Ever since a friend snagged this incredible 930 Turbo I’ve been wanting to take it out for a drive. I’ll be honest, I was nervous. When discussions take place around the 930, you’ll always hear the term “Widowmaker”. The cars were so much to handle, they had a reputation for killing the owners. That said, you’ll also hear from others how amazing they are to drive.
So, when Britton and Branoson Hardcastle over at B Hardcastle Media asked me if they could test shoot a car, I saw a perfect opportunity. So while technically these aren’t my photos, I was there, assisting and offering advice when needed.
After some static shots at a nearby cul-de-sac, it was time to get out on the road. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not capable or willing to push this car to it’s limit. I’ve got a family to go home to and the owner probably would like to see his car back in the garage as well.
All while Branson was taking the beautiful photos you see here, Britton was filming footage to put together a short video. We needed some shots of the 930 flying by the camera car. That required me to dig a bit more into the throttle.
Progressively you start to get more comfortable with the way the car builds power. It’s absolutely not linear, but I wouldn’t say it’s as bad as a big turbo four cylinder either. I was conscious to never smash the throttle unless the wheels were pointed forward, which probably helped keep us out of a ditch.
Towards the end of the shoot we decided to pull over and give the car a rest and get some final shots as the sun set. We ended up on a beautiful stretch of empty road on West Fitzhugh Road in Dripping Springs, TX.
Branson was able to get some shots of the Lipstick Red interior on this 930 Turbo. It was originally loaded up with a black interior, but the owner decided since this car has high mileage, he’d rather throw originality out the window (although he still keeps the stuff around) and build a dream grey / red 930 Flachbau.
On our way back to the shop, we were presented with an outrageous Texas Hill Country sunset. If that wasn’t enough, we also had the moon rising directly in front of us. Perfect photo opportunity!
Unfortunately, I missed lining up the car perfectly on the road. You’re so low in the car, it’s actually hard to tell where you are placed on the lines. After seeing the photos I wished we had pulled over and planned better. But we were on a time crunch and there was traffic approaching behind us.
The Hardcastles ended up doing an awesome job on the video for their first time shooting a car. The video was all their idea, minus the music choice, that was all me.
Conclusion
I’ve had plenty of opportunities to drive 60’s and 70’s air cooled Porsches. I really do enjoy them. As good as they are, this car is just perfection. I love the styling, the widebody and the drama of the turbo flat-6.