Revisiting every Porsche 911 Turbo – car pictures of the week
In issue 321 of evo, we tell the story of the Porsche 911 Turbo fifty years since it first launched. Here are some of our favourite shots
When Porsche first applied a Turbo badge to the engine lid of a 911 in 1974, it started a lineage of mesmerising sports cars that changed the game forever.
In evo issue 321, we unpack the history of the 911 Turbo and relive some of our best memories of the model over the last five decades. To read the full feature, pick up a copy of issue 321 in-store or online via the evo shop.
Today, we know the 911 Turbo as a four-wheel drive all-weather missile that can take care of more exotic, specialised machinery, but the first iteration was a real challenge to master. The original 930 was analogue in every sense of the term with rear-wheel drive, a boosty 3-litre flat-six and a kerbweight of just 1140kg (not much more than an Alpine A110).
As Adam Towler recalls, the 930 was richly rewarding to drive then and now: ‘The lack of weight means the car has more than a little of the feel of a contemporary RS Touring model, with a lightness of touch to the steering once on the move and real delicacy to its handling. Fast, fun and oozing charisma in 2024, in 1974 it must have felt like an alien craft.’
From then, the 911 Turbo progressively evolved, gaining a more powerful 3.3-litre engine in 1978 and morphing into the stunning 964 model in the late ‘80s (gaining Hollywood fame in the original ‘Bad Boys’ film in 3.6-litre guise).
Perhaps the most pivotal moment in the 911 Turbo’s history came when it was radically redesigned and fitted with a water-cooled engine for the 996 generation. It claimed evo Car of the Year honours in 2000, cementing itself as one of Porsche’s truly great road cars and setting the tone for versions to come.
To read the complete story of the 911 Turbo, pick up your copy of issue 321 in-store or online.
