964 Turbo S Leichtbau | Showpiece of the Week
Porsche doesn't worry too much about subtracting mass from the 911 Turbo these days. But that wasn't always the case...
When attempting to place a value on historic Porsches there are several good rules of thumb to follow. What year was it made? How many were built? How many miles has it done? And how much does it weigh? In general, the lower the magic numbers, the higher the one changing hands will be. Here we have a 1993 car (so not all that old), of which just 86 examples were built (better). It's done an infinitesimal 61 miles in its lifetime (much more like it) and it weighs 186kg less than standard. Jackpot.
The story of this particular Showpiece dates back to May 1992, when Porsche announced a limited edition run of 964 Turbos, dubbed the 'Turbo S Leichtbau' or Light build. To live up to its name, luxuries like the power steering, air conditioning and sound-proofing were ditched, while the car's underbody protection and rear seats were also removed. Further weight savings came in the form of thinner glass and carpets, a carbon fibre luggage compartment and aluminium doors clad in fibreglass-reinforced carbon panels, a material also utilised for the bonnet and bespoke rear wing.
The resulting 186kg reduction was complemented by a 61hp increase in power (for a total of 386hp), liberated from the 3.3-litre turbocharged flat-six thanks to the use of different camshafts, precision-machined intake ducts, a higher charge pressure and an optimised fuel injection system. The suspension was firmed-up and lowered by 40mm to aid stability and uprated brakes were installed to improve stopping power.
Aesthetically, the Leichtbau can be identified not only by its hunkered stance and more shapely spoiler, but by its 959-inspired intakes - there to improve airflow to the oil cooler and front brakes - and its three-piece alloy wheels. Those rims boast purple centres in this case, and hide gold-painted brake calipers behind, a touch of flair which contrasts rather nicely with the car's Grand Prix White paint, but which could appear a little much alongside its Flamenco Red leather interior.
Although only 50 units were initially planned, and a total of 80 is often reported, Porsche in fact ended up producing 86 Leichtbaus in total. Of that number, just 11 were UK cars, which makes this week's Showpiece, a right-hand drive example, an incredibly rare machine. And that's before its 61 delivery miles are taken into account, or its immaculate condition, or its perfect proportions.
Small wonder, then, that while a UK-registered left-hand drive car with 44,000 miles sold at auction in 2017 for £556,875, this car is rather pricier than that. Thanks to the multiplying effect of its low build numbers, tiny mileage, and reduced weight, it's listed for an eye-watering £1.7 million. Still, there'll be no shortage of wealthy Porsche enthusiasts lining up to add such a rare and beautiful part of the marque's recent history to their collections. Even at this money, dare we say it, we wouldn't blame them.
Two of the others have re-surfaced, still waiting on the fourth.
The other two:
https://www.motoringresearch.com/news/factory-fres...
https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/ve17/villa-erba...
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