Snails & Whales

Andreas Preuninger often reminisces about the white and blue Carrera 2.7 RS that occupied his bedroom wall. For me, being a few years younger than the head of Porsche’s GT division, pride of place went to a red 930 Turbo. To a car-obsessed kid in Croydon, the flagship 911 seemed impossibly exotic.

In many respects, the 930 was the yang to Andreas’ yin. It traded lightweight for luxury, unambiguous focus for a split personality, and linear throttle response for bludgeoning boost. It also had huge haunches instead of slim hips, while delicate chrome gave way to bulbous black plastic. The Turbo was more at home on an autobahn than at a racetrack. Many Porsche purists were miffed. I loved it.

“This is the only air-cooled Turbo that doesn’t hide its engine under a huge slab of intercooler – and I’d swear it’s louder as a result”

In recent years, ‘A’ to ‘F’ Series cars – particularly the 1973 RS – have been put on a pedestal. They were, it seemed, what every restomod 911 aspired to be. However, the arrival of Singer’s sensational Turbo Study, which reimagines the 930 in all its rubber-bumpered, whale-tailed glory, suggests the classic Turbo is ripe for reappraisal. With help from Porsche