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How the Porsche 911 got its name

This legendary sports car was almost called something quite different.

Craig Cole Former reviews editor
Craig brought 15 years of automotive journalism experience to the Cars team. A lifelong resident of Michigan, he's as happy with a wrench or welding gun in hand as he is in front of the camera or behind a keyboard. When not hosting videos or cranking out features and reviews, he's probably out in the garage working on one of his project cars. He's fully restored a 1936 Ford V8 sedan and then turned to resurrecting another flathead-powered relic, a '51 Ford Crestliner. Craig has been a proud member of the Automotive Press Association (APA) and the Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA).
Craig Cole

The is probably the world's greatest sports car. From racetracks and mountain roads to the highways in between, this purposeful machine has been delighting drivers for nearly six decades.

Since its debut, there have practically been more 911 models than there are pages on Wikipedia, from Carreras and Cabriolets to Targas and Turbos, plus a laundry list special-edition cars. Hell, there are at least 20 different variants to choose from today, which can make shopping for a new 911 a little bit confusing.

But where did this automotive icon come from and what does that three-digit name actually mean? Well, there's quite an interesting backstory to this legendary sports car. It involves Volkswagen , the French and even Dr. Ferdinand Porsche himself.

For all the juicy details on the Porsche 911, watch the video above.

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