Of all the names in Porsche’s long and illustrious history, the “Turbo” moniker has to be one of the most infamous. On track, turbocharged 911s earned a fearsome reputation, one that was matched on the open road by the early 930-generation widowmakers and their tricky yet rewarding lag-tastic turbocharged 3.0-litre flat-sixes. We’ve come a long way since then, with the 911 Turbo growing in power, size, and most importantly, speed. However, if you ask us, the golden-era of the 911 Turbo arrived with the 964 generation, and of those the Turbo S Lightweight sat right at the pinnacle.
This stunning 1993 964 Turbo S Lightweight coming up for auction with RM Sotheby’s at their London sale on November 2nd is one of a mere 86 cars ever made, of which only 19 were right-hand drive like this example. Recently refurbished after decades of storage in a private collection, this one-owner 911 has covered fewer than 130 km since leaving Stuttgart, but beyond its rarity and time-warp condition, it’s the engineering that makes this car so special.
Essentially a road-legal version of the car that dominated the 1992 IMSA supercar championship, the 964 Turbo S Lightweight was the brainchild of Porsche Exclusive department manager Rolf Sprenger, and was the first car to be manufactured entirely within Porsche Exclusive. The doors, front trunk lid, and rear wing were made of glass fibre-reinforced carbon composite, the door cards were swapped for those found on the Carrera RS, and thinner glass was installed in the rear and side windows. The air conditioning, power steering, rear seats, radio, insulation, and sound-deadening were all thrown in the bin, contributing to a massive 180 kg saving relative to the standard car.
Finally, the engine was similarly overhauled, gaining 61 horsepower over the standard car thanks to more aggressive cams, larger fuel injectors, and a more efficient KKK turbocharger, resulting in a total output of 381 horsepower at 6,000 rpm. So, if you want to experience the 911 Turbo in one of its most raw and brutal forms, step this way!
London, 2 Nov
