ENGINE | Porsche will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Porsche 911 Turbo at Retro Classics

VALENCIA. Those who visit stand Porsche at the Retro Classics in Stuttgart always takes a trip back in time. This year, from 25 to 28 April, the sports car manufacturer will host the exhibition “Beyond Performance – 50 Years of Porsche Turbo”, celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the 911 Turbo.

Retro Classics attracts many classic car and sports car enthusiasts from all over the world to Stuttgart. For Porsche, the fair is not only a home game, but also a fixed date in the events calendar. From Thursday to Sunday, April 25 to 28, 2024, the sports car manufacturer will be present there with a special selection of vehicles. “We’re celebrating Turbo’s 50th anniversary at Retro Classics this year. No other model reflects the company’s innovative potential as much as the Turbo,” says Achim Stejskal, Director of Porsche Museum and Heritage.

In 1974, the sports car manufacturer presented the first production 911 Turbo at the Paris Motor Show. In typical Porsche fashion, this technology was transferred from racing to series production.

On Saturday 27 April at 14:00 Thomas Krickelberg, 911/718 range director, and Frank Jung, director of corporate archives, will talk to Monegasque racing driver and Le Mans winner Stéphane Ortelli about the Turbo. Ortelli, who won the 24 Hours in a Porsche 911 GT1 with his teammates Laurent Aiello and Allan McNish in 1998, will then be available to sign autographs. In addition to the Turbo talk, attendees will also enjoy daily tours themed around Turbo’s 50th anniversary.

Birthday gift 50 years ago

In area A74 of Hall 1, the company will present the first 911 Turbo, with which Porsche ushered in a new era. The model presented at the exhibition, the first of its kind, is also unique in that it is a Porsche 911 Turbo “No. 1″, which Louise Piech received for her 70th birthday in the summer of 1974.

Unlike the turbo versions offered by the manufacturer since the spring of 1975, Piëch’s gift was a narrow 911 Carrera body. On the hood of a sports car with 240 hp. (176 kW) instead of the word “Turbo” it was written “Carrera”.

Ferdinand Porsche’s daughter decided not to tint her windshield so she could see the picturesque Austrian mountain landscape in its true colors. The plaque in the glove compartment bears the initials LP and the inscription “Turbo-Porsche No. 1, Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, August 29, 1974.”

Special and fast

The next exhibit presented in stand It will be a 1975 911 Turbo 3.0 coupe. The Porsche in silver and green is one of the first 30 Turbos produced. The mirrors were from a Carrera and painted to match the body color. The fin extensions were still welded by hand.

Another highlight on an area of ​​more than 500 square meters will be the 911 GT2 with a large spoiler and additional air intakes. The side vents in this spoiler supplied air to the engine. To avoid excess weight, the 1996 sports car’s equipment was kept to a minimum. The doors and hood were made of aluminum; rear and side windows are made of thin glass; Completely abandoned insulating material. Compared to the standard version, the biturbo engine produced 20 hp. more.

Lightweight racing cars and powerful engines

Porsche will present the 911 GT1 ’98 on the show floor with a “light weight” of just 970 kilograms. Unlike its predecessors, which had a sheet steel front chassis, its monocoque was made of carbon fiber. The 3.2-liter six-cylinder water-cooled engine with two turbochargers produced approximately 550 hp. (404 kW). Thanks to innovative engine electronics, fuel consumption was very low, which became a decisive advantage in the Le Mans race. This example served as a test car and later for photo shoots.

The 911 Turbo S on display is one of only 435 examples built by Porsche Exclusive. Air-cooled biturbo boxer engine producing 450 hp. (331 kW) was one of the most powerful in the 993 generation 911. The sports car’s chassis was lowered by 15 millimeters, and the body was equipped with an aerodynamic package with front and rear spoilers. The four exhaust outlets have attracted a lot of attention. Visitors to the salon who look inside will see almost all plastic parts covered in leather.

Duet of sports car and plane

There is a special story in stand for the latest Turbo. 911 Turbo S “Duet” 2020 is the result of a collaboration between Porsche and aircraft manufacturer Embraer. Those who chose the Phenom 300E business jet were able to purchase a modified 911 Turbo S in two-tone silver paint. Sports car with 650 hp. features many aviation inspired details. For example, the bright chrome side air intakes and window trim are reminiscent of jet engines. The individual license plate of the corresponding reactor is located at the bottom of the rear spoiler and on the vehicle key, the number of which is limited to ten units. On the sill trim, like the lettering on the wings of an airplane, there is the inscription “No step.”

In addition to exciting models from the turbocharged era, Porsche will also show visitors two engines. One from 1988 represents the second generation Turbo, and the other represents the seventh generation. The difference between them is 26 years and 220 hp, the first of which is known internally as the 930, and the second as the 991.

Porsche will display several artifacts from its archives, including a drawing of the 1974 Turbo lettering, an advertisement and a description of the specification of the first Turbo. The museum shop is integrated into stand will offer visitors selected products related to Porsche, as well as a collection created especially for the Turbo anniversary.