The Rarest Porsches Ever Made

Porsche 911 ST (24 made)

The 911 ST was produced between 1970 and 1971. The 24 produced cars were meant to participate in various races such as Daytona, Targa Florio, or the 1000 km of Nurburgring. The car was specifically designed to handle rigorous driving and managed to outperform even cars from the prototype classes, which were much faster. Although it can be driven on the street, it was the racetrack where it could unleash all its might.

The car weighed as little as 1,851 pounds (840 kg) thanks to an extreme “diet” and developed 240 horsepower and 163 pound-feet (222 Nm) from a 2.3-liter flat-four.

There was also a larger 2.5-liter unit bringing power up to 270 horsepower. One of the 911 ST’s most distinctive features is the two different rim styles. In the 1970 FIA changed the rules, allowing for flared wheel arches. Because Porsche didn’t have deep enough Fuchs rims, Minilite wheels were used at the back.

Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenversion (22 made)

The Porsche 911 GT1 came in the 1990s in order to participate in what eventually became the FIA GT Championship. Naturally, there was a street version too.

It used a version of the same 3.2-liter twin-turbo flat-six as the race version, but it produced “only” 542 horsepower at 7,200 RPM and 443 pound-feet (600 Nm) at 4,250 RPM.

All that goes to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual. Despite being heavier than the track-only GT1, at 2,535 pounds (1,150 kg) the car still managed to reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in around 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 191 mph (308 km/h). Although the cars looked basically the same, earlier variants had 993 headlights, while later ones adopted the 996’s “fried eggs”.

Read our full review on the Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenversion

Porsche 911 R (19 made)

When we talk about special versions of the first generation 911, most would immediately think of the Carrera 2.7 RS. However, it owed much of its success to a version of the 911 that came before it.

The 1967 911 R was an evolution of the very successful 911 S, which performed quite well in endurance racing.

The idea of the 911 R was to be a pure racing machine both on race tracks and rally courses. Technically, there were 23 cars produced, but only 19 of them were road versions. The cars that were used for racing had a variety of drivetrains depending on the type of racing. The 19 road-going versions developed 210 horsepower (later 230) at 8,000 RPM from a flat-six, taken straight from the 906 race car. The car had a curb weight of 1,764 pounds (800 kg), partially to the extensive use of fiber-glass for the body panels. To this day, it’s still the lightest 911 ever made.

Porsche 911 (964) Speedster Widebody (15 made)

The 1989 964 Speedster is considered by many to be the last 911 to hold true to the original formula of the 356 Speedster.

Porsche ended up producing 936 Speedsters, instead of the intended 3,000.

Of those, 427 were intended for the US market. Out of all the 936 cars made, only 15 had the widebody.

All 964 Speedsters had an RS interior as standard. The engine was a 3.6-liter flat-four making 250 horsepower at 6,100 RPM and 229 pound-feet (310 Nm) at 4,800 RPM. The car had a curb weight of 2,976 pounds (1,350 kg). The 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) sprint was achieved in around 5.3 seconds. The Speedster had a top speed of 162 mph (261 km/h). A five-speed manual sent power to the rear.

Read our full review on the Porsche 911 (964) Speedster Widebody

Porsche 911 (993) Turbo Cabriolet (14 made)

Porsche Exclusive is the brand’s division, responsible for making special requests come true. Such was the case with 14 cars from the 993 generation of the 911. The 993 Turbo S was normally offered only as a coupe with a fixed head. However, by special request, 14 Turbo S cars were made with a folding soft top.

Besides being the last air-cooled Porsche, the 993 was the first generation where the Turbo was offered exclusively with all-wheel-drive.

Strangely enough, the 993 Turbo Cabriolet was powered by the 3.6-liter turbocharged flat-six from the 964 generation. This meant 360 to 385 horsepower and 384 to 398 pound-feet (520 – 540 Nm) of torque. The car could hit 60 mph in around 5.0 seconds on its way to around 180 mph (290 km/h).

