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PORSCHE 911:
1989-1993
Words: Brian Laban Photography: Antony Fraser
The third installment of our 911 history sees Porsches future cemented withthe introduction of the 964, and elaborated with the 993.
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the 944 but grateful, still, for the continued
contribution of the revitalised 911. After the
golden days of the yuppy boom, Porsche
survived the inevitable stock market crashes of
1987 too even though the company had
become unhealthily dependent on US exports,
which were amounting to some 62 per cent of
all Porsche production by 1987.
It even survived losing Schutz himself in
December 1987, when the man who had beenin the driving seat since 1981 left his post as
chief executive, amicably enough, but a few
months before he was actually due to go. Hed
done a fantastic job overall, hed doubled
production and the number of employees,
trebled turnover, and seen profits rise tenfold.
But his biggest contribution of all had been to
commute the death sentence that had been
hanging over the 911 when he arrived.
The man who succeeded him was Heinz
Branitzki. On the face of it, as former finance
56 GT PURELY PORSCHE
Having seen the 1970s draw to a close
with record production numbers
(thanks mainly to the success of the
924), Porsche may have contemplated
the 1980s, and the approach of the 911s third
decade, as a future in which the 911 was just a
part of the past. But even as it was planning
the 911s end, it had been heading for a new
beginning. As it turned out, that was just as
well. Some people at Porsche might not havethought so at the time, but they still needed it.
And as we saw last month, for 1983 they got
precisely the 911 they did need, in the shape of
the 911 Cabriolet championed by Peter Schutz.
That turned out to be the catalyst for ailing 911
sales, and followed up with the new 3.2
Carrera started another new lease of life for the
911 now it just had to sustain the momentum.
The 911s survival had been a close-run thing.
The late 1970s boom hadnt lasted, and the very
end of the decade had seen depression kicking
in, with Porsche production in freefall and
profits at a five-year low. And the 1980s began
exactly as the 1970s ended, as a turbulent time
for Porsche with profits still at rock bottom in
1980 and 1981, while the world itself seemed
to stagger from one crisis to another US
hostages in Iran, famine in East Africa, soaring
unemployment and industrial unrest in Britain
as the motor industry approached meltdown,
John Lennon shot dead, Reagan elected thenshot in a failed assassination attempt, a similar
attempt on the Pope, one that worked on
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, riots in
Brixton and Toxteth. The world seemed to be
falling apart, and it hardly looked like a dream
marketing time for Porsche, but it hung in.
As Charles married Di and Britain took the
Falklands back from Argentina, Porsche had
clawed back from annual sales of barely
28,000 cars, and kept fighting back all the way
through the 1980s helped by the success of
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director, he was a bean counter where Schutz
had an engineering background but hed
been deputy chairman since 1976, and he had
seen that the 911 still worked. So the next
generation, too, was safe, and it was launched
in January 1989, type numbered 964.
It looked like a 911, a beautifully
understated 911, but it was virtually a new car
according to Porsche, sharing only 15 per
cent of its parts with its predecessors, the lastof which had been the New K Series. That
New K may have been clutching at straws
slightly with body options including the latest
Speedster, with Turbo and flat-nose variants,
but the 964 wasnt just a tarting up exercise, it
really was different and very promising. It
introduced new engine, suspension, brake and
body parts, and it introduced new badges and
new thinking, first in the four-wheel drive
Carrera 4, then, from late 1989, with the
Carrera 2. With the 964, Porsche took the
civilising and the refinement of the 911 to new
heights. It even softened its bite, but without
removing its sting.
In December 1989, Autocar, testing the
Carrera 2 for the first time, summed up what it
had achieved: The 26-year amelioration of the
911s handling deficiencies, it said, reached its
apogee with the Carrera 4, which, through
sheer weight of technology, crushed tailslides,
precipitated merely by lifting off the throttlemid-bend, out of existence. That the Carrera 2
displays a similar disinclination to let go at the
back is even more impressive, especially since
it is paired with a sense of agility and
adjustability seldom apparent in the C4
Like many others, Autocarreckoned the
Carrera 2 the best 911 yet. The Fours four-
wheel drive apart, Carreras 2 and 4 shared the
same new suspension, the same new engine,
the same beautifully understated new shape
with its smoothly integrated front and rear
bumpers and subtle, pop-up rear
wing. And although Porsche reckoned this 911
was 85 per cent new, it was easy to see that it
was still 100 per cent 911.
