1978 Porsche 930 Turbo Coupe

Description

Though initially designed to be a homologation special in the spirit of the Carrera RS, the 911 Turbo actually became the premium production model in the 911 range when sports car racing rules changed. Introduced in 1975, and referred to as the 930- its internal type number- the Turbo gave Porsche the power to compete with the increasing Italian supercar threats of the mid-Seventies. Under its famous 'whale-tail' rear spoiler sat the familiar 3.0-litre, air-cooled flat six. Compression was reduced to 6.5:1 in preparation for the boost provided by the single KKK turbo. Output was around 191kW (260PS) with a 344Nm torque. Of course, the chassis came in for various upgrades to handle the power, with larger brakes, wider rubber, revised suspension and a stronger four-speed gearbox (as opposed to the standard 911's five-speeder) added to the mix. For 1978 the motor was enlarged to 3.3-litres with perhaps the most significant change being the adoption of an intercooler- the whale-tail was re-profiled to fit the 'cooler atop the engine. Power was out to 221kW (300PS). Performance was hairy- the big single turbo, low compression and wide ratio gearbox meant the onset of horsepower was truly explosive, while corners had to be treated with respect, settling the car before making use of the ample traction afforded by the rear-engine layout. The 930 is considered a legend amongst high-performance cars for a reason and as time goes by they are becoming more and more sought-after as pioneers of turbocharged performance.