Porsche 911 (993) Turbo | PH Heroes
The air vs water-cooled debate has raged for decades. Time we find out why
I’ve never fully understood why some think air-cooled 911s are superior to those with their flat-sixes cooled by water. It’s a mantra that’s been accepted and repeated in Porsche circles for nigh on three decades, usually to the ire of 996 owners. Why that might be the case is difficult to pin down, however. Air cooling was dropped after the 993 generation largely down to tougher emission rules, though Porsche has argued over the years that going down the water-cooled route brought with it greater refinement and, above all, a much higher performance ceiling. On paper at least, a water-cooled 911 should be better.
But clearly there’s a lot more to it than that. The 993’s M64 flat-six could be traced back to the 930 motor, while parts of the chassis were as old as the 911 itself. Meanwhile, the 996 was arguably the first ground-up redesign of the 911 in over 30 years, bringing not only an all-new engine with water cooling but also a lighter, stiffer chassis where only the suspension and gearbox were carried over from its predecessor. It’s why many regard the 996 as the origin of the modern 911 and the 993 the ultimate version of the ‘original’. So perhaps the argument of air-cooled vs water-cooled is less down to engines, and more about what they represent in the 911 lineage.
The 993 is the latest inductee in the PH hall of fame, but out of all the old Turbos Porsche brought over from its museum for us to drive over the Goodwood Festival of Speed weekend, it was unsurprisingly the most popular of the lot and was booked out for most of the morning. So while I waited for the little red Turbo to arrive, I jumped on the (largely neglected) 996 Turbo S to give myself a baseline of just how much changed between the two generations.
From the off, it’s remarkable just how familiar the 996 feels to its successors, from the ‘clunk’ of the door shutting to the weight of the controls when you’re moving. The two K24 turbocharges take no time to spool up, unleashing all 457lb ft of torque from as low down as 3,500rpm and 450hp at 5,700rpm. That may not sound like much, especially as a 992 Carrera S packs the same amount of power these days, and while there’s no immediate punch like the modern-day Turbos, it’s mighty effective at building up pace. Refinement is also extraordinary for a car that’s just celebrated its 20th birthday. Admittedly, it’s lived the pampered life only a no-expense-spared Porsche Museum car enjoys, but only the absence of an iPad-like touchscreen and a Porsche-branded carphone give its age away.
Not long after returning the 996, the Guards Red 993 Turbo pulls in and the keys are mine. The 993 is significantly more compact than its successor: it’s nearly 200mm shorter with its axles almost 100mm closer together, and while the rear tracks on both are near enough identical, the 993’s front is around 60mm narrower than the 996’s. This svelteness extends to the rest of the body, with wafer-thin pillars and a glasshouse that’s barely changed since the 1964 original. Then there’s the bodywork, distinguished by the heavily blistered wheel arches and a whale tail awkwardly stuck to the engine cover. It’s superbly ‘skunkworks’ and a tad rough around the edges, yet there’s a functional elegance to it that the more sophisticated 996 can’t match.
The doors are considerably thinner and lighter than those of the newer car, and shut with a satisfyingly old-school ‘clink’. The cabin itself is wonderfully spartan, the only creature comforts being a CD player, cruise control and electric windows. Much of the original 911’s interior layout remains, from the flat-fronted dashboard to the signature quintet of instruments housed in an oval-shaped enclosure, though carbon fibre trim on this Exclusive museum car adds a welcome touch of motorshhport. As do the floor-hinged pedals, though the reality is the first 911 had them and Porsche was (probably) far too busy making its cars go faster to worry about such trivialities.
Speaking of power, there’s quite a lot of it. As standard, the 993 Turbo mustered 408hp and 398b ft from its 3.6-litre twin-turbo flat-six, the first series production Porsche with two turbocharges (as did the 959, though it was built in fewer numbers). Then there are the XLC cars like the one we have here, which gained the larger K16 turbos, the X50 pack’s oil cooler and an ECU tweak for a Turbo S-matching 450hp. With power being sent to all four wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential at the rear, the 993 Turbo could hit 62mph from a standstill in 4.5 seconds, or closer to 3.6 for XLC cars, before charging its way to a Vmax of 184mph. By any metric, that’s pretty rapid.
