Porsche 930 LE in issue 110
In 1989, the Porsche 911 was experiencing its greatest overhaul yet, with the 964 platform coming onto production lines. However, the 911 Turbo was not expected to play a part in this revolution.
To mark the apparent end for Porsche’s forced-induction 911, Zuffenhausen gave the 930 one last hurrah.
The 930 LE was truly limited edition, with Porsche producing just 50 examples. Each Porsche Centre was limited to just one car, making availability incredibly exclusive, just like the price tag. The original list price for the 930 LE was an eye-watering £84,492.
This gave the 930 LE a price tag of over 50 per cent more than that of the average UK house of the time. If Porsche was to release a 911 similarly priced in comparison to today’s housing market, it would be yours for £254,000.
In other words, it wouldn’t happen. Thankfully, the culture of wild excess in the late Eighties made this car a possibility, with Porsche selling all 50 examples (although unsurprisingly, the example before me was initially owned by a London-based investment banker).
With the 930 LE, Porsche went out of its way to create the ultimate Turbo. Each car started life as a standard 3.3-litre Turbo before being passed over to the ‘Exclusive’ team at Zuffenhausen.
Here, each car was rebuilt by hand to include a host of no-cost options, including colour-coded wheel centres and a top-tinted windscreen. What’s more, any colour from the standard range could be used for the body, with colour-to-sample available at an extra cost.
Inside, the choice was similarly expansive, with any combination of standard leather colours possible for the electrically adjustable seats. The use of leather extended to the handbrake gaiter, while the steering wheel was a three-spoke design, similar to the original 1974 Turbo’s.
Sitting at its centre was a gold Porsche crest, complemented by a similar emblem on top of the gear knob. A final gold plaque on the centre console highlighted the LE’s place at the end of the Turbo’s 15-year tenure as one of the most fearsome sports cars ever produced.
To read the rest of this classic road test, pick up your copy of Total 911 in store or online at the Imagine Shop now. Alternatively, you can download it to your digital device.
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