Porsche model numbering ...

[zcacogp]

Chaps,

One thing that always confuses me slightly is the logic behind the Porsche model numbering codes.

For instance, the car that is badged '911' has gone through several different generations - the 964, the 993, the 996 and the 997. However, these are not consecutive numbers, how were they arrived at? What happened to the 994 and the 995? And will the next one be a 998?

I believe that boxsters are numbered 986 and 987 (with the fronts similar to the 996 and 997 respectively), but I could be wrong on this. However, what number will come next? Will there be a boxster in 5 generations time called the 992? Will the one after that be a 993? No, it can't, as this is a 911.

Also, what is the logic in the 924/944/968 series? These are effectively three generations of the same car (I'll ignore cries of derision here!) but why these numbers?

Then you have the 928. Sounds very like a combination of 924 and 968, but it is not related to either.

Is there a logic here, or am I trying to look for something that is not present? I guess it is Porsche's prerogative to call their cars whatever they like, if they do so choose.

Oh, and I haven't even got onto the Cayenne and Cayman yet. Presumably these have model numbers in the same way - do they fit the pattern?

And then there is the question of names vs. numbers. Why is there a 911, and a Boxster and Cayman and Cayenne? I guess they are moving away from badging their cars with numbers, but the 911 is too evocative a badge to lose. Am I correct?

Sorry to trouble you with these questions, but these things keep me awake at night!


Oli.

[DucatiGary]

porsche model numberwang?

wetwipe, your thread has arrived.

[diesel130]

I always thought the number after the '9' was something to do with the year ...

964 - looks like it was designed in 1964
993 - came out in 1993
996 - should have come out in 1996, but was delayed a year, whilst the porsche engineers worked out where to put the water

but then the 997 totally ed up my logic.

Edited by diesel130 on Friday 3rd November 13:59

[craggers]

diesel130 said:

I always thought the number after the '9' was something to do with the year ...

964 - looks like it was designed in 1964
993 - came out in 1993
996 - should have come out in 1996, but was delayed a year, whilst the porsche engineers worked out where to put the water

but then the 997 totally ed up my logic.

Edited by diesel130 on Friday 3rd November 13:59

Maybe 997 is "997 things improvement over 996"?

[zcacogp]

I was hoping for a sensible answer ...


Oli.

[Andrew D]

craggers said:

Maybe 997 is "997 things improvement over 996"?

Or perhaps 99.7% profit on each unit, as it's just the same as a 996...

[testarossa]

Porsche registered certain numbers many years ago, they all started with 9, these numbers have one more generation to go per car, then they will begin to be badged by names, the names currently registered are

Light (for the security conscious)

Kosher (for the German market)

Nosh (for the City folk)

It (for anybody who doesn't have the Carrera GT)

[dilbert]

I guess by 996 they realised that they were running out of numbers (having allocated them so poorly in the past). I can only think that they lost their bottle, and decided to start incrementing slowly whilst they figure out what to do next.

My bet is that if they don't go for a name, then they'll use a slash.



Edited to add;

I wonder if anyone will buy a 999/3!

Edited by dilbert on Friday 3rd November 14:11

[993AL]

Just to confuse the issue http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_

901 just doesnt quite have the same ring to it, a round of applause for Peugeot.

[Andrew D]

I doubt running out of Type numbers will really be an issue, as none of the vehicles since the 968 have had a number written on them.

[zcacogp]

testarossa said:

Porsche registered certain numbers many years ago, they all started with 9, these numbers have one more generation to go per car, then they will begin to be badged by names, the names currently registered are

Light (for the security conscious)

Kosher (for the German market)

Nosh (for the City folk)

It (for anybody who doesn't have the Carrera GT)

I give up!

Andrew D said:

I doubt running out of Type numbers will really be an issue, as none of the vehicles since the 968 have had a number written on them.

First sensible comment - thank you Andrew!

Sometimes I wonder why I bother. (I guess you all wonder why I bother as well, don't you? Yes, OK, you do.)


Oli.

[anonymous-user]

diesel130 said:

but then the 997 totally ed up my logic.

£997 list price for a RMS ?

[Andrew D]

zcacogp said:

Is there a logic here, or am I trying to look for something that is not present? I guess it is Porsche's prerogative to call their cars whatever they like, if they do so choose.

They are all Type numbers, which are internal project numbers. In much the same way as the engineering projects on which I work have a Project Code for identification and reference, so do design studies etc. within car manufacturers. There will be a strategy between similar vehicles (924 to 944 and 986/996) but there won't be an overarching inter-relation through the whole range. The only reason why they are commonly known is that Porsche enthusiasts/owners tend to be more technically minded, and like to use terms to differentiate between models. Other manufacturers do the same thing, my Z4 is a Type E85 but I'd wager 90% of Z4 owners have never heard of the term. Likewise a Mk1 Mercedes ML is a Type W162 (IIRC).

The Cayman is part of Type 987, in the same way as there's no distinction between a 2.7 and 3.2/3.4 in the code. The Gayenne will also have a number, but I've never found out what it is and it may not be a 9** number. Perhaps that's because nobody cares about the Gayenne

zcacogp said:

And then there is the question of names vs. numbers. Why is there a 911, and a Boxster and Cayman and Cayenne? I guess they are moving away from badging their cars with numbers, but the 911 is too evocative a badge to lose. Am I correct?

Current strategy is towards names for models rather than numbers but as you correctly point out, the 911 trades on it's heritage very heavily so they maintain the designation. Although (excluding celebration models) there hasn't been a 911 model with a number on the back since 1989.

[Wetwipe]

DucatiGary said:

porsche model numberwang?

wetwipe, your thread has arrived.

rotate the board.....oh it still looks the same.....

[jbl930]

In a similar vein why do all lotus's start with an E?

[testarossa]

jbl930 said:

In a similar vein why do all lotus's start with an E?

Same starter motor?????

You're right, but then the 340R ruins things.

[satans worm]

Also why do people refer to them as 'nine elevens' and not 'nine hundred and eleven'?

[hutchingsp]

satans worm said:

Also why do people refer to them as 'nine elevens' and not 'nine hundred and eleven'?

Presume it's similar to road number, you take the B Four Hundred and turn off onto the B Five Three Two yet spend Five Hundred and Thirty Two pounds.

Not sure what the "rules" of that are but there must be some mental process that works out the convention on how to pronounce a given number in a given context.

[flemke]

993AL said:

Just to confuse the issue http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_

901 just doesnt quite have the same ring to it, a round of applause for Peugeot.

Just like the Frogs to assert that they owned the rights to numbers.

IINM, their original claim was that they owned the rights to every three digit number that would be applied to a motorcar, but they were bargained down to the ones with a "0" in the middle.

Not sure how BMW got away with the 507 - or Mercedes with the 300, come to that!

[Chris944_S2]

flemke said:

993AL said:

Just to confuse the issue http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_

901 just doesnt quite have the same ring to it, a round of applause for Peugeot.

Just like the Frogs to assert that they owned the rights to numbers.

It would be a valid point, if the Rosbeef hadn't done the same with the number 007