ALEX MANOS
Inspired by what Porsche was achieving with forced induction at the race circuit, the classic 911 Turbo proved to be one of the world’s most important sports cars and was a huge success for Porsche, not only from a sales perspective, but also in the way i
The way the Porsche motor company has developed over the decades is something which has always fascinated me. I’m particularly interested in the arrival of the 911 Turbo. At the 1974 Paris Motor Show, Porsche presented the prototype, which was also a way to showcase the 911’s then new G-series platform. Ultimately, the 911 Turbo would be on the market until 1989, standing tall as the brand’s top-of-the-range 911 for its entire production duration. When introduced in the mid-1970s, the turbocharged 911 was also the fastest production car available in its home country, Germany. Porsche badged the vehicle simply as Turbo. The car was very well received and its commercial launch was immediately — and correctly — deemed a success.
The 2.7-litre flat-six had been realigned. Displacement was increased to three litres and, from July 1975, the 911 Carrera was also given a three-litre engine. A number of parts were taken from the Carrera RS 3.0 and a new cylinder head was designed to lower compression ratio, which was necessary for the use of a turbocharger.
Porsche was experimenting with turbocharging technology in the late 1960s and, in 1972, began development of a turbocharged version of the 911, taking inspiration from lessons learned at the track. The first force-fed production cars to emerge from the programme were offered under the name 911 Turbo from spring 1975, while the factory designation was Type 930. These vehicles sold much faster than expected — the first four hundred examples found buyers by the end of the year.
The thousand-sale mark was reached on May 5th, 1976. With this success under its belt, Porsche decided to keep the 911 Turbo in its product line-up for the long term. The car even had a top speed of 155mph, rivalling the Ferrari 308. No doubt, this was the source of the 911 Turbo’s ‘widowmaker’ sobriquet. You just had to be careful not to engage the turbocharger in error, when handling the car would become positively juicy and wild.
The gearbox, which was originally a fourspeed unit, pulls very long. It allows for almost 50mph in first gear and not far from 125mph in third. In fourth gear, the turbo is only signalled above 111mph. In order to process this greater power in the most practical manner, Porsche widened track by six centimetres at the front and twelve centimetres at the rear. Consequently, the necessary fender flares provide the 911 with an even more pugnacious appearance, an impression augmented by the giant rear spoiler and assorted aerodynamic appendage.
Of course, Porsche still manufactures a
911 Turbo model, but, in 1978, engineers in Zuffenhausen made their first and most significant changes to the 930 when engine bore was enlarged by two millimetres for a total displacement of 3,299cc. An air-to-air intercooler was also added, while the brakes were upgraded to specification similar to what had been put to good use on the legendary 917 race car.
These alterations increased the weight of the 911 Turbo, contributing to substantial changes in the handling of the vehicle when compared to the earlier three-litre model. Then, in 1980, updated emissions regulations in Japan and the United States forced Porsche to withdraw the 911 Turbo from those markets. It remained on sale available in Canada, but Porsche discontinued the 930 altogether after the 1989 model year, when the 911’s underlying G-series platform was replaced by that of the 964.
Those 1989 911 Turbos were the first and last versions of the model to feature the Getrag G50 five-speed manual transmission, which had already been a feature of the Carrera 3.2 since 1987. A turbocharged variant of the 964, complete with a modified version of the 3.3-litre flat-six engine and a five-speed transmission, officially succeeded the 930 in 1991.
The nimble and powerful 911 Turbo in its earliest form, however, is much sought after by enthusiasts, who consider it to be the purest and most enjoyable of this long-lived series of air-cooled classics. Indeed, first-year 911 Turbos represent both the dawn of a crucial era in Porsche production history and one of the automaker’s alltime most significant — and, it has to be said, most influential — achievements. Almost five decades later, we continue to celebrate the original 911 Turbo’s magnificence, just as visitors to the Paris Motor Show did in 1974. ●