Coveted Porsche 964 Turbo S Lightweight coming up for grabs

  • The 964 Turbo S Lightweight is considered the ultimate, lightweight, air-cooled Porsche road car
  • Essentially, it’s a re-engineered 911 trimmed of all but the most basic essentials, while also being treated to a not-insignificant power bump
  • A German-based example, one of 96 produced, is heading to auction over at SBX Cars

Published on Apr 09, 2024 at 6:56 PM (UTC+4)
by Adam Gray

Last updated on Apr 10, 2024 at 5:29 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones

Here’s something serious Porsche collectors will want to keep an eye on.

An example of one of the most coveted high-performance 911s of the ’90s is about to come up for grabs.

A rare 1992 Porsche 964 Turbo S Lightweight is heading to auction over at SBX Cars this week.

READ MORE! Ultra-rare Mercedes-AMG One listed on SBX Cars

The backstory to the Porsche 964 Turbo S Lightweight is interesting, to say the least.

Now considered an unqualified classic, the Porsche 964 chassis of the 911 was originally released at a time when Porsche was having a hard time making money.

A moment in time of the automaker’s history that’s easily forgotten, the engineers at Porsche simply weren’t given much leeway – or financial resources – to develop a new version of their air-cooled icon.

So they had to be ingenious about how they went about improving the storied sports car.

Even acknowledging that, Porsche engineers continued to do what they had always done best, which was to continually refine their product, improving its ability in every way.

While the next generation 993 wound up being air-cooled as well – again due to financial constraints, plus the complications of attempting to make that version water-cooled – the last couple of years of the Porsche 964 produced some of their best-loved 911 models.

The 911 Turbo S 3.6, for example, was in many ways the last version of the true ‘Old School’ Porsche Turbo.

Rear-wheel drive, air-cooled, big power for the era – it was the kind of Porsche that demanded a confident and knowledgable driver at the helm to fully exploit what it was capable of.

But all of that isn’t the main story here.

This example, a ‘Leichtbau’ or ‘Lightweight’ specification, adds the extra spice that makes this car truly eye-watering for any air-cooled Porsche enthusiast.

One of 86 examples produced, changes and upgrades included air ducts replacing the fog lights, extra air ducts carved into the leading edge of the rear fender flares, plastic front hood and doors, thinner glass for the sides, and then dispensing with air conditioning, and power steering.

This 1992 Porsche 964 Turbo S Lightweight is still equipped with all the key components it left the factory with over three decades ago.

Finished in silver over a black interior, it’s powered by a 3.3-liter turbocharged flat-six boxer engine, producing 383 horsepower, running power to the rear wheels through a five-speed manual transmission.

Having covered approximately 56,000 km (about 34,797 mi), it comes with Porsche’s Certificate of Authenticity, confirming the factory specifications and matching numbers.

An extensive maintenance was recently performed at Porsche Classic, with parts and labor coming to roughly €18,000.

The third and current owner has owned this example since 2006, and has the original onboard folder, including the service booklet.

If you’re looking for a special 911 to add to your collection, this Porsche 964 Turbo S Lightweight might just fit the bill.

You’ll have your chance to bid on it on Wednesday, April 10.

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Adam Gray is an experienced freelance motoring journalist and content creator based in the United Kingdom. Using his media accreditation with manufacturers’ press offices, Adam test drives the latest cars and attends new vehicle press launches, producing written reviews and news pieces for a variety of lifestyle and business publications. Here at Supercar Blondie, Adam applies his journalistic skills penning social-first content around current news and trends. When he’s not behind the wheel of the latest car or writing up another viral story, Adam can be found at his local rink playing ice hockey or at the Riverside Stadium supporting his beloved Middlesbrough FC.