Conceived by Rolf Sprenger, initiator of Porsche’s Sonderwunsch department, during a financially tumultuous time for Porsche in the early 1990s, the 964 Turbo S Leichtbau or Lightweight was intended as a stripped-down version of the Turbo 3.3 akin to the Carrera RS model. The project was entrusted to Roland Kussamaulat, a Porsche engineer, test driver, and racing team manager, who employed his experience with IMSA Supercar Championship cars in its development. A departure from the established 911 Turbo ethos, the Turbo S sacrificed standard creature comforts in the name of weight savings and incorporated a host of performance upgrades, resulting in the most radical 911 Turbo model yet. An initial production run of 25-50 cars was originally decided, however, the figure later increased to 86 examples to accommodate higher demand for the car, which was priced at a staggering DM 295,000.

The Turbo S Lightweight debuted as a prototype at the 1992 Geneva Motor Show. Visually, it differed from the standard Turbo 3.3 model with brake cooling ducts mounted in place of the front fog lights, round air intakes on the flared rear fenders, and a flatter one-piece rear spoiler. It featured larger red brake calipers mounted behind unique three-piece 18” Speedline wheels measuring 8” wide in the front and 10” wide at the rear. The car’s doors, front trunk lid, engine cover, and spoiler were made of lightweight carbon fiber-reinforced composite. Cabin insulation was eliminated, and the windows were made from a thinner-gauge glass. The interior featured lightweight door panels and fixed-back Recaro bucket seats from the Carrera RS. Along with the removal of power steering, air conditioning, central locking, electric windows, and rear seats, the car weighed just 2,844 lbs., over 400 lbs. less than the standard Turbo.

Power came from a heavily revised version of the standard Turbo’s 3.3-liter flat-six, which itself was an evolution of the preceding 930’s engine. Designated as Type M30/69, it featured modified intake runners and camshafts, optimized fuel injection and ignition timing, and a maximum turbocharger boost pressure of 1.0 bar, which provided an output of 380 HP and 361 lb-ft of torque. The rear wheels are spun through a 5-speed manual transaxle with a lightweight flywheel and a limited-slip differential, propelling the car from 0-60 MPH in just 4.7 seconds.

Finished in the model’s debut color of Speed Yellow, the example featured here was originally delivered to a private owner in Germany and later changed hands between two subsequent owners in France. The car was specified in its intended configuration, without air conditioning or power windows, unlike other examples which had these features added as factory options by their original owners. Its spartan interior is highlighted by multi-tone leather seat centers, a matching three-spoke steering wheel, and yellow seatbelts. One of the rarest and most sought-after air-cooled Porsches of all time, this 964 Turbo S Leichtbau is being offered for auction on PCARMARKET by its seller out of Monaco with approximately 77k kilometers or 48k miles showing on the odometer.

AUTHOR: G_MUND

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