Porsche Index: 993 Carrera S
Mixing a wide body with traditional rear-wheeldrive, the Carrera S is a highly desirable 993. Here’s your complete dossier of information on this collector’s gem
Your full dossier of information on this one-off, widebodied 911 from the last air-cooled generation
HISTORY AND TECH
In Porsche nomenclature, ‘S’ usually denoted sporting or ‘Super’ and its first application to a 911 was in 1966. The 911S would set the standard as the fastest 911 until the 2.7RS usurped its crown, and the S was demoted to second fiddle before it disappeared in 1976. Subsequently there was a 911CS (Clubsport) and a 911RS (Rennsport) and even a Turbo S, but a plain 911 with an S, in this case ‘Carrera S’, had to wait for the mid-term facelift 993 in 1996. The 993 was the evolutionary descendant of the 964 which had arrived at a time when Porsche’s financial woes were beginning. The 964’s disappointing sales led to a fundamental reappraisal of the 911: in the performance stakes it was still classleading, but in terms of handling and refinement, critics felt it was falling behind competitors. Plans for the 993 were laid in 1989 as soon as new broom engineering director Ulrich Bez arrived and the objective, challenging given Porsche’s impoverished resources, was clear enough: refine the 911 to extend its appeal while reinforcing its ‘911-ness,’ that palpable collusion between driver and car which had so characterised the 911 from the outset.
Porsche was barely profitable and plans to revise the roof line, countersink the exposed windscreen wipers and update the cabin never materialised. Nonetheless, Tony Hatter’s fared front wings and smoothed and subtly flared haunches met universal approval; all the road tests commented on the more secure handling endowed by the new rear suspension, the multi-link configuration which would underpin at least two more 911 generations, and above all the much-improved ride and refinement. A systematic lightening of reciprocating parts and better breathing enhanced both smoothness and the 3.6’s power and torque; Japanese consultants brought improved manufacturing techniques and the 993 not only cost less to make than its predecessor, it proved more popular and started making profits again.
Its success encouraged Porsche to reprise the Turbo-look 911 of the 1980s. The 1995 4WD 993 C4S used the wider Turbo bodyshell (without the spoiler), suspension and brakes and the Turbo’s leather interior, but the Carrera’s naturally aspirated 3.6. Capitalising on the very favourable response, a year later Porsche added a lower-cost version, the C2S, which also featured the Turbo body but otherwise used standard C2 running gear and interior, though it was distinguished by a striking split rear grille, a clever homage to the original (356) Carrera 2.
THE VALUES STORY
When new, the C2S was priced at £65,450, against £61,200 for the Carrera 2 or £64,500 for a C4. Its sister in the fully equipped C4S was £74,795, £5,000 more even than the 993 RS. Made in the last year of 993 production (the final wide bodies left Zuffenhausen in July 1998, by which time 996 production was already well established), the S was an exclusive model line in which the cars generally covered low mileages. Neither the C2S nor its sister fell below the £30,000 barrier during the 2000s and the best examples soared to significantly over £100,000 in the 2014-6 boom. Jonathan Leach of Cridfords says that prices pushed up artificially, as most Porsche values were at that time, tended to fall as quickly. The S models were not exempt from this, but their rarity – 3,049 C2SS and 3,772 C4SS were made – has caused both wide bodies to appreciate in a far more sustainable way since then. They are iconic 911s and the best will still go for six figures, but a C2S tends to play second fiddle in values to the C4S, which although usually regarded as less desirable because it is 4WD, does in fact sell for more, says Leach. Porsche specialist Phil Raby, who has been writing about or selling 993s almost since they were new, observes that these are rarely seen models and concurs that S pricing is more likely to go up than down.
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?
Awell-maintained 993 is very satisfying to drive. The steering, firm initially, seems to lighten at higher speeds and displays that tremendous feel and accuracy, the Porsche hallmark. In town, the gearshift can feel heavy, throttle take-up is not always seamless and the 993 follows the air-cooled 911 tradition of being slightly unhappy in stop-start traffic. Here the four-speed Tiptronic is smoother, but once the road opens up, the driver will want the Getrag manual, whose six perfectly chosen ratios makes the most of the Varioram engine’s torque curve and 285 horses. As with the steering, the gearshift too becomes easier and moving up and down through the 'box is an essential part of the agreeable interaction between man and machine. Although a far from quiet car, the engine fan is a constant reminder there is no water jacket. Using the Turbo body means the S has a stiffer chassis than the plain C2, while its rearwheel-drive element means it is the enthusiast’s choice over its C4S sister. Weighing only 30kg more than a plain C2, the Carrera S feels firmer than the C2 and on uneven roads, body control is perceptibly improved.
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