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The well worn cliche is that power is intoxicating. While typically that expression is used in reference to abuses by individuals it seems no less applicable to cars. Once you get a taste of a level of acceleration, you begin to want more. And more. And maybe even a little more. Thankfully there exist outlets for such desires; builders who are happy to provide you with completely unnecessary levels of power in our continual pursuit of more. Just bring your wallet.
For your Porsche the name nearly synonymous with the need for extra power is RUF. RUF has been in the game for a long time, producing modified Porsches for 40 years. While in many cases these are conversions where the owner buys a 911 and has RUF parts added by an appropriate installer (or by RUF themselves), RUF also has produced their own builds utilizing nothing more than a Porsche chassis. These cars were badged as a RUF rather than a Porsche and come with a RUF VIN. The one we see most commonly and the one that really got the whole thing started is the BTR. Fitted with a 3.4 liter turbocharged flat-6 mated to a 5-speed manual the BTR was a much more powerful version of the 930 capable of outclassing most any production car available at the time. Naturally that extra performance along with their relative rarity makes them a highly sought after commodity. Here we have one such beast: a 1987 RUF BTR, located in Virginia, with 37,472 miles on it.
Here we have a car engaged in a little bit of an identity crisis. I find it a little perplexing, but let me get to that later because beyond that disjunction it’s actually a rather interesting 911 Turbo. This is an Orient Red Metallic 2002 Porsche 911 Turbo Coupe with 53,795 miles on it. It’s fitted with the Turbo Aerokit along with a pronounced front lip spoiler, factory options that are kind of divisive in their appeal, but nonetheless are fairly rare. The interior also has a wide array of maple wood accents and leather fittings. Those options bring with them a level of elegance that seems somewhat at odds with the exterior options. It’s all very much racer on the outside and grand tourer on the inside. But which does it want to be?
I don’t know that this 911 model needs much introduction. It’s a much loved model by writers and readers alike here at GCFSB and I always feel a certain elation when I see another one come up for sale. For those not entirely familiar this is the 964 Turbo 3.6. We might say it’s what the 964 Turbo was supposed to be from the beginning, but it took a few years to come to fruition. It’s not quite the pinnacle of 964 Turbos since that is reserved for this car’s successor – the ultra-rare Turbo S – but I think for many the Turbo 3.6 itself is one of the holy grail cars. And while not cheap you can have one for far less money than a Turbo S. Heck you might be able to have three for less money than a Turbo S!
Here’s an excellent looking example, painted in the fairly rare color of Polar Silver. It’s located in Ohio and sits with 54,960 miles on it. The best part: it’s one of the best prices I’ve seen for a Turbo 3.6 in quite some time.
We’ve seen a couple of Turbolook Carrera Targas come up for sale recently. Lovely cars and very rare. What we haven’t seen are actual turbocharged Targas for sale. The last time I featured one was almost two years ago. The feature before that takes us back almost another two years. While it’s extremely unlikely I would have seen and featured every 930 Targa to come up for sale over those four years, that tiny number of posts stands in stark contrast to the abundance of 930 Coupes and Cabriolets that grace our pages. In any given week I can almost always find a beautiful 930 Coupe to write about if I so choose. To some degree the same goes for the Cabriolet. The Targa, not so much.
In part this rarity comes down to production time – the 930 Targa only was available for three years, though that’s also true of the Cabriolet and we still see many more of those – and numbers: the Targa was produced in far fewer numbers relative to Coupes and Cabriolets. Why? Presumably they were less desirable. Porsche produced fewer 911 Targas in general. Still the 930 Targa remains a relatively more rare machine.
Anyway, here is one! A 1988 Porsche 930 Targa, located in New Jersey, with 68,100 miles on it:
Last week I presented a 930 Slantnose that I thought was about as ’80s as a Porsche could get. While I don’t think this one pushes beyond it, it certainly brings with it its own ’80s appeal and includes elements that 930 Coupe lacked.
Here we have a Cassis Red Metallic 1987 Porsche 930 Slantnose Cabriolet with just 45,400 miles on it. The very fact that it’s a Cabriolet, rather than a Coupe, garners it an extra dose of excess in appearance. The Slantnose, side strakes, and massive spoiler when paired with a top-down environment really bring a peculiarity to the design that we don’t often see. The chrome wheels take it over the top. The full wood dash too strikes me as very much an ’80s sort of feature. Not that a wood dash itself dates the car, but when fitted to a Slantnose 911 Turbo it creates a disjunction combining luxury and aggression that feels very at home in the time period. It’s all quite fascinating, really.
