The Porsche 911 has grown a lot since it debuted. It’s not only considered the best luxury cars by U.S. News, but those that can afford it love adding it to their collection. Just ask Michael Jordan, whose Air Jordan 6 shoe was inspired by the car. With so many options out there, what makes the 911 one of the best cars you can buy?

The history of the Porsche 911

In 2019, the millionth 911 rolled off the production line. The 911’s story begins in 1963 with the originally titled 901, which was its internal design number.

However, the 911 came to be when Peugeot claimed the rights to three-digit car names that included a zero in the middle. An odd backstory for sure, but today, the Porsche 911 is a legend. It’s had very few genuine redesigns in its almost 60 years of life and has used a new platform for building only three times in the history of the 911.

Even more impressive is that 70% of the Porsche 911’s on the road today are said to still be roadworthy, with two-thirds of Porsche’s 30,000 race wins being from a 911. The Porsche 911 is undoubtedly Porsche’s trademark car. Ferdinand Porsche even described it as “the only car you could drive on an African safari or at Le Mans, to the theatre or through New York City traffic.”

Why Motor Authority says it’s the best 

After a storied history and 57 years of improvements, the Porsche 911 is now ‘the perfect sports car,’ according to Motor Authority. The time spent on making improvements to each generation has made the newest generation — the Porsche 911’s eighth — the Best Car to Buy 2020.

It had stiff competition, for sure, but beat them all by miles. Motor Authority attributes it to the 911’s comfortable ride, masterful handling, familiar looks, ready power, and its poise and position on the racetrack. The base model hits 60 mph in around four seconds, but the time drops to an incredible 3.2 seconds when you step up in trim levels.

The changes that make it the best are subtle. Large wheels that help with turn-in response, a wider rear track that aides traction and lateral stability, a quicker steering ratio for a faster turn-in response, new dampers improve comfort and handling, and the stiffer structure allows for a faster reaction to steering and suspension inputs.

What does that all mean? If you’re a good driver, you’ll become great thanks to the Porsche 911. That’s because the changes make it feel faster than it really is and give drivers the stability, grip, and moves they’ve been waiting for. 

The 2020 Porsche 911 doesn’t disappoint

With 2020 comes an all-new generation of the Porsche 911. It is an exquisitely evolved design with astutely engineered mechanics. The 911 is currently available as a coupe, convertible (known as the cabriolet), Targa, base Carrera, Carrera 4, S, and 4S, but more styles are on the way. There’s even the new GT3, Turbo, and possibly a GT2 on the way.

The rear engine is a twin-turbo 3.0-liter flat-six with 443 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque. Choose from an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic or seven-speed manual transmission. Perhaps as impressive as it’s 0 to 60 speed is its ability to stop in 140 feet from 70 mph.

While the interior isn’t as remarkable as the rest of the car based on reviews, it’s still sophisticated and uncomplicated. The most significant change is the gauge cluster, which swaps the previous analog instruments for digital ones. Many upgrades exist for the 911, and you won’t be disappointed by any of them.

If you can afford it, the Porsche 911 is the way to go

The Porsche 911 starts around $98,000, but if you can afford it, then why not? If you really want to go all out, you can even get your fingerprint printed on the hood of the car for an extra $8,200. This combination of standard capability and optional luxuries make the 911 the best car money can buy.