Popular Science - USA (2020 - Spring)

80

The engine in a Porsche 911

sits at the very back, a design

that eschews the conventional

wisdom that most of a vehicle’s

mass should sit between its

axles. And yet Porsche not only

made the unconventional de-

sign work, it created one of the

best sports cars of all time. Oh,

sure, the 911 had a nasty habit

of punishing inept drivers by

spinning like a Matchbox car

thrown across the kitchen floor.

But in the hands of a skilled

pilot, the layout provides ex-

cellent traction and improved

braking. That’s helped make

this iconic automobile one of

the most successful racing

machines ever, even as it has

grown larger and more luxu-

rious. As always, that unusual

drivetrain architecture is still

wrapped in a sleek fastback

body that’s impossible to

mistake for anything else.

PORSCHE

911

BORN 1963

PO

RS

CH

E^9

11 :

C

OU

RT

ES

Y^ P

OR

SC

HE