In 1974, when first launched, in post-oil-crisis Europe, it was a bold and courageous statement of defiance about the future that delighted the automotive industry and Porsche’s customers alike.

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The Turbo’s pedigree and its character were faultless. Turbocharging had made its name on Porsche racing cars with the Can-Am 917-10s and 917-30s of 1972-1973. These huge open sports-cars, with flat-12 turbocharged engines developing up to 1,100-brake horsepower, had crushed their opposition.

The road car’s origins can be traced back to a prototype 911 study shown at the 1973 Paris Salon. A year of intensive development followed, during which the company agonized internally about whether such a powerful car had a place on roads, which were, at that time of the Middle East oil crisis, restricted to meager speed limits.

But Ernst Fduhrmann’s leadership gave the Turbo a clear direction, and in October 1974, the new production model was unveiled.

Code-numbered 930 internally, the Turbo was instantly given the status of company flagship and demonstrated new levels of 911 luxury and technology.

The Porsche salesmen keenly sold the early Turbos on the basis that the model would remain a limited edition. But with all the involvement involved it seems unlikely that Fuhrmann and his directors shared this view. In any case, the Turbo’s popularity was such that the planned 500 production run was moire than doubled. And the Turbo’s future was thereby ensured.

But the Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 was the first 911 offering the Turbo’s look for non-turbo cars. When the 911 Carrera 3.2 was launched in 1984 you could get a nice option called the M491 option. That was the internal code for the works turbolook (WTL). Officially called the Supersport in the UK, it was commonly known as the ‘Turbo-Look’ and it was a pretty cool package.

First of all you got the 930 Turbo’s wide fenders and the huge whaletail wing on the back, but your 911 was also equipped with upgraded suspension components, bigger wheels and the superb Turbo brakes. The 911 Carrera 3.2 WTL was immensely popular in the United States. Due to the emission rules, Porsche didn’t offer a 911 Turbo to US customers. So as a US citizen you couldn’t get any closer to a 911 Turbo than with the WTL at that time.

It was a style that resembled the 930 Turbo with wide wheel arches and the distinctive ‘tea tray’ tail. It featured the stiffer suspension shared with the Turbo and the superior Turbo braking system as well as the wider Turbo wheels.

Sales of the Turbo-Look were high for its first two years in the United States because the desirable 930 was not available.

We have just such a magnificent car right now at Beverly Hills Car Club, a rare 1985 Porsche Carrera Targa M491 Turbo-Look featured with matching numbers -1 of just 65 examples for the US Market. Finished in its factory color Black (Scharwz), the exterior presents a refined and understated appearance that contrasts nicely with the parchment interior. Overall, this Carrera offers a well-balanced combination of classic 911 styling and purposeful performance design.

Power is delivered through a 915 5-speed manual transaxle paired with Porsche’s well-regarded air-cooled 3.2-liter flat-six. The car is further equipped with Bilstein shocks, four-wheel disc brakes, dual exhaust outlets with polished tips, VDO instrumentation, a removable roof panel, a Targa bar, a wraparound rear glass window, Bosch fog lights, rear rubber bumperettes, and a MOMO Prototipo 3-spoke steering wheel.

Completing the exterior presentation are 16-inch Fuchs-style wheels fitted with Nexen tires. A spare tire is also included and stored in the front trunk.

The interior maintains a driver-focused layout with power-adjustable front sport seats and thoughtful amenities, including air conditioning, power windows, power-adjustable exterior mirrors, a glove compartment, door pockets, an analog clock, and a modern Porsche radio, as well as $44,294.85 in Service Receipt Copies for the period 2000 to 2024.

While the M491 Turbo-Look Carrera shares the wide-body stance, suspension, and braking components of the 911 Turbo, it retains the naturally aspirated 3.2-liter engine, resulting in a lighter and more balanced driving experience.

This presents a desirable opportunity to acquire a limited-production, factory Turbo-Look Porsche that is mechanically sound.

-Alex Manos, Owner