eloyex

a "S" ... ??? where is that "S" ... ??

stuttgart_20

+1

Bill Verburg

Back in the old days, from '65 > '73, S meant something, as did Carrera. Both were designations for higher performance options.

From the mid '70s both became more marketing ploys than real performance enhancements to a base model.

S wrt 993 means fat *** and some trim changes
S on a AWD also means better brakes and the tall US M030 springs/sways

big whoop

J.A.W.S.

Swollen up NB

TMc993

Again, I'm working from memory but I do know that in the 356 B series, the cars had the old squared off gold "PORSCHE" script across the rear. If there was nothing next to the script, the car was a "Normal." If there was an "S" next to the script, it was a "Super." If there was an S90 next to the script it was a "Super 90." The difference between the three was horsepower.

The designations changed with the 356 C series, but I don't remember what they meant other than I think that the "SC" was the top of the line for the C series. The major improvement that came with the C series was disc brakes.

The old drum brakes were a bitch to adjust and balance so that the car didn't pull. I can remember that in my 356, a brake adjustment involved an initial adjustment of each corner, then driving down the road and applying the brakes to see which way the car was pulling, then backing off the adjusters on individual wheels until the thing stopped straight.

T

inkatouring

Indeed it is. That we can agree on.

But did you notice it's so embarrassed to be an "S" it had the badge delete?

Mark in Baltimore

Wow, great memory (or search skills).

JPP

+1. Historically, 'S' designates 'Super' which meant more horsepower and sometimes different gearing. For the 'B' T5 cars from '60 through '61, there were three designators 1600 (60 hp, no badge), 1600 Super (75 hp, Super badge) and 1600 Super-90 (90 hp, Super-90 badge), then in '62 badging changed to just 60, S and 90 when they came out with the T-6 'B' body. In '64, when the 'C' was introduced, badging changed to C for normal (75 hp) and SC for Super (95 hp). Through the 911 years, S has always meant more hp, the 993 being the exception, and Harlan is absolutely correct when he implies that the factory had spares for Turbo's they needed to use up. I think everyone was a little surprised when they offered them in 1998 without any effort to increase hp, but they must have already moved on both physically and mentally as a company to the 996 by that time.

2Many Cars

The period where the letters really meant someting in added performance ended after the "T", "E" and "S" series 911s when Porsche started calling the stock/base car an "SC" (in 1974 IIRC.) IMHO it's been a bit muddled ever since with the possible exception of the 993 turbo S.

clubsport1

So much heavier than a C2/4

Leander

Sucker

inkatouring

Indeed. BMW did a similar thing when "M" changed from "Motorsports" to "Marketing," circa 1992/3.

Flying Finn

Are you talking about a cab or S?

Spartan

Small fenders

Wilder

No, no...it definitely means Super, Sporty, Sexy and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. That's why they are very desirable and command the price premium to match.

Cabs are very heavy (pretty sure the heaviest of the NA 993s) and they have more flex so theoretically the slowest too but I bet neither you or I could tell the difference.

My first 993 was a cab. I really miss open top cruising. Enjoy yours in good health and let us S freaks pay the premiums.