Porsche 930s for Sale

â€œTurboâ€ may only signify the top trim level on some of todayâ€™s electric Porsche cars, but nearly 50 years ago, that word branded the boosted car that cemented the 911 into legend. The 930, aka 911 Turbo, was this rear-engine sports carâ€™s most powerful and...

â€œTurboâ€ may only signify the top trim level on some of...

“Turbo” may only signify the top trim level on some of today’s electric Porsche cars, but nearly 50 years ago, that word branded the boosted car that cemented the 911 into legend. The 930, aka 911 Turbo, was this rear-engine sports car’s most powerful and thrilling variant, a racing 935-derived model that earned a reputation for fierce performance. Until the advent of the twin-turbocharged 959 supercar of the mid-1980s, the 911 Turbo was the über-Porsche, and it remains highly respected and sought today.

“930” was the internal chassis code for the model initially dubbed the Turbo Carrera; the prototype 911 Turbo made its public debut at the 1974 Paris Motor Show, with production beginning in 1975. Up to that point, the hottest 911 roadgoing variant sold Stateside had been the 210-hp 2.7-liter 911S, but the 3.0-liter Turbo Carrera introduced here for 1976 could blow that into the weeds. Mated exclusively to a wide-ratio 4-speed manual transmission (Porsche’s contemporary 5-speed and Sportomatic weren’t strong enough), the Bosch K-Jetronic fuel-injected, air-cooled flat-six under the obligatory “whale tail” or “tea tray” rear deck spoiler used a single KKK turbo to made 234-hp and 245-lb.ft. of torque. It put that grunt to the ground through fat rear tires housed in massively flared fenders bearing black stone guard film that covered a track nearly 6-inches wider than the standard 911’s, sprinting to 60 in less than 5 seconds and topping out at 156 mph, breathtaking figures at the time.

Buyers willing to spend nearly $26,000 for a Turbo Carrera, when a base 911 cost less than $14,000, got a well-trimmed cabin for their investment. Leather upholstery, A/C, and power windows were standard here- in fact, a power sunroof was the only option. Just two years into production, the 930 was simply renamed 911 Turbo and got a shove in the form of an air-to-air intercooled 3.3-liter engine making 253 hp and 282-lb.ft. of torque, both figures eclipsing those of the V-8 in the new 928. Cross-drilled disc brakes behind forged Fuchs alloy wheels were derived from the 917 racer’s.

While it remained available elsewhere, emissions regulations kept the 911 Turbo from U.S. shores in the first half of the 1980s (the Type 931, aka 924 Turbo, stood in for forced-induction fans in 1980-’82), but it returned for 1986 with 282-hp and 278-lb.ft. of torque. The pricey, 935-inspired Flachbau (Flat Nose or Slant Nose) option from Porsche’s Sonderwunsch (Special Wish) program soon became available in the U.S., and the turbocharged six could be had in a Coupe, Targa, or Cabriolet body style. The 1989 model year marked the 930’s final appearance with the belated inclusion of a G50 five-speed manual transmission, the result being 0-60 in 5.3 seconds and a 157-mph top speed; a 330-hp Turbo S was offered in other markets. After a one-year absence, a new air-cooled 911 Turbo would appear, based on the 964-chassis 911.

The turbo lag and lift-off oversteer that famously gave the 930 its “widow-maker” reputation has made this car the choice of keen drivers, and while around 20,000 911 Turbos were built for worldwide consumption between 1975 and 1989, a small portion of those came to America. Porsche’s enviable classic-model parts availability and ample specialists make maintaining one of these cars relatively painless, and values have been fairly steady over the past five years, with the more common Coupe body style being most accessible. Hemmings is a great place to find your next air-cooled 911 Turbo.

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