- 1982 Porsche 911 Turbo: Even though an early 1982 Porsche 911 Turbo is unique in and of itself, this one is a rare factory-modified model.
- With its slant nose and pop-up headlights from 944, Porsche’s special orders department gave this street car the appearance of a 935 racer.
- This example, which was featured on the cover of Car and Driver’s February 1983 edition, is being auctioned off on Bring a Trailer through Tuesday, April 9.
1982 Porsche 911 Turbo: Porsche uses the term “special wishes,” or Sonderwunsch, to refer to their incredibly exclusive customization program, which allows buyers to order nearly anything they can imagine (and afford). A slant-nose, whale-tail 1982 Porsche 911 Turbo—one of the rare cars given the racing 935s’ appearance by the factory—was arguably the most desirable Porsche for young gearheads in the 1980s. One mean red coupe captured our hearts so much in 1983 that we featured it on the cover of our February edition.
The identical vehicle is currently being auctioned off on Bring a Trailer, a division of Hearst Autos, together with Car and Driver. This 1982 Porsche 911 Turbo has the uncommon slant-nose option from the experts in Zuffenhausen. When it was photographed for the cover shot, it was the first and only example of its kind in the nation. Originally air-freighted into the United States in the summer of 1982, it was federalized to satisfy U.S. conventions.
This slant-nose vehicle originally cost $2,000 (about $5,000 in today’s currency). That is comparable to a Ferrari Testarossa or a Lamborghini Countach. It also possessed the speed to compete with the Italians, producing an estimated 335 horsepower from its 3.3-liter air-cooled flat-six engine thanks to a single turbocharger. An adjustable boost controller, similar to the one in the 935, hinted at even more shove, and we did see that U.S. emissions tweaking allowed for a speed run that reached 160 mph even with some detonation. There was still more speed available.
Additionally, this 930 had enough unique stylistic cues that many high school lockers had their picture clipped out and placed inside of it. Front and rear 225/50 Pirelli tires (285/40) are mounted on 15-inch basket-weave BBS wheels that are encased in wide rear arches with side strakes. An iconic Porsche feature, the “tea tray” rear whale tail is painted in classic Guards Red over tan upholstery.
According to reports, this car was owned by the same person in Texas for forty years, till 2024. The odometer reads 40,000 kilometers, and it is currently in Arizona. Probably a good number of those miles were traveled at speeds comparable to those in Texas. For this purpose, the automobile was designed.
Possibly the most attractive picture of this uncommon 930 features the front spoiler that has been scraped up from actual scrapes. A slant-nose’s chin sits very low, but the car’s former owner was not above taking a few minor dings to enjoy driving the vehicle more. It’s comforting to know that at least this 930 slant-nose was driven, even if all you could ever hope for was to possess one in the past.
This is your chance to own a fantasy vehicle from a bygone era. And to go with your vintage turbocharged Porsche, there’s a mint-condition vintage C/D if you tore up your copy of that February issue for your locker or a wall collage in your bedroom.