Capacity reached 3.6 litres, with new
crankcase, crank, rods, pistons, twin-plug
heads with twin distributors, revised inlet and
exhaust plumbing, and the very latest Bosch
Motronic electronic engine management. With
250bhp it became the most powerful naturallyaspirated 911 production engine to date. Yet
with almost twice the power of the first 911, it
had far better manners. It still had struts and
lower wishbones at the front, semi-trailing
arms at the rear, but now it adopted coil
springs all-round, as well as ABS brakes. And
for the first time outside the lofty world of the
959, the new family offered that four-wheel
drive, with variable torque split, in the ground-
breaking Carrera 4.
It offered a nominal torque split of 31/69
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By 1991, it seemed, the world in general, and Porsche inparticular, had simply accepted that the 911 would
be around for as long as it would be around
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per cent front/rear, with a version of the 959s
electronically-locking PSK differential system
to vary that split according to conditions, in
hundredths of a second and in theory with
the ability to send up to 100 per cent of the
drive to either end. It also offered an
automatic gearbox, the 911s first since 1979,
and a sophisticated one at that. Based on the
PDK double-clutch system of the 962C
endurance racer (jointly developed with Boschand ZF), Tiptronic offered both fully
automatic or clutchless manual changes, with
intelligent shift programmes. Its gate featured
both a conventional PRND32 auto and a +/-
position for one-touch clutchless manual up
and downshifts. There was lots of development
to come, with more ratios and even more
refined and sophisticated shift programmes.
But from the start, far from being a slow and
dull, lazy drivers self-shifter, Tiptronic was
genuinely sporty, allowing full-power up or
downshifts without even lifting off the throttle
all backed up by clever electronics to prevent
any inappropriate shift which could damage
either engine or handling balance.It was just one more feature on a brilliant
new generation of 911. These new Carreras,
both rear- and four-wheel drive, were almost
universally reckoned to be the most competent
yet, with greater refinement again, and the
most user-friendly handling so far. But of
course, there had to be a catch. Finally, the
same testers who had once criticised the 911s
nervousness now wondered if it had perhaps
grown a bit too friendly, too clinical. No
change there, then.
Whatever their reservations (and to be
honest, they were mainly just going through
the motions) by 1990 you couldnt buy
anything but a 964, as all the remainingpre-964 variants (which were mainly on the
fringes anyway) were finally dropped. But that
didnt mean the range was depleted, far from
it, because you could now have both Targa and
Cabrio styles on either Carrera 2 or Carrera 4,
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Schutzs biggest contribution had been to commutethe death sentence that had been hanging
over the 911 when he arrived
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with that impressive Tiptronic option on the 2,
too. Then for the 1991 model year the 964
followed the familiar path and introduced its
first version of the big one, the Turbo.
The 1991 911 Turbo reflected both turbulent
times and Porsches progress. A replacement
for the previous generation Turbo with all the
best genes of the new Carreras, 2 and 4, it had
been conceived while economies were
booming and any Porsche was the car ofchoice for the yuppy aristocracy. That made
this the most powerful, the most sophisticated,
and by far the most expensive Turbo to date.
But by the time it was unveiled, in Geneva in
1990, the yuppy boom was beginning to turn
to bust and worldwide environmental
conscience was growing. For once, it looked as
though Porsche, in an attempt to capitalise on
a market which was about to collapse, may
have been caught out.
In a new age of cynicism, reviewers even
questioned whether the new Turbo was
different enough for surviving buyers, or
extreme enough. It looked, said Autocarafter
its first sighting, like a mellow 959 butthere was a general feeling that Zuffenhausen
should have waited a year then it would
have featured the new six-speed manual
gearbox and a four-valve version of the 3.6-
litre Carrera 2 engine with another 50 or so
bhp. In the face of supercar activity
from Lamborghini and Ferrari and
the coming Bugatti, Jaguar XJ220 and
Mercedes C112, the Turbo is no longer the
supercar standard setter Worrying words.
But the new Turbo was another Porsche to
defy logic. In the short break after the previous
Turbo ended production, extensive
modification (including new manifolding, a
bigger turbo and intercooler, a more efficientwastegate and revised electronic management)
had hiked the two-cam, two-valve 3.3 Turbos
output to 320bhp, while catalysts had reduced
emissions, and a double mass flywheel from
the new 3.6 Carreras had reduced both noise
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Classic Cup alloys were first featured on the 964; the brakes, as per usual, were superb and were just part of the 85 per cent new 911.
and vibration. And if some people were
disappointed that it still only had five gears
instead of six, they neednt have worried
332lb ft of torque meant that was all it needed.
