Classic pearls of the future - Porsche 993
09/08/2013
Back to the beginnings was the motto of the design team around Harm Lagaay when the successor to the Porsche 964, which had not really appealed to all Porsche fans, was to be put on paper. And they succeeded in creating a masterpiece that did justice to the origins and genes of the 911 model, while at the same time appearing very modern and contemporary and, as we know today, timeless. It was called the 993, presumably because it came out in 1993. Officially, of course, it was still the Porsche 911.
The last air-cooled 911, now with initially 272 hp from 3.6 liters of displacement, later also with 286 hp from 3.8 liters, was granted a short production time by 911 standards; the successor 996 was presented as early as 1997, water-cooled and again with substantial design changes. Perhaps this was due to the move away from air cooling, perhaps also to the design of the 996, but the 993 is regarded by many "cast-iron enthusiasts" as the last true 911.
But the 993 also had other positive characteristics. It was cheaper to produce than its predecessor and, thanks to high market acceptance, put the Zuffenhausen company back on the road to profit. All other model series (four and eight-cylinder front-engine models) were discontinued and the focus returned to the 911. Instead, the 993 model series was tirelessly expanded, it was available as a Coupé, as a widened S model, with four-wheel drive, as a Cabriolet, as a Targa (now with a sliding glass roof), as a Turbo/Turbo S, as a Carrera RS and as a GT3. Even the Speedster was revived, albeit only in two examples.
The 993 is now 20 years old and can already be described as a youngtimer. But it has remained timeless and was probably already a classic when it was still in the new car showrooms.
Some time ago, we published an overview article on all 911 types.
