What's the news?

Porsche will celebrate 50 years of the iconic 911 with a special commemorative 50 Years Edition, due to be unveiled at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show - the same venue the original 911 first made its debut.

Exterior

Like the original 911 (so called because Peugeot complained about the 901 name it first bore), the 50 Years Edition will only be available as a rear-wheel drive model. However, unlike the regular car, the commemorative model wears the widened rear arches of the four-wheel drive Carrera 4, meaning it is 44mm wider than the Carrera S on which it is based.

To signify that, even after all these years, the 911 still has its engine in the 'wrong place' the special edition has bespoke chrome strips on the fins of the engine compartment grille that are complemented by unique trims on the front air inlets, along with a strip across the car between the rear lights. Classic 'Fuchs' style alloy wheels have grown to 20-inches and have been reworked and finished in matt black paint with machine-polished centres.

Each of the cars has a '911 50' badge finished in two-tone 3D-style on the rear lid.

Interior

The '911 50' badge is repeated in three-colour embroidery on the head restraints and as a two-colour logo on the rev counter and the aluminium door sill plates. It is also displayed on the passenger side fascia strip together with the limited edition number of the individual vehicle.

Nods to the past include green labelling on the instruments with white needles while the standard 14-way adjustable sports seats are covered in a tartan fabric, reminiscent of the 'Pepita' design from the 1960s. Brushed aluminium trim from the Porsche Exclusive collection adorns the dashboard, doors, centre console and gear shifter.

Mechanicals

Power for the commemorative model comes from a 400hp 3.8-litre flat-six engine that can propel a manually equipped car from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds (4.3 seconds with PDK automatic) and can reach a top speed of 186mph (185mph with PDK). The NEDC combined fuel economy figure is 29.7mpg (32.5mpg with PDK), which equates to CO₂ emissions of 224g/km (205g/km with PDK).

The standard Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) has been specially tuned for the wider track of the car and leads (Porsche says) to exceptional cornering dynamics. The PASM is joined by a sports exhaust system and Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) with rear limited slip differential.

Anything else?

The 911 50 Years Edition is available to order now from Porsche Centres in the UK and Ireland, priced from £92,257 with first deliveries scheduled for September. You better hurry though as only 1,963 models will be produced for sale worldwide.