Beyond any doubt, it is one of the most iconic car models in history. To celebrate 50 years of the iconic 911, Porsche are launching a 911 50 year edition, which is scheduled to hit showrooms in the UK as early as September (in-line with the new number plates).
The Porsche 911 was born in 1963, so the 50 year special edition will be limited to just 1,963 models worldwide. The special edition car, set to become an overnight collector’s edition, is based on the 911 Carrera S, a 395BHP supercar. Naturally the limited edition will carry some special tweaks, which will include:
- A wider body (reserved for Carrera 4 models)
- Dynamic cornering lights, which track the road as you turn the wheel
- A limited edition sports exhaust
- PASM suspension unit to aid the cars road grip
- 20 inch bespoke alloy wheels, lending design inspiration from Fuchs wheels
- The limited edition is also adorned with special badges, unique door mirrors and two choices of 50 year special edition trim. The car also features a bespoke chrome trim
In addition to the above points of difference against the standard 911 Carrera S, the limited edition is also designed to pay homage to the original 1963 911. Classic design features have been taken from the original, including its green dials with white pointers and the limited edition seat trims are styled around the originals tartan fabric. The original also had a fondant for brushed aluminium, so the limited edition has borrowed this style for its dashboard, door trims, centre console and transmission.
Some features which you wouldn’t have found in 1963 but which have appeared 50 years later include a 4.6 inch colour satellite navigation system, a full media system, dual climate control and Xenon headlamps. All of the above are included on the standard £92,257 edition.
The new 911 will top out at 186 MPH, and can complete the 0-60 test in less than 4.5 seconds. The car is designed to be a 7 speed manual but does offer the option of a PDK dual auto-clutch, which eliminates the need to suppress the clutch in order to change gears. This allows for faster and easier transmissions as you work through the seven gears, allowing you to sprint the 0-60 0.2 seconds quicker but suppressing the maximum speed by 1mph. This purely comes down to personal preference – whilst I would always go for the full manual version, many would choose the usability and ease of driving offered by the semi-automatic PDK. One additional consideration between the two versions is the economy, with the PDK clutch delivering a combined 32.5MPG whilst the manual is heavier on the fuel at 29.7MPG.
The Porsche 911 50 year edition will start at £92,257 and will be available in the UK from September.