1977 Porsche 930 Turbo 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 existing five-speed from the 911 wasn’t capable of handling the 243lb/ft of torque generated by the engine), 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. The 930 was very much Porsche’s flagship, competing with supercars like the Ferrari Boxer and Lamborghini Countach but with the added benefits of Teutonic reliability and a modicum of practicality. With the first of the 3-litre Turbos built is small numbers - total of 2,819 by end of the1977 production year, 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.