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Porsche 930 SE: The First Exclusive

Porsche 911s are all special, but some are more so than others. Porsche is a company that by definition makes special cars, though the nature of the business it’s in inevitably attracts a type of customer who is always keen to explore, to do something unique, and to own and drive something individual and different.

Ever since the first 356s rolled out of Porsche’s doors, it’s been open to providing solutions for its most exacting clientele, the tradition for personalisation always possible, your imagination and your budget the only limitations.

The Sonderwunsch-program, or ‘Special Wishes’ department has always existed, but it would only be formalised in 1986 when Zuffenhausen introduced the Porsche Exclusive department, with which Porsche aimed to fulfil every customer’s wish and desire.

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Of course, any requests had to be within feasible, technical, legal and quality-related constraints, Porsche otherwise leaving the sometimes-difficult element of taste solely down to its customers.

Porsche Exclusive has been, and remains, an integral part of Porsche’s business, though part of its remit has been to occasionally build special cars in limited series. They are infrequent, though always highly desirable. The most famous and prevalent to be built is the 911 Turbo ‘Flachbau’.

Often, incorrectly, translated to ‘flatnose’, which it visibly presents, it more literally translates to ‘flat construction’, which is pleasingly Germanic in its description. Just like the standard 930 Turbo helped to homologate Porsche’s race cars for weekend winning, the 930 SE Flachbau Turbo can trace its roots back to Porsche’s racing activities.

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Beautiful and iconic as the 911’s silhouette is, its derivation pre-dated the competition it would find itself in during the late 1960s and 1970s.

Sports car racing was a rapidly evolving and explosively competitive environment, and the upright headlights on Porsche’s production-based race cars were at an aerodynamic disadvantage over rivals.

The rules back then were fairly open to interpretation though, and as a result, Porsche’s competition department removed the aerodynamic disadvantage the familiar nose of the 911 presented, and flattened its profile to improve airflow at the high speeds its turbocharged engine produced out back.

To read our test drive of the Porsche 930 SE in full, pick up Total 911 issue 146 in store today. Alternatively, order your copy online for home delivery, or download it straight to your digital device now.

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