While it missed out on the new Carrera
four-cam, four-valve architecture, it did adopt
the new generations coil-spring suspension in
place of torsion bars in this more potent car
with stronger rear arms to cope with the added
power and more rubber on the road, plus
stiffer springs, dampers and anti-roll bars. New
geometry also introduced a small amount of
passive rear-steer action, in another tweak topacify the inevitable 911 tendency towards
lift-off oversteer.
The Turbo, too, was shifting subtly towards
a more user-friendly character. The interior
detail hadnt changed much, but for the first
time, a Turbo offered power steering, ABS on
even bigger ventilated and cross-drilled discs
with four-piston calipers, and more grip from
wider rubber on larger diameter five-spoke
alloy wheels (which were big enough to
distinguish the Turbo at a glance, even from
the latest Carreras). It looked more aggressive,
too, with its deeper front and rear bumper
airdams, neat, low sills, wider wheel arches,
and the big, old-style picnic-table fixed wing
(incorporating the intercooler) rather than the
new 964 Carrera 2 and 4 familys smaller and
more discreet pop-up type.
Post-959, it put the Turbo back at the top of
the range in performance terms, and kept
Porsche head to head with its production
supercar rivals. It would nudge 170mph, hit
60mph in less than five seconds, reach
100mph from rest in less than 11.5 seconds,
and 120mph in under 17 seconds. But
for once there was more to the Turbos
personality than extreme performance alone.
Or perhaps less
The consensus was that while the new
Turbo was massively fast (given its head), had
a brilliant chassis, staggeringly effective brakes,
impressive steering feel and feedback even
with its new power assistance, and had plenty
of old-style 911 flat-six aural character, it also
had its shortcomings. It wasnt as refined as it
might be, but far worse, it wasnt as
immediate. The big new turbocharger had
promised better responses but didnt deliverthem in fact, from low speeds in high gears
it had brought back the old demon, turbo-lag.
It made the new Turbo more demanding to
drive quickly, and by being less responsive it
squandered some of the gains of the brilliant
new chassis.
Then there were smaller irritations. The
wider, lower-profile tyres and stiffer suspension
settings, while undoubtedly enhancing control,
introduced a degree of harshness in the ride,
and a level of road noise on poor surfaces, that
other 911s had long left behind. Oddly, in
developing in a direction which was supposed
to make the Turbo less uncompromising, it
had created compromises in the core character
of the car. Which begged the obvious question
had the ultimate 911 finally revealed the
classic models outer limits?
The answer, as it always had been, was
obviously no. The rabid 381bhp Turbo S, on
offer for the 1992 model year, may have been
a bit of an aberration, built to order, and with
only 80 takers, but it was onwards and
upwards for the mainstream Turbo, too. So in
1993, inevitably perhaps, following the
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One thing that did survive was the snarling, wooflingaural character confirming that a
993 was still a 911
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The 964s interior was typical 911 solid, simple and a little staid, but that was no bad thing; the self-raising rear wing helped to retain the classic lines without resorting to fixed aerodynamic addenda.
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capacity lead of the Carreras, the 3.6-litre
version of the Turbo started production. It
took peak power to 360bhp and peak torque
to 383lb ft both substantial increases over
the 3.3-litre Turbo and enough to bring the
0-60mph time down by another couple of tenths
and push the potential maximum speed ahead
by another 7mph, but there still werent many
voices complaining that it had all gone too far.
Nor, in 1993, in spite of the retirement ofFerry Porsche and the first concept car
sightings of what would become the Boxster,
were there any further worries about the
imminent demise of the 911. By now, it
seemed the world in general, and Porsche in
particular, had simply accepted that it would
be around for as long as it would be around,
and it would change when it was time for it to
change. As it was about to, again.
But in 1993 it wasnt minor tweaks time, it
was yet another significantly new evolution:
the 993 family. By now, the essential 911 shape
had acquired 30 years of familiarity, and
although an early 1990s 911 was very different
from an early 1960s one, there was still no
mistaking the heritage. Which may be why
many of the same people who worried about
where 911 technology was going every time anew version came along were also very
apprehensive when the new 993 promised a
radically updated shape. But they neednt have
been so concerned, because Porsche wasnt
about to break the mould completely.
