Porsche 993 Carrera 4: the last air-cooled Porsche 911

Porsche 993 Carrera 4: The last air-cooled Porsche. That was the thought going through my head when I was sitting in the seat next to the owner, our friend, Paola Carresi, vice-president of the Italian Registry of the Porsche 911.

For Porsche, the 993 is the last “air cooled” 911 before the 996 took over with water cooling. We are on the road and are heading towards the spot where we are going to take photos. During this time, I talked about the history of this very important Porsche. Produced between 1993 and 1998, the Porsche 993 replaced the 964 series, probably the last 100% handmade Porsche.

Some went as far as saying that the 993 is the best 911. This model is perhaps one of the only cars that retains the charm of a classic car while keeping modern day comfort. The Porsche 993’s was equipped with a 3.6 litre engine that was almost entirely revised from the last model. Being capable of 272 horsepower, it’s performance was quite remarkable for the era making it the Formula1 safety car in 1994.

Pulling into the spot in Valdarno, near Florence, I can finally admire the beauty of this classic Porsche 993. This Porsche 993 Carrera 4 rolled of the line in Stuttgart in 1994, ordered by a german lady. 10 years later Paola assumed the ownership and registration in Italy. The car came with the special combination of Grand Prix White on personalized red interiors, this Porsche 993 is surely exclusive and unique. Yet another aspect of this interior is that the roof of the car and wheel were ordered in black.

To complete the options list, there are 17 inch wheels with colored logo in the center caps, a panoramic sunroof and xenon headlights. Another interesting point concerns what is missing from this german Porsche 993, the air conditioning system is completely absent from this vehicle. The condition of this Porsche 993 Carrera 4 is impeccable inside and out, even with it’s showing of over 150,000 kilometers on the odometer over half of which were Paola’s. The cure is maniacally shown with the fact that it has been updated with a brand new suspension system, created by Porsche to bring the driving part of the Porsche 993 back up to our days.

I can finally appreciate the beauty of this generation and better understand the history of the Porsche 911 brand. Paola surprised me when she gave me the keys to this immaculate Porsche 993 so that I could drive it all the way back to Florence. What an awesome experience! The sound of the 3.6 engine penetrates the cabin as only an air cooled aspirated engine can. With the rise of the revs, the sound was amazing and absolutely unexpected for those who are used to all these new turbo engines.

The dynamic of the car is absolutely fantastic, with 70% of the torque sent to the rear axle, it can give a sense of safety when driving, perfect for long road trips without forgetting the pleasure of driving. The throttle, clutch, brakes and gearbox give an absolutely different sensation but are still precise, reminding to the drivers very well that they are driving a classic car. Now, I’m back some, safe and sound with a huge smile on my face after experiencing that fantastic day. Today, I have accomplished another step in the discovery of the history Porsche 911.