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Fans of air-cooled Porsche 911s, rejoice - you've got one chance, and one chance only, to own an all-new 993 Turbo S, thanks to Porsche Classic.
Following the latest automotive trend of manufacturers mining their back catalogues to recreate beloved classics from years gone by, Porsche will unveil 'Project Gold' at the Porsche Rennsport Reunion in Laguna Seca, USA, at the end of September. This one-off car will then be auctioned off by RM Sotheby's at the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta on October 27 - with all proceeds going to the Ferry Porsche Foundation to mark the '70 Years of Porsche Sports Cars' celebrations. A note of caution, though: this last-ever 993 will not be road-legal, meaning it will forever be confined to track days and private land.
So, Project Gold: it's a 993 911 Turbo to 'S' specification, which means 450hp from its twin-turbocharged 3.6-litre, air-cooled, flat-six petrol engine. It's an original bodyshell that has been rebuilt with more than 6,500 genuine parts that Porsche Classic offers exclusively for 993 models. The Porsche is painted in Golden Yellow Metallic and references the 2018 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series. Its black wheels are highlighted with Golden Yellow accents, while the seats and interior trim follow much the same pattern.
The bodyshell features the characteristic side air intakes of the 993 Turbo S, which were available as an option for the regular 911 Turbo in 1998. Even the 'new' car's manual transmission and four-wheel-drive system were sourced from the Porsche Classic range of genuine parts, meaning that the hand-stamped chassis number for this 2018 revival will follow on from the last series-production model of the 993 Turbo, which rolled off the production line 30 years ago. Just 345 examples of the 993-gen 911 Turbo S, with the 450hp engine, were originally built - making this new one hugely desirable and therefore likely to fetch a stratospheric price, once it goes under the hammer at the end of October.
Anything else?
We've actually got the Porsche Taycan to thank for Project Gold, because - while reminiscing about the good old days as part of its 70th celebrations - Porsche also wanted to herald the move to the future with its first all-electric sports car. Detlev von Platen, member of the executive board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG, said: "'Project Gold' showcases the comprehensive skill of Porsche Classic in fascinating fashion. This project clearly demonstrates our strategic approach. Although we are starting a new chapter in our sports car history with the Porsche Taycan, the story of how the company evolved is no less significant. On the contrary, this Golden Yellow 993 demonstrates how incredibly passionate we are about the tradition of our brand."