Total 911

As I write this, my last-ever Welcome note in Total 911 magazine, I realise it’s almost 12 years to the day since I wrote my first. That time in between – equating to around a third of my life – delivered just shy of 30,000 pages of insight and experiences dedicated to Porsche’s legendary 911. It’s been a helluva journey where, hopefully just like you, I’ve learned so much while meeting some truly incredible people, and driving amazing cars. To close the title, therefore, is a sad moment for us all. Before I present you with the final issue, I’d like to thank a number of people for playing a pivotal role in the history and legacy of this great magazine. Not least to Philip Raby, for starting the title;…

One-of-a-kind 911 pays tribute to Jo Siffert The legacy of the legendary Swiss racer is recognised with a unique 911 based on the GT3 RS On 10 August 1969, Swiss racer Joseph “Jo” Siffert and the German Kurt Ahrens won the first international 1,000km race at the Österreichring. It was the first race win for the 917 and a victory Porsche would never forget. Some 50 years after his death, the charismatic Siffert continues to enjoy cult status in Switzerland, leading to the creation of a one-off 911 on the anniversary of his most memorable Porsche result. Built to commemorate the 917’s maiden win, and Siffert’s enduring legacy, the 911 is based on a GT3 RS, and has been created by Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur as part of the Sonderwunsch programme,…

Farewell to Total 911 Dear Sir, A quick note of thanks to you, after hearing that Total 911 will come to an end, for the past 12 years of editorial control at the helm. I drove from home over to Manchester Airport on Tuesday morning this week and heard, on the latest 9WERKS Radio podcast, the news. I’m gutted, but can understand the print pressures you mentioned (listening to it on my drive to Glasgow this afternoon). You asked for ideas… I’m a subscriber to Total 911 and when it ends, I’ll simply up my membership level on 9WERKS to help contribute to what you offer in another form. It would be great if 9WERKS were to move to include a high-quality edition, in print, where the photographs could be…

Best 911s of all time Over 249 issues of Total 911, we’ve driven every conceivable production Porsche 911 model. This means, in the long-running debate as to which is the best 911 of all time, we consider ourselves uniquely placed to answer this question diligently. Therefore, we’re delighted to bring you our definitive list of the greatest 911s of all time… split between air- and water-cooled. Why have we split the two? Simply put, the two eras are completely different in the driving experience they offer, and need to be treated accordingly. The air-cooled cars were all built off that same base 911 from 1963; the water-cooled 911s, meanwhile, start afresh every other generation. The air- and water-cooled communities tend to attract different audiences, and while we’ve witnessed these two…

History has a tendency to repeat itself. The economic, social, environmental and political issues littering modern mainstream media reports paint a picture that’s often difficult to digest. But we don’t live in unprecedented times. Fifty years ago the world was enduring a similar predicament, and the automotive industry was in turmoil. The OPEC oil crisis of 1973 led to sky-high fuel prices. Almost overnight, thirsty, high-performance cars were shunned in favour of more economical machines. Against the backdrop of global recession, energy conservation became the name of the game, with speed limits introduced in a bid to cut fuel consumption – both in Europe and the US. At the same time, the early 1970s gave rise to new environmental concerns. In the States, the Clean Air Act called for a…

10 B4391, WALES We couldn’t not have this little gem in our top 10, seeing as we’ve road tested so many Porsche 911s along this sensational stretch of blacktop over the years. Nestled in the heart of Snowdonia’s dramatic landscape, the B4391 is a road considered to be off the beaten track for most tourists, meaning it’s usually bereft of traffic. Heading west from the town of Bala towards Ffestiniog, the route’s first half is fast and flowing, with the second half becoming tight and technical, offering the best of both worlds to the driving enthusiast. Always well sighted, with an excellent road surface, Total 911 isn’t the only motoring publication to have used the B4391 for its road tests. The first section is much flatter as it cuts through…