The other day, my husband had the chance to drive a friend’s 911 SC, and he wrote his impressions in this article. Please have a look if you’re interested.

Test Drive: 911 SC (930 Model)

This time, we were fortunate to test drive a 1981 Porsche 911 SC. The “SC” in 911 SC stands for Super Carrera, and it’s powered by a 3-liter air-cooled flat-six engine. It boasts 204 PS at 5900 rpm and 27 mkg at 4300 rpm, replacing the previous 911 2.7 and Carrera 3.0 models, and features a slightly wider body than the Carrera.

Looking through the materials I have, the 1978 SC (180 PS) did 0-100 km/h in 6.3 seconds with a top speed of 226.6 km/h, so this ’81 model is probably around 6 seconds flat. That’s quite fast.

Even by modern standards, a 6-second 0-100 km/h time is something ordinary family cars simply can’t achieve. It requires a proper sports model to reach that kind of speed.

The transmission is the well-known Porsche-synchronized 915 type. Often described as feeling like “cutting butter with a hot knife,” it remains beloved by many enthusiasts to this day.

Literally, you push the gear lever into first with a squishy feeling and engage the clutch. The clutch engagement sensation is very similar across various old and new Porsches I’ve driven. You lightly engage the clutch at almost idle, and as the car starts moving, you press the accelerator. Despite being an older car, it’s not particularly difficult to drive smoothly if you’re used to Porsche clutches.

The initial roll feels very soft. It’s surprisingly supple for a sports car. Shifting into second and third gears, the acceleration is impressive. There’s no sense that this is an old, slow car—it drives like a well-performing vehicle. The speed changes exactly as you expect based on how much you press the accelerator, which is very Porsche-like.

The steering is heavy, but once you’re moving, personally, I didn’t feel any discomfort. This weightiness is part of the 911 character and really makes you feel like you’re driving a sports car.

On the Royu Driveway’s Hoden S-Curve, turning right and left, the body roll is more forgiving than expected. This feeling, with the transmission’s squishy yet firm core, matches the suspension’s character well—soft but with a definite stopping point—never causing unease or fear.

Compared to my own 964 model, this one feels lighter and more nimble, while the 964 feels a bit heavier. On the other hand, I was surprised that the handling as a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive car wasn’t as challenging as I had imagined. Since it’s a different generation, I expected the 911 SC to be more difficult than the 964, but when driving normally on winding roads, it didn’t show any particularly sensitive traits.

This might be partly because I’m somewhat accustomed to driving 911s, but you don’t have to consciously load the front tires much for it to turn well, and it never felt precarious. Of course, this is just my impression at normal road speeds; things might change at higher speeds.

The engine sound is truly delightful for this era. You can hear every mechanical moving part, creating a multi-layered engine soundtrack. That day, we had driven the newly delivered 992 to the location, and its engine sound resembles that of the air-cooled engine.

Listening again, I realized the 992’s engine sound is like the air-cooled engine’s sound with all the rough edges smoothed out.

Shifting from fourth to fifth gear, the engine revs are quite high. I don’t remember exactly now, but at 100 km/h, the engine was probably just under 4000 rpm due to the gear ratios.

At first, I thought I hadn’t actually shifted into fifth gear and checked several times, but it was definitely fifth. Later, the owner confirmed, “That’s just how it is.” So, he said it’s quite lively on the highway. I can imagine it’s a lot of fun to keep those high revs going.

Easing off the accelerator and lightly braking while focusing on increasing front tire grip, it’s unmistakably a 911. It turns smoothly around the rear axle with a pleasant feeling. The amazing thing about the 911 is that no matter the era, the fundamentals remain consistent.

While some criticize the current 991 and 992 models as being too easy to drive, if you drive properly suited to a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, the car responds beautifully. That depth of character remains unchanged, whether it’s the latest model or an air-cooled classic.

A 911 That Can Also Be a Family Car

After getting a good feel for the car, fixing the gear around third or fourth and cruising at a steady speed feels very pleasant. I thought it would be perfect to drive along Route 55 by the sea in Shikoku like this. The 911 SC seems perfectly suited to that kind of relaxed driving.

By the way, when I asked the owner, he said this car is actually used as a family car, regularly carrying his wife and children, and “it’s totally usable.” He also said it’s very reliable and can go anywhere. That’s truly a wonderful way to enjoy a 911.

According to Porsche:

“There is no other sports car that lets you go shopping right after racing at the Nürburgring. Even if the number of passengers varies, Porsche creates just one thing: a sports car to enjoy every day.”

I want to applaud the owner who uses the 911 as a truly versatile sports car. Thank you very much for letting us experience this precious car!