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In December 1993,
prior to the introduction of the 993 platform as a R.O.W. model
in 1994, and at the very end of the model run for the 964 Turbo,
Porsche A.G.'s VRS Department (also known as Exclusive or Special
Works) decided to build a very special series of hand built Turbo
3.6 cars featuring a slanted front end labeled by the factory as
'Flachbau' in Germany (German for flat form or flat construction) and 'Flatnose' in the United States and the rest of the world (ROW). An integral part of
the cars specification was the factory's optionally available X88 'S' motor. The car was
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called the '1994 Turbo 3.6
S Flatnose' ('Flachbau' on the German factory invoice), and it was to be the last of the hand built Porsche 911 production cars. |
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"The overall concept of the 911 Turbo 3.6 Flatnose model
is similar to that of the 911 Turbo 3.6 standard version, Model
Year '94", stated the factory bulletin Xe
6X014 dated 2/22/94. But the car was really very different.
As one of the most expensive road going production Porsche's ever built,
(more expensive than the 993 TT 'S' and only less than
the road going 959 and GT-1, GT-2, and Carrera GT) these cars
flashed on the scene only to be quickly overlooked in the face of
the new model 993. But this was a very special and very different
car loosely based on the stillborn 965 concept
car, a model designation that appears on many 1994 964 Turbo
and Turbo S part numbers.
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The model was introduced on short
notice to U.S.A. dealers who were told that a special series of Flatnose
cars would be built at the end of the Turbo 3.6 run. Customers were
required to put up a $20,000 USD deposit after only seeing a photo
of the prototype (unless they had attended the Los Angeles or Detroit
auto shows that year). The story goes that there were 38 takers in
the U.S.A. and at the wire Dave Strong's Porsche ordered a car (VIN 480466) which as it turned out
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was the very last single turbo production
Porsche for the U.S.A. and the 39th Flatnose. In the end, three versions of the Flatnose were
built as well as a U.S.A. delivery only, non-Flatnose version of
the Turbo S, called the 'Package'. The actual build numbers were 76 Flatnose cars (worldwide) and 17 non-Flatnose or Package cars (U.S.A. only).
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The actual build numbers have been misquoted over time as a result of a pre-build Porsche memorandum dated September 16, 1993 . In this memorandum Porsche announced to its U.S.A. dealers that they had a listing of 40 orders including two
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PCNA show cars. The original memorandum included a photo of the car
and stated that there were to be 10 non-Flatnose orders. It further
stated that worldwide production was anticipated at 85 to 100 units
with approximately 50 of those units in Flatnose form. The cars
were to be produced in October and early November 1993 with the last
of the Flatnose cars to be produced in January 1994 to meet February
dealer delivery. This early memorandum led to the number '40' being the
believed production number as can be seen in this advertisement
from the period.
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A later Porsche
memorandum dated November 30, 1994, definitively confirms worldwide
production as 93 total cars consisting of 76 Flatnose cars (10 total Version I X83 Japan cars with 'old style Turbo nose and air scoops'; 27 total Version II X84 Rest of World cars; and 39 total Version III X85 U.S.A. cars), and 17 U.S.A. only Version Package cars.
For most of the years since its production little
if anything has ever been discussed by Porsche about even the existence
of this rare and unique hand built model.
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When Porsche released the 911
History DVD in 2004, it formally recognized the 1994 Turbo S
Flatnose and confirmed its worldwide production number at 76 units.
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Historically in the U.S.A. 'Flachbau' cars were always
marketed as 'Slantnose' which was a design extension of
the 934/935 series cars. U.S. technical materials also refer to
the 1994 3.6 Turbo S Flachbau as 'Slantnose'. And while
previous 930S cars were decidedly slanted this version
in USA and ROW form was truly flat.
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Flatnose cars Version I X83 Japan featured pop-up hooded headlights carried over from 930 Turbo
S models. Models Version II X84 R.O.W. and Version III X85 U.S.A.
featured the latest model 968 front end with pop up unhooded headlights.
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The Turbo S Flatnose
models X83, X84, X85 and Package all featured the X88 Turbo 'S'
motor with 385 BHP, X92 Exclusive front spoiler, X93 Exclusive rear
spoiler and X99 Exclusive rear fender vents. The cars documented
on this site feature the X88 option 3.6 Single Turbo 'S' motor (M64/50S).
To truly appreciate
this motor you need to see and hear a Flachbau. CLICK
HERE!
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The order process
and build of these special cars was typical of Porsche's Special
Wishes/Werks I/Exclusive department with much of the cars 'special'
interior and exterior parts being made by Tech Art and others. Parts
ranging from the rear spoiler and front air ducts to the speaker
panels and cross overs to the special leather (Roser).
With the 1994 Turbo S, Porsche
produced one of the rarest and fastest exotic super cars on the planet.
Most are still with us yet, as with any super car, others have gone
the way of total destruction. This
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site will not be complete until all 76 Flatnose
cars are identified and accounted for. |
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