One to Buy: Non-sunroof 41,000km 1988 Porsche 911 3.3 Turbo (930)
Three years after the original 911 Turbo was given its official debut, Porsche released an uprated variant at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1977.
Most significantly, this latest iteration of the forced induction 911 featured an engine enlarged from 2994cc to 3299cc, an increased compression ratio, a larger yet lighter turbo and an air-to-air instead of water-to-air intercooler. Peak output went from 260bhp to 300bhp at an unchanged 5500rpm and 253lb-ft to 303lb-ft at an unchanged 4000rpm.
Bigger brake discs were also added while cosmetically the 3.3-litre 911 Turbo came with a boxier housing under the re-profiled tail spoiler to accommodate the bulkier intercooler.
Launched for the 1978 model year, the 911 3.3 Turbo remained in production until the end of the 1989 model year.
By this time Porsche had introduced Targa and Convertible body styles to complement the original Coupe. However, today it is the lighter, more rigid Coupe that remains the most sought after, particularly in exceptionally rare non-sunroof trim owing to these cars’ stiff, featherweight status.
Currently on the market at the DD Classics showroom in London is one of these rare beasts: a 1988 machine configured in Guards Red with Black upholstery.
Originally delivered via Porsche of Madrid on September 2nd 1990, this late four-speed example was retained by its first owner for the next two decades, during which it accumulated less than 1500km per year. It is now being offered in superb unrestored condition, showing just over 41,000km, and comes complete with its original book pack and tool kit.
Reprinted below is DD Classics’ description:
Only 41,000km from new
EU Tax paid
European delivered new
Time-warp condition
Sunroof delete
Factory clear-coat underseal still visible
One the finest examples you will find
Presented in gorgeous Guard Red coachwork with pristine Schwartz ‘Black’ hide.
Delivered new to its first owner the 2nd of September 1990 via concessions Porsche Espana Madrid, this particular example is one of the very last of the iconic 930 Turbos manufactured.
Having stayed within the same single ownership for the next two decades where it accrued on average less than 1,000 miles per year by its first owner. Having resided in the dry climate in southern Spain its entire life prior to arriving into the United Kingdom the overall condition can only be described as time warp and quite possibly one of the finest examples of its type available today.
“The increase in performance makes the 3.3 the fastest accelerating car I have ever tested” winner of the 1960 Le Mans 24 Hours and doyen of ‘thinking racing drivers’ Paul Frère considers the new 911 Turbo 3.3 in his standard work on the model, ‘Porsche 911 Story’
In 1978, writers from the British magazine Motor declared the 3.3-litre Porsche Turbo the quickest production car they had ever driven.
Just four months after the red-hot turbo of the Martini Racing 911 that finished second overall at the 1974 Le Mans 24 Hours had cooled down, Porsche announced a roadgoing version. The new car (referred to internally as a ‘930’, but never sold as such) was the company’s flagship model and became a byword for effortless performance, state-of-the-art technology and luxury.
At the heart of the first car was a single-turbocharged version of Porsche’s air-cooled 2,994cc flat-six, the Typ 930/50. Not only did turbocharging produce significantly more power (260bhp in Europe, 245bhp in North America), it made the engine cleaner, all the better to cope with ever-tougher emissions regulations.
The 911 Turbo’s stance – big Fuchs wheels and Pirelli tyres, a ‘whale tail’ wing from the 3.0 RS and black PVC ‘shark’s fin’ stone guards – became legendary. ‘Turbocharged’ soon enter the general lexicon, signifying anything that had been enhanced or boosted beyond measure.
In August 1977 Porsche announced a 3,299cc, intercooler Turbo, which replaced the 3.0-litre for the 1978 model year. Power was now 300bhp for Rest of the World (ROW) cars, 265bhp in the USA. A 10 per cent increase in power (and a staggering 20 per cent in torque) was the big news, but the new car was also given ‘917’ cross-drilled discs and four-pot callipers, which finally gave the Turbo proper stopping power.
