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Malaise Era All-Stars

Hagerty — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:28:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Audi, Chevrolet, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche

A few weeks ago, we bid a fond happy 40th anniversary to the automotive dark ages of 1973-84 that have come to be known as "The Malaise Era" - the performance ice-age when 160 horsepower was a lot and a 0-60 time of under 10 seconds was remarkable. Like music in the 1980s, everything in automobiledom didn't suck, however. There were a few bright spots. Here are five of our favorites:

1976-79 Porsche 930, aka 911 Turbo Carrera (above)
Photo Credit: Dorotheum

While Chevrolet beat them by a decade with the turbocharged Corvair Corsa, the Germans more fully developed turbocharging through racing where General Motors couldn't. Early Porsche 930s (known technically as 911 Turbo Carreras) were a bit crude, with turbo lag that could be measured with an egg timer. They lacked an intercooler as well as brakes that were up to the task, but performance was sensational, with the buff books reporting 0-60 times of anywhere from 4.9 to 5.8 seconds and quarter-mile times of under 14 seconds. This was '60s muscle car performance at the height of the Malaise Era. Sadly, the 930 cost about six times as much as your average muscle car did.

Rob Sass is the Publisher of Hagerty Classic Cars magazine. He is a regular contributor to the automotive section of the New York Times and is the author of "Ran When Parked, Advice and Adventures from the Affordable Underbelly of Car Collecting."

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Latest Cars I See episode features a Porsche 930 saga

Dan Roth — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 15:03:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Videos, Porsche

"One day I must own this." It's something we've all said to ourselves, and it's just what Jim Goodlett said to himself back in the early 1980s. Welcome to the third installment of Cars I See, which tells the tale of the 28-year path from deep abiding interest in a Porsche 930 to actual ownership.

There's a surprise or two about the car Jim eventually wound up with, and Frazer Spowart tells the tale as deftly as ever with Cars I See number three. Check out the video.

Continue reading Latest Cars I See episode features a Porsche 930 saga

Latest Cars I See episode features a Porsche 930 saga originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Singer 911 offers vintage looks, modern appointments, exotic performance

Michael Harley — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:57:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Porsche

Singer 911 -- Click above for high-res photo gallery

Singer Vehicle Design rolled out its first prototype, plainly named the "Singer 911," at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance last month. Based on an '80s-era long-wheelbase 911 donor vehicle, the company strips each chassis to its bare shell for "reinvention" into what Singer calls a "celebration of the golden air-cooled era of the world's most important sports car."

Incontestable is its vintage Porsche 911 look. However, the Singer 911 is far from antiquated. The complete reincarnation includes chassis stiffening, new active aerodynamics, and a lightweight integral backbone structure and roll cage to improve torsional rigidity. Most interestingly, nearly all of the steel body panels are replaced by full carbon fiber composite bodywork candy-coated in Singer's exclusive "Racing Orange" paint.

Under the rear decklid is an air-cooled 3.82-liter flat-six sporting six individual throttle bodies. With a GT3 crankshaft and titanium connecting rods, the powerplant spins eagerly to 8,000 RPM. The engine sends 425 horsepower and 340 lb-ft of torque to a proper Getrag G50 six-speed manual transmission. According to the engineering team, the 2,400-pound Singer 911 will sprint to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. Top speed is in excess of 170 MPH.

Make the jump for more.

Gallery: 2010 Singer Porsche 911

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Singer 911 offers vintage looks, modern appointments, exotic performance originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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