993 911 Turbo Was a Brute in Gentleman's Clothing
The very last air-cooled 911 Turbo provided a magical mix of great looks and brute speed.
Brute In a Suit
Most consider the 993 to be the best 911 ever made, a magical combination of air-cooled power and supreme styling that resulted in peak Porsche. Sadly, every great gen must end, but the 1995 911 Turbo sent the 993 out with a bang while proving that a well-dressed gentleman could also be a brute underneath that fine three-piece suit.
Photos: Porsche
Last Gasp
The arrival of the 1995 911 Turbo was a defining moment for Porsche, something that is easy to see in retrospect. Virtually no other model epitomizes the massive change that Porsche underwent in the mid-1990s like this one. The era of the air-cooled boxer engines that had characterized the automaker drew to a close, once and for all. The turbocharged 993 was the engine's final, and perhaps even its most exciting, iteration.
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Characteristic Feature
At the same time, the new Turbo also marked the start of something new: bi-turbo technology in a series production car, almost a decade after a similar engine design had granted the limited-run 959 legendary status. Twin turbos have long since become a characteristic feature of the 911 family. And just like the German super sports car of the 1980s, the 993 generation 911 Turbo came with permanent all-wheel drive.
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Growing Up
The 993 Turbo also marked an important stage of development for turbo technology as it matured out of adolescence and left its teenage years behind it. The era of explosive power delivery that struck the driver like an elemental force was over, even though the 993 Turbo, with 402 horsepower, was faster and more powerful than any other series 911 before it. This was thanks to its new bi-turbo design, which replaced the previous single turbo.
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Undramatic Acceleration
Never before had a sports car been catapulted so undramatically from 0-62 mph in 4.5 seconds. Never before had a sports car been so relaxed on straights, even at full acceleration. Never before had a sports car been so pleasant to drive every day. Those who pushed the car to its limits were still in for a surprise - just an even more pleasant one.
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Sense of Serenity
It is also precisely this sense of serenity that distinguishes the latest 911 Turbo from both the 993 generation and its water-cooled successors, which continue to amaze again and again, even to this day, because of their ever more outstanding performance. The 1995 model marked a departure from the 911 Turbo's bullish macho image. It had grown up - without losing its good looks.
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