1989 Porsche 930 Turbo '5-Speed' Coupe

Description

Porsche’s original supercar burst onto on the motoring scene to critical acclaim in 1975, the 930 Turbo’s pumped-up bodywork hiding a multitude of engineering changes based on experience hard won on the racetrack. Porsche pioneered forced induction technology, beginning with a turbocharged version of the 911 RSR campaigned in the 1974 World Sports Car Championship. Hidden under the signature whale-tail sat the familiar flat-six boosted by an exhaust-driven KKK turbocharger with an oil cooler, Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection and a 6.5:1 compression ratio to give 260bhp, making the 930 Porsche’s most powerful road car yet. With revised suspension and four-speed gearbox designed specifically for the new model, the Turbo had electrifying performance. Flared guards housed wider Fuchs alloy wheels shod with massive Pirelli P7 tyres while spoilers front and rear helped generate sufficient downforce to keep the Porsche glued to the road. By 1977 Porsche had made a few minor changes to the Turbo’s specification, including 16-inch wheels and an increased engine capacity of 3.3-litres for 1978, 7.0:1 compression ratio accompanied by a new air-to-air intercooler. With power boosted to 300 bhp and even greater performance, Porsche answered one major criticism levelled at the Turbo by improving the brakes, using the same cross-drilled four caliper items originally found on the legendary 917 sports racers. For 1989, Porsche introduced a strengthened G50 5-speed gearbox and hydraulic clutch, the first 5-speed manual transmission fitted to the Turbo models. The 930 has enjoyed something of a renaissance in the classic car marketplace over the last 10 years, with collectors recognising the significance of the model to the heritage of the Zuffenhausen marque, not to mention the rarity compared with lesser 911s.