Understanding the Porsche 911 Lineup: There's More Than You Think

Choose from nine different power outputs, three body types, and two drivetrains


Saying that you drive a 911 is just about as vague as saying you own a Chevrolet. Porsche currently sells 24 different variations of the iconic rear-engine sports car, and that doesn't begin to scratch the surface of the list of race car variants.

The 911 is an almost 55-year-old icon for a reason. But with so many to choose from, it's easy to lose track of what is available. For clarity, here is a broken-down list of all the different 911s sold today.

Here, we have the 911 divided into five model series with similar qualities and attributes, which, for this sake, we'll call "lines." There's the Carrera, Targa, GTS, Turbo, and GT lines. Cars within those lines are offered with three different bodies (coupe, convertible, targa), rear- or all-wheel drive, and several engines that pack a punch between 370 and 700 hp - not to mention a price spread over $200,000.

The Carrera model line is the largest and least expensive group, with nine variants. Two engine outputs--370 and 420 hp--are available, both coming from a 3.0-liter turbocharged flat-six. Ranging from the $92,150, rear-wheel-drive Carrera coupe to $125,350 for the all-wheel-drive 4S Cabriolet. there are the two most common versions of the Carrera, and if you drive by a Porsche dealer, these are the cars you'll see on the lot. 

Porsche reintroduced the Targa in 2015 and currently sells three different models, based on engine output, which range from 370 to 450 hp and 405 lb-ft torque. All Targas sold are all-wheel drive and prices range from $111,350 for a Targa 4 to $140,950 for a Targa 4 GTS.

GTS comes next in the range, denoting that these 911s carry the same 3.0-liter turbocharged motor with output bumped up to 450 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque. You can choose between all three body options and both drive options; price starts at $121,750.

Most Porsches are turbocharged now, but fewer actually wear the Turbo moniker. The ones that do boast a boosted 3.8-liter engine making 540 hp, 580 with the Turbo S models. There’s also an "Exclusive" series, which squeezes that same motor for 607 horsepower and comes with a $276,550 price tag. Porsche is only building 500 of those. All Turbo models are all-wheel drive.

Finally, the three GT models: the privileged track rat toys. The GT3 and GT3 RS are the only two offered with non-turbocharged engines; instead a 4.0-liter flat-six spins up to 9,000rpm and makes 500 hp in the GT3 and 520 in the GT3 RS. Because these are racetrack-focused, only the rear wheels are driven. If you have over a quarter million dollars to spend, the GT2 RS reigns supreme for power (700 hp from the 3.8-liter), lap time (6 minutes 47.3 seconds), and superiority arguments at the bar.

So, there you have it. The 24 Porsche variants that are available for sale right now. If your income is among the top 1% of earners, there’s almost certainly a Porsche for you.