Live now on Mecum Auctions is perhaps one of the most popular Porsches of the 1980s, a beautiful 1987 Porsche 911 Turbo Slantnose. This example was built on May 27, 1987 and is reportedly one of the 130 factory-built 505 Flachbau Slantnose Turbo Cabriolets imported into the United States. With 67,920 miles on its odometer, this highly-coveted 930 Turbo Cabriolet with the Slantnose option is offered in superb condition.
In 1987 Porsche finally offered the slantnose, called Flachbau in German, straight from the factory. The official designation in the UK was Turbo SE and it is also sometimes referred to as the flatnose. Offered as the ultimate 930 Turbo, the this model had an upgraded body and a 330 bhp engine.
Costing nearly double the standard model, the Flachbau was rarely ordered. Before 1987, Porsche had only offered the Flachbau body option out of Sonderwunschen program, so it becoming an official model was a pretty big deal. Like before, these were handmade cars, not limited to just the Turbo, but the Carrera and Carrera SC as well. In the 1987 model year, these got the M505 option codes for USA for an astounding $23,244 extra and M506 for the rest of the world. For reference, that cost was about 50% of the value of a brand new Turbo.
Despite the panels being slightly heavier, they were modeled after the 935 race car for top speed. The conversion required extended rocker panels, wider rear flares with scooped vents and flip-up headlights up front with functional louvres.
The most obvious difference was at the front, where the fenders and the trunk-lid were at the same level. 945 units were modified by Porsche by dismantling and reassembling already built vehicles right after they came out of the production line. That contributed to the car’s aerodynamic and led to better performances on the road. At higher speeds, the front end was better planted to the road due to higher downforce.
Inside, the Flatnose was fitted with all the bells and whistles available in the Porsche store, with leather interior and bucket seats in the front and leather seats in the back. The instrument cluster was the same as in the Carrera and there was no turbo-gauge. It didn’t feature air-conditioning though, just a ventilation system.
The engine was a 3.3-liter flat-six with one big turbocharger fitted with an optional performance package that raised the power up to 330 hp from the standard 300 hp of the regular 911 Turbo. The result was a better 0-100 kph (0-62 mph) time than its “bug-eyed” brother. With a jump in horsepower, it’s not surprising that the Flachbau was the fastest of all 930 models, reaching a factory claimed 173 mph. Acceleration was rated by the factory at 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds.
Our example here is finished in Grand Prix White that goes very well with its power-operated black soft top. It is also one of the 51 examples that had a Crimson Red leather-upholstered interior and has been fitted with all the bells and whistles that Porsche has to offer such as distinctive 911 thick-rimmed steering wheel with raised hub, a five-gauge instrument cluster with driver-centered tachometer, power-operated bucket seats, power windows, air conditioning, a Blaupunkt AM/FM/Cassette stereo and tinted glass.
If you want to be come the next owner of this car, head over to Mecum Auctions now as it will only be available there until January 15. The sale will come with a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, a soft top cover, spare key, owner’s manual, service invoices and tool kit.
Note: All photos are courtesy of Mecum Auctions
