Throwback Thursday: Porsche 930 driven – ultimate 930
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 RHD examples (although unsurprisingly, the car 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.
Of course, Porsche couldn’t let the 930 enter the history books without making it just a little bit more formidable. Utilising the SE’s revised intercooler (housed inside an aggressive chin spoiler) power was hiked to 330bhp. Also carried over were the air intakes on the rear arches, while at the back, four tailpipes replaced the standard dual side exits.
To read our Porsche 930 LE test drive in full, download Total 911 issue 110 straight to your digital device now.
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