Porsche retro Turbo classic car | One by one

Time 10.04.2024

Porsche’s appearance at the Retro Classics in Stuttgart (April 25-28) is dedicated to 50 years of the Turbo. Under the slogan Beyond Performance, the sports car manufacturer is showing several special shows in its hometown.

In 1974, Porsche presented the first 911 Turbo series at the Paris trade show. This meant that racing technology moved into series production. On Saturday, April 27, Thomas Krickelberg, project manager of the 911/718 series, and Frank Jung, head of company archives, will talk to racing driver and Le Mans winner Stéphane Ortelli about the turbo from 2 pm Later, Monegasse , who won the 24-hour race in a Porsche 911 GT1 in 1998 with teammates Laurent Aïello and Allan McNish, will be available to ask for autographs. In addition to Turbo Talk, visitors to the trade fair platform can also see daily tours on the topic of “50 Years of Turbo”.

The first 911 Turbo has been shown in Stuttgart. It is a unique car that Louise Piëch received in the summer of 1974 for her 70th birthday. Unlike the Turbo models that came to the market from the spring of 1975, the “No. 1” slim body of the 911 Carrera. On the engine cover of the 240 hp (176 kW) sports car it says “Carrera” instead of the “turbo” symbol. In order to see the beautiful mountain landscape of Austria in its true colors, the daughter of Ferdinand Porsche also decided not to shake the windshield. The cover in the glove compartment has the inscription LP and the inscription: Turbo-Porsche No. 1, Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, August 29, 1974.

Another exhibit is the Turbo 3.0 Coupé from 1975. The Porsche in diamond-green is one of the first 30 Turbos completed in series production. The mirrors are taken from the Carrera and painted body color, the fender flares are still welded to the body by hand. Also on display is the GT2 with tube flares and additional air intakes. To provide the turbo engine with enough air, the adjustable rear wing has side openings. The equipment of the car from 1996 is spartan because of the weight. The doors and front hood are made of aluminum, the rear and side windows are made of thin glass, and no insulation material is used at all. Compared to the production version, the biturbo engine produces 20 hp more.

With the 911 GT1 ’98, Porsche presents another lightweight in the showroom that weighs just 970 kg. Unlike its predecessors with sheet metal fronts, the mid-engine sports car has a carbon fiber monocoque and plastic outer skin. The 3.2-liter six-cylinder liquid engine with two turbochargers produces around 550 hp (404 kW). The car shown was used as a test car and later as a replacement car.

The 911 Turbo S (Type 993) is one of 435 examples built by Porsche Exclusive. Its air-cooled biturbo boxer engine produces 450 hp (331 kW). The chassis is reduced by one and a half centimeters, the body has an aero package and front and rear spoilers. The quad exhaust pipes are very impressive. Almost all plastic parts in the interior are covered with leather.

There is a special story behind the latest Turbo model on the trade show platform. The 911 Turbo S “Duet” from 2020 is the result of a collaboration between Porsche and the aircraft manufacturer Embraer. Anyone who opted for the Phenom 300E business jet back then could purchase a customized 911 Turbo S in two-tone silver. The 650 hp (478 kW) sports car is reminiscent of space travel with many details. The side air intakes and side window strips in bright chrome mention the jet engine aspect. The individual registration of the associated jet is located at the bottom of the rear wing and on the car key of the model, which is limited to ten models. Inspired by the writing on airplane wings, the panels on the door sills on the doors bear the words “No step”.

In addition to the exciting cars from the turbo era, Porsche also shows visitors to the trade fair two engine displays. One is from 1988 and from the second generation Turbo (930), the other is from the seventh generation (991). There are 26 years and 220 hp (162 kW) between the two drives. In the display case, Porsche also displays several documents from the archives, such as a drawing of the Turbo character from 1974, advertisements and an equipment card for the first Turbo. The museum shop integrated into the trade fair platform offers selected products as well as a collection created specifically for the Turbo anniversary.