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Introduced in 1994 the Porsche 911 Cabriolet was more of a Grand Tourismo vehicle than a sports car. The 911 Cabrio featured the same cues as its coupe version, but with a few differences apart from the lack of a fixed roof, of course. The 3.6-liter engine was offered in two versions, with 275 hp and 285 hp. The latter featured the VarioCam system. Both versions were mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic.
Introduced in late 1994 the standard 911 Carrera of the 993 generation was fitted with a development of the M64 3.6-liter flat six that had been found in the prior 964 generation. With a redesigned exhaust system and new hydraulic lifters, the engine produced 272 horsepower. For the 1996 model year, a Targa variant was introduced, and a variable intake runner system (called VarioRam) was added to the entire Carrera lineup, bumping horsepower to 285. Approximately 23,000 coupes were built, 15,500 cabriolets, and 4,500 Targa's, in both manual and automatic (Tiptronic) transmission. Overlapping with the last year of production, it was replaced by the 911 Carrera of the 996 generation for model year 1998.
The 993 Carrera 4, sold between 1995 and 1998, uses the same powerplant as the standard 993 Carrera, but puts power down to all four wheels through a 6-speed manual transmission. A “Carrera 4” badge on the tail, along with silver-painted brake calipers and clear front and side turn signals, help distinguish the all-wheel drive C4 from the C2 sibling. Approximately 4,700 coupes and 2,500 cabriolets were made. It was replaced by the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 (996 generation) in 1999.
Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet (993)
2,500 cabriolets were made in the 993 Carrera 4. The 993 Carrera 4, sold between 1995 and 1998, uses the same powerplant as the standard 993 Carrera, but puts power down to all four wheels through a 6-speed manual transmission. A “Carrera 4” badge on the tail, along with silver-painted brake calipers and clear front and side turn signals, help distinguish the all-wheel drive C4 from the C2 sibling.
After introducing the Porsche Carrera S with the body carried-over from the Turbo version, customers asked about an all-wheel-drive version for it. The 993 Carrera 4S was sold between 1995 to 1998. Much like the 993 Carrera S, the 993 Carrera 4S takes the 993 Carrera 4 powertrain and fits it into the widebody 993 Turbo shell, sporting 18" alloy wheels. The engine was the same 3.6-liter naturally aspirated, but it was offered in the higher power output of 285 hp. As with the Carrera 4, it was only available with a 6-speed manual transmission. The 4S did not have a cabriolet version.
The 993 Carrera RS is a lightweight, stiffer version of the naturally-aspirated 993 Carrera meant for ultimate street performance. At its heart was the 3.8-liter normally aspirated Type M64/20 engine producing 300 bhp at 6,500 rpm along with 262 foot-pounds of torque at 5,400 rpm. Looking to save as much weight as possible, every non-essential item from the car was removed. The Carrera RS tipped the scales at a 1,280 kg. About 1,000 Carrera RS were built, making it one of the rarest and most collectable 993-generation 911's produced. In addition to the Base Trim it was also available as the race-ready, street legal, RS Clubsport (option M003).
The 993 Carrera RS Clubsport, 213 of which were built to meet the FIA GT2 homologation requirements, is a race-ready, although street legal variant of the 993 Carrera RS, not to be confused with the track only 993 Carrera Cup RSR. Emphasizing its competition credentials, the 993 Carrera RS Clubsport came with a welded-in roll cage as standard, considerably increasing its rigidity, racing bucket seats, six-point safety harnesses, battery isolator switch, fire extinguisher, and a huge fixed rear wing, the latter also available on the 'base model' Carrera RS.
The Carrera S was the ultimate, naturally aspirated version of the Carrera 2. Porsche decided to offer something more to its customers when it launched the Carrera S version. It featured a stiffer and lowered suspension. Its wider tires made it better in the corners and faster around a race-track than its Carrera 2 sibling. The Carrera S took its bodywork from the Porsche Turbo. But it didn't get the turbocharger or the all-wheel-drive system. Its wider rear fenders and lowered stance than the Carrera lineup made it a desirable car for the Porsche fans. The engine was the same 3.6-liter naturally aspirated, but it was offered in the higher power output of 285 hp. The only transmission available was a 6-speed manual.
Porsche 911 Cup 3.8 (993) (1994 - 1998)
The 993 Carrera Cup 3.8 was developed from the 993 Carrera RS, as purpose-built competition car designed by Porsche for its single-model racing series taking place around the world. Replacing the 964 Carrera Cup, the 993 Carrera Cup had a claimed 315 bhp on tap, weighed only 1,100kg, and offered a top speed of around 270km/h (170mph). Approximately 216 samples were built. The Carrera Cup should not be confused witth the Carrera RSR, or the 993 Carrera RS Clubsport version.
The 993 Carrera RSR takes the 993 Carrera RS formula and makes it even more track-ready by adding a roll-cage and removing carpet, power windows, and a/c. There were just thirty Porsche 911 Cup 3.8 RSR (Type 993) race cars produced for the 1997 season. This model was the last of the breed of air-cooled, naturally-aspirated 911 race cars to come from the Weissach race department before the introduction of the Type 996 water-cooled cars. To find a 993 3.8 RSR that participated in some of the world’s toughest endurance races in period, and survived unscathed and unmolested, is quite rare.