Porsche history · 1988–1994

Porsche 964: History, Specs & What to Know

By CarWhere Research · Updated

The Porsche 964 is the third-generation 911, built from 1988 to 1994. Porsche says about 85% of its parts were new. It introduced all-wheel drive to the 911 with the Carrera 4, plus a 250 PS 3.6-liter air-cooled flat-six, Tiptronic, ABS and power steering. Porsche built 63,762.

The 964 kept the classic 911 silhouette but changed almost everything underneath. The first version, the Carrera 4, used an all-wheel-drive system originally designed for the 959, with electronically controlled power distribution. The rear-wheel-drive Carrera 2 followed a year later, alongside Cabriolet and Targa versions.

The 964 also brought the 911 into the modern era of equipment: ABS and power steering became standard, and the Tiptronic gearbox offered automatic shifting. Late in its run came a string of limited models — the 964 Speedster, the 30 Jahre 911 anniversary car, the US-only RS America and the lightweight Turbo S.

964 history: what changed, year by year

  1. Autumn 1988 — The Carrera 4 launches as the first all-wheel-drive 911, as a 1989 model.[1],[2]
  2. 1989–1990 — The rear-drive Carrera 2, Cabriolet and Targa follow; Tiptronic becomes available on the Carrera 2.[3],[4]
  3. 1990–1991 — The 964 Turbo arrives with a 3.3-liter, 320 PS engine.[3],[5]
  4. 1992 — The lightweight Turbo S: 381 PS, 86 built.[6]
  5. 1993 — Turbo 3.6 (360 PS), the 964 Speedster (930 built), the 30 Jahre 911 and the US-market RS America (701 cars). The classic roll-bar Targa ends.[1],[3],[7]
  6. 1994 — Production ends after 63,762 cars; the 993 takes over.[3]

How many 964s were made?

Porsche 964 production figures (units). ≈ marks a figure Porsche gives as approximate.
Model / variantYearsUnitsWhat the figure counts
9641988–1994≈ 63,762[3],[8]total builtGeneration history: 63,762; 2017 milestone page: 74,008.
9641993701[7]limited to 701 vehicles (North America)
964 — Carrera 2 Cabriolet basis1993930[3]total built (plus 15 turbo-look wide-body cars)
964 — Turbo-look wide body199315[3],[9]total built
9641993911[3]limited edition
9641992–199386[6],[9]total built
964 — Porsche Exclusive—76[9]total built
964 — Carrera 2 Cup—297[10]race cars built

More model-by-model totals: Porsche production numbers.

964 variants and engines

Key Porsche 964 variants. Power in PS (metric horsepower) as Porsche quotes it, or hp where marked.
VariantYearsEnginePowerNotes
Carrera 41989–19943.6 L air-cooled flat-6, twin-spark250 PS[3],[5]US rating 247 hp; all-wheel drive.
Carrera 21990–19943.6 L air-cooled flat-6, twin-spark250 PS[3],[5]Rear-wheel drive; manual or Tiptronic.
Turbo 3.31991–19923.3 L turbo flat-6320 PS[3],[5]US rating 315 hp.
Turbo S (lightweight)19923.3 L turbo flat-6381 PS[6]86 built.
Turbo 3.61993–19943.6 L turbo flat-6360 PS[3],[5]US rating 355 hp.
RS America1993–19943.6 L flat-6247 hp (US)[5],[7]701 built for North America.
Speedster1993–19943.6 L flat-6247 hp (US)[3],[5]930 built, plus 15 turbo-look cars.

Full trim-by-trim figures (US hp, torque, 0–60, weight, launch MSRP): Porsche 964 specs.

964 engine and drivetrain facts

  • Air-cooled 3.6-liter flat-six with twin-spark ignition, 250 PS in the Carrera 2 and 4.[3],[5]
  • The Carrera 4's all-wheel drive was developed for the 959 and uses the ABS sensors for its electronically controlled, hydraulically regulated power split.[3]
  • ABS and power steering were standard; Tiptronic allowed shifts without interrupting power.[3]

What to check before you buy a 964

  • Every 964 is now 30-plus years old. Have a specialist check for oil leaks, compression or leak-down figures and the condition of the twin-spark ignition before you buy.
  • Confirm Carrera 2 vs Carrera 4 and manual vs Tiptronic from the factory record; both affect value.
  • Limited models are often copied: RS America (701 built), Speedster (930) and Turbo S (86) should be verified against factory records, not appearance.[3],[6],[7]
  • Look for paperwork showing what has been done to the engine and gearbox; air-cooled 911 values depend heavily on documented history.

How to verify a 964's factory options

US-market 964s carry 17-character VINs, so a build sheet can check for factory paint, interior and option codes recorded for the VIN. Data for early-1990s cars is thinner than for modern Porsches, which is why the availability check comes first; the Certificate of Authenticity is Porsche's own fallback record.

See exactly how this 964 left the factory.

The CarWhere build sheet decodes a US-market Porsche VIN into the factory paint, interior and option codes recorded for it. $9.99. Build data is thinner for older cars, so the free availability check shows whether it exists for your VIN before you pay.

Porsche build sheet by VIN

Porsche 964 FAQ

What years is the Porsche 964?

Porsche built the 964 from 1988 to 1994. In the US the Carrera 4 arrived as a 1989 model and the Carrera 2 for 1990; the 993 replaced it for the 1995 model year.

How many Porsche 964s were made?

Porsche built 63,762 964-generation 911s between 1988 and 1994, according to its generation history. A 2017 Porsche milestone page gives 74,008.

Was the 964 the first all-wheel-drive 911?

Yes. The 964 Carrera 4 was the first all-wheel-drive 911, using a system originally designed for the 959.

How much horsepower does a 964 have?

The Carrera 2 and 4 make 250 PS (247 hp US). The Turbo 3.3 makes 320 PS, the Turbo 3.6 360 PS and the lightweight Turbo S 381 PS.

What is a 964 RS America?

A lighter, simplified US-market Carrera 2 built for 1993–1994. Porsche limited it to 701 cars for North America.

Related Porsche history

Specs, production and buying research

Sources

Production counts, power outputs and dates on this page come from the sources below. Where sources disagree, the page says so or uses Porsche's own figure.

  1. History of the Porsche Targa — Porsche Newsroom
  2. How the 911 became all-wheel drive (911 Dakar press kit: the history) — Porsche Newsroom
  3. The type 964: a new start with this 911 (part 3) — Porsche Newsroom
  4. Porsche Historical Background: 1948-2025 — Porsche Cars North America (Porsche Newsroom)
  5. Porsche 911 specs by generation (US-market figures, each sourced on the page) — CarWhere Research
  6. Porsche 911 Turbo S: history (press kit) — Porsche Newsroom
  7. Top 5 American Icons: Porsche and the US (Porsche Newsroom USA) — Porsche Newsroom
  8. From zero to 1,000,000: Seven generations of the Porsche 911 — Porsche Newsroom
  9. Porsche Exclusive makes nearly all dreams come true — Porsche Newsroom
  10. 5,000th Cup 911 features in the Porsche Supercup as the VIP car — Porsche Newsroom

Independent reference published by CarWhere — not affiliated with or endorsed by Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. Porsche, 911, Carrera, Targa and Boxster are trademarks of their owner.