Vehicle Description
Before Porsche ended production of the 964 Turbo in late 1993, a
batch of 93 964 Turbos were sent off to Porsche's Exclusive
department to be upgraded to "S" specification. 76 were delivered
worldwide with the distinguished flattened front end which pays
homage to the legendary 935; ten X83 units were sent to Japan, 39
X85 units for the American markets, and 27 for the RoW market.
Today these cars are exceptionally rare, immediately recognizable
and highly coveted. This example is one of the ten X83 optioned 3.6
Turbo S models and the third example produced.
The Japanese market X83 optioned 3.6 Turbo S had the earlier
930-style flat-nose louvered front fenders with flush-mounted,
lift-up covered headlights, and various steel and fiberglass body
components. Customers could choose between two different rear wing
spoilers - the standard 3.6 Turbo style wing with the upturned
rubber surround or the much larger spoiler which was featured on
the 3.8 RS. The air inlets with horizontal grilles in the rear
panels for additional engine cooling are reminiscent of the 930
Turbo S models, and are slightly asymmetrical- with the passenger
side being slightly narrower to accommodate the oil tanks behind
the quarter panel.
Six of the ten examples produced received the 964 Turbo spoiler,
while the other four were constructed with the 3.8 RS spoiler. All
ten were constructed in left-hand drive configurations and painted
Polar Silver Metallic (A8) with black anodized exterior trim and a
black leather interior (VD) with racing bucket seats.
All were equipped with the "Works Increased Horsepower" X88 engine
option which was based on the 3.6 Turbo B2 engine built by Andial
for the IMSA Bridgestone Supercar Championship. It incorporated a
larger, single K27 turbocharger, an upgraded intercooler, modified
cylinder heads with larger ports, higher output fuel injectors, and
more aggressive camshafts. The M64/50 X88 were stamped with a
unique "S" on the engine case that is about twice the size of the
engine numbers. The X88-equipped engines delivered 385 horsepower
at 5,750 rpm, approximately 25 more horsepower than that of the
standard 3.6 Turbo. Torque rose to 384 pound-feet at 5,000 rpms.
All were equipped with a stronger flywheel and clutch package to
handle the extra power and torque. The G50 five-speed manual
transaxle was equipped with a ZF limited-slip differential with 20
percent lockup under acceleration and 100 percent under
deceleration.
These cars were all fitted with standard 3.6 Turbo suspension,
including 21-millimeter anti-roll bars at the front and
22-millimeter at the rear, and Boge shocks and struts. The ride
height was lowered by about an inch and a half to enhance handling
at the suggestion of racer/engineer Roland Kussmaul.
All of the X83 examples were sent directly to Porsche's Japanese
distributor of that period, MIZWA Limited in Tokyo, which added
special Japanese-language safety and emissions-equipment labeling
on the interior's left-side armrest and in the engine
compartment.
This example was imported to the U.S. under the US DOT "Show and
Display" license issued on May 2, 2014. It includes all of its
original documentation and the owner's manual and warranty books in
both German and Japanese. Also included are the correct spare wheel
and collapsable Vredstein spare tire, tire pressure gauge, roadside
emergency kit with warning light, and a pair of special tri-color
MIWZA work gloves. Since being imported to the U.S., it has been
regularly driven and serviced at a private motorsport facility to
ensure that all systems are operating correctly and remain in
excellent mechanical condition. Upon arrival to Road Scholars, it
was thoroughly inspected and is in exceptional condition both
inside and out.
With just 10 X83 examples produced for the Japanese market, this
example is one of the rarest production 964 models in existence and
would be an excellent addition to any Porsche collection.