If there were ever a more appropriate title for Porsche’s almost five decades old evolution of the 911, it would be “Against all Odds”. The reason being that the iconic model introduced in 1964 by Ferdinand Porsche, has proven to be a runaway success despite its shortcomings.
But let's take it from the beginning. First of all, it was Porsche’s second model after the 356 and it was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963. Its original designation was the 901. However, Peugeot had registered all three-digit numbers with a “0” in the middle for its lineup, and Porsche was forced to change the name to 911.
More importantly, it was the layout that should have condemned the 911: physics dictate that the right place to put an engine in a car is either up front or in the middle. However, the 911 had its flat-six placed behind the rear axle.
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