Porsche 993 Turbo: ultimate guide
In issue 110, we subjected the 993 Carrera to the Ultimate Guide spotlight, and it’s worth briefly recapping that model’s place in the 911 story. Launched in 1993 and styled by Tony Hatter, it would prove to be a big leap over the outgoing 964 generation.
This was not only due to its looks – which more closely reflected the classic 911 outline – but also the host of technical improvements it contained. Chief among them were a bodyshell that was claimed to be 80 per cent new and a lot stiffer.
It also featured bonded front and rear screens and quirky, centrally pivoting wipers); a revised 3.6-litre engine that would host a new VarioRam intake system, and a new multi-link rear suspension layout that would finally lay to rest the ghost of tricky handling.
It was a model that would prove to be hugely popular, with more than 75,000 examples being sold. But since first adopting the technology for their road cars back in 1975, the company found themselves without a turbocharged model in their line-up, the 964 Turbo having ended production in the early part of 1994.
Step forward the new 993 Turbo, launched in 1995 for the 1996 model year, and a car that would stay in production until July 1998, after the world had been introduced to the idea of water-cooling courtesy of the divisive 996.
Only ever available with the Coupe body, from the outside it was instantly recognisable as being a bit special, perfectly blending the smooth new look of the 993 with a subtle helping of aggression.
At the front was a unique front bumper and apron that was deeper and featured three substantial air intakes to feed the radiators and brakes. Small slats on the outer edge of the spoiler also contributed to the carefully tuned aerodynamics by smoothing the airflow around the front wheels.
Head to the back, and you’d be confronted with a whaletail-style fixed rear spoiler in place of the pop-up item – needed because of the intercoolers that sat beneath – and a deeper rear apron housing twin exhaust outlets.
To read our full guide to the Porsche 993 Turbo, order your copy of Total 911 issue 112 online now for half-price. Alternatively, you can download it straight to your digital device.
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