Porsche 911 (930) Turbo - Is it really 50 years old?

Introduction to the 911 (930) Turbo

The greatest automotive legends are not always carefully curated and overengineered models. Sometimes, the most iconic cars are created by chance and through sheer acts of madness and courage. They can often represent the company's last attempt to make things work. By the grace of the automotive gods, things work out better than anyone expected, turning those flawed but charming creations into an object of desire for millions of fans. This is precisely what happened with the iconic Porsche 911 Turbo. Born out of necessity, hastily engineered, and downright dangerous, it exploded on the scene, set new standards, and went from a sketchy factory hot rod to a superbly fast and stable GT model for crossing continents. This year, the 911 Turbo celebrates its 50th birthday. Let's see how the iconic 1974 911 Turbo set the world on fire.

How the 911 Turbo was conceived

Stuck between the innovative '60s and flashy '80s, the 1970s were times of downsizing, recession and catalytic converters choking engines. For example, the US-spec 1974 Porsche 911 had a 2.7-litre, flat-six engine with just 143 hp in the base version. It was absurd that the 1974 model with the 2.7-litre engine was less potent than the 1972 model with a 2.4-litre unit. However, losing power wasn't Porsche's only concern. By the early 70s, the 911 was a 10-year-old model with declining sales. Global recession took its toll on production numbers and tricky handling combined with rust issues made customers avoid the 911.

Fortunately, the 911 was still dominant on the racing scene, and environmental standards that blighted the road-going models didn't apply to the racing cars. Porsche could continue to chase the lap times uninterrupted. The early '70s saw more and more racing teams experimenting with turbocharging. It was just a matter of time before Porsche engineers would bolt on turbochargers on the 911, and it happened in 1974 when the Porsche 935 was introduced. It was a thoroughbred racing car with a 3.3-litre, turbocharged flat-six featuring mechanical fuel injection. In full competition specs and turbo at maximum boost, the 935 could produce up to 850 horsepower, which is an insane number today, let alone in the 70s.

For homologation purposes, Porsche needed a road-going turbocharged model, which is how and why the 930 Turbo was born. Presented in late 1974 at the Paris Motor Show, the 930 Turbo was rushed into production.

Porsche 930 Turbo goes into production

To meet homologation requirements, the initial plan was to sell just 400 cars. It was envisioned as a special edition model and not a permanent addition to the 911 range. As such, Porsche didn’t apply the same standards of engineering and R&D as they would do normally. The 930 went into production using the same 911 chassis, but it ended significantly wider than the 911 Carrera, with massive rear wheels, wheel arches, a front splitter, wider front tyres, and bigger brakes.

The characteristic "whale tail" rear spoiler was huge, but it was cooling necessity and covered a gem of an engine - a 3.0-litre flat-six engine with a single KKK turbocharger. The power output was 260 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque, representing a significant leap over the standard Carrera's output. The newfound power had a substantial effect on performance. The 1975 930 Turbo could sprint to 60 mph in just 5.2 seconds and top 155 mph, with mid-range acceleration that was unheard of. In the mid-70s, it was one of the fastest cars money could buy. The successful implementation of new turbocharging technology brought the 911 back into the focus of sports car enthusiasts all over the globe.

Also known as "The Widowmaker"

The original 1975 to 1977 Porsche 930 Turbo was a fast but crude car, totally different from today's polished and well-mannered 911 Turbos. Porsche didn't invest much resource into developing this model since it was nothing more than a homologation special. However, despite its stellar performance, the 930 Turbo had its dark side. When it was launched, the first road tests uncovered its biggest flaw - its handling.

To understand how the 930 earned this nickname, remember that the mid-70s 911 had a 40% (front) - 60% (rear) weight distribution. For the 930 Turbo, Porsche added much more power and widened the track but kept the chassis construction, short 90-inch wheelbase and weight distribution mostly intact. The combination of a lightweight (1200kg/2,600 pounds) but powerful car, with a short wheelbase and most of the weight concentrated over the rear axle lead to instabilities.  A sudden surge of power at 4000 rpm due to the turbo boost would send the car into immediate and often fatal oversteer making it impossible to control. Back in the mid-'70s, turbo technology was new, especially in sports cars, so drivers didn't know what to expect, and many were caught off-guard and sent into the ditch in a split second. Spirited driving in the rain was even worse especially with the tyres available in those days. With improvements on later cars, handling was improved  slightly, but not even Porsche could re-write the laws of physics and make the 930 Turbo more forgiving.

The effect the 911 Turbo had on the market

Despite the nickname and its high purchase price, the first 911 Turbo became an unlikely hit, with over 2,900 cars delivered between 1974 and 1978. Customers realized that the 930 was a fantastic machine despite its flaws. The sports car market was bleak in the mid-'70s. There weren't any other choices for buyers looking for performance, power, excitement and a lot of danger! In 1978, Porsche introduced some revisions and modifications with improvements to the brakes and suspension. The transmission got a 5th gear and the engine rewarded with an intercooling which yielded even more power! In it's new guise, the 930 remained in production until 1989. Whilst Porsche couldn't address all of the 930's problematic character, they did make the car more stable, user-friendly and faster. It remained Porsche's top performing model and the pinnacle of the 911 range.  

Conclusion

Born out of the dark days of sports car performance, the 930 Turbo became one of the symbols of Porsche's relentless quest for power and speed. Even though it was well below the brand's standards in development and refinement, it was a brutally effective and blisteringly fast machine that helped 911 survive the lack of interest and loss of power. Far from perfect and deadly in inexperienced hands, the Turbo was (and still is) an institution amongst the Porsche connoisseurs and enthusiasts. It was a dependable machine that could match the Italian exotics in just about any measurable metric. Above all, it was an incredibly foreseeing machine that promoted turbocharging as a new standard in the car industry. Interestingly, decades after Porsche presented the 930 Turbo, forced induction has now become the standard for the entire 911 range, showing just how influential "The Widowmaker" really was.