A new spotter’s guide from RimBlades USA features many of the interesting design shifts made to the Porsche 911 over the generations. The graphic gives insight into how to identify which model you’re looking at.
“We all know that Porsche 911s have been updated over the generations,” says Adam Dangleman, CEO at RimBlades USA. “But the updates were sometimes subtle. We wanted to point out two or three changing features anyone could spot with a little attention. To all the Porsche 911 enthusiasts out there, we hope you enjoy the resource as much as we enjoyed making it.”
No matter the generation, the Porsche 911 is revered as a fast, fun drive that handles and corners better than most. Porsche has been building generations and variations of the 911 since 1965. In fact, the 2019 911 Speedster, which is built on the 991 chassis, just debuted at the New York Auto Show.
Here are some highlights from the spotter’s guide:
- The original 911 has chrome accents galore – the hubcaps, the front bumper strip, the side mirrors, and more. If you don’t see chrome side mirrors, you’re most likely looking at a model introduced after 1972.
- The 964, which began with the 1990 model, was the first version to omit exterior chrome accents. It also sports a distinctive black strip between the body and the larger bumper that houses rectangular signal lights.
- The 996 was the first generation to have a water-cooled engine and the only generation to have the fried-egg headlights. The integrated door handles and wide, definitive chin splitter are also clear features of the 996.
“No matter what generation you’re looking at, everyone recognizes the 911 simply by profile,” says Dangleman. “Most of us think, ‘that’s a Porsche 911,’ without even realizing it, so it was fun to get into the identifying details. Maybe next time you see one, you’ll think, ‘A 993, probably a ‘95.’”
