The other day I was discussing the appeal of the Porsche 930. Let’s now jump to its successor, the different but also similar 964 Turbo. The 930 appeals for its general lack of smoothness. Its lines are a series of angles balanced by wide curves with the 911’s distinctive round forward pointing headlights leading the way. The 964 carried on that tradition, even if it was an almost entirely new design. The engine too was a refined version of the 930’s 3.3 liter flat-six mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. There would be engine changes in its final production years, but in ’91 and ’92 there was certainly a lot of familiarity to be found under that new skin.
This has placed those turbos in a somewhat odd space. They are surely desirable, but I’m not sure we give them nearly the consideration we do with the 930. The same is true when we compare the early 964 Turbo with the later 3.6 liter models. Their relative appeal is understandable: the increased performance and relative rarity of the 3.6 models makes them increasingly desirable. The desire for the 993TT – the last of the air-cooled Turbos – remains higher still. So what do we do with these less frequently recognized Turbos? I guess we might as well take a look at one:
