Porsche 911 (993)
| Porsche 993 | |
| A Porsche 993 | |
| Manufacturer: | Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG Porscheplatz 1 70435 Stuttgart Germany |
| Origin: | Werk Zuffenhausen 70435 Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen Germany |
| Class: | Sports Car, some Convertible 2+2 or 2 seats |
| Production: | 1993 – Mar 31, 1998 |
| Quantity produced: | 68.839 |
| Cars registered in Germany: | 12.699 (Jan 1, 2005) |
| Layout: | rear engine, rear or all wheel drive |
| Engine: | flat-six, air-cooled M64 3.6 or 3.8 liter 272 to 450 bhp (street use) |
| Contemporary competitors: | Acura (Honda) NSX BMW M3 E36/E46 Chevrolet Corvette C4/ZR1/C5 Dodge Viper Ferrari 348/F355 Toyota Supra TwinTurbo MKIV |
| Model history: | Replaced: Porsche 964 / 965 Suceeded by: Porsche 996 |
The Porsche Type 993, or simply 993 ("nine-nine-three" or "nine-ninetythree", but never "ninehundredninetythree") was the version of Porsche's "911" model produced from late 1993 through early 1998, replacing the 964. It marks the end of the long era of air cooled Porsches. As done before, Porsche made several variants of the 911 available to satisfy any peculiar demand of sports car drivers: the Carrera being a reliable, fast and safe sports car for daily use, the Convertible (Cabriolet) and Targa for sporty cruising, the Turbo being a tremendously fast but luxurious grand-turismo, and the non-compromise race-oriented Carrera RS and GT2.
Overview
Design
The 993 model was the first truly major redesign of the original 911 bodystyle designed by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche (concept) and Erwin Komenda (implementation) between 1959 and 1963. Harm Lagaay, Porsche's senior designer at the time, was ordered in 1989 to advance the classic design of the 911. The result was the 993 with quotes of the Porsche 959, Porsche Panamericana, and to a lesser extend of the project 989.
The basic idea behind the design of the 933 was to integrate all body parts into one homogenous shape always respecting the classic form of the 911. New sloping headlights, raised rear lights, wider front and rear wheelarches, and new front and rear bumper moldings marked the most drastic changes made over the previous 964. The front hood retained its shape, but was raised a few mm in order to integrate the front bumpers into a homogenous form. The windscreen, doors and roof remained basically unchanged from the previous model. The interior was left mostly unchanged bar a few details, and still featured the classic style five instrument gauge cluster introduced in 1963. Neither the introduction of the G-model in 1973 nor the introduction of the 964 in 1988 altered the 911´s shape to the extent the 993 did.
Technical improvements
One of the most noteworthy improvements in the 993 over all preceding 911s is the implementation of an all-alloy multi-arm rear suspension attached to an all-alloy subframe. Its design was derived from the project 989, a four door sedan which never went into production, and was later continued in the 993's successor, type 996. It required the mentioned widening of the rear wheel arches, which itself lended to the 993's newfound stability. This suspension improved the 993s cornering abilities, making it more direct and more stable and helping to reduce the infamous tendency to oversteer if throttle was lifted during hard cornering found in earlier 911s. It even attributed to reduced interior noise.
The 993 was the first generation of 911s to have a standard 6-speed manual transmission — previous cars, except for the exotic Porsche 959, had 4- or 5-speed gearboxes. As the 993 was capable of speeds exceeding 270 km/h, a sixth gear became necessary in order to cover this speed range. In virtually every situation, it was possible to keep the engine in its best torque range above 4500 rpm. The Carrera / Carrera S and Targa models (2WD) were further available with a "Tiptronic" 4-speed automatic transmission, first introduced in the 964. Beginning with model year 1995, Porsche offered the advanced Tiptronic S with additional steering wheel mounted controls and refined software for smoother, quicker shifts. Since the 993's introduction the tiptronic is capable of recognizing climbs and descends.
Further, the 993s optional all wheel drive system was refined over that of the 964. Porsche departed from the 964´s setup consisting of three differentials and revised the system based on the layout from their 959 supercar, replacing the center differential with a viscous coupling unit. In conjunction with the 993s redesigned and recalibrated suspension, this system vastly improved handling characteristics, helping to retain the stability offered by the AWD system while reducing it's tendency to cause understeer and making it quicker to react to wheel slippage; it's simpler layout also helped to reduce the system's weight. The advantages of this concept were reason enough for Porsche to retain it in all succeeding 911s with AWD.
Other improvements include a new dual-flow exhaust, larger brakes with drilled discs, a revised power steering, etc.
993 Variants
Carrera Coupe / Convertible
The Carrera resembles the "base model" of the 993. It was equipped with the naturally aspirated 3.6 liter M64 engine, further developed from the 964 and combined with a new dual-flow exhaust system featuring now two catalytic converters. In contrast to the 964, Porsche deleted the "2" from the "Carrera" name tag.
