1995 Porsche 911 ( 993 ) Carrera 4S

In autumn 1993, Porsche unveiled the 993, the fourth generation of the 911, at the IAA. The 993 generation remained true to the fundamental character of the sports car. Visually, the designers modified many details, including the front headlights, which now lay flatter in the wings, which in turn were lower and wider overall - no longer the distinctive 'tunnels' of previous versions . The front and rear sections were made more elegant, and the designers gave the rear a gentler slope. The roof line was practically the only thing to remain unchanged - the rest was new. This included the interplay of concave and convex forms, and the integrated bumpers. At the time, few Porsche fans were aware that the 993 would be the last air-cooled six-cylinder boxer.

Porsche invested around 400 million Deutschmarks and four years of development work in the model. The brand risked a lot of money because it urgently needed a top seller. The fact was that, back then, the 911 had to carry the company practically on its own, as the transaxle model series (924/944/968) was being gradually phased out. When designing the 911, Porsche focussed on a wide customer base. Multi-link rear suspension would improve ride comfort, along with the car's overall handling.

For a 1994 model year Porsche 911 Carrera Coupé, the starting price was 125,760 Deutschmarks. Porsche built a total of 68,881 examples of the 993-generation 911 up until the 1998 financial year.

Engines

The power outputs of the six-cylinder boxer engines in this generations ranged from 272 PS in the Carrera versions to 450 PS in the Porsche 911 Turbo S of model year 1998 and the 911 Turbo fitted with a performance pack. The displacement was between 3.6 and 3.8 litres. A new addition to the range was the 911 GT2, an extremely dynamic car based on the 911 Turbo. From 1995, Porsche increased the performance of the 3.6-litre six-cylinder in the Carrera 2 and Carrera 4 to 285 PS. The company also offered an optional power upgrade to up to 300 PS with an increased displacement of 3.8 litres. To reach a top speed of more than 270 km/h, the 911 used a six-speed gearbox for the first time.

Bodystyles

Along with the Coupé and the Cabriolet (from early 1994), from 1996 Porsche once again sold a Targa version of the 993. However, this time it did not feature a removable roof section, but rather a glass roof that could be lowered electrically behind the rear window. The rear window could also be opened.

Innovation

With the newly designed aluminium LSA chassis (multi-link rear axle), Porsche significantly improved both the driving dynamics and the driving comfort of the 911. In 1995, the Turbo variant was equipped with twin turbochargers for the first time. This engine also proved so efficient, that it was considered the world's lowest emissions for a series production car powertrain at the time. The newly introduced OBD II exhaust control system was one of the features that made this possible. A further innovation of the all-wheel drive Turbo version were the hollow-spoked alloy wheels. This was the first time they were used in car manufacturing. From 1996, Porsche also introduced the VarioRam intake system for the 3.6-litre engines.

Design

The 993 was seen as a pinnacle of the air-cooled era and the last of its kind. The integrated bumpers underlined the harmonious overall impression. The poly-ellipsoid headlights made the front section flatter than in its predecessors. The rear wings were designed to be wider, too, and ran in straighter lines to the rear. The entire light strip ran diagonally across the rear, with integrated tail lights and yellow indicator lights.

Model variants

The 993 added to the range of variants within the 911 family. Alongside the Carrera 2, Carrera 4 and Turbo, there were now also GT and RS models available. New variants followed with the 911 Carrera 4S with all-wheel drive, which was soon followed by the 911 Carrera S with the wide body and chassis of the 911 Turbo.