This car is from the last year of production of the 930 generation 911 Turbo, a 1989 car with the desirable Getrag G50 5-speed gearbox. Up until then, 930 Turbos were equipped with a 4-speed gearbox, this upgrade allowed the car to put its rather violent power delivery onto the road more easily.
The main appeal of the 930 Turbo is its turbocharged air-cooled flat-six engine that overpowers its relatively compact body. At first the 3-litre engine produced 260hp but in 1978 the engine displacement was increased to 3.3-litres which increased power to 300hp, this change also brought the famous “tea tray” spoiler which replaced the equally famous “whale tail” spoiler. Along with the big power numbers and the small size, the rear-wheel drive and rear engine layout made the 930 Turbo notoriously difficult to drive and got nicknamed the “widowmaker”. Crashes were triggered by turbo lag making boost unpredictable which could cause unrecoverable oversteer.
The body has the distinct ‘Turbo’ look, which began with the 930. Wide wheel arches give the car muscle and stance and were a big change over the narrow bodied, non-turbo 911s of the time. It’s a classic look that’s completed by the spoiler. It also has “impact bumpers” which Porsche introduced to pass American legislation. All of these features create an iconic look that has shaped the 911 Turbo and Porsche itself into what it is today.
This car was originally sold by Mitsuwa (now Mizwa) Motors, an instrumental Porsche dealer for the company’s history in Japan. They began importing Porsches in 1951 and in 1995, despite the introduction of Porsche Japan, they continued their activities and are still a very well trusted importer. The rear glass even has a Mitsuwa Motors sticker.