Time travel with the Turbo

Porsche's appearance at Retro Classics in Stuttgart (April 25-28) is dedicated to 50 years of the Turbo. Under the motto "Beyond Performance", the sports car manufacturer is presenting a series of special exhibits in its home city.

In 1974, Porsche presented the first production 911 Turbo at the Paris Motor Show. This marked the transfer of a racing technology to series production. On Saturday, April 27, Thomas Krickelberg, Project Manager for the 911/718 model series, and Frank Jung, Head of Corporate Archives, will talk to racing driver and Le Mans winner Stéphane Ortelli about the Turbo from 2 pm. Afterwards, the Monegasque, who won the 24-hour race in the Porsche 911 GT1 together with his team colleagues Laurent Aïello and Allan McNish in 1998, will be available to sign autographs. In addition to the Turbo Talk, visitors to the stand can also experience daily guided tours on the subject of "50 years of Turbo".

The first ever 911 Turbo will be on display in Stuttgart. It is a one-off and the car that Louise Piëch received for her 70th birthday in the summer of 1974. In contrast to the Turbo models that came onto the market from spring 1975, the "No. 1" has the narrow body of the 911 Carrera. The engine cover of the 240 hp (176 kW) sports car bears the word "Carrera" instead of the "turbo" lettering. Ferdinand Porsche's daughter also decided not to tint the windshield in order to see the picturesque Austrian mountain landscape in its true colors. A plaque on the glove compartment bears the initials LP and the inscription: Turbo-Porsche No. 1, Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, Aug. 29, 1974.

Another exhibit is the Turbo 3.0 Coupé from 1975. The Porsche in silver-green diamond is one of the first 30 Turbos to be completed during series production. The mirrors are taken from the Carrera and painted in body color, the fender flares are still welded to the body by hand. A GT2 with fender extensions and additional air intakes can also be seen. In order to provide the turbo engine with sufficient air, the adjustable rear wing has side openings. The equipment of the 1996 vehicle is spartan for weight reasons. The doors and hood are made of aluminum, the rear and side windows are made of thin glass and there is no insulating material at all. Compared to the series version, the biturbo engine produced 20 hp more.

With the 911 GT1 '98, Porsche presents another lightweight at the exhibition grounds, weighing in at just 970 kilograms. Unlike its predecessors with a sheet steel front end, the mid-engined sports car has a carbon fiber monocoque and a plastic outer skin. The water-cooled 3.2-liter six-cylinder engine with two turbochargers produces around 550 hp (404 kW). The vehicle on display was used as a test vehicle and later as a replacement car for photo shoots.

The 911 Turbo S (Type 993), on the other hand, is one of only 435 examples built by Porsche Exclusive. Its air-cooled biturbo boxer engine produces 450 hp (331 kW). The chassis is lowered by one and a half centimeters and the body has an aero package with front and rear spoilers. The four exhaust tailpipes are particularly striking. In the interior, almost all plastic parts are covered in leather.

There is a special story behind the latest Turbo model on the stand. The 911 Turbo S "Duet" from 2020 is the result of a cooperation between Porsche and aircraft manufacturer Embraer. Those who opted for the Phenom 300E business jet at the time were able to purchase a customized 911 Turbo S in a silver two-tone paint finish. With many details, the 650 hp (478 kW) sports car is reminiscent of aviation. The side air intakes and strips on the side windows in brilliant chrome, for example, are reminiscent of jet engines. The individual registration of the corresponding jet can be found on the underside of the rear wing and on the vehicle key of the model, which is limited to ten units. Inspired by the lettering on aircraft wings, the panels of the door sill trims in the doors bear the lettering "No step".

In addition to exciting vehicles from the turbo era, Porsche will also be showing visitors two engine exhibits. One dates back to 1988 and is from the second generation of the Turbo (930), while the other is from the seventh generation (991). There are 26 years and 220 hp (162 kW) between the two engines. In a display case, Porsche is also showing some documents from the archive, such as the drawing of the Turbo lettering from 1974, advertisements and the equipment card of the first Turbo. The museum store integrated into the exhibition stand offers selected products as well as a collection created especially for the Turbo anniversary. (aum)