A helper spring was introduced in 1977 to reduce cable-actuated clutch pedal effort, until superseded by a hydraulic actuation system. As an aside, this writer once bought an 80s 911, whose clutch occasionally baulked during the pre-purchase test. The seller revealed that he knew of this, saying Oh, it might need a new clutch, so discounted the asking price by the cost of having a new clutch installed. The deal was done, and the new owner (yours truly) happily found later that the problem was simply caused by a broken helper spring, a $30 part! The increased torque of the 930 Turbo engine required a redesign of the 915 transmission. There was no room for a fifth speed, but the gears for the remaining four speeds were once again reinforced and made easier to change for racing applications. 11 The Sportomatic transmission deserves mention, if only because it illustrates Porsches desire to respond to North American market demands.

Most American cars were (and still are) delivered with fully automatic transmissions using fluid torque converters, and many younger Americans (potential Porsche buyers) could not operate a manual gearbox. They had learned to drive on cars equipped with automatic transmissions, so there was a market for a sports car (other than a Corvette) with an automatic gearbox. Porsche responded by introducing the Type 905 semi-automatic Sportomatic, which responded to a slight touch of the gear lever from Park to Low, Drive or Reverse. It was not met with universal applause, but it did attract new customers to Porsche who would otherwise have not been able to experience a genuine sports car. In 1971, those who elected the Sportomatic option had to pay an extra $315 for the privilege! A second generation strengthened Sportomatic Type 925 was introduced in 1973 to match the higher torque 2.7 litre engines.

Suspension: It was obvious to the team assigned to develop the suspension for the 911 that McPherson Struts would satisfy the demand for more room in the front boot than the 356 had enjoyed, together with space saving longitudinal torsion bars in place of conventional coil springs. The addition of a transverse stabiliser bar completed the design. 12 Early tests proved that the system worked and would be maintenance free with permanently lubricated joints.

The rear suspension was not arrived at as quickly. Various designs were considered, and prototype number 1 ran with 356 B swing axles, torsion bars and camber compensating springs. Another candidate was the complex suspension of the Type 718 Spyder, independent suspension and coil springs. But, Ferry Porsche eventually decided that the new car deserved its own special rear suspension, as he had decreed for the front. By dint of some clever geometry of the trailing A-arms, and robust torsion bars, the target camber of 1 degree did not change appreciably over the range of suspension travel, thus keeping the tyre contact relatively flat even under hard cornering.