The option list of the 993 Carrera (and most other variants) was very long and offered the possibility to configure highly individualized cars: it included up to five different sets of wheels, various suspension set-ups, at least three different seat styles (comfort, sport, racing), uncountable upholstery options including the possibiliy to have almost any interior element of the car covered with leather, wood or carbon, and various hifi-systems including digital sound processing. Further, Porsche offered to paint the car in any color the customer chose. Even more, the Tequipment- and Exclusive-Programs added further options and built to order almost any specific wishes of customers such as special consoles or even fax-machines or bright yellow interior upholstery.
The Convertible, introduced 1995, features a fully electrical softtop reinforced with metal sheets and an automatic windblocker.
Both versions were available with all wheel drive under the tag 'Carrera 4'. From outside the Carrera 4 is distinguishable by clear front turn markers and rear red markers (each instead of orange). The brake calipers are painted silver as is the 'Carrera 4' badge on the hood. The center wheelcaps carry the Carrera 4 logo instead of the Porsche crest.
In contrast to most of the following other variants, production of the Carrera Coupe and Convertible ceased in 1997 with the end of model year 1997.
Targa
The Targa version of the 993 was introduced in model year 1996 and saw the debut of a retractable glass roof, a design continued on the 996 Targa. The glass roof would retract underneath the rear window revealing a large opening. A shade was there to help prevent the greenhouse effect of the closed roof. This system was a complete redesign, as previous Targa models had a removable roof section and a wide B-pillar functioning as a roll bar. The new glass roof design allowed the 993 Targa to retain the same side-on profile as the other 911 Carrera variants and finished with the inconvenience of storing the removed top of the old system. The Targa has the body of the Convertible with the Targa glass roof replacing the fabric roof.
The Targa was equipped with distinctive 2-piece 17 inch wheels, which could be ordered as an option on all cars not having standard 18 inch wheels.
Turbo
The 993 Turbo was released in 1995. It featured a new and widely acclaimed turbocharged engine displacing 3.6 liters. Twin turbochargers and air-to-air intercoolers, electronic engine management, redesigned cylinder heads and other modified engine internals were used. The 993 Turbo was the first Porsche Turbo with all wheel drive. The electronic engine management helped the Turbo to achieve fuel efficiency far superior to any of the previous production Turbos. In connection with two catalytic converters and an on-board-diagnostics-system including four oxygen-sensors, it also made the 993 Turbo the cleanest sports car at its time. The Turbo's bodyshell differs from the Carrera body by widened rear wheel arches (approximately 6 cm), redesigned front and rear bumper moldings, and a fixed rear wing housing the intercoolers. New 18 inch alloy wheels with weight-reducing hollow spokes were standard.
Turbo S
During the last year of production of the 993 (1998), Porsche offered the 993 Turbo S. Ultimately 375 pieces were sold. The Turbo S is a fully loaded Turbo including a power upgrade to 450 bhp. Every thinkable amenities including a carbon decoration in the interior make it different to the earlier leightweight, spartanic 964 Turbo S. The 993 Turbo S is easily recognized by yellow brake calipers, a slightly larger wing, a 4-pipe exhaust and air scoops behind the doors.
Carrera 4S / Carrera S
The Carrera 4 S (1996) and later Carrera S (1997) shared the Turbo model's bodyshell, but housed the naturally aspirated Carrera engine in the rear. The 4S came with four wheel drive, and retained the Turbo model's larger brake discs with the characteristic red callipers. It could be described as a "Turbo without the turbochargers and rear wing", whereas the S was in all aspects a standard Carrera underneath (the wider rear fenders were compensated with 31 mm wheel spacers). Both S models had slightly lowered suspension compared to standard Carrera models. The wide body is widely acclaimed for its rear looks, but creates more aerodynamic drag, leading to slightly lower top speeds compared to the narrower siblings (about 5 km/h).
In particular, the Carrera 4S is a popular car. It has much in common with the 30th anniversary-model of the Porsche 964, a naturally aspirated, 4WD Carrera 4 in a Turbo bodyshell. The success of that car caused Porsche to build more than the 911 cars originally planned. After the 993, Porsche continued this model with the 996 Carrera 4 S, again a "Turbo without turbochargers and rear wing".
Carrera RS
The Carrera RS is a non-compromise leightweight racing variant of the Carrera. It features an 3.8 liter engine with 300 bhp. On the outside, it is easily distinguishable by a special non retractable rear wing, small front flaps and 3-piece 18 inch aluminum wheels. A closer look would reveal that the headlight washers were deleted for weight saving reasons. Inside the rear seats were deleted, and special racing seats and spartanic door boards were installed. Power windows, a/c, central locking, radio and other luxury features were deleted.
