Porsche Glossary: From Air-Cooled to Whale Tail

This Porsche glossary covers every enthusiast term—from iconic spoilers like the Ducktail and Whale Tail to insider lingo like Sonderwunsch. Click a letter to jump to that section.

Porsche Glossary

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0–9

• 356 (1948–1965) – Porsche’s first production car, including aluminum-bodied prototypes.
• 550 – Mid-engine 1950s race car; famously driven by James Dean.
• 550A – Lighter, more rigid spaceframe evolution of the 550.
• 718 (original) – Lightweight 1957–1962 race car; name later revived for Cayman/Boxster.
• 901 – Original designation for the 911 before being renamed due to Peugeot’s trademark.
• 904 (Carrera GTS) – 1964 fiberglass-bodied race car.
• 906, 907, 908 – Late-1960s endurance racers.
• 911 (Classic SWB/LWB) – 1964–1973 original series.
• 914 – Mid-engine, targa-top roadster (1969–1976).
• 918 Spyder – Hybrid hypercar (2013–2015); part of the “Holy Trinity.”
• 924 – Entry-level coupe (1976–1988).
• 928 – V8 grand tourer (1978–1995).
• 930 – First 911 Turbo (1975–1989).
• 931 – Turbocharged 924 (1979–1982).
• 936, 956, 962 – Dominant endurance-racing prototypes of the ’70s–’80s.
• 944 – Evolution of the 924 (1982–1991).
• 951 – Turbocharged 944 (1986–1991), nicknamed “Baby Turbo.”
• 952 – 944 Turbo S (higher-performance variant).
• 959 – 1986–1988 supercar showcasing AWD and twin turbos.
• 961 – Racing variant of the 959.
• 968 – Final iteration of the 944 line (1992–1995).
• 964 – Modernized 911 (1989–1994); introduced ABS, AWD, airbags.
• 981 – Third-gen Boxster/Cayman (2012–2016).
• 991 – 911 generation (2012–2019).
• 992 – Current 911 generation (2019–present).
• 996 – First water-cooled 911 (1999–2004).
• 997 – 911 generation (2005–2012).
• 955 – First-gen Cayenne (2003–2006).
• 957 – Facelifted Cayenne (2007–2010).
• 958 – Second-gen Cayenne (2011–2017).
• 95B – First-gen Macan (2014–2023).
• 95B.2 / 95B.3 – Facelifted Macan models.
• 970 – First-gen Panamera (2009–2016).
• 971 – Second-gen Panamera (2017–present).
• 9Y0 / 9Y1 – Third-gen Cayenne (2018–present).

A

• Air-cooled – Engines cooled by airflow rather than liquid; used up to the 993-generation 911.

B

• Baby Turbo – Nickname for the 944 Turbo (951); the smaller sibling to the 930-era 911 Turbo.
• Boxster 986 – First-gen Boxster (1997–2004).
• Boxster/Cayman 987 – Second generation (2005–2012).

C

• Carrera – Base 911 trim in modern lineups; name honors the Carrera Panamericana race.
• Carrera RS – Super-lightweight, rear-wheel-drive-only 964 variant launched in 1992 for Europe.
• Cayman 987c – First-gen Cayman coupe (2006–2012).

D

• Dakar – Off-road-ready 911 variant with added ride height and rough-road capability; named for the Paris-Dakar rally (Porsche chose “Dakar” over “Safari” due to trademark considerations).
• Dry Sump – Advanced oiling system preventing starvation during high-G driving.
• Duckbill – Early racing tail treatment, precursor to the later ducktail spoiler.
• Duck Green – Rare, understated Porsche color beloved by enthusiasts.
• Ducktail – Signature rear spoiler on the 1973 911 Carrera RS 2.7, improving stability.

E

• E (911E) – 1969–1973 mid-range 911 between the T and S; “E” stands for Einspritzung (fuel injection).

F

• Flat-Fix Symphony – The sonorous mix of flat-six intake and exhaust notes.
• Fuchs – Iconic five-petal forged wheel design, first fitted to the 911 in 1967.

G

• G-Body – 1974–1989 911 generation defined by impact bumpers.
• GT – “Gran Turismo”; umbrella for high-performance touring/track-focused models.
• GT2 – Turbocharged, rear-drive 911 bred for maximum performance; modern “Widowmaker.”
• GT3 – Naturally aspirated, high-revving 911 (introduced with the 996); track-ready benchmark.
• GTS – “Gran Turismo Sport”; blends track intent with grand-touring comfort and options.
• Green Hell Conqueror – Nod to Porsche’s Nürburgring (“Green Hell”) dominance.

