Porsche 911 Turbo, 1993

Porsche 911 Turbo, 1993

The Porsche introduced the 964 Turbo model in March 1990 as the successor to the Porsche 930. Unfortunately, they hadn't had the necessary time to develop a turbocharged version of the 3.6 litre M64 engine, and choose to re-use the 3.3 litre engine from the 930, with several minor revisions that made the engine smoother, less prone to turbo lag and more powerful, with a total output of 320 PS (240 kW; 320 hp) @ 5750 rpm. A total of 3,660 of the 964 Turbos were built.

In 1992, the 3.3 litre Turbo S was introduced. With a power of 381 PS (280 kW; 376 hp) and with a lightweight interior and limited "creature comforts" the Turbo S was one of the fastest cars on the road. With lowered suspension, a front strut brace and manual steering, the Turbo S was all about performance. About 80 cars were produced during the only year of production.

Porsche released the 964 Turbo 3.6 in January, 1993, now featuring a turbocharged version of the 3.6 litre M64 engine and producing 360 PS (260 kW; 360 hp) @ 5500 rpm, the 3.6 litre powered Turbo was produced only for model year 1993/1994, with fewer than 1,500 of them produced in total, making it one of the rarest and most sought after Porsches produced since the 959.

At the end of 964 production in 1994 the Porsche factory had some 90 Turbo chassis left. These were all transferred to Porsche Exclusiv and built as the very special Turbo 3.6S. The Turbo 3.6S was available either with the traditional 964 Turbo 3.6 body, or with the exclusive Flatnose (German: Flachbau) aka Slantnose option.

Option X83 (Japan), X84 (ROW) and X85 (USA), the Turbo S Flatnose, was available in the US as a $60,179 USD option on top of the base price $99,000 USD Turbo 3.6. The "Flatnose" option was available when ordering the no charge '36S' option '1994 Turbo "S" Model'. In addition to the Flatnose fenders, it also included the 'X88' option or the 'Turbo S' motor, the 'X92' Exclusive front spoiler, 'X93' Exclusive rear spoiler and 'X99' Exclusive rear fender vents. The flatnose option was designed around the model 968 front end for the ROW and USA versions and the 930 style Turbo S front end for Japan (right down to the sill covers on the fenders). 39 Models were made for US markets, 27 for the Rest of the world, and 10 for Japan all in Polar Silver.

Technical Specifications
    * turbo 3.3
          o Bore and stroke: 97 mm x 74.4 mm (3.82 in x 2.93 in)
          o Displacement 3,299 cc
          o Compression ratio 7.0:1
          o Net Horsepower 320 PS (240 kW; 320 hp) @ 5750 rpm
          o Net Torque 450 N·m (332 lb·ft) @ 4500 rpm
    * turbo S
          o Bore and stroke: 97 mm x 74.4 mm (3.82 in x 2.93 in)
          o Displacement 3,299 cc
          o Compression Ratio 7.0:1
          o Net Horsepower 355 PS (261 kW; 350 hp) @ 5750 rpm / 381 PS (280 kW; 376 hp) @ 6000 rpm
          o Net Torque 471 N·m (347 lb·ft) @5000 rpm / 490 N·m (361 lb·ft) @ 4800 rpm
    * turbo 3.6
          o Bore and stroke: 100 mm x 76.4 mm (3.94 in x 3.01 in)
          o Displacement 3,600 cc
          o Compression Ratio 7.5:1
          o Net Horsepower 360 PS (260 kW; 360 hp) @ 5500 rpm
          o Net Torque 520 N·m (384 lb·ft) @ 4200 rpm
    * turbo 3.6S
          o Bore and stroke: 100 mm x 76.4 mm (3.94 in x 3.01 in)
          o Displacement 3,600 cc
          o Compression Ratio 7.5:1
          o Net Horsepower 385 PS (283 kW; 380 hp) @ 5750 rpm
          o Net Torque 520 N·m (384 lb·ft) @ 5000 rpm

Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Cabrio, 1993

Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Cabrio, 1993

The 964 was considered over 85% new as compared over its predecessor, the Carrera 3.2. The first 964s available in 1989 were all wheel drive equipped "Carrera 4" models; Porsche added the rear wheel drive Carrera 2 variant to the range in 1990. Both variants were available as a coupe, Targa or Cabriolet. The 964 Carrera was the last generation sold with the traditional removable Targa roof. Later evolutions of the Targa, starting with the 993 generation, replaced that setup with a complex glass-roof "greenhouse" system. A new naturally-aspirated engine called the M64 was used for 964 models, with a flat-6 displacement of 3.6 litres. Porsche largely revised the suspension replacing the rear torsion bars with coil springs and shock absorbers. Power steering and ABS brakes arrive to the 911 for the first time and they were both made standard. The exterior bumpers and fog lamps became flush into the car, allowing for better aerodynamics. A new electric rear spoiler raised at speeds above 50 mph (80 km/h) and lowered down flush with the rear engine lid at lower speeds or when stopped. A revised interior featured standard dual airbags beginning in 1990 for all North American production cars. A new automatic climate control system provided superior heating and cooling. Revised instrumentation housed a large set of warning lights that were tied into the car's central warning system which alerted the driver to a possible problem or malfunction.