It was about to make a major leap, though.
Because beyond being just another 911 update,
this was a genuinely new car the biggest
single departure from the
evolutionary line so far, with a new
platform, significantly different rear
suspension layout, a heavily revised interior,
improved clutch action and lighter gearshifts,
and a further revised 3.6-litre flat-six. Plus, of
course, the new looks which, more than
anything, underlined just how new the 993
generation was.
The new shape created arguably the bestlooking 911 of all, by achieving something that
hardly seemed possible making the 911s
shape even simpler. Or at least smoother than
ever, both visually and aerodynamically, with a
new headlamp style and far better integrated
front and rear bumper assemblies which no
longer appeared to be add-on components as
they always had been before. Whats more, the
The 1991 911 Turbo reflectedboth turbulent times and
Porsches progress
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new body was heavily updated under the skin,
with new computer design processes making
it usefully stiffer but no heavier. And if
anything, the smoother look made the latest
911 look even more toned, even more
muscular but without being artificially
pumped up with add-ons.
The interior changes were aimed at makingthe latest 911 more comfortable and more
user-friendly, with much improved seats and a
rather more effective new heater system, plus a
new four-spoke steering wheel to
accommodate the now mandatory driver
airbag but still with enough Porsche
idiosyncrasies (especially the floor-mounted
pedals) to mean that it really couldnt be
anything but a 911.
Nor could the drivetrain, which was still
one generation short of the impending switch
from air- to water-cooling. So the essentials
were entirely familiar, with the air-cooled
flat-six behind the rear axle and a choice ofeither six-speed manual or four-speed
Tiptronic automatic transaxles, the latter with
a choice of fully automatic mode or one-touch
clutchless manual shifts, either through the
central selector lever or via steering wheel-
mounted buttons.
But again, the details were extensively
upgraded. Capacity carried over from the final
964 Carreras, at 3.6 litres, but plenty had
changed inside. The crankshaft was
strengthened, pistons lightened to liberate
more revs, more use was made of lightweight
materials in the ancillaries, and a new
generation of Bosch electronic management
was introduced increasing peak output to
272bhp. One thing that did survive, however,
was the snarling, woofling aural character
and that, as much as anything, was what
confirmed that a 993 was still a 911.
Beyond platform changes prompted by
modern design techniques and improved
production technologies, there was one more
fundamental chassis change, from the familiar
semi-trailing arm rear suspension to a multi-
link layout, again with coil springs all round,
With the 964, Porsche took the civilising and the refinementof the 911 to new heights. It even softened itsbite, but without removing its sting
but basically set up to be a bit softer in
standard form, with the option of a more
extreme Sport pack comprising stiffer springs,
dampers and anti-roll bars. And according to
most testers, it had been a successful
programme of revisions, because the new 993
generation was widely reckoned to have
quicker and more communicative steering,better front to rear balance, and better front-
end grip than the last 964s which were
generally thought to have lost a bit of the
earlier 911s sharpness. Once again, Porsche
had made a 911 that was more accessible to
more ordinary drivers.
In another familiar progression, the brakes
were even more powerful and responsive, with
ventilated and cross-drilled discs, four-piston
calipers, and a new generation of ABS
anti-lock as standard.
All of which, naturally, became the
foundation for another extended family of
911s, which kept on developing through the993s relatively short production life of barely
four years. There were Carrera 2s and 4s, and
while the Speedster was finally dropped, the
Cabriolet again became a core part of the
family (in two- or four-wheel drive 272bhp
Carrera versions). Soon afterwards, Porsche
also added a completely new spin on the
Targa. A brilliantly effective and handsome
spin, too, which was much closer to the
standard coup shape than any previous Targa
had been, and featured an all-glass central roof
section, in thermally-filtered glass which was
electrically retractable at the touch of a button,
between strong side rails which were a lot
neater than the old Targas rear roll-hoop.
Then there were the Turbos (including the
993 version of the Turbo S) and the even more
extreme versions such as the original GT2. And
they were all outstanding. In fact, by the time
the radically different water-cooled 996 family
was due to replace the 993s in 1997, the
general view was that the final 911s were
the finest 911s of all. Now it was the next
new generation that would have to win over
the cynics
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