Lot 123: 1997 Porsche 993 Turbo

When the Porsche 911 was introduced in 1963 it was a highly advanced design, typical of the dynasty bearing the Porsche name. It was a logical development of the 356, with a rear mounted air cooled engine, although in the new car it was a flat six, rather than the old car's four cylinder unit. In 1976 Porsche introduced a turbocharged version of their three litre 911, called simply, "Turbo", and instantly the car was a huge hit. It was one of the fastest cars of the day, with 160mph top speed and 0-60mph acceleration in 5.4 seconds, figures that put it firmly into the newly emergent "Supercar" league, along with the likes of Ferrari's Boxer and Lamborghini's Countach, the only two real competitors to the Turbo. Continuing the philosophy of ongoing improvement a 3.3 litre version of the Turbo was introduced, boasting 300bhp and even better performance, with a top speed approaching 170mph. Massive drilled and ventilated disc brakes with huge callipers, as fitted to the firm's 917 sports prototype racing cars, were utilised to haul the car down from the phenomenal speeds which it could now achieve. These cars need no real introduction as over the years the turbo charger and the Porsche 911 have gone hand in glove. The obvious significance of the 993 is that it is the last air-cooled 911. From the beginning, 911s have been air-cooled, though to anyone not schooled in all things Porsche, air cooling might appear to be a drawback. And indeed it is, restricting Porsche to a two-valve-per-cylinder arrangement and thus limiting top-end power. You can see this by comparing the last 993's 282 hp with the 355 hp of the latest 997 Carrera S or the 380 hp of the 996 GT3. It is a slight oversimplification, but water cooling allows these newer-era cars to run four valves per cylinder with higher internal temperatures and resulting higher output. But Porsche lovers have a traditional streak, so there was a bit of hand-wringing when Porsche announced that the 993 would be the last air-cooled 911. The 993 Turbo coupe was released in 1995. It featured a new and widely acclaimed turbocharged engine displacing 3.6 liters. Twin turbochargers and air-to-air intercoolers, electronic engine management, redesigned cylinder heads and other modified engine internals were used. The 993 Turbo was the first Porsche Turbo with all wheel drive. The electronic engine management helped the Turbo to achieve fuel efficiency far superior to any of the previous production Turbos. In connection with two catalytic converters and an on-board-diagnostics-system including four oxygen-sensors, it also made the 993 Turbo the cleanest sports car at its time. The Turbo's bodyshell differs from the Carrera body by widened rear wheel arches (approximately 6 cm), redesigned front and rear bumper moldings, and a fixed rear wing housing the intercoolers. New 18 inch alloy wheels with weight-reducing hollow spokes were standard.The 993 Turbo coupe was released in 1995. It featured a new and widely acclaimed turbocharged engine displacing 3.6 liters. Twin turbochargers and air-to-air intercoolers, electronic engine management, redesigned cylinder heads and other modified engine internals were used. The 993 Turbo was the first Porsche Turbo with all wheel drive. The electronic engine management helped the Turbo to achieve fuel efficiency far superior to any of the previous production Turbos. In connection with two catalytic converters and an on-board-diagnostics-system including four oxygen-sensors, it also made the 993 Turbo the cleanest sports car at its time. The Turbo's bodyshell differs from the Carrera body by widened rear wheel arches (approximately 6 cm), redesigned front and rear bumper moldings, and a fixed rear wing housing the intercoolers. New 18 inch alloy wheels with weight-reducing hollow spokes were standard.The example on offer today has enjoyed just two owners from new and has covered 100.000 kms.