Porsche 911

The 911 was originally named 901, it changed after a dispute with Peugeot, which had already trademarked three-digit names with a zero in the middle for its cars in France. The unusual, technically risky rear-engine layout became the model's signature instead of a flaw to fix: generations of Porsche engineers spent decades refining the cornering behavior of a car that, on paper, should be unstable.

The lineage is split into code-named generations: 901/930 (the original air-cooled era, up to 1989), 964, the 993 (the last air-cooled 911, 1993-1998), the 996 (1997, the first water-cooled model, controversial for headlights shared with the Boxster), and the modern 997, 991, and 992 generations. The Targa, with its distinctive roll bar, is named after the Sicilian Targa Florio race, where Porsche built much of its early racing legend.

Few production cars have kept such a recognizable silhouette for so long, Porsche's stated philosophy for the 911 has always been evolution, not revolution, and it's rare to find another example of that idea working so well in the industry.

• The name "911" only exists because Peugeot had already trademarked three-digit names with a zero in the middle in France.
• The original 911 made just 130 hp, today, a Turbo variant tops 600 hp with the same basic rear-engine layout.
• The Targa name comes from the Italian Targa Florio race, held on public roads in Sicily.
• The 996 (1997) was the first water-cooled 911 after 34 years of air-cooled engines, a decision that still divides purists today.