There exist further RS variants, in particular a Carrera RS Clubsport with only limited road usability. It carries a larger wing.
The Carrera RS was produced in model year 1995 and 1996. It was street legal in European and many other countries, but was not exported to the US. As with the low-quanity RS variants of previous 911 types, owners often atempt to turn their Carreras into RS clones due to the high market value of the RS (on European markets, a well maintained RS could easily achieve a 50 per cent premium over a standard Carrera).
GT2
The GT2 is best described as the race variant of the Turbo. For weight saving reasons the 4WD was deleted. The interior is similar to the Carrera RS. The fenders of the Turbo have been cut and replaced with bolt-on plastic pieces in order to accommodate large racing tires and to ease the repair of damages to the fenders often occurring in racing.
Until 1997, the GT2 had almost the same engine as the Turbo, but delivering 430 bhp. In the last year (model year 1998) output was raised to 450 bhp and twin ignition was added.
The many racing variants have different engine set-ups depending on the applicable racing series. Power output came as high as 600 bph in a "Evo" version designed for the GT1-series, which was ultimately replaced by the mid-engine 911 GT1.
Speedster
In Porsche terms, 'Speedster' stands for a Convertible with lowered roof and windshield and a rather spartanic interior.
In contrast ot the G-model and the 964, Porsche never officially released a 993 Speedster. However, two were built by the factory: a dark green Speedster equipped with Tiptronic S and 17 inch wheels for Ferdinand Alexander Porsche (his 60th anniversary) in 1995 and another wide-body, silver Speedster with manual transmission and 18 inch wheels for an American customer in 1998.
Turbo Convertible
After the 3.3 liter G-model Turbo convertible (1987-89), Porsche never officially offered an air-cooled Turbo convertible again. However, in 1995 14 993 Turbo Convertibles were sold before the introduction of the 993 Turbo coupe. They featured the 360 bhp single-turbo engine of the 964 Turbo 3.6, a 5-speed manual transmission and the wing of the 964 Turbo 3.6. This required a premium of DM 89,500 (or plus 62 %) over the standard 993 Convertible´s price.
Engines
The standard, naturally aspirated M64/05(06) engine at 3.6 liters capacity is a refined version of the engine installed in the 964 Carrera. Any engine in any 993 variant is a derivate of the M64. At first, the M64/05(06) made 272 bhp (200 kW) through 1996, before Porsche switched to the VarioRam-equipped M64/21(22) engine, and power output increased to 285 bhp (213 kW). Slightly more powerful versions with 3.8 liter were available in the Carrera RS and as build-to-order options throughout the 993´s lifespan.
The 3.6 liter twin turbo M64/60 engine produces 408 bhp (304 kW), although more powerful versions (430 and 450 bhp) were available as build-to-order options, in the GT2, and briefly in the "Turbo S" model (always 450 bhp). Depending on the country, Porsche still offers 430 and 450 bhp kits for the Turbo as of today.
Historical perspective
The 993 was the last generation Porsche 911 to feature air-cooled engines and to retain the classic silhouette. Even though the 993's roots trace directly back to the first Porsche 911/901 of 1963, it had no difficulties in meeting or even succeeding the standards for contemporary high-performance sports cars. Many Porsche enthusiasts regard the 993 as the last and most advanced of the "true 911", i.e. the last of the legendary air cooled Porsches.
By the end of the 993's lifespan in 1998, Porsche had produced 409.081 Porsche 911. In only 4 out of 35 years the 993 contributed almost one fifth to this figure, leaving it behind as one of the more successful 911 derivates.
There are several reasons, why Porsche nevertheless gave up their "crown jewel" of the classic 911 when the Type 993 was replaced by the Type 996 (launched for model year 1998), which featured an entirely new design with water cooled engines. Most prominent reason was that it became difficult to meet the ever stricter emissions and in particular noise regulations with the air-cooled engine. Also, sooner or later Porsche had no choice but to step up to 4-valve cylinderheads to maintain a competitive power to volume ratio (not only the experiences with various racing engines and with the Porsche 959 showed that 4-valve technology would only be feasible with water cooling). Nevertheless, these foregoing problems could possibly have been solved by implementing a water-cooled engine into the classic 911 platform (as was done in the 959). However, the 993 did not fit into Porsche's strategy to implement lean production methods and to exploit economies of scale by building an entry-level roadster (the Porsche Boxster) sharing various parts with the 911 series.
