The Real Reason Why The Porsche 930 Turbo Is Called The Widowmaker

I took a deep dive at what makes the original Porsche 911 Turbo worthy of its grim reputation. It's more than just turbo-lag

There are many iconic Porsche 911 models, but few come close to the original Turbo. The first 911 Turbo came out in 1974, and was such a significant car for the brand that they gave it a separate designation – 930. Naturally, what made the Porsche 930 Turbo stand apart from "lesser” G-Body 911s was its turbocharged engine, making it one of the quickest sports cars of its day.

That said, this also gave the 911 Turbo dynamic characteristics that put you on edge. More than a few owners experienced this the hard way and not everyone lived to tell the tale of the Turbo's oversteering tendencies. The Porsche 930 Turbo quickly earned a nickname – the Widowmaker – but the reason goes way beyond the car's tendencies to fishtail. 

Turbo lag is only part of the reason 

If you have driven an old, turbocharged engine, you would have experienced turbo lag. This is the delay between stabbing the gas pedal and getting full power as the turbo needs time to spool up and create enough boost. Modern engines are more refined and, in some cases, there is almost zero turbo lag. Twin-scroll or electrically-assisted turbochargers are some of the methods used to minimize turbo lag, a case in point being the first hybrid Porsche 911.  

The 930 Turbo used a much more rudimentary setup where a relatively small engine had to spool a rather large turbocharger. Veteran drivers who have experienced the 930 Turbo would advise you not to go full throttle mid-corner as the turbo builds boost in a rather violent way, comparable to being kicked in the back by a donkey. Then, there is the question of tire technology, which wasn't nearly as advanced as it is now, making the 930 Turbo lose traction extremely easily when the boost kicks in. 

The pendulum effect of early 911s 

A signature feature of all Porsche 911s to this day is the rear-engine setup. The flat-six engine hangs behind the rear axle, giving the German sports car unique driving characteristics. Over the years, Porsche has mastered the art of putting the engine in "the wrong place”, but this does not apply to early models.

The pendulum effect was caused by the so-called lift-off oversteer. This phenomenon isn't exclusive to the 911, but in the 930 Turbo, it was most exaggerated. Due to the weight transfer and the 911's rear-engine layout, the rear has a tendency to try and overtake the front of the car, upon lifting the throttle, hence the term lift-off oversteer. 

Snap-oversteer 

We talked about the turbo lag of the original Porsche 911 Turbo and how the BorgWarner KK&K turbocharger delivered power in a violent manner. This made even the US-spec 930 Turbos, which only made 245 horsepower, tricky to drive. Hit the throttle mid-corner and you are very likely to experience snap-oversteer. Unlike lift-off oversteer, which occurs upon lifting your foot off the throttle, snap-oversteer occurs when your foot is on the throttle.

Lifting off in such a scenario would be a mistake and your only option is to be at the top of the game, apply the mother of all counter-steers, and hope for the best. Many a driver of the 930 Turbo were not skilled enough, causing either the driver or the passenger to meet a fatal end in the many accidents that involved a 930 Turbo. Porsche offered 930 Turbo buyers driving lessons, but it is unknown what impact this had.

The chassis was not up to the task 

Despite the inherent disadvantages of the rear-engine layout, even early Porsche 911s were considered the perfect sports car. The chassis was as balanced as it could be and the car provided a driving experience that was, both, engaging, and comfortable enough for daily use.

Following a great success in various motorsport classes, Porsche chairman at the time, Dr. Ernst Furhmann, decided to take the 3.0-liter Carrera RS engine, turbocharge it, and put it in a production car.

There was a problem with that – the road car's chassis wasn't meant to handle so much power, nor the way it was delivered. Essentially, the race-derived flat-six engine overpowered the chassis. The Porsche 930 went through a couple of revisions before going into mass production.

Those included a wider rear track, stiffer chassis, bigger brakes, and a massive Whale tail rear spoiler. None of it helped tame the Turbo's power, and Porsche eventually decided to just go with it and sell the car to the public. The rest is history. 

One of the most iconic and collectible 911s 

And yet, despite the grim reputation of a Widowmaker, every car enthusiast wants a Porsche 930 Turbo. The original 911 Turbo is one of the most significant cars and it set the tone for many fast Porsches to come. In a way, GT3-based variants of the Porsche 911 do the same for the track-focused spectrum of the model lineup. Prices reflect that as Classic.com shows an average market value of $116,654. That said, certain examples fetch as much as $4.3 million while others can be had for as little as $17,500. It all depends on the car's history and condition.

Then, there is the fact that the 930 Turbo is an air-cooled 911, which puts it in another category altogether. Besides the collectability aspect of the 930 Turbo, there is something inherently alluring about trying to tame the untamable. As crazy as it may sound, the 930 Turbo allows you to feel as alive as one can be while playing with death itself. 

Dimitar Angelov's automotive interests made him an expert in a wide variety of vehicles. Japanese brands like Toyota are closest to his heart, although performance cars in general are his favorite segment, which is why he is constantly on the lookout for the best deals on the market. Dimitar Angelov's car passion and knack for the written word led him to complete a Master of Arts in Media and Communications, and classic car restoration. Dim is happy to get behind the wheel of any car and share his impressions. You can follow Dimitar on X, Linked-in, Instagram, and Facebook.