche

Green light for an electric future: at the IAA, the first all-electric four-door concept study, Mission E, was revealed, combining outstanding driving performance and everyday practicality under the buzzword "E-Performance".

2015

Cayman GT4 Clubsport

A new recreational athlete joined the range of Porsche race cars. The 283kW (385hp) GT4 Clubsport was not approved for road use and was based on the successful road-going sports car: the Cayman GT4.

2016

718 Boxster and 718 Cayman

Bearing the new names, 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman, these two-door mid-engine sports cars bore reference to the pioneer of this concept from 1957, which celebrated numerous successes at famous race tracks.

2016

911 R

With a limited production run of 991 units, the 911 R was a purist featuring a 368kW (500hp) 4-liter horizontally opposed and naturally aspirated engine and six-speed sports manual transmission. Entirely in keeping with its historic predecessor.

2016

Panamera – the second generation

The new generation of the Panamera was redeveloped and redesigned down to the very last detail. Engines and transmissions were re-engineered, the chassis optimized, the display and operating concept given a forward-looking interpretation.

2017

911 Turbo S Exclusive Series

The Turbo S Exclusive Series was the most powerful 911 Turbo S with a limited production run of 500 units. As well as enhanced performance, it also boasted a unique design, more elegant materials and extravagant details.

2017

911 GT2 RS

Porsche set another record for road-approved sports cars at the Nordschleife with the 911 GT2 RS. The record time of 6:47:3 minutes even exceeded its own expectations.

2017

Triple in Le Mans: 19th overall victory

After three consecutive overall victories, the 24h of Le Mans trophy found a new permanent home in the Porsche Museum.

2017

Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo

From 0 to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds, total system output of 500kW (680hp), top speed of 310km/h. A new dimension for sedans.

2017

911 GT3 with Touring Package

The 911 GT3 with Touring Package has a manual transmission and is aimed at those who love premium sports cars and have a penchant for understatement and traditional driving pleasure.

2017

Cayenne – the third generation

New engines, new chassis, innovative operating concept, improved connectivity: in future, the Cayenne will deliver even more performance with maximum everyday driveability.

2017

A reason to celebrate: the one millionth 911

Style icon and the unmistakable face and heart of the Porsche brand: the 911. On 11 May 2017, the one millionth 911 in Irish Green rolled off the production line in Zuffenhausen.

2017

911 Carrera T

The 911 Carrera T is a thoroughbred 911. Driving for the sake of driving. A concept already represented by the 911 T back in 1967.

20182019

Initial impetus for electromobility

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2018

911 GT3 RS

A pure sports car with a powerful 4.0-liter six-cylinder horizontally opposed and naturally aspirated engine at the rear producing 383kW (520hp) for genuine motorsport enthusiasts.

2018

Mission E Cross Turismo – concept car exhibited

The Mission E Cross Turismo study presented at the Geneva Motor Show is an all-electric sports car for an active lifestyle. With four doors, four individual seats and a Turismo rear.

2018

911 Speedster Concept: an open-top purist with more than 500 hp

Porsche is preparing a special gift for the 70th anniversary of Porsche sports cars: The 911 Speedster Concept in Heritage Design is a road-going study of a truly elemental sports car. Unmistakable design and a refined yet raw performance inextricably links the Porsche 356 "No. 1 "Roadster” with present day innovations, exactly 70 years later. The concept study celebrated its world premiere during the official celebration of the 70 Years of Porsche in Zuffenhausen.

2018

911: the eighth generation of an icon

The new 911 is the sum of its predecessors: The silhouette: iconic. The design: timeless. The technology: inspired by great racing victories. This makes the 911 a ‘Timeless Machine’.

2019

Porsche plans to make its debut in Formula E

As part of its motorsport reorganisation, Porsche will enter its own works team in Formula E in 2019.

2019

Cayenne Coupé: Shaped by performance

Porsche is expanding its Cayenne family: an even sportier vehicle is joining the third generation of the successful SUV range, namely the Cayenne Coupé.

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