Porsche 968 Turbo S

The vehicle in detail

Among Porsche’s modern-era rarities, the 968 Turbo S stands apart. Built in extremely limited numbers and conceived with competition as its primary purpose, it marked the final and most concentrated expression of Porsche’s front-engine, transaxle lineage before the company turned its full attention back to the 911.

The Turbo S was intended to give the 968 a clear purpose. Developed under the direction of Porsche motorsport veterans Jürgen Barth and Gerd Schmid as a homologation model for international GT competition, it employed a heavily revised version of the 3.0-liter inline-four with a KKK turbocharger, air-to-air intercooler, and revised engine management. Output was officially quoted at 305 hp at 5,400 rpm, with 369 lbs./ft. of torque peaking near 3,000 rpm, underscoring its fundamentally different character from the standard 968.

Power was delivered via a close-ratio six-speed manual transaxle with a reinforced clutch and 75% locking limited-slip differential. Chassis revisions included a 0.8″ lower ride height, firmer springs and dampers, and 911 Turbo 3.6-sourced brakes with aluminum calipers and cross-drilled discs. Weight-saving measures deleted undercoating, power windows and seats, and rear seating, yielding a quoted (wet) weight of 2,867 pounds. Kevlar Clubsport bucket seats were specified, with ABS and power steering retained.

External identifiers included a flat front splitter, NACA ducts integrated into the engine lid, and a larger, adjustable rear wing. Boxed rear arches from the Turbo RS accommodated wider 18″ three-piece Speedline wheels.

Period evaluations left little doubt as to the car’s extraordinary capability. Writing for Performance Car magazine in June 1993, Daniel Borg described the Turbo S as “seriously quick, just as you’d expect of a car hand-made in Porsche’s racing department. For the few people rich enough and keen enough not to worry whether they’re getting good value for their money, it is the ultimate 968 and that means one of the world’s great drives.”

Despite plans for 100 examples, the Turbo S and its competition counterpart, the Turbo RS faced a challenging market position. In the end, just 14 examples, including a single prototype, were completed between early 1993 and spring 1994.

This 1993 Porsche 968 Turbo S was ordered directly from the Porsche Racing Department by Helena Suková, the celebrated Czech tennis star. Among the most accomplished players of her generation, Suková captured multiple Grand Slam titles and a silver medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics – and was also a noted Porsche enthusiast.

Completed on July 19, 1993, this 968 Turbo S was specified in paint-to-sample Zermatt Silver Metallic over a black leatherette interior with corduroy inserts. Factory equipment included German-market specification, a higher-capacity battery, protective side moldings, central locking, rear fog lamp, green graduated tinted windshield, alarm system, and air-conditioning.

Suková is believed to have retained ownership until circa 2014, supported by Monaco-based inspection and insurance records. In December 2014, the car was purchased with 29,600 km via Porsche Dresden by Andreas Knapp-Voith of Düsseldorf, Germany, a German racing driver and Porsche enthusiast from a long-established industrial family. Subsequent German records include a 2017 HU/AU inspection and a Porsche Center service in 2018 at approximately 29,690 km, supporting very low accumulated use.

Circa 2021, the 968 Turbo S was purchased by noted Porsche collector Michael Kelter of Birmingham, Michigan, following his developing interest in the model and a subsequent search for multiple examples. The cars were reported to be addressed sequentially by Kelter and his team, allowing insights gained from each project to inform the next. This car was prepared last and retained the longest in Kelter’s personal collection, benefiting from the cumulative experience developed throughout the process.

Sold into current ownership in early 2024, this Turbo S showed just 30,367 km (18,872 miles) at the time of cataloguing. Presenting extremely well throughout, it is accompanied by books, tools, spare tire, factory spare drive axles, first aid kit, and documentation dating to its original factory order. Additionally, Motive Archive in Chicago has managed any minor services needed.

With just 14 examples completed, the 968 Turbo S occupies a singular position within Porsche’s modern history. Long overshadowed in period, its engineering ambition, competition-driven development, and extreme rarity have since elevated its standing. In this instance, a well-documented provenance and exceptionally low accumulated mileage further reinforce this example’s significance as one of the most compelling and consequential transaxle models ever built.