By the 1970s, the Porsche 911 - opens in new window or tab. was already a legendary sports car. It won racing trophies and the hearts of countless drivers who enjoyed the idiosyncratic driving experience. But it wasn’t a supercar—yet.
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That all changed with the adoption of turbocharging in the 911 Turbo, also known as the Porsche 930. The addition of a turbocharger made this sports car into a fire-breathing monster.
Want to experience it for yourself? There are several Porsche 930 examples for sale on eBay - opens in new window or tab..
A Legacy of Boost
Any gasoline engine is a simple device. Put oxygen and fuel in a cylinder with a piston, ignite it with a spark, and it will move the piston. Have that happen thousands of times per minute, and your engine is running. Add more oxygen and fuel, and the machine creates more power.
However, there is a limit to how much oxygen you can shove into an engine. Normal atmospheric air pressure is around 14.7 pounds per square inch. A turbocharger uses a turbine spun by the engine’s exhaust gasses to add pressure, pushing extra oxygen into an engine and creating additional power.
Porsche’s engineers turned to turbocharging when competing in the Can-Am series against big-block Chevy V-8s. Their turbocharged 917/10 and 917/30 racers, developed by Penske Racing, eventually produced well over 1,000 horsepower - opens in new window or tab.. Nobody knows exactly how much because no dynamometer at the time could measure that high. It was only a matter of time before Porsche turned to turbocharging to juice up its street cars.
A Dreaded Lag
However, since that turbocharger relies on the exhaust gas to “spool up,” there is a delay between when the driver presses the gas pedal and when additional horsepower is generated. Turbo lag was especially pronounced in the days before electronic boost control and traction control.
The Porsche 930 was one of the first cars to hit the streets with turbocharging, and turbo lag was significant in the early days. Combine that with the rear-engine design of a Porsche 911 creating more weight in the rear of the car than the front, and drivers often found themselves with the car’s rear end suddenly spinning wildly out of control when the turbo lag kicked in.
Some even called the early 930 a “widowmaker” after several devastating crashes. One tip for keeping the fenders intact is never pressing the throttle down unless the front wheels go straight.
The Meanest Street Machine of the Decade
The Porsche 930 Turbo was officially sold in the US from 1975 to 1979. Porsche had difficulty getting the turbocharged engine to meet American emissions regulations, so it was pulled from US sales until 1986. In between, it was sold by gray-market importers in limited numbers.
In 1978, Porsche added an intercooler - opens in new window or tab. to the turbocharger, cooling the intake charge and allowing even more compressed air into the engine. This was a boon for performance, making this one of the fastest cars on the street at the time. Modern cars may have more power, but none have the legacy nor the street cred of the original Porsche 930 turbo.
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This article is meant to provide general guidance only. Automotive maintenance, repair, upgrade, and installation may depend on vehicle-specifics such as make and model. Always consult your owner's manual, repair guide for specific information for your particular vehicle and consider a licensed auto-care professional's help as well, particularly for advance repairs.