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I like a certain degree of completeness so why not go ahead and bookend things? This Black 1977 Porsche 930 Turbo Carrera resides at the other end of the 930 spectrum from the 1989 930 I featured on Monday. It isn’t from the first year of 930 production so this isn’t the perfect comparison, but since it is from one of the first two years when the 930 utilized a 3.0 liter turbocharged engine without an intercooler it still provides a glimpse into the model’s early days.
Looking at them both you could easily mistake one for the other. Their dimensions are the same even if the ’89 has gained a couple hundred pounds so you won’t notice much there. The most obvious difference is the rear spoiler. Porsche modified the 930’s spoiler in ’78 so as to accommodate the new intercooler that would feed air into the larger 3.3 liter engine. It has much more pronounced wings, which has garnered it the name tea tray compared with the whale tail of the 3.0 liter models. The fog lights too are different as they became integrated into the front bumper. We notice the same difference when comparing the 911SC and 3.2 Carrera.
While the outside is quite similar, the differences in the interior are much more apparent and show the evolutionary changes of the 911 in general over this time. We find a similar evolutionary development under the skin. Naturally power increased and with it came larger 4-piston ventilated disc brakes. The 930 now could stop as well as it could go. And, of course, in 1989 Porsche fitted the 930 with the G50 5-speed transmission, the biggest change these cars had seen since their displacement increase in 1978.
How do we explain the 930? It’s appeal seems both undeniable, but also uncertain. It’s raw and powerful and appeals to all of our childish sensibilities. It’s kind of a Hot Wheels car come to life. In some cases you might really think that’s what has happened. But we’re grown now and not everyone wants a car with a massive spoiler and bulging rear fenders. All of that power requires your full attention in a world where paying attention has become a novelty. But there are times when I look at one – and I’m sure some of you do as well – and can’t think of why I might want something else.
Here we have a triple black 1989 Porsche 930 Coupe with 80,457 miles on it. This comes from the final year of 930 production, a significant point for those in search of one of these turbos since it was the only year Porsche equipped them with a 5-speed manual transmission rather than the previously utilized 4-speed manual.
When I previously featured an Ipanema Blue Metallic 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS it was one of the few times I’d seen the color come up for sale. Here we have another nearly identical 911. Same year and same model though optioned slightly differently. Hilariously it is priced $1 above the asking price of the previous example I featured. It’s Price is Right bidding on eBay!
Let’s get to those different options because they’re not insignificant. Most importantly this Carrera 4 GTS is equipped with PDK rather than a 6-speed manual. That’s a big deal on the 997 GTS. We’ll get to that in a moment. The other significant option is that this one came with the Aerokit Cup. It’s an interesting choice that certainly provides a little more raciness to the exterior. There are a few other optional differences but other than Sports Suspension, which the other GTS had while this one does not, they are mostly minor and not much to get riled up about.
Ipanema wasn’t a terribly popular color for the 997. It’s why we don’t see a lot of them. But bright colors seems like they are back in style on 911s so maybe it’ll see a surge in popularity.
We feature the 928GTS with some regularity here at GCFSB. They’re phenomenal machines and good ones are highly desirable. Among those we’ve featured we do tend to have a pretty strong preference for those equipped with a manual transmission. Being the enthusiasts that we are, when given the choice of shifting the gears ourselves versus letting the transmission do it for us, we’re naturally going to gravitate toward the more engaging manual option. A manual GTS also is more rare. Of course, as the more rare and enthusiast-oriented versions tend to be, a manual GTS is very expensive. Far more expensive than an automatic GTS.
Of all the Porsches we regularly feature the 928 is perhaps the only one that remains fairly desirable with an automatic. As a grand tourer the automatic doesn’t necessarily detract from the experience as much as it would in a 911 or Cayman. Some owners even prefer it. So why not have a look at one such beast? Here we have a Grand Prix White 1994 Porsche 928GTS, located in San Diego, with Black leather interior and 68,200 miles on it. And here it sits with a 4-speed automatic transmission.
Update 12/12/18: This Kremer-modified 930 sold for $173,600.
I honestly don’t know where to even begin with this one. It’s so audacious that I think it’s best just to have a look at it first and then discuss it. But let’s at least lay out the basics: This began as a 1976 Porsche 930 Turbo delivered in Germany. It’s original color was the Ice Green Metallic exterior we see here – presumably sans graphics – with a leather-to-sample green interior. It was sent to Kremer Racing for their 935K package and the end result is the car we see here. I love just about everything about this 930. It’s kind of insane and perfect at the same time and fits very well into the crazy Porsche racers of the ’70s.
This Kremer-modified 930 will be up for auction this Saturday, December 8 as part of RM Sotheby’s Petersen Automotive Museum auctions.
