The Forgotten Legend: Inside the 1992 Porsche 968 Turbo S Prototype

It isn’t every day that you come face-to-face with a car that culminates nearly two decades of progress and development. It also isn’t often that such a car is virtually unknown.

When I received word from HCC Specialty Cars that I could photograph the 1992 Porsche 968 Turbo S prototype, I cleared my schedule and started diving in on what stands today as one of Zuffenhausen’s rarest production models.

Before we can take the plunge on this 968 Turbo S’ history, we should look back on Porsche’s two-decade long transaxle era. Development began initially as a consulting product for Volkswagen, using parts from its network to create a sports car. That project would fall through as a result of the oil crisis, and Porsche would go on to bring the 924 to the market itself in 1976. The four-cylinder formula would be refined into the 944 in 1982, then the 968 in 1991.

The Turbo S was developed to homologate the Turbo RS model for customers racing in the ADAC GT Cup. A production run of 100 was planned, but only 14 cars were built – including this lone prototype.

Sharing a body with the 968 Club Sport, the Turbo S received NACA ducts on the hood to feed the turbocharger and cool the engine, an enlarged front grille, aggressive chin spoiler, and an adjustable rear wing. On the inside, much of the interior is similar to the CS. One notable difference is the large ‘Turbo S’ stitching across the rear shelf.

Mechanically, it’s a radical departure from the rest of the line. Brakes, suspension, and a set of 18” Speedline wheels came straight from the 964 Turbo. The 3.0-litre inline-four engine was rebuilt with an intake and top end from the previous 944 Turbo, connected to a turbocharger lifted from the 993 GT2. Its 305 horsepower and 368 lb-ft of torque made it faster than all but one of the contemporary 911s. In case you forget it was a special model, there are not one, but two turbo scripts within inches of each other under the hood.

Finished in PTS Speed Yellow over black, this very car, chassis 800412, served as the development and press car for the program. Photos from the 1990s predominantly feature this very car, wearing the same license plate it does today. It would later be sold by Porsche to X-Raid rally team owner Sven Quandt, where it has been documented as a daily driver before being put on display in the entrance of his mansion.

Despite the positives, the 968 Turbo S was a commercial failure. While it is still unclear what caused that, some sources say it was too fast and too expensive for the entry-level platform.

Others cite internal competition from more traditional 911 buyers who preferred the rear-engine cars on road and track.

Regardless, today the Turbo S serves as a perfect finish line for the transaxle four-cylinders, developing a true sports car from the bones of a Volkswagen consulting gig.