Porsche history · 1993–1998

Porsche 993: History, Specs & What to Know

By CarWhere Research · Updated

The Porsche 993 is the fourth-generation 911 and the last with an air-cooled engine, built from 1993 to 1998. Porsche made 68,881. It added a multi-link rear axle, a 3.6-liter flat-six rising from 272 to 285 PS, the first twin-turbo, all-wheel-drive 911 Turbo (408 PS) and a sliding-glass Targa roof.

The 993 was a thorough rework of the 964 rather than a clean sheet, but the changes were deep: a new aluminum chassis with a multi-link rear suspension Porsche describes as the final stage of its 'Weissach' rear axle, and a redesigned body. Coupe and Cabriolet came first; the Targa and Turbo followed in 1995.

It is also the end of a line. When the 993 bowed out in 1998, Porsche's air-cooled 911 era closed after 35 years, and the water-cooled 996 took over. Porsche built 68,881 of them, fewer than any 911 generation except the 964.

993 history: what changed, year by year

  1. 1993 — 993 Carrera Coupe and Cabriolet launch with a 272 PS 3.6-liter flat-six.[1]
  2. 1995 — Output rises to 285 PS. The Targa gets a large electric glass roof, and the Turbo arrives with twin turbochargers, 408 PS and all-wheel drive.[1]
  3. 1996 — The all-wheel-drive Carrera 4S, with the Turbo's wide body, joins the range; in July Porsche builds its one-millionth car.[1],[2],[3]
  4. 1997–1998 — Carrera S and the 450 PS Turbo S; production ends in 1998 after 68,881 cars.[1],[4]

How many 993s were made?

Porsche 993 production figures (units). ≈ marks a figure Porsche gives as approximate.
Model / variantYearsUnitsWhat the figure counts
9931993–1998≈ 68,881[1],[5],[6]total built68,881 in two Porsche sources; 2017 milestone page: 67,535.
993—≈ 193[1],[7]total built (172 first run + 21 second series)Total is the sum of Porsche's two-series breakdown; Porsche's 993 history page calls it 'limited to an edition of 100'.
9931997–1998≈ 345[4],[8]total builtPorsche Exclusive history: 345; Porsche's Turbo S history press kit: 336.
993 — Porsche Exclusive—14[5],[8]total built
9931995 & 20002[8],[9]total built (factory one-offs)
993 — Cup—186[10]race cars built

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

993 variants and engines

Key Porsche 993 variants. Power in PS (metric horsepower) as Porsche quotes it, or hp where marked.
VariantYearsEnginePowerNotes
Carrera / Cabriolet1995–1998 (US)3.6 L air-cooled flat-6272 PS, then 285 PS[1],[2]US 270 hp (1995), 282 hp with VarioRam.
Carrera 41995–19983.6 L air-cooled flat-6272–285 PS[1],[2]All-wheel drive.
Targa1996–19983.6 L air-cooled flat-6285 PS[1],[2]Electric glass roof; US launch MSRP $70,750.
Carrera 4S / Carrera S1996–19983.6 L air-cooled flat-6285 PS[1],[2]Turbo wide body, no rear wing.
Turbo1996–1998 (US)3.6 L twin-turbo flat-6408 PS[1],[2]US rating 400 hp; all-wheel drive.
Turbo S1997–19983.6 L twin-turbo flat-6450 PS[4]0–100 km/h 4.1 s; 300 km/h.
GT21995–19983.6 L twin-turbo flat-6up to 450 PS[1]Rear-wheel drive.

Full trim-by-trim figures (US hp, torque, 0–60, weight, launch MSRP): Porsche 993 specs.

993 engine and drivetrain facts

  • The last air-cooled 911 engine: a 3.6-liter flat-six with twin-spark ignition.[1]
  • New aluminum (LSA) chassis with a multi-link rear axle replacing the earlier semi-trailing-arm design.[1]
  • The 993 Turbo was the first 911 Turbo with two turbochargers and the first with all-wheel drive as standard.[1],[4]

What to check before you buy a 993

  • Secondary air injection (SAI): on 1996–1998 OBD-II cars, clogged SAI ports and worn valve guides are the 993's best-known engine issue. Ask for an SAI test and valve-guide history.[11]
  • Targa glass roof: check that the electric roof opens, closes and seals cleanly; repairs are specialist work.
  • Variant claims (Carrera S, Carrera 4S, Turbo S) need factory paperwork; wide-body and Turbo-look conversions exist.
  • Air-cooled values depend on documented history, so get service records and a leak-down test from a specialist.

Documented problems, recalls and pre-purchase checks: 993 secondary air injection · Porsche 911 known issues by generation.

How to verify a 993's factory options

US-market 993s carry 17-character VINs. A build sheet can check for the factory paint, interior and option codes recorded for the VIN; data for 1990s cars is thinner than for modern Porsches, so the free availability check comes first. Porsche's Certificate of Authenticity remains the factory's own record.

See exactly how this 993 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 993 FAQ

Is the 993 the last air-cooled 911?

Yes. Porsche calls the 993 the last 911 with classic air cooling; the air-cooled era ended with it in 1998, and the 996 introduced water cooling.

How many Porsche 993s were made?

Porsche built 68,881 993-generation 911s between 1993 and 1998, according to two Porsche histories. A 2017 Porsche milestone page gives 67,535.

What years is the Porsche 993?

Production ran from 1993 to 1998. In the US the 993 was sold for the 1995 to 1998 model years.

How much horsepower does a 993 have?

The Carrera launched with 272 PS and rose to 285 PS from 1995 (US: 270 hp, then 282 hp). The Turbo has 408 PS (400 hp US) and the Turbo S 450 PS.

What is a 993 C4S?

The Carrera 4S, an all-wheel-drive 993 with the Turbo's wide body and chassis but without the Turbo's rear wing.

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. The 993: Pinnacle of the air-cooled era and the last of its kind (part 4) — Porsche Newsroom
  2. Porsche 911 specs by generation (US-market figures, each sourced on the page) — CarWhere Research
  3. Porsche Historical Background: 1948-2025 — Porsche Cars North America (Porsche Newsroom)
  4. Porsche 911 Turbo S: history (press kit) — Porsche Newsroom
  5. Thirty years of the 993-generation 911 Carrera (60 Years 911 press kit) — Porsche Newsroom
  6. From zero to 1,000,000: Seven generations of the Porsche 911 — Porsche Newsroom
  7. Exclusive and individual: Porsche 911 GT2 - Coppa Florio — Porsche Newsroom
  8. Porsche Exclusive makes nearly all dreams come true — Porsche Newsroom
  9. There can only be two — Porsche Newsroom
  10. 5,000th Cup 911 features in the Porsche Supercup as the VIP car — Porsche Newsroom
  11. Porsche 911 known issues by generation (each issue sourced on the page) — CarWhere Research

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.