www.QV500.com - Porsche 993 Part 1: 993 Carrera (R-series)
 
Porsche’s 911 for the bulk of the nineties was codenamed 993 and would be the last incarnation of this iconic model to retain an air-cooled flat-six. Named on account of its late 1993 introduction, many enthusiasts rank these variants as the finest 911's ever built. Porsche were hoping to attract more customers from executive manufacturers like Mercedes, Jaguar and BMW so, for starters, a lot of attention was paid to ride quality and refinement. This was accomplished without diluting any of the original ethos and as normal, this latest 911 was built in a variety of formats.
   

There were Coupe, Cabriolet and Targa body styles, two or four-wheel drive, turbocharged Coupe's and even normally-aspirated Coupe's with Turbo-style bodywork. A traditional manual gearbox or semi-automatic Tiptronic unit could be specified on normally-aspirated production cars, lightweight homologation specials and a variety of track-only racecars completing the fray. Produced between late 1993 and mid '98, the 993 sold in massive numbers and marked a turnaround in Porsche's fortunes. The firm had been in a sorry financial state during the early nineties, but with its fresh new look, astounding performance and drastically improved handling, the 993 would underpin Porsche's revival. Its revised chassis was reportedly 20% stiffer than the outgoing 964, new door beams increasing side-impact protection. Ride quality and handling were much improved, new multi-link rear suspension replacing the semi-trailing arms of previous 911's. This new system was ultimately derived from Porsche's Weissach axle first seen on the 928 back in the late seventies. Playing an important role in reducing the power-off tail-slide that had so long been a 911 trait, 993's also featured advanced underbody aerodynamics. Engine-wise, displacement was still 3600cc, bore and stroke remaining unchanged at 100mm x 76.4mm respectively. Compression was unaltered at 11.3:1, but there were new lightweight pistons and connecting rods, strengthened crankshafts and hydraulic valve adjustment. The cooling fans, oil pumps and chain housings were magnesium, these Typ M64/05 engines (M64/07 for the US) also being equipped with new Bosch Motronic M2.10 management.

 
A twin pipe exhaust system for the new Carrera helped generate a 22bhp gain over the 964, 272bhp having been developed at 6100rpm. With a new six-speed Typ G50/21 gearbox, the 993 could scorch from 0-60mph in just 5.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 167mph.Tiptronic was available via the options list and offered a choce of either fully automatic or seqeuntial-style gear-changing. 993's ordered as such received Typ M64/06 engines (M64/08 for the US) and suffered a performance drop-off that saw 0-60 increase to 6.1 seconds and top speed drop to 164mph.
   
Whilst the 911 had undergone some fairly major cosmetic surgery before, perhaps most notably with the arrival of impact-absorbing bumpers in 1974 and then the softer looking 964 of 1990, the 993 marked the most significant stylistic departure yet. Despite unmistakably still a 911, the 993 shared only a roof and front lid with its predecessors. Gone were the upright headlights, replaced with set back items and flatter front wings that lent a far more aerodynamic profile. The bumpers were updated, more muscular wings, a tapered tail and unique rear light clusters giving a new lease of life to the back. Definitely the most cohesive-looking 911 since 1973, the successful redesign was executed by Tony Hatter. Inside, the by now familiar dash remained with five primary instruments housed in a simple oval binnacle. Driver and passenger airbags were standard and although the seats looked almost identical to the outgoing 964, they were apparently reworked to provide greater thigh support. There was new door trim and an electronic heating system, but proper air-conditioning was still a cost option. Making its debut in Coupe form during September 1993, production was underway by December, early 993's being built alongside the old 964 Cabriolet's and Speedster's for a few months while Porsche applied the finishing touches to their new 993 Cabriolet. Released to mass critical acclaim, the 993 was universally praised for its handling, build quality, refinement and its beautiful new bodywork. Customers could choose from a host of desirable options including 17-inch Carrera Cup alloys, sports seats and a sports suspension pack with shorter and stiffer springs and dampers plus thicker anti-roll bars.
 
Extra luxuries could be specified in the form of fully electric heated seats, an electric sunroof, air conditioning and several ICE alternatives. The Cabriolet version was available by March 1994 and featured a good deal of structural reinforcement, most notably around the safety cell and windscreen. A wind deflector was optional and when the electric canvas hood was lowered, reduced air turbulence and wind noise. In the first 12 months of production, 9447 '94 model year R-series Coupe's were constructed along with 7196 Cabriolet’s. Porsche were back.