Vehicle Description
1985 PORSCHE 911 CABRIOLET FACTORY M491 TURBO-LOOK for sale.
Motorcar Classics is pleased to present this rare 1985 Porsche 911
Turbo-Look Cabriolet with the factory M491 option. Featured in
Black with Black leather, it is estimated to be one of
approximately 113 imported in 1985. In 1980, due to US emission
regulations the 930 Turbo was pulled from the North American market
and it didnt return until 1986. This left a huge hole for any
driver in North America that wanted the aggressive looks and
increased performance of the Turbo. The aftermarket tuners jumped
on this and started turning the 3.2 Carreras into turbo-look cars.
The quality of the body work ranged from frighteningly bad bondo
jobs to conversions so good they were almost indistinguishable from
factory produced 930s. But even with the good ones it was hard and
very expensive to go deeper than wide fenders and spaced wheels and
tires. The 930s had a very different suspension setup to take full
advantage of the wide-body, bigger brakes, bigger wheels, etc. and
to replicate this was a massive undertaking. But people did it to
varying degrees of success. Porsche woke up to the fact that they
were losing money to the tuner market and in 1984 they began
offering the M491 option on the 3.2 Carrera. It remained an option
on the 3.2 from 84 to 89. The 87-89 models also have the G50
transmission just like the standard Carreras. Finally, direct from
the Porsche factory, you could order your normally aspirated
Carrera with just about everything the Turbo had, minus the actual
turbo of course. This wasnt just a Carrera with stretched fenders.
It included: The wide-body - turbo whale tail - turbo wrap-around
chin spoiler - turbo suspension - turbo brakes with 285 mm
cross-drilled discs and four-piston aluminum calipers - wheels and
tires - All resulting in a slight weight increase but a noticeable
handling improvement over the standard Carrera.The M491 option
didnt come cheap. This wasnt like deciding whether or not to
splurge on the electric seats or the sport steering wheel. Prices
for the M491 option ranged from $10K to $15K extra depending on the
year. The high cost kept orders and production numbers low, making
these genuine M491 equipped models very special, very rare and
increasingly a good investment. The M491 Carreras were highly
desirable as track cars given the Turbo handling paired up with the
bulletproof 3.2 engine and they were somewhat overlooked until
recently as collectables. Our car has covered 80k miles and remains
largely original. It is in robust mechanical health and drives
superbly. This is a wonderful opportunity for the enthusiast
seeking a rare variation of a classic air-cooled Porsche to drive
and enjoy.