Read our full review on the Porsche 911 (993) Turbo Cabriolet

Porsche 911 (991) Club Coupe (13 made)

As far as rare Porsche 911 versions go, this one is the newest in terms of the model year. Based on the 991 Carrera S, the Club Coupe came in 2013 in a very limited run of 13 vehicles. The idea was to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the first Porsche Club. You could only buy this version if you were a member of one of the Porsche clubs. It boasted a unique “Brewster green” color, 20-inch SportTechno wheels, and a ducktail rear spoiler. It also came as standard with the Carrera S power kit, including a sports exhaust and the Sport Chrono package. The 3.8-liter flat-six produced 424 horsepower and was mated to a PDK gearbox.

Read our full review on the Porsche 911 (991) Club Coupe

Porsche 911 (964) Turbo 3.6 Cabriolet (8 made)

Technically, the 964 generation of the 911 Turbo had a Cabriolet version, but they used the 3.3-liter turbocharged flat-six. Later Turbo variants, featuring the newer 3.6-liter unit were sold only in the coupe body style. That wasn’t the case for a small number of cars, however. By special request from clients, Porsche Exclusive produced eight 964 Turbo Cabriolets with the newer engine. This meant 360 to 390 horsepower and 384 to 398 pound-feet (520 – 540 Nm) of torque. 60 mph (97 km/h) would be in the past in just 4.8 seconds. The estimated top speed is around 171 mph (275 km/h). A five-speed manual sent power to the rear wheels.

Read our full review on the Porsche 911 (964) Turbo 3.6 Cabriolet

Porsche 911 (993) Speedster (2 made)

The 993 generation of the 911 also had a Speedster version. Once again, the team of Porsche Exclusive was responsible for its creation. The two 993 Speedsters were based on the 993 Carrera 2. One of the two cars was built for a Porsche designer and now sits at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart. Power came from a 3.6-liter flat-six producing 272 horsepower at 6,100 RPM and 243 pound-feet (330 Nm) at 5,000 RPM. A Tiptronic gearbox was responsible for sending the power to the rear wheels. The speedster could do the 0 to 60 mph sprint in around 5.1 seconds on its way to over 164 mph (265 km/h).

Porsche 935 Strassenversion (one-off)

Now we are getting into the league of one-off specials. Loosely based on the 930 Turbo 911, the 935 was a radical race car, aimed to compete in FIA Group 5. The Moby Dick in itself is quite a rare sight, to begin with.

In 1983 the only Porsche 935 streetcar cost the equivalent of around $800,000.

The engine was a 2.9-liter turbocharged flat-six producing around 740 horsepower (552 kW). Keep in mind, this was a de-tuned version of the race engine. The looks of the 935 actually inspired the people from Porsche Exclusive to later offer the “slant nose” as an option on the 930. The body was made entirely out of Kevlar and specially designed Goodyear tires were used for the road-legal “Moby Dick”.

Porsche 911 (993) Project Gold (one-off)

The 911 Gold Edition was a project made true by the people at Porsche Classic. Some time ago, a 993 shell was left at the Zuffenhausen factory. Eventually, the guys at Porsche Classic got the body and in 2018 decided to use it in order to commemorate 70 years of Porsche sports cars. Who doesn’t love anniversaries, right?

Aesthetically, the car was styled after the 2018 991 Turbo S Exclusive edition.

The exterior boasted an exquisite and unique golden paint job, as well as wheels and exhaust tips finished in black gloss. Likewise, the interior featured black leather with contrasting gold stitching. Other than that, the car was based on the 993 Turbo S. This meant 430 horsepower and 398 pound-feet (540 Nm) from the 3.6-liter turbocharged flat-six. Naturally, the golden 993 featured all-wheel-drive and a six-speed manual. The whole project took 18 months and the car was eventually auctioned off for $2,743,500.

Read our full review on the Porsche 911 (993) Project Gold