Porsche 911: Perfection by Design [Hardcover]

Randy Leffingwell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 3, 2005

For over 40 years, Porsche’s legendary 911 has ruled the realm of sports cars. The Porsche 911 is the benchmark. The 911 recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, making it one of the longest-running models currently in production from any manufacturer. A leader on the race track as well as the street, it posted an outright, overall victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2003, beating Corvettes, Ferraris, and even purpose-built Daytona Prototype race cars. This, despite the fact the 911’s rear-engine configuration was long ago rejected by rivals. Why does it hold such a coveted spot at the pinnacle of the sports car world? In Porsche 911: Perfection by Design, best-selling author/photographer and noted Porsche historian Randy Leffingwell adeptly answers this question, tracing the amazing story of its development and rise to international success, from the 1963 Type 901 through 2005 models. In tandem, he weaves the racing 911’s rich history, where it reigned victorious at Le Mans, Daytona and many more of the world’s most prestigious races. With more than 350 pages and 300 vivid color and black and white photographs, this amazing hard-cover book showcases why the 911 continues to impress enthusiasts and engineers alike. Leffingwell interviewed dozens of former and current Porsche engineers, designers and executives – including Ferdinand “Butzi” Porsche, the father of the 911 – as well as Porsche competitors (who used the 911 as a benchmark for their own designs) to create a true, hands-on anecdotal history of the 911. Straight from the key players and decision-makers, he explains: “This book is an inside story of how the 911 came to be what it was, what it is now and how it moved through 40-plus years of evolution, growth and improvement.” A jaw-dropping and unprecedented collection of 911s between two covers (Leffingwell and David Newhardt’s stunning, full-page, color photography features more than 80 Porsche 911s) complements the text, enticing readers to an up-close-and-personal view of these exotic, wish-list cars.

    

Editorial Reviews

Review

Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car, April 2006

“Porsche 911 lovers are in no way lacking for printed reading material. A glance at the average bookseller’s shelf may turn up more Porsche books than any other marque. It takes a great deal to set a new 911 book apart from the crowd, but a near coffee-table-sized format, stylish design and beautiful magazine-style photography do the trick. Lucky for author Randy Leffingwell, his eye-catching Porsche 911: Perfection by Design has all the above.”

        

Reader’s Digest holiday gift guide, December 2005

“Want a Porsche? Who doesn’t? But since most of us can’t afford one, here’s the next best thing: a coffee-table book all about them. Porsche 911 chronicles the sports car’s birth and rise to the top, and has 300-plus drool-inducing photos.”

    

Excellence, June 2006 (No. 1 Porsche-specific magazine in the U.S.)

“Books on Porsche come and go – but standouts are rare. Porsche 911: Perfection by Design is one … What really sets this book apart is the way it endeavors to answer a basic question: ‘Why has the rear-engined 911 been so successful in a world that’s relegated its basic layout to automotive history?’ The in-depth research and telling interviews used to answer that question make this book a bargain at $50.

 

“The story is matched with superb photos. As is often the case with images captured by Leffingwell’s lens, many are the kind you’ll pore over before turning the page.

 

“Porsche 911: Perfection by Design is worthy of a place on the shelf alongside Ludvigsen, Aichle, Frere and Sloniger. Think of it as a book that fills in the whys behind the whats of Porsche history – without relying on tired photos or rehashed history. It will make a fine addition to any Porsche library.”

Book Description

On the eve of Porsche’s 60th anniversary, this richly illustrated volume tells the story of that fabled marque. The book features analyses of each important model, putting the cars into their broader context. With fine photographs of each car and interviews with key personnel, Porsche 911 comprises a complete and fascinating history of the world’s premier name in sports cars.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Motorbooks; First edition (November 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760320926
• ISBN-13: 978-0760320921
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 11 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #767,461 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #59 in Books > Professional & Technical > Automotive > Luxury

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read with beautiful photographs..., December 30, 2005

By 

M. Mark Yenikomshian - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Porsche 911: Perfection by Design (Hardcover)

A great review of the development of the 911 from the "901" through the 997. The book traces the history of the 911 through its generations. This is a must-have book if you own a Porsche or dream of owning one. The quality of the photos is excellent and the writing is thoughtful. Some good historical background make this an enjoyable book to read. Street cars and race cars are covered. Putting together a concise, and yet, fresh history of the Porsche 911 is a hard feat... Mr. Leffingwell did it! I highly recommend it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 stars but..., February 17, 2006

By 

X. Levadiotis "Excell" (Xanthi, Greece) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Porsche 911: Perfection by Design (Hardcover)

..only if you are interested in a pictorial evolution of the 911. The pictures inside are awesome and they are not to be found on the internet. The supplementary text is comprehensive and very informative and the book is readable throughout.
However, you get the feeling that the book is somewhat hastily written after the 964 generation and the inclusion of some Ruf and Gemballa derivatives spoils the story in my humble opinion as they are not original 911s.
Moreover some models are missing and they are mentioned in their racing guises (like the 911 GT2 (993)). No real technical data is supplied but giving it 4 stars would be injustice.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Perfection By Design, February 15, 2007

By 

D. A. Lindsay (Santa Barbara, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Porsche 911: Perfection by Design (Hardcover)

Randy's book sits prominently in my family room along side other Porsche books and is one of the few that is up to speed with some of the latest offerings from Zuffenhausen. Writing a book on the 911 is nearly impossible because there is so much out there. You have to know where to start and where to end,--and just how much to stuff in the middle. Randy pulls this off with a great selection of photos, most never before seen, and accurate detail of the nuances of the famous 911. The only negative I can find is what puts a book in the top 5% of books, and that is matching copy to photographs,--on the same page. This is extremely hard to do because it is generally unpredictable, where one paragraph or photograph will start or stop. That, along with a handfull of errors in photo IDs keeps it from perfection by design itself but it's nicely assembled and beautifully printed. Anyone with a 911 in their garage should have this book to help explain their addiction to normal people.