Only, it doesn’t feel especially so from the off. Unlike the 996, which can serve up searing pace in something like an instant, the 993 is more progressive. Surprisingly linear, in fact. You’d expect a 25-year-old turbocharged 911 to lazily build revs until unleashing its full 398lb ft of torque at 4,500rpm, but it’ll actually serve up 332 of those at just 2,500rpm. So torque doesn’t sneak up on you like some would have you believe, though that can also be put down to relatively long gearing and the safety of an all-wheel drive system that sends up to 20 per cent of torque to the front axle to take some of the load off the rears.
That doesn’t mean the 993 is a laggard, and it's more than happy to remind you where its engine is with sufficient commitment, although the security of two driven axles and the engine’s linearity gives you the confidence to chase down the 6,500rpm redline. And it makes a glorious sound while doing so, with each press of the accelerator filling the tiny cabin with the more guttural sound of an air-cooled flat-six which is, somewhat peculiarly, devoid of the sort of whooshes and whistles that typically characterises old turbo engines.
It’s markedly more focused than the 996, too. Where the newer car soaks up most imperfections in the road for a serene driving environment, the 993 channels as much information through your seat and fingertips as it deems necessary, and leaves it up to you to figure the rest out. While not harsh, it’s relatively stiff and the nose does occasionally follow the odd rut, meaning you’re often making small corrections to the wheel. On that note, the steering is a touch vague just off centre but weights up beautifully the more lock you wind on. It's old-fashioned analogue Porsche at its absolute finest.
Well, except for the brakes, which require a fair old stab to wake up. The 322mm front discs are bigger than those on the base Carrera and provide a good amount of stopping force when you stomp on the middle pedal. Perhaps the fact that it’s floor-hinged provides less modulation than a conventional pedal, but even after a good hour of driving it was tricky to gauge braking distances.
If nothing else, it is confirmation that full commitment is required to keep on top of the 993 Turbo. While subsequent models have been more GT-inclined, all capable of ridiculous speeds while maintaining a level of decorum, the 993 is a considerably more raw and engaging drive. On the one hand, that fact shows how diverse the 911 would become, serving those after a laid-back cruiser just as well as the track day goers - but, probably inevitably, the 993 also reveals just how soft the Turbo has become. It feels every bit like the slightly toned-down GT2 with a driven front axle I was expecting it to be, with clear connections to Porsche’s motorsport efforts. I’ll leave you to argue about air versus water-cooled flat-sixes, but the 993 Turbo sent the original 911 off in superb style. What a way to mark the end of an era.
SPECIFICATION | PORSCHE 911 (993) TURBO
Engine: 3,600cc flat-six, twin turbocharged
Transmission: six-speed manual, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 450@5,750rpm (with XLC pack)
Torque (lb ft): 398@4,500rpm (standard)
0-62mph: 4.5 seconds (standard)
Top speed: 184mph
Weight: 1,500kg
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
Price: £93,950
I disagree with reviewers comments though. Still feels very heavily boosted which just adds to the enjoyment. I recently drove a friends super rare 993 Turbo S and it felt ballistic, even 25 odd years later!
Great looking thing too and feels indestructible, but also luxurious.
I remember driving one from new and couldn't believe the performance! Great memories. An all time great from Porsche.
Some colours - including the article car just miss the mark for me.
I nearly bought a dark green metallic with dark tan and houndstooth interior, 15mm ride height reduction - it looked the dogs. But the seller rang me up to say he’d taken a better offer. The @()|\|+.
I drove a 911 (I guess an S version) from the mid 1970's which had been, cough cough, modernised somewhat and that thing was alive and demanded utmost concentration. I also drove a 996 and found it to be extremely competent but I did get out of the drivers seat feeling a little underwhelmed.
I personally loved the 993, it was small, powerful, and just about kept that level of 'drive outside your abilities you will pay' kind of mantra... Lovely car.
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