| Overall |
 The
subdued and pleasing noise from the back tells you where the engine is
and so does the freedom from wheel spin and the ability to use a lot of
the power on corners. But rear-engined handling characteristics have virtually
disappeared - there are many front engined cars which are more sensitive
to crosswinds and very fast roll-free cornering can be enjoyed with no
worries about losing the tail except in special circumstances. Performance
figures show that the 911 is a very much faster car than its production
predecessors; a maximum speed of 130mph on 130hp says a lot for the drag
coefficient and the acceleration times are astonishing for a 2-litre car
weighing over a ton. It really comes into its own on long high speed journeys
when the very smooth six cylinder power unit can be kept continuously in
its best torque range between 3,000 and 6,000rpm by very free use of the
superb, five-speed gearbox - this is no car for top gear drivers. Above
all, it has that effortless feeling which suggests that hard driving is
what it is designed for and will never wear it out prematurely.....
|
| Engine |
 The
engine doesn't like pulling hard below 1,500rpm and it only gets into its
proper stride between 2,500 and 3,000rpm; after this it runs with complete
smoothness and lack of strain to the rev limit of 6,800rpm. During the
maximum speed runs the tachometer needle was sitting almost exactly on
this limit at 130mph. It isn't a silent power unit - at low rpm there is
a rumbling, rattling noise, which probably comes from the transmission,
but once it rises into useful torque range there is nothing but a smooth
mechanical whirr and a hard, deep and very subdued exhaust roar which together
form just the right accompaniment to fast motoring in a car this purposeful
character.....
|
| Transmission |
| The
synchromesh has that smooth, slicing action which is a Porsche speciality,
the ratios are very close together and the gears are almost silent except
at low speeds. To be always in the right gear for the present or potential
situation demands little physical effort but a certain dedication and forethought
which some will enjoy and others disdain.....The clutch operation doesn't
quite live up to this standard. It is light but it has a long travel and
an 'overcentre' feel.....
|
| Handling |
 The
911 is the clearest reputation yet of the theory that rear-engined handling
problems are insoluble without reverting to extreme counter measures which
themselves have undesirable side effects. The basic oversteering influence
of a 40/60 weight distribution is counteracted largely by a very high roll
stiffness at the front and a considerable difference between front and
rear wheel camber settings.....
.....this gives the steering
a rather lively feel - camber changes, bumps, ridges, all feed back their
messages quite strongly ( but not harshly ) to the driver's hands, particularly
when cornering fast.....
|
| Brakes |
| An
unusual feature of the all-disc braking system is that it uses a duo-servo
drum handbrake - the drums are incorporated in the centre portion of the
rear discs. This is very powerful.....no fade or roughness....they are
light to operate and they showed very high stopping power on a dry road.
|
In
fact, one might almost criticise the handling on the grounds that it is
too neutral - the car can be pushed up to its very high cornering speeds
without a clear indication to the driver of what will happen when it finally
lets go. On dry roads this doesn't matter very much - it is most stable
accelerating round a corner, when it maintains a very mild understeer,
but the limits are so high that few people will reach them on public roads.
On slippery surfaces the German Dunlop SP high speed tyres still grip tenaciously
but the back end will break away if you use too much throttle in a low
gear, or if you corner too fast on a trailing throttle - a moderate amount
of power gives the best results. If you want to drive near the ragged edge
you must remain alert because of the usual early warning symptoms of roll,
tyre squeal and attitude change are almost absent.....
| Performance
Test
All data were recorded by Motor MAXIMUM SPEED : 5th gear ..... 129.8 mph
ACCELERATION : 0-30 mph ....... 2.8 sec
Standard 1/4 mile : 16.1 sec FUEL CONSUMPTION : Touring : 23.2 mpg
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