English Comp 132-35
Essay 2
10/24/2014
The Extenuation of the Original Porsche 911
After all of the transitions, revisions, and extenuations, the Porsche 911 is still a clear descendant of its original ancestor. Even though the Porsche 991 is larger and more refined than the original Porsche 901 that was popular in the early 1960’s, the newest 911 is simply the latest evolution of an enduring era. The original model has constantly been extending its ideas and styles to meet the needs of hungry, car-savvy, bidders and lived up to the popularity behind The Porsche.
The first 911 was an evolution of the Volkswagen-derived Porsche 356. The short wheelbase, rear-weight bias and semi-trailing arm rear suspension made it easy to break the tail loose, making drivers go crazy for these new cars. Porsche made various attempts to imitate that behavior that was seen on the 911, but were unsuccessful in doing so until the 1990’s.
In 1969, the 911 's wheelbase grew and its overall length increased about 4.5 inches and in 1974, bigger 5-mph bumpers were added. However, it remained a very compact car. Mechanical fuel injection was introduced and was normally seen in new models in 1974. In 1975, the 930 Turbo was introduced to society but disappeared from the United States in 1980. Nine years later, Porsche announced its much-revised 964 generation car, with new and improved aerodynamics, power steering, a new suspension, and an updated engine. After decades of styling and planning, the 964 brought a more sleek profile and modern interior layout to Porsche 's signature model. This was also the beginning of the end for the simple 911 Porsche. The first 964 was the Carrera 4, with an all-wheel-drive system that finally defeated the 911 tail-out problems, followed by a Carrera 2 in 1990. This car was a rear-wheel drive system, four-speed automatic. Just a year later, the 964 Turbo was brought to the states as an extended version; the six-speed manual 993 Turbo.
Cited: Edmunds Inc. J.D. Power. January 2014. Web. 25 Oct. 2014. Linton, Ian. “Four Reasons to Expand a Product Line.” SmallBusiness.Chron. HearstNewspapers. n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2014.Porsche. Porsche 911. n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2014.