Coming Across Unfamiliar Porsche Terms

Lately, when I’m reading the Porsche Owners File submissions people send us about their cars or browsing reviews in car magazines, I keep running into unfamiliar terms and thinking, “Wait—what does that mean?” For Porsche owners and car enthusiasts, these words may be second nature, but to an ordinary person like me, they’re often brand new. Every now and then, I ask my husband to explain one.

The other day, I started writing down some of the terms I’d come across and quickly ended up with more than ten. So today, I’d like to share a “Porsche glossary for beginners.” That said, I’m sure most of you reading this blog already know these terms, so I’d be grateful if you read it from the perspective of, “Ah, so this is the kind of thing a wife who doesn’t know much about cars wouldn’t understand…” lol

18 Porsche Terms, Explained

① MY2018

At first, I thought “MY” meant “my” as in “belonging to me.” I’d laugh and say, “Come on, there’s no need to spell out that it’s my car!” Later, when I learned I’d got it completely wrong, I was so embarrassed. MY stands for “model year.”

In Europe and North America, the term is used to indicate roughly when a vehicle was built. But a 2018 model, for example, may enter production in mid-2017 and go on sale sometime in the third quarter or later, so the model year doesn’t necessarily match the calendar year. Porsche model years also typically change over around summer, meaning a car built in July may be assigned to the following model year. As it happens, our Panamera Turbo was built in July 2017, making it a MY2018.

② C2S

At a glance, I thought it looked like “H2O”—some sort of chemical formula (am I the only one?). But C2S is short for “911 Carrera (C), two-wheel drive (2), S.” So a Carrera 4S is written as “C4S.”

③ 991.1

You often see designations like “996.1” or “991.2.” “996” and “991” are model codes that also serve as internal development codes. The number after the dot—“1” or “2”—indicates whether it’s the earlier version (1) or the later version (2). So “991.1” means an early-version 911 Carrera from the 991 generation. Our Panamera Turbo, by the way, is a “971.1.”

④ 2+2 Seating

This describes a four-seat car with two full-size adult seats plus two occasional-use seats (seats that meet passenger-capacity requirements but are generally too cramped, practically speaking, for adults to sit in for long periods—in other words, temporary-use seats).

So, the 911 has two full-size seats plus two occasional-use rear seats, which is why it’s described as a 2+2. My husband asked me,

“Okay, quiz time. How would you describe the seating in the Panamera Sport Turismo?”

I answered confidently, “2+3! (￣ー￣)”, only to get this in reply:

“No! It’s 4+1! ヽ(`Д´)ﾉ”

…Ah, I see what he means.

⑤ Roll Cage

A roll cage is fitted inside race-oriented cars such as the GT3. It’s a frame made of steel or aluminum tubing that protects the occupants’ space in an accident, such as a rollover. It’s also called a roll bar—and, because of how it looks, people often nickname it a jungle gym.

⑥ Narrow Porsche

This refers to 911s from the first generation through 1973. Because these cars have narrower bodywork, they’re known in Japan as “Narrow Porsches” (“narrow” meaning slim or not wide). In the U.S., they’re known as “Early Porsches.”

⑦ Bosch

Bosch is a major German engineering and electronics company. In Japan, it’s widely known for household appliances, but in the automotive world, it’s especially well known for manufacturing injection systems (fuel-delivery systems). Porsche has used Bosch injection systems since the 1968 911E.

⑧ Weissach Package

“Weissach” takes its name from the Weissach Development Center, the heart of Porsche’s research and development operations. It’s where Porsche’s latest technologies and expertise come together. The Weissach Package is designed to “deliver an extremely lightweight car and bring it as close as possible to the world of motorsport.” It’s very much aimed at serious track driving, and at the time of writing, it’s an option available only on the GT2 RS and GT3 RS.

⑨ 911 Speedster

A limited-edition model rooted in Porsche tradition, the 911 Speedster is distinguished by features such as a lower front windshield than the regular 911, a manually operated soft top, and a “double-bubble” design (like the one on the Boxster Spyder). It has typically been released toward the end of the current generation’s production run. The new 911 Speedster was unveiled just the other day, making headlines.

⑩ Air-Cooled Porsche

An air-cooled Porsche is one powered by an air-cooled engine. In this type of engine, outside air carries away the heat produced by the engine, keeping it cool. The 911 models from the 356 through the 993 were equipped with air-cooled engines.

⑪ Water-Cooled Porsche

Water-cooled Porsches are models powered by water-cooled engines, introduced with the 996 generation. In this type of engine, water or coolant carries away the heat generated inside the engine. Compared with air-cooled engines, water-cooled engines offer more consistent cooling and run more quietly. However, their more complex design requires more parts and adds weight.

⑫ “73 Carrera”

A road-going version of a GT racing model, the “73 Carrera” paired a lightweight 911 body with a 2.7-liter engine created by enlarging the 2.4-liter engine from the 911T/E/S. It debuted in 1973, which is why it’s nicknamed the “73 Carrera.” It’s also famous in Japan thanks to the manga *Circuit no Ōkami* (*The Circuit Wolf*), in which the hero’s rival—who drives a Lotus Europa—owns a Porsche 911 Carrera RS.

⑬ RS

RS is short for *Rennsport*, German for “racing.” The name conveys the idea of a “pure racing model.” Porsche used the RS badge on race cars built to compete in events such as Le Mans and the Mille Miglia. The first road car to bear the name was the 1973 911 Carrera RS, better known as the “73 Carrera.”

⑭ Fuchs Wheels

Fuchs wheels are made by FUCHS, a German forged-wheel manufacturer founded in 1910. They were fitted to the first-generation 911 and supplied as factory-original wheels to Porsche for around 20 years. Even today, Porsche’s online configurator offers wheels inspired by the classic Fuchs design.

⑮ Flat-Six

A flat-six is a horizontally opposed six-cylinder SOHC engine, long a Porsche 911 hallmark. It gets its name from its broad, flat shape: “flat-six” simply describes a six-cylinder engine laid out flat.

⑯ Brembo

Brembo is an Italian manufacturer of disc brakes for cars and motorcycles, founded in 1961—around the time disc brakes were first being invented. Today, it’s world-famous for high-performance braking systems, fitted to cars from Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Lexus, and more.

Porsche brakes are also made by Brembo. But I once read that Porsche doesn’t simply install off-the-shelf Brembo brakes like other manufacturers; instead, Porsche develops and engineers its own systems, then has Brembo manufacture them.

⑰ Recaro

Founded in Germany in 1906 as a carriage-building company called Reutter Karosserie, the company later expanded into automobile bodies and interiors as cars became popular. In 1963, Porsche’s ramp-up in 911 production led it to become Porsche’s dedicated seat manufacturer. The company’s name was changed to “RECARO,” formed from the first letters of Reutter Carosserie. From the late 1960s onward, it also expanded into producing and selling seats for other automakers.

⑱ IMS Bearing Problem

The IMS problem affects the engines in early 996 and 997 models. It occurs when the bolts or bearings on the intermediate shaft—which transfers motion from the crankshaft to the camshafts—wear out over time and fail. From the later 997 models onward, Porsche switched to direct injection and eliminated the intermediate shaft, so the IMS problem no longer applied.

I’m sure I’ll come across plenty more unfamiliar terms, so once I’ve collected about 20, I’ll share another list (lol).