Engine
    * Engine design: Air/oil cooled, horizontally-opposed, dry-sump lubrication, rear-mounted
    * Engine displacement: 3600 cc (220 cu in)
    * Cylinders: Six, light alloy head
    * Bore and stroke: 3.94 x 3.01
    * Compression ratio: 11.3 : 1
    * Fuel/ignition: Electronic fuel injection, DME controller, with twin-spark with knock regulation
    * Crankshaft: Forged, 8 main bearings, enclosed in light alloy case
    * Valve Train: Overhead cam, one per bank, double chain drive
    * Power: 184 kW/247 hp (SAE net)/250 PS (DIN) @ 6100 rpm
    * Torque: 310 N·m/228 ft·lbf @ 4800 rpm
    * Engine speed limitation: 6700 ±20 rpm

Performance
    * Top speed
          o manual: 163 mph (261 km/h)
          o Tiptronic: 159 mph (256 km/h)
    * 0-60 mph
          o manual: 5.5 s
          o Tiptronic: 6.2 s
    * 1/4 mile
          o Carrera 2: 13.6 s
          o Tiptronic: 14.0 s
          o Carrera 4: 14.1 s
    * Coefficient of drag: 0.32

Porsche 930 Turbo, 1980

Porsche 930 Turbo, 1980

The Porsche 930 (usually pronounced nine-thirty) was a sports car built by Porsche, 930 actually being the "type number" for the pre-964 generation Porsche 911 Turbo produced between 1975 and 1989. It was Porsche's top-of-the-range model for its entire production duration and at the time of its introduction the fastest production car available in Germany.

Model history
Porsche began experimenting with turbocharging technology on their race cars during the late 1950s, and in 1972 began development on a turbocharged version of the 911. Porsche originally needed to produce the car in order to comply with homologation regulations and had intended on marketing it as a street legal race vehicle like the 1973 Carrera 2.7 RS. When the homologation rules changed, Porsche continued to develop the car anyway, deciding to make it a fully-equipped variant of the 911 that would top the model range and give Porsche a more direct competitor to vehicles from Ferrari and Lamborghini, which were more expensive and more exclusive than the standard 911. Although Porsche no longer needed the car to meet homologation requirements, it proved a viable platform for racing vehicles, and became the basis for the 934 and 935 race cars. Ferdinand "Ferry" Porsche, who was running the company at the time, handed development of the vehicle over to Ernst Fuhrmann, who adapted the turbo-technology originally developed for the 917/30 CAN-AM car to the 3.0 litre flat-six from the Carrera RS 3.0, creating what Porsche internally dubbed as 930. Total output from the engine was 260 PS (191 kW; 256 hp), much more than the standard Carrera. In order to ensure that the platform could make the most of the higher power output, a revised suspension, larger brakes and stronger gearbox became part of the package, although some consumers were unhappy with Porsche's use of a 4-speed whilst a 5-speed manual was available in the "lesser" Carrera. A "Whale-Tail" rear spoiler was installed to help vent more air to the engine and help create more downforce at the rear of the vehicle, and wider rear wheels with upgraded tires combined with flared wheelarches were added to increase the 911's width and grip, making it more stable.

Porsche badged the vehicle simply as "Turbo" (although early U.S. units were badged as "Turbo Carrera") and debuted it at the Paris Auto Show in October 1974 before putting it on sale in the spring of 1975; export to the United States began in 1976.

The Porsche 930 proved very fast but also very demanding. The 911 was prone to oversteer because of its rear engine layout and short wheelbase; combining those traits with the power of the turbocharged motor, which exhibited significant turbo-lag, meant driving the car required more skill to drive at the edge of its (higher) level of performance. Even though the rear engine layout provided superior traction, sudden bursts of power to the rear wheels in mid-corner could break the tires loose, causing the car to literally spin out of control. This effect was amplified if an unexperienced driver would instinctively lift the throttle in reaction. The vehicle needed to be kept at high revs during spirited driving to minimise the turbo lag. Skilled drivers quickly learned how to drive the Porsche 930 properly, and with that knowledge came the ability to drive the car above and beyond the levels of most other sports cars. Nevertheless, some fatal accidents resulted in product liability law suits brought against Porsche in the US, where Ralph Nader had made his name criticizing the rear engine-rear wheel drive layout of the Chevrolet Corvair.

