How does the following set of statistics grab you: 408bhp, 0-62mph in 3.7secs, 180mph? If they sound tantalisingly impressive in 2022, imagine the impact they would have made in 1995. For that was the year Porsche bolted two turbochargers to the back of the then-two-year-old 993.
I’m often asked what my favourite car of all time is and, although there is seemingly no end of wonderful machinery to choose from, 'Porsche 911' invariably exits from my mouth. There is something very special about the 911, from the timeless silhouette to the legendary backstory. And when it comes to staying power, the 911 wants for nothing. Launched in 1963 with an incredibly ordinary-sounding 2-litre, four-cylinder engine, the model nameplate is still very much a part of Porsche’s model range, although with some 380bhp in ‘base’ trim, the 911 has certainly evolved in those near-60 years.
Tasked with picking a favourite from the almost mind-boggling number of models, variations and derivations, I’d go for the 911 that, for me, best blends the model’s old-school qualities and characteristics with performance and drivability that is still far from outshone in 2022. And that 911 is the 993 Turbo of 1995.
The last of the 911s before the breed switched from air- to water-cooling, the 993 represents a pivotal moment in the fabled backstory of the 911, and with lessons learned from the 959 homologation special of the previous decade, the Turbo took the performance to new levels, cracking 62mph in less than 4 seconds. It combined a 3.6-litre twin-turbocharged flat-six engine, four-wheel drive and relatively compact dimensions to scintillating, road-burning effect.
What’s more, onlookers were in no doubt as to the Turbo’s place within the 993 hierarchy, courtesy of a vented rear ‘tea tray’ spoiler, red brake calipers, lowered suspension and the ‘wide-body’ arches courtesy of the Carrera 4. The cockpit, too, was pure 911, the five-dial dashboard, vast glasshouse and hewn-from-granite feeling of solidity all being defining features. So, too, the compromised driving position and feeling of narrowness.
There may have been 911 Turbos before (since 1975, in fact) but the 993 informed future generations, which continued with the use of four-wheel drive and twin-turbocharging. That alone makes it legendary in my book.
At a whisker over £92,000 when new, the 993 Turbo was far from cheap but, on a performance-per-pound basis, it sent shockwaves through the motoring world. One magazine at the time described it as ‘two-thirds McLaren F1’, and that just about says it all, doesn’t it?
The combination of looks, pace, historical significance and modern-day drivability has made the 993 Turbo a growing modern classic, with prices to match. I found a ’96 model year car (carandclassic.com) resplendent in Arena Red and with just 51k recorded miles for £155k. Well, that boat has well and truly sailed! Maybe my favourite car is a Dacia Sandero...
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