As of 2024, the Porsche 911 has eight distinct generations.
The generations are commonly identified by their internal type codes: the original 911, followed by the 964, 993, 996, 997, 991 and 992. The 992 generation was introduced in 2018, making it the eighth major generation by 2024. Porsche has continually evolved the car while preserving its rear-engined identity and familiar silhouette.
Several generation changes mark major technical turning points. The 993 was the last 911 generation with an air-cooled engine. The 996 introduced water cooling to the mainstream 911 in 1998, while the 997 refined the design and engineering approach. The 991 brought a longer wheelbase and extensive use of lightweight materials.
The number can be confusing because Porsche also uses model-year updates, facelifts and suffixes such as Carrera, Turbo, GT3 and Targa. Those are variants or revisions, not usually separate generations. The 992.2 update unveiled in 2024 is therefore still part of the eighth generation, rather than a ninth-generation 911.