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The rarest of the rare. Of all of the various 911 models, the 964 pretty much leads the pack when it comes to the ultra-rare. I joke occasionally about the myriad configurations of modern 911s, which I think at this point has resulted in around 22 different model variants from which buyers can choose. There’s pretty much a variant to suit every possible need (though still no rear drive Targa, come on!). While we couldn’t really call the 964 similar it does seem to be the model where Porsche really began to see just how many different ways it could offer their flagship car. The other significant difference is that none of the current 911 models really is all that rare. There are a couple special editions that were produced in very low numbers, but those aren’t too much more than unique option packages producing cosmetic differences. Even the Turbo S Exclusive is limited to 500 and while that’s not a lot of cars it’s nothing compared to the car we have here.
This is a 1990 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Leichtbau. According to Canepa, the sellers of this particular example, there were 22 total produced. I’ve seen that number listed elsewhere as only 20, but perhaps there were one or two additional special requests, which kind of sounds like what occurred with the one here. Like a lot of Porsche’s most extreme performance models the Carrera 4 Leichtbau wasn’t for sale in the US market. You’d almost never have a change to buy one. Here is one such chance.
During my time writing about 911s I’m sure I’ve stated that quite a few different models might be my favorite. At one time or another certain cars always strike me and remind me of what it is that I love so much about them. Each model has its strengths and pulls at my imagination in varying ways.
Let it be known that this is my actual favorite model: the 1993 Porsche 911 Turbo S Leichtbau (lightweight). It’s the GT2 before the GT2 existed: a stripped out, higher horsepower, version of the standard 911 Turbo produced in limited numbers. Unlike the later ’94 Turbo S this one is based off of the 964’s original 3.3 liter turbocharged flat-6 and produces 381 hp, an increase of 61 hp over the standard Turbo. Weight savings stripped out nearly 430 pounds.
Visually the Turbo S is distinguished by its unique rear spoiler, Speedline wheels, and rear air inlets. There were 86 in total produced, with 67 of those coming in left-hand drive. The one we see here is even further distinguished by utilizing custom coloring throughout and it sits with a scant 95 km on the clock. Needless to say, this is a very rare opportunity to purchase one of the very rarest high-performance Porsches. It will be up for auction March 9 at the Gooding & Company Amelia Island auctions.
We naturally have a certain predilection toward rare cars here at GCFSB even if most of the cars, especially those made by Porsche, remain well beyond the means of those of us frequenting these pages. But that doesn’t make them any less cool to see. The model we see here, a 1991 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Lightweight, was one I did not even know existed. The ad description is long, but it does a good job of providing the genesis and details of the build for the 964 C4 Lightweight. To summarize: the interior was completely stripped of everything that wasn’t essential, race seats and roll bar were added, and the weight savings were completed with aluminum front and rear deck lids and plexiglass side windows. Altogether 770 lbs were removed from the car, making it lighter than its rear-drive brother the Carrera RS. Mechanically, these were fit with an AWD system derived from the 953 Paris-Dakar rally car with controls to adjust the differential bias front to rear and left to right. A single-plate clutch, light flywheel, and shorter gear ratio would help deliver the power, and power itself was up to 265 hp in standard form (the example we see here is said to have an uprated version of the engine producing 300 hp). The 964 C4 Lightweight was in almost every way a racer designed simply to meet the demands of some enthusiastic collectors. What is perhaps the best part: from the outside the C4 Lightweight looks like a 964 with a whale tail and lowered suspension. There’s very little to suggest everything at play here. It’s wonderful!
