1994 Porsche 911

The Porsche 911 received a major overhaul in 1990, with the rear torsion bars replaced by tubular shocks and coil springs. The displacement was increased to 3605cc capable of producing 247 horsepower, retaining Bosch Motronic injection with hydraulic timing chain tensioners. The first 964 Turbo arrived in 1991 with 320 horsepower and a five-speed transaxle. In 1993, Porsche replaced the 3.3-liter version with the M30/50 3.6-liter powerplant rated at 355 horsepower. The Porsche 964 Turbo 3.6 could race from zero-to-sixty mph in just four seconds and had a top speed of 174 mph. Just 288 examples were imported to the United States; in all, 1,436 Turbo 3.6s were built worldwide in 1993 and 1994.

Additionally, the 1994 Porsche 911 received a new rear suspension setup fitted in its own subframe. The 2-door 911 Carrera 2 had a base price of nearly $65,000 and 2,021 examples were built. The Cabriolet sold for $74,200 and 1,729 examples were built. The Speedster had a base price of $66,400 and a total of 78 examples were built. 213 buyers of the Carrera 4 Coupe were sold to customers.

Production of the Porsche 964 began in 1989 and continued through 1994. It was designed by Benjamin Dimson and was the first car optionally equipped with Porsche's Tiptronic automatic transmission and all-wheel drive (Carrera 4). Compared to previous 911 models, the 964 had better-integrated bumpers along with numerous styling revisions. It was considered to be 854 new as compared to its predecessor and body styles included a coupe, Targa, or Cabriolet. Power was sourced from a new naturally aspirated flat-6 engine dubbed the M64 with a displacement of 3.6 liters. Mechanical improvements were made to the suspension with the previous torsion-bar setup replaced by coil springs and shock absorbers. Standard equipment included ABS brakes and power steering which were 'firsts' for the 911. In the back was a new electric spoiler that would raise at speeds exceeding 50 mph and lowered down flush with the rear engine lid when speeds fell below 50 mph.

The interior gained a new automatic climate control system for better heating and cooling, revised instrumentation, and warning lights. In late 1989, the North American-destined cars came standard with dual airbags.

964 Turbo
The Porsche 964 Turbo model was introduced in March of 1990 and served as the successor to the 930. Lacking the proper time needed to develop a turbocharged version of the 3.6-liter M64 engine, Porsche instead re-used the 3.3-liter powerplant from the 930, added a turbocharger and several modifications, resulting in a total output of 316 bhp at 5,750 RPM. During its production lifespan, a total of 3,660 examples of the 964 Turbo were built.

The 3.3-liter Turbo S followed in 1992 and came with bigger injectors, more boost, more aggressive camshafts, and 376 horsepower. It received a lightweight interior with fewer amenities, a lowered suspension system, manual steering, and a front strut brace. A total of 86 examples of the Turbo S were built.

The 964 Turbo 3.6 arrived in January of 1993 with a KKK K27 turbocharged version of the 3.6-liter M64 that developed 355 horsepower at 5,500 RPM and 384 lb-ft of torque at 4,200 RPM. A total of 1,500 examples were built during the 1993 and 1994 model year.

964 Turbo 3.6 S Flachbau
As production of the 964 was nearing its end, in August of 1993, Porsche informed its dealer network of a final and limited series of special Turbo S Flachbau models to be built under the auspices of the factory's Exclusive Department. They were based on the Turbo 3.6 and equipped with mechanical and cosmetic improvements, and most wore a new variation of Porsche's flatnose front-end treatment, complete with pop-up headlights borrowed from the 928/968 series. It wore unique turbo S badging, Porsche Exclusive-designed front and rear bumpers, 959- style rear-quarter air vents, and a special body-color rear spoiler. Power was sourced from the Type M64/50S engine, internally designated by production code X88 and developed for the 1994 model year. They were equipped with revised camshafts, redesigned cylinder heads, larger turbocharger, modified inlet manifolds, and adjustments to valve timing. Horsepower was conservatively rated at 385 bhp which was a 25 horsepower improvement over the potent Turbo 3.6. Additional mechanical modifications included a four-pipe exhaust system and a front-mounted oil cooler.

Porsche built 76 examples of the 964 Turbo S Flachbau, all completed between November 1993 and January 1994. They had a top speed approaching 175 mph and could race from zero-to-sixty mph in 4.7 seconds.

Although production was exclusive and limited, the Turbo S models catered to the specific demands of three markets, ultimately dividing the series into distinct groups. The Japanese market received the examples designed by code X83 with a total of 10 examples produced and all had left-hand drive and finished in Polar Silver Metallic. Distinguishable features included the Flachbau treatment which included the 930/944-style front end, 930-style boxed rocker panels, and rear quarter air vents. The code X84 examples were known as Rest-of-World (ROW) models and 27 examples were built. Of those, 15 had left-hand drive while the remaining 12 had right-hand drive configuration. The X84 ROW wore the more modern Flachbau treatment and most were sent to Germany and Singapore. The third group was the code X85 cars built for the United States market in a similar style to the X84 ROW models. In total, 39 examples of the X85 Turbo S Flachbau were built with most receiving black or Guards Red exterior paint schemes. The X85 was priced at US$60,179 on top o the base price of US$99,000 for the Turbo 3.6.

Speedster
The original Porsche Speedster of 1954 was envisioned by American importer Max Hoffman as an exciting and exclusive version based on the Porsche 356 offering open-air performance. Its removable, low, raked windscreen and minimalist folding top were an instant hit, especially in Southern California.

Porsche revived the 'Speedster' formula for the 911-based Carrera 3.2 Speedster in 1989, introduced the previous year at the Frankfurt Motor Show alongside the upcoming Carrera 4. This version shared more in common with the 930 Turbo rather than the upcoming 964 911s, with 641 examples of the 800 built receiving the 'Turbo Look' wide-body option.

For 1993, Porsche again reprised the Speedster badge with a model that split the difference between the Carrera 2 and the more hardcore Carrera RS. Unlike the 1989 Speedster, the 1994 Speedster was based on the new Carrera 2 platform and not initially offered with the 'Turbo Look' wide-body styling. Buyers were given the option of purchasing the Speedster in either 'standard' or lightweight configuration called 'Clubsport.' Each example had a raked windshield and manually raised cloth top intended for inclement weather only. Power was sourced from the 3.6-liter air-cooled SOHC horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine rated at 247 horsepower. Both five-speed manual and four-speed Tiptronic automatic transmissions were available, and the Speedster could be ordered in either left- or right-hand drive.

Porsche intended to build 3,000 examples of the 1994 Speedsters but only 936 examples were ultimately built and sold during the two years of production. 427 examples were sold to the United States. Twenty examples were finished with the optional 'Turbo look' wide-bodies at Porsche Exclusive's workshop at Werk 1 (Factory 1).

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2019