The Ultimate 911

The 911 Turbo, it even sounds fast. Back in 1974 the Turbo was a revolution and planted the 911 firmly into supercar territory alongside Lamborghini and Ferrari. Unlike the Italian duo, though, the Porsche was a genuinely useable machine and famously durable. We take a look at the buying pros and cons.

At the Paris motor show 43 years ago Porsche launched the first 911 Turbo, and the rest of the motor industry may well have wondered if Porsche management had taken leave of its collective senses. If there was an inappropriate time to launch a fast, thirsty, extrovert and expensive sports car, this was it.

The cost of fuel was going through the roof, and with countries’ economies affected by the uncertainty created by another Middle East crisis, it was justifiable to wonder just what sort of market there would be for the 911 Turbo. But within a year the crisis had passed, and the flagship Porsche that had seemed almost a preposterous idea was now seen for what it was, a very desirable supercar.

And the ‘930’, to give the original shape its factory numbering, has always been a charismatic car, even if values were down to around £20,000 in the 2000s. Since then, though, prices have risen dramatically, average cars well over £60,000 and top examples achieving £200,000. But occasionally they pop up for sale looking like old cars rather than garage queen classics, so what should you be looking for if considering buying one?

DESIGN, EVOLUTION

The outline of the Turbo is an enduring image from the mid 1970s, with its massively bulging wings, eight-inch rear and seven-inch wide front wheels, deep front spoiler and ‘whale-tail’ rear wing. The black paintwork some came in emphasised the Porsche’s menacing stance. However, there wasn’t a great deal to distinguish the Turbo interior from the regular 911, the Turbo even lacking a boost gauge.