1984 Porsche 930 Turbo
The Porsche 930 was never intended for mass production or a long model life. The initial plan was for a mere 400 911 turbos (given the factory designation 930 to differentiate this from the normal 911), a lightweight, high performance car, to meet homologation requirements for racing.
The project began in 1972 and the car made its public debut at the 1974 Paris Motorshow. A rule change had by then meant the model was no longer needed for homologation purposes, so development carried on to make this the fastest and most powerful road-going Porsche made at the time.
Externally distinguished by the “whale tail” rear spoiler and massive flared wheel arches to cover the wider tyres and bigger brakes, all were needed to put 330hp on the road and to make sure the car would stop and corner in the accepted Porsche manner. The original 3 litre engine grew to 3.3 litres in 1978 but
still retained just a single turbocharger, now with an air-to air intercooler.
To the disappointment of some buyers, the strengthened gearbox needed to reliably transmit the horsepower was only a four speed, while supposedly “lesser” versions had the benefit of a five speed transmission.
This supposed handicap really only existed in theory rather than practice as the 930 could accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 11.6 seconds and a top speed of 278km/h.
At the time this car was built, Porsche were actively trying to euthanize the 911, believing and intending for the front engined 928 to take its place as the flagship in the company’s line-up. Luckily for us today, Porsche buyers of the 1980s weren’t having a bar of this and as the 911 celebrates its half-century, the 928 is long-gone, if not forgotten.
John Whelan’s Porsche was imported into New Zealand in 1987 from the UK. It seems to have remained with the same family until 1998 when the most recent owner brought it and retained it until John purchased it in 2007. The previous owner had spent a lot of time and money maintaining it in an excellent condition through Auckland Porsche agents, Giltraps and the car is supplied with a comprehensive service history. The motor and gearbox have been rebuilt in 2003 at 96,000 miles. The car has now done 130,000 miles and during his ownership, John has continued to have it serviced by Giltraps and Motor Science, an independent Porsche specialist. The car is finished in Pewter Platinum paintwork with burgundy leather and white piping. To repair stone chips, the front of the car has recently been resprayed and a new windscreen fitted. The body work is very straight and there is no history of any accident damage (important as these cars have a reputation for biting any inexperienced driver who takes untoward liberties!). There is no evidence of rust, a bugbear in some earlier Porsches, however these cars were galvanised prior to painting when new. As one would expect from a solid German car, the interior has worn well with only some wear on the most used driver’s seat. The headlining is original and there is a steel sunroof. The original stereo system (Blaupunkt Munchen) has been replaced with a new Sony system which is iPod and bluetooth compatible. The original stereo has been kept and is available if the new owner wishes to restore it and play his favourite cassettes!
John uses the car regularly when working out of town in Hamilton or Tauranga a couple of times a month so it sees plenty of good, warm running. As a concession to driver and passenger comfort, the standard air conditioning unit has been replaced with an upgraded system from the USA and this has made summer use a far more pleasurable experience. John tells us (and this being a Porsche, I believe him) that this is a comfortable car on long trips and is smooth and easy to drive on the open road. The gear ratios are quite high with speeds in the first three gears of the four speed box, of 70, 120, and 170 km/h at peak power of 5500 rpm. It cruises at about 2200 rpm at 100 km/h so is very under stressed on New Zealand roads. Because of our low speed limit when compared with the car’s home country, there is some turbo lag and overtaking requires a change down to third and is then accomplished with ease as the revs reach a speed high enough to get the turbocharger spinning. As a supercar, it is no surprise that the steering is heavier around town and you are rarely out of second gear.
This car has been maintained almost regardless of expense over its life time. The body and interior show little signs of wear and a new owner could expect may years of reliable motoring ahead. It has most modern conveniences yet still has plenty of character which sets it apart from more modern cars. The Porsche 911 shape is one of the most recognisable of any car made, and the fact that this year is the 50th birthday of the model shows that this is a car which can wear the label “Classic” with pride. Asking $65,000 for what is arguably the most aggressive looking and “hairy” 911 built, this is rare chance to own a real piece of 80s supercar history and at the same time enjoy the reliability and practicality that separates Porsches from the highly-strung competitors of the period.