1997 Porsche 993 Turbo S

The 993-generation of the 911 Series was launched in 1993 and was first available in the United States in 1994 for the 1995 model year. This was the final and ultimate expression of Prsoche's original air-cooled, six-cylinder engine, and Porsche claimed that it had bestowed the 993 with 70 to 80 percent new or improved content, atop the outgoing 964 Series which itself had been a massive change from its predecessor. The new 993-Series body retained only the front deck lid and roof of the 964, the rest being an all-new design, complete with a pinched 'Coke bottle' waist, aggressively bulged fenders, integrated bumpers, and reclined headlamps. The modifications to the chassis and body resulted in a 20-percent stiffer structure than that of the 964.

Beneath the slippery outer skin was an all-new rear suspension system named 'LSA' for Light, Stable, and Agile. It was an all-aluminum, multi-link setup that improved ride quality and handling while reducing noise. Enhanced ABS, enlarged brakes, and one-inch wider wheels were also welcome improvements, and the interior was slightly updated. The air-cooled, normally aspirated engine continued to displace 3.6-liters, but maintenance became easier with a new hydraulic valvetrain. In 'standard' guise, the engine offered 272 horsepower with the help of the new VarioRam intake system, and was backed by a new six-speed gearbox.

The Porsche 993 Turbo was introduced in March of 1995 at the Geneva Show as a 1996 model. The 993 Turbo received an electronically controlled viscous coupling all-wheel-drive system which was something Porsche had not offered on a turbocharged model since the 959. The engine was a 3.6-liter flat-six fed by twin KKK K16 turbos, each featuring integrated wastegates and two charge-air intercoolers. It had bigger brakes, fatter tires, a wide body and stance, and specially designed 'Technologie-Rad' cast alloy wheels. Zero-to-sixty took just 3.7 seconds with top speed being achieved at 180 mph. They could pull up to 1.00g on the skidpad and come to a stop from 60 mph in just 111 feet.

Production of the 993 Turbo continued until July 1998. Just 1,048 examples of the 993 Turbos were delivered to the United States in 1997.

The Turbo S was a one-year-only model and just 375 examples were built, including 183 for the North American market. Those destined for the United States developed 424 horsepower while the 'RoW' (Rest of World) markets received the 450 horsepower version. The power produced from the Type M64/60 twin-turbocharged six-cylinder engine was fed through a Type G64/51 six-speed manual transaxle to all four wheels via the system developed by Porsche for its earlier Carrera 4 (Type 964) series. Among the 993 Turbo S features were Porsche's aggressive 'wide-body' look, vented rear fenders, a special rear spoiler, yellow brake calipers, a pair of larger K-24 turbochargers, a Bosch Motronic engine management system, an additional oil cooler to handle the increased heat load, and Aerokit front spoiler with special ventilation and fog-lamp placement. The standard Turbo had single exhaust tips, oval in form, while the S was fitted with quadruple, round exhaust outlets. There were 12.68-inch power-assisted ventilated and cross-drilled multi-piston disc brakes at all four corners, and a carbon-fiber strut tower support bar beneath the front trunk lid.

The interior housed an abundance of carbon-fiber trim along the lower portion of the dashboard, on the console, door panels, door pulls, and the doorsills. There were two sets of color-coordinated front seatbelts and special 'Turbo S' trim scripts appeared on the engine cover, wheel center caps, interior carpeting, scuff plates, and steering-wheel hub cover.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2017