Origin of Porsche 911

The most primitive Porsche 911 I have ever driven.This is the 1967 911S that we had the opportunity to test drive this time.

The Bahama Yellow colored car has a special aura from its dignified appearance. The history of this car may be the reason for this impression. The mileage is only about 21,000 km. It has a different character from a classic car.

And that's just as well, because...According to the story, it was owned by a famous ballet dancer.It is said that.

It wears Porsche's standard Fuchs forged aluminum, and ventilated brake discs are a feature of the S.The 1991cc air-cooled flat-six produces 160ps, which was quite powerful for the time.Car.

Above all, the most important feature of this 911 is that it is a short wheelbase 911, although from its birth in 1964 until 1968, the wheelbase of the 911 was only 2211 mm, and it was built with an emphasis on turning and cornering performance.On the other hand, issues in terms of stability and operability were also pointed out.From the 1969 model year onward, the wheelbase was extended to 2,268 mm to improve stability at high speeds on the Autobahn and to improve maneuverability.

Therefore, this short-wheelbase 911 has become an icon of the early 911, and is now a model that has enthusiasts on the contrary due to its maneuverability threshold and other factors.

Driving a short wheelbase narrow Porsche

engine

The key slot on the left side (door side) is a Porsche tradition that has continued since that time.A light twist of the key, as in modern cars, will not wake up a 2-liter flat six so easily.The engine wakes up after a slightly longer cranking with a little gas pedal pressure.

The revs are still not stable right after startup, but once you get going, there are no problems."Like scraping honey around with a spoon." and throw the shift, which is described as "first gear. The position where the clutch connects takes some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, it's not that difficult.

Compared to today's cars, the engine's torque is thin, but when revved up, it makes the body, which weighs only 1,000 kg, run nimbly. Anyway, the sound is good.

Great mechanical noise, intake and exhaust sounds. The sound is low at low RPMs and smoothly changes to a high pitch sound as the RPMs increase.

The sound has a wider range than the sound of today's turbocharged 911 engines.is uplifting.

shift lever

The gnarly feeling shift lever is thrown in and the gearshift is shifted to 3rd and 4th gear. The shift knob is obviously long, and one might think, "If it were this long, wouldn't it be impossible to shift gears in a sporty manner? You might think, "If it were this long, I wouldn't be able to shift gears in a sporty manner.

I thought so too until I experienced the classic 911s around here.

However, in the course of experiencing various PorscheShift length is a significant factor in the balance of a car's maneuverability.For example, in a modern Porsche, the short-stroke shift lever on the Spyder, GT4, and GT3 is indeed very comfortable and easy to get into.

On the other hand, my 981 Boxster has a slightly longer shift than that, even though the shape is the same.

First.Why the difference in shift length for cars of the same period?I even thought about converting my Boxster's shift to a GT4 short shift.

However, after comparing each car over and over again, I came to understand that the short shift lever is better suited to the crisp and agile movements of the GT3 and Spyder, and that the long stroke lever is better suited to the slightly milder and more "springy" suspension of the Boxster, from the standpoint of driving rhythm. The long stroke lever was better suited to the rhythm of the car's suspension.

While it's important to be able to maneuver quickly, it's more important to be able toWhen the sense of rhythm is right, the whole car is in tune, and the driver feels very good.You can get a sense of what it's like to be a part of the world.

This 911 is also the very same "tuning (musical)The "A" is a good fit. The power of the engine, the feeling of revving, the ground feel of the suspension, the agility, and the car all match well with this shift lever.

This stroke, this feeling, is what makes the balance of the entire car possible.

It is not enough to have one thing that stands out from the rest. Like an orchestra, it is important that the skills of all players and the number and placement of instruments are in balance.

Driving Feeling

I'm going to take a curve or two," he said.Ah, it's 911 after all!I can't help but say, "I've never seen a 911 that feels so good. Even after all these model changes, the 911 still feels the same. The stability of the rear end, which is different from any other car, and the ease with which the movement of the car can be changed with a single shift of load, are similar to the current 911, although the speed range is different.

However, unlike the 73 Carrera and 911SC that I have driven, it is honestly difficult to maneuver. No, if you want to drive this thing fast, it requires a lot of skill.

The 73 Carrera was a whole lot easier and felt like a modern 911 in the way it moved at will.This is not the case with this narrow.

For example, when approaching a corner, you let off the gas pedal a little and put a load on the front end to turn. In that case, up to a certain rudder angle, it feels like a normal 911.I get the impression that the curvature changes abruptly from a certain rudder angle.The first is the "I" in "I".

It is a sensation as if the rear end were somehow mushy and out of place, or to put it another way, it is almost as if the car is now running with extremely low air pressure in the rear end.

I tried to drive carefully since it was a borrowed car, but it would take some skill and familiarity if I wanted to drive this thing fast. It seems that this 911 does not open up to me in the slightest.

Uphill, for example, the weight of the rear of the RR is very noticeable and puts the load firmly on the front.If you can't do that, you can't drive properly. No other car requires such load shifting skills. It is now a motorcycle.

Impression at high speed range

I try to speed up in a straight line a little. The owner tells me that I'm going fast.It's fluffy.I was quite defensive because I had been told that "there is a lot of pitching," but there is definitely some pitching. And there is definitely some ho-hum, ho-hum loud shaking.

But what struck me even more was thatDespite this short wheelbase, it is very straight.That is.

I thought it would swing more from side to side or that I would have to hold the steering wheel tighter, but there was no need to worry about that at all. It usually runs straight and straight.

I've had a few classic Porsches in the past.What they all have in common is this amazingly straight forwardness.I am amazed at the engineering that was able to achieve this in that era, and in a car that is so compact and has such a short wheelbase.

911 Interesting.

In the latter half of the test drive, the excitement had calmed down and I drove to savor the experience. From behind me, the flat-six played an exquisite multi-talented music. The clutch is operated with the left foot, the accelerator with the right foot, and the shifter is operated rhythmically with a long stroke shift.

When you give commands to the car as if you were a conductor, the 911 responds faithfully. Of course, if the conductor is not a good conductor, the 911 will give back feedback accordingly.

Once again, what I have learned from this originating 911 is that there is a "911 Interesting.The idea was that there would be a 'one

Someday I would like to take a trip in such a 911 and drive it along the Melody Line at Cape Sata or the Ryudomari Line. I could picture such a journey in my mind's eye as I drove this 911.