Porsche made its first and most significant upgrades to the Porsche 930 for 1978, enlarging the engine to 3.3 litres and adding an air-to-air intercooler. By cooling the pressurized air charge, the intercooler helped increase power output to 300 hp (DIN); the rear 'whale tail' spoiler was re-profiled and raised slightly to make room for the intercooler. Porsche also upgraded the brakes to units similar to those used on the 917 racecar.

Changing emissions regulations in Japan and the U.S. forced Porsche to withdraw the 930 from those markets in 1980. Believing the 928 would eventually replace the 911, Fuhrmann cut-back spending on the model, and it was not until Fuhrmann's resignation the company finally committed the financing to re-regulate the car.

The Porsche 930 remained available in Europe, and for 1983 a 330 PS (243 kW; 325 hp) performance option became available on a build-to-order basis from Porsche. With the add-on came a 4-pipe exhaust system and an additional oil-cooler requiring a remodelled front spoiler and units bearing the add-on often featured additional ventilation holes in the rear fenders and modified rockers.

Porsche offered a "Flachbau" ("slantnose") Porsche 930 under the "Sonderwunschprogramm" (special order) program beginning in 1981, an otherwise normal 930 with a 935-style slantnose instead of the normal 911 front end. Each Flachbau unit was handcrafted by remodeling the front fenders. So few were built that the slantnose units often commanded a high premium over sticker, adding to the fact that they required a premium of up to 60 per cent (highly indivdualized cars even more) over the standard price. Several sources claim the factory built 948 units. The Flachbau units delivered in Europe usually featured the 330 hp (246 kW) performance kit.

928 sales had risen slightly by the 1985 model year, but there was still some question as to if it were truly capable of superseding the 911 as the company's premier model, and for 1986 Porsche re-introduced the Porsche 930 to the Japanese and U.S. markets, now featuring an emission-controlled engine producing 282 PS (207 kW; 278 hp). At the same time Porsche introduced the Targa and Cabriolet variants, both of which proved popular.

Porsche discontinued the 930 after model year 1989 when its underlying "G-Series" platform was being replaced by the 964. '89 models were the only versions of the Porsche 930 to feature a 5-speed transmission. A turbo version of the 964 officially succeeded the Porsche 930 in 1991 with a modified version of the same 3.3 litre flat-6 engine and a 5-speed transmission.

Porsche 901, 1963

Porsche 901, 1963

The Porsche 901 was the name originally intended for the Porsche 911. By the early 1960s, Porsche project design numbers had reached into the 800s. For instance, Porsche's 1962 F1 model was called Porsche 804.

At the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (Frankfurt Motor Show) in Frankfurt in September 1963, Porsche presented its successor to the Porsche 356 as the Porsche 901. It took several more months until the cars was sold to customers. In late 1964, after having sold about 82 cars, the Porsche 901 was presented at the Paris Auto Salon. There, French car maker Peugeot objected to Porsche using any three digit number where the middle number was 0, owning the naming rights and having already sold many models with that scheme.

So, Porsche simply replaced the middle 0 with a 1, and called the car Porsche 911.

Also, other Porsche models were affected, which were primarily intended for racing but also sold as road legal cars. Here, Porsche kept the internal part number of 90x, but sold the car with a name, like: Porsche 904 as Carrera GTS, Porsche 906 as Carrera 6.

Porsche enthusiasts continue to refer to these cars by their three digit design numbers.

Later, Porsche introduced pure racing cars which were not sold for road use, so not competing with any road-going Peugeot. These carried the design numbers: Porsche 907, Porsche 908, Porsche 909.

Nearly three decades later, a 905 was entered in the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans, but not by Porsche (which then had won over a dozen times already), but by Peugeot: The Peugeot 905 won twice, in 1992 and in 1993. A Peugeot 908 Diesel was entered in the 2008 event, and won in 2009. Peugeot never used the number 901.
The 901 number is used among Porsche enthusiasts as shorthand to identify the aluminum 5-Speed transmission used in early 911s, the part number for these transmissions used an 11 digit code that began with 901 as did many other parts on the early cars. Later 911s from 1969 used a different magnesium case and a part number beginning with 911.