Why the Porsche 964 Is Still the Best Version of the 911 Ever Made

The best Porsche 911 ever made is the 964. Full stop. For those owners familiar with all eight generations made of the 911 model since the very first in 1964, most regard the 964 as the most refined and sophisticated expression of Ferdinand Alexander “Butzi” Porsche’s original concept. Without question, it’s the last of the “hand-built” production-line cars, and probably the best-built as well.

By the late 1980s, Porsche was in difficult financial shape, and while it could ill-afford to bring a new-generation 911 sports car to market, it had to update the aging 911 G-series platform, made from 1974 through 1989. The new 964 iteration of the model looked like a duck, quacked like a duck, but was 80-percent new under its skin. That same year, the complex Carrera 4 launched the new 964 series, followed in 1990 by the Carrera 2, Carrera 4, Targa, and Turbo variants. Turbos aside (a highly collectible subset with 3.3- and 3.6-liter engines), the 964 Carreras are the 911s to own.

This was, of course, recognized by the likes of Singer Vehicle Design and other restoration and restomod houses later on, long after the 964 became ignored by the used-Porsche market in favor of the less-pure 993 and the subsequent water-cooled whale, the 996. Singer knew a good thing, because the chassis, engine, and aesthetic perfection of the 964 represented a high-watermark in the 911 lineage.

Just what makes the 964 so good is that it improved on every aspect of the G-series Carrera. The latter, with a 3.2-liter flat-six engine and G-50 transmission, remains an indisputable classic—the purist’s modern 911—and the 964 just sweetens the deal. The view from behind the wheel is impressive, where the driver sees finger-thin A-pillars at either side of the broad windshield that overlooks two iconic fenders, a comically short dash, five true analog gauges, and little else. A narrow center divider accommodates the gearshift and emergency brake. By comparison, current 911s have an interior space occupied by glass touchscreens and instruments, and a wide landing-strip console for cell phones and cupholders, while a pathetic stub “shifts” the gears automatically. By contrast, the 964 feels like home.

One needn’t labor over the 911’s descent into relative bathos over the decades, but instead simply embrace something closer to the original. And for that experience, the 964 fits the bill. Finding a 964 isn’t a walk in the park, as fewer than 68,000 cars were built for model years 1989 through 1994, including Targa, Cabriolet, RS, Speedster, and other oddball versions. About 38,000 of these were coupes, which is the best choice for any sane person, and for whom a base-model Carrera 2 should do nicely. Its 3.6-liter, flat-six engine makes a delightful 240 hp, just right to move the 3,000-pound car with purpose and panache.

Most examples are equipped with the preferred five-speed manual gearbox, though many, especially Cabriolets, were fitted with the Tiptronic, a perfectly usable four-speed automatic transmission. Tiptronic transmissions and Cabriolets are low-hanging fruit, with convertibles worth about 40 percent less than coupes, while a Tip is valued about 10 percent to 20 precent less than a stick-shift car. A 964 presented in a rare color, or RS and Turbo examples, can command eye-watering prices.

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Today, there’s no chance of scooping up a 964 at what used to be fire-sale prices. What could have been acquired for well under $20,000 a decade after it was new is now a solid $75,000 to $500,000 car—its wide range of values based on model variant and condition.

Click here for more photos of this 1993 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Coupe.