1993 Porsche 964 Carrera 2 Cabriolet

Located in San Francisco, California

About the 964

After years as an unloved and underappreciated model, the Porsche 964 is now recognized for what it is: one of the best driving and lowest production number air-cooled 911 generations there is. Additionally, with the fender and headlight profiles shared with prior 911s, many enthusiasts feel that has a more direct link to Porsche traditional aesthetic.

When it first came out, the 964 was a sensation. Porsche claimed over 85% new parts, and the car had a level of mechanical and feature sophistication that served to highlight how minimally the 911 had been updated in the previous 15 years. This was further emphasized by the fact that the 964 was first introduced as the Carrera 4 late in the 1989 model year, with a 4 wheel drive system that evoked the sophisticated and sensational 959. There were many other changes to the 964, however, including twin spark ignition, McPherson struts for the first time in a 911, ABS for the first time in a 911, power steering for the first time in a 911, automated rear spoiler to increase downforce at speed, and what was then a sophisticated set of electronics to manage the various systems.

Dynamically, the cars are a pleasure, retaining the unique 911 character but with dramatic improvements in power, handling, and braking ability. Steering feel and brake feel are still fantastic but the car is unequivocally more capable in every meaningful way than its predecessor. The 911 Turbo was not available for 1990, but reappeared for the 1991 model year, albeit with a more powerful version of the 3.3 liter engine used in the 930, rather than a 3.6 liter motor as used in naturally aspirated 964s. During this period, Porsche had limited funds for development and the recession of the early 1990s was particularly painful for Porsche. Indeed, the company almost went out of business in the early 1990s because the sales dropped to a fraction of their 1986 peak by the early 1990s. The cars were costly to produce and prices kept increasing. Outside help from Mercedes and Audi (in the form of the 500E and the RS2) helped absorb some of Porsche’s excess production and engineering capacity, but those were dark times for Porsche. As a result, and because they were only produced for five and a half model years 964s are relatively rare.

About this car

This particular example is a lovely original example with manual transmission that has covered just 43,600 miles from new and has always been in California. It has never had any accidents and has all original paint, as confirmed by readings from a paint thickness gauge. Readings vary from 3 to 7 microns on every metal panel. The car was sold new at the Porsche dealer in Fresno, California on 22 December 1993 to a resident of Clovis, California. It passed to another California owner near Sacramento before being owned by owners in Redwood City and Benicia. The car has never had any accidents and has no modifications other than an aftermarket radio and remote locking system. The car has been well-maintained and has paperwork back to 1997, plus the stamped serviced book. New tires were just installed on 25 April 2015 and a major service (due every 15k miles) was performed 8000 miles ago.

The car is cosmetically excellent overall, with lovely original paint showing virtually no swirl marks. There is a handful of small dings and chips, plus some discoloration to the paint on the mirrors and front bumper from a bra. The front deck lid fit is slightly off because it was adjusted to permit the installation of the bra, but it could be fixed easily. The paint has exceptional depth and virtually no oxidation or swirl marks. The glass and lights are excellent with minor wear only. The often faded or cracked tail light lenses are excellent. The black trim is also excellent. The wheel paint shows some age, but they are straight and true. There is one small area of curbing on the right rear wheel and the tires are new. The top is in very good original condition, with minimal fading or wear. There is slight discoloration to the rear window at the edges, plus a small superficial tear above the driver’s window (see photo). The top works properly and the AC blows cold.

The interior is in excellent condition. There is minor wear to the driver’s seat but it is otherwise difficult to fault the condition of the interior. The 964 generation in particular had a wonderfully durable high quality interior and this car is no exception. The dashboard is free of warping, fading, cracks, and discoloration, and the controls and switches are in near-new condition. The steering wheel is excellent as are the carpets. The car has factory rear seats delete with storage bins, which have speakers installed. The option codes indicate that the rear shelf originally had speakers installed

The engine compartment and trunk are in excellent unrestored condition. The jambs are crisp and confirm the car’s accident-free history. The trunk carpets are in excellent shape and the car has its correct collapsible alloy spare, along with tool roll. The inner fenders, wiring harness, factory paint and VIN stickers are all in excellent shape. The engine compartment is unmodified and generally excellent with light soiling from road use.

The car is a pleasure to drive. It runs very well and is noticeably quicker than a Carrera 3.2. The gearbox is a pleasure to use and the clutch is easy to modulate. The brakes are effective and the chassis and steering tight. There is still the magical communicativeness and lightness to the steering that is a 911 hallmark, which is particularly evident on this car because of its 6 inch front wheels. These provide a wonderfully lively and slightly vintage feel that is great for bringing a grin to the driver’s face. The accessories and controls work from the electric mirrors to the AC to the power top.

The car is complete with books, tools, top boot, bra, car cover, both sets of keys, and service records from the last few years.