By the mid-1970s, the era of malaise in automotive performance  was setting in. 0-60 and quarter mile times were a shadow of what they had been just five years before. Only Porsche seemed to buck this trend using an exhaust driven turbocharger to achieve stunning results. The 3.3-liter version of the 911 Turbo Carrera (known as the 930) could do 0-60 in about 4.9 seconds at a time when a new Ferrari or Corvette were hard pressed to do the same thing in less than 8.0 seconds. Handling could be very tricky because the turbo was very much an “on” or “off” thing. Boost coming on suddenly in the middle of a corner was the undoing of many 930 drivers. Flared fenders and a whale tail rear spoiler told other drivers to move out of the left lane.

Due to changing emissions regulations, Porsche withdrew the 930 from the U.S. market in 1980. The model didn't return in 1986, but it brought with it the added choices of Targa and Cabriolet models. The final year of 1989 also brought the G50 5-speed transmission, replacing the old 4-speed. 1989 930s therefore command a premium, as do the Flachbau (slant nose) cars that offered a racing 935-style nose for special order.