H

• Hans Stuck Special – Reference to racing legend Hans Stuck and Porsche’s hillclimb/endurance heritage.
• Hippo – Nickname for the 928, reflecting its size versus the 911.
• Hot-Vee – Turbochargers mounted within the V of modern Porsche V8s to reduce lag and improve packaging.

I

• IB (Impact Bumper) – 1974–1989 911s with mandated crash bumpers.

J

• J1 – Taycan electric platform (2019–present).

K

• K-Jetronic – Bosch mechanical fuel-injection system used on 1970s–’80s models.
• K1 – Codename for Porsche’s upcoming full-size electric SUV.
• Kremer – Cologne-based race team famed for modified 911s; won Le Mans in 1979 with the 935 K3.

L

• Lollipop Seats – Racing buckets with round headrests resembling lollipops.

M

• MFI – Mechanical Fuel Injection; precise, complex system on high-performance 911s.
• Mezger – Legendary engine lineage (Hans Mezger), underpinning GT and Turbo cars through the 997 era.
• Moby Dick – 935/78 Le Mans racer with extreme long-tail aero and huge top speed.

N

• No entries yet.

O

• Outlaw – Modified 356 or 911s with hot-rod flair; popularized by Rod Emory.

P

• Panamericana – 1989 one-off concept gifted to Ferry Porsche for his 80th; futuristic off-road style. See image.
• PASM – Porsche Active Suspension Management; adaptive damping for comfort and handling.
• PCCB – Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes; ultra-light, fade-resistant braking.
• PDK – Porsche Doppelkupplung; rapid-shift dual-clutch transmission derived from racing.
• Pasha – Wild 1970s checkerboard interior pattern with optical-illusion effect.
• Pepita – Classic houndstooth fabric pattern used in early 911s.
• Peppercar – Slang for the Cayenne SUV (“pepper” = cayenne).
• PTS (Paint to Sample) – Bespoke paint program offering near-unlimited colors.

Q

• No entries yet.

R

• R – Lightweight, track-focused designation; the 911R (1967, 2016) embodies purist ethos.
• R Gruppe – California-founded enthusiast group celebrating lightweight, hot-rod 911 builds.
• Roadster – Open-top models, from early 356s to modern Boxsters.
• RS – Rennsport (“racing sport”); Porsche’s most hardcore track-legal variants.
• RSR – Factory race-only versions of RS models for endurance events.
• Rubystone Red – Iconic bright pink/purple paint (famously on the 964 RS; revived on modern cars).

S

• S – “Super/Sport”; performance step above base (e.g., 911S, Cayman S).
• Salzburg Red – Livery of the 917K that earned Porsche’s first Le Mans victory (1970).
• Scruffy 911 – Affectionate term for patina-rich, original 911s prized over concours cars.
• Singerized – Reimagined Porsche by Singer Vehicle Design: modern performance, vintage aesthetics.
• Slantnose / Flachbau – 1980s 911 Turbo with flat-nose styling and pop-up headlights.
• Sonderwunsch – “Special Wishes” program enabling one-off customizations since the 1980s.
• Speedster – Lightweight, open-top models focused on pure driving pleasure.
• Sport Classic – Limited-run 911 blending heritage cues with modern performance.
• SWB / LWB – Short (1964–1968) and Long (1969–) Wheelbase 911 chassis variants.

T

• T – Touring; originally a more affordable 911 trim, later revived for back-to-basics driving.
• Targa – Semi-open-top design introduced in the 1960s to meet convertible safety rules.
• Tea Tray – 1980s Turbo rear spoiler style.
• Turbo – Porsche’s turbocharged performance models; first launched in 1975 (930).

U

• Unicorn Spec – Exceptionally rare and highly desirable configuration.

V

• Varioram – Variable-length intake system boosting torque across the rev range (1990s).

W

• Water-cooled – Introduced with the 996 (1999) for improved efficiency and emissions.
• Whale Tail – Prominent rear spoiler on the 930 Turbo.
• Weissach Axle – Rear-suspension design on the 928 to reduce lift-off oversteer.
• Weissach Package – Lightweight performance package for GT models, named after Porsche’s R&D center.

X

• No entries yet.

Y

• No entries yet.

Z

• Zuffenhausen – Stuttgart district that is Porsche’s historic factory home.

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