The 993´s comparatively short lifespan of 4 years raises the question why Porsche took the effort to implement this amount of changes to the then young design of the Porsche 964. The Porsche 996 (and Boxster) concept was decided upon in 1991 and several more years had to pass before the Porsche 996 could enter the market. At the same time, Porsche was troubled with very low demand in the U.S. requiring Porsche to take its policy of selling cars meeting highest technology standards more serious than ever. Even though the 964 was an excellent sports car, in the 993 Porsche refined flaws of the 964 and developed the innovations begun with in the 964. Not only the visual modernization attracted new customers, but the Porsche 993 was technologically advanced enough that even nowadays it leaves its traces: the multi-arm rear suspension, the 4WD concept, the dual-flow exhaust, and the Targa roof in the 996 / 997 derive from 993´s technology. With the launch of the 993, Porsche gained precious time to develop the Porsche 996 and Boxster.
Traces of the 993 may even be found as lately as in the 2005 Porsche 997, in fact a redesigned 996. The 997´s round headlights and front fenders, separate front turn signals and fog lights, and widened rear wheel arches keep the 993´s style alive.
Performance
| Performance data: Porsche 993 | |||||||
| Model (Source) |
0-60 mph | 0-100 km/h | 0-160 km/h (100 mph) |
0-200 km/h | 1/4 mile | 1 km | Top speed |
| Carrera 2 ROW 1994 (Manufacturer) |
? | 5.6 s | ? | ? | ? | ? | 270 km/h |
| Carrera 2 ROW 1994 (Auto Motor Sport 1993) |
? | 5.3 s | 12.4 s | 21.1 s | ? | 24.7 s | 267 km/h |
| Carrera 2 Tiptronic 1994 (Manufacturer) |
? | 6.6 s | ? | ? | ? | ? | 265 km/h |
| Carrera 2 3.8 300 hp ROW 1995 (Sport Auto 11/94) |
? | 5.2 s | 11.4 s | 18.7 s | ? | ? | 287 km/h |
| Carrera 2 US 1995 (Road&Track Jan/94) |
5.2 s | ? | 13.3 s | ? | 13.8 @ 102 mph | ? | est 168 mph |
| Carrera 4 US 1995 (Road & Track Jan/95) |
5.7 s | ? | 14.0 s | ? | 14.1 @ 100.5 mph | ? | est 168 mph |
| Carrera 2 1996/1997 (Manufacturer) |
? | 5.4 s | 12.3 s | ? | ? | ? | 275 km/h |
| Carrera 2 Tiptronic 1996/1997 (Manufacturer) |
? | 6.4 s | 13.8 s | ? | ? | ? | 270 km/h |
| Carrera RS ROW 1996 (performance car Mar/96) |
4.7 s | ? | 11.2 s | ? | 13.2 @ 109 mph | ? | ? |
| Targa ROW 1996 (Auto Motor Sport 20/95) |
? | 5.5 s | ? | 21.3 s | ? | ? | 275 km/h |
| Carrera 4S ROW 1996 (Sport Auto 12/95) |
? | 5.5 s | 13.2 s | 23.0 s | ? | ? | 270 km/h |
| Targa Tiptronic 1996 (Sport Auto Dec/95) |
? | 7.1 s | 15.4 s | 27.3 s | ? | ? | 270 km/h |
| Carrera 4S US 1997 (Car and Driver Jun/96) |
4.9 s | ? | 12.8 s | ? | 13.5 @ 102 mph | ? | 161 mph |
| Carrera S 1997 (Sport Auto 02/97) |
? | 5.7 s | 13.3 s | 22.7 s | ? | ? | 270 km/h |
| Turbocharged versions: | |||||||
| Turbo 1995-1998 (Manufacturer) |
? | 4.5 s | ? | ? | ? | 23.0 s | 290 km/h |
| Turbo 1995 (Auto Motor Sport 1995) |
? | 4.3 s | 9.5 s | 15.1 s | ? | 22.4 s | 291 km/h |
| GT 2 1995 (Auto Motor Sport 1995) |
? | 4.0 s | 8.4 s | 13.3 s | ? | ? | 296 km/h |
| Turbo 1996 (Road&Track Jul/95) |
3.9 s | ? | 9.9 s | ? | 12.5 @ 112.5 mph | ? | est 180 mph |
| Turbo S 1998 (Car and Driver Jul/97) |
3.7 s | ? | 8.8 s | ? | 12.2 @ 114 mph | ? | 188 mph |
| Where identified ROW/US stand for applicable gear ratios | |||||||
References
- Streather, Adrian (2005). Porsche 993: The Essential Companion (first edition). Veloce Publishing. ISBN 1-904-78894-7
- Bongers, Marc (2004). Porsche - Serienfahrzeuge und Sportwagen seit 1948 (first edition). Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-613-02388-1
- Frère, Paul (2002). Die Porsche 911 Story (revised and last edition). Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-613-02225-7
- Porsche, Christophorus, Issue no. 5 (September) of 1993, pages 11 ff. ISSN 0412-3417