If bright yellow is your thing and ultra lightweight sports cars are on your bucket list, then this 911 has your name on it. Finished in a special order colourway and an early product of Porsche's bespoke Exclusive Manufaktur programme, there is something very special about this head-turner. Because it's a lot more than a striking shade of yellow.
Just 86 examples of the 964-type Turbo S Lightweight were developed and made by Exclusive Manufaktur, their first foray into full-car production. Idea was that this would be a road-going version of the multiple-race winning 911 driven to victory in the American IMSA Supercar Championship in 1991. It's some 180 kg - two passengers and a shopping bag or two - lighter than the standard car, achieved by comprehensive re-engineering. What’s gained is power. What’s discarded is all that’s unnecessary.
Back to basics
Gone are superfluous creature comforts like air conditioning and conventional in-car entertainment. Instead, wind down the windows - electric would be too heavy - for cooling. And revel in the song of the flat six from just behind you - and just the one passenger. Both safely strapped in to the form fitting leather bucket seats - black, highlighted with yellow and grey inserts - by high end Schroth seatbelts of course. You might want to add a gym session to cope with the lack of power steering. Door pulls are weight-saving fabric. Sacrifices, sacrifices.
A thrilling road car is the goal here. So that engine and its soundtrack are what this 911 is about. Flip open the rear lid, noting the lack of deemed-too-heavy sound-deadening material, to reveal the uprated power unit. There's a bigger KKK turbocharger, new camshafts and fuel injectors, all combining to give the 3.3-litre flat six a power output of 375 bhp. A manual gear shift controls a five-speed Getrag transmission. Get the driving gloves ready.
Style with substance
Exterior styling might seem flamboyant, but there's nothing extraneous. Rear wing helps curb the 911 tendency to head for the nearest hedge in a corner, as well as directing air to the radiator just below. Side and front scoops cool brakes. Lower stance offers better road holding, and those 18-inch Speedline split wheels carrying optional Dunlop tyres aren't just for show.
Chances are this bright yellow Porsche will end up in a private collection once more after being auctioned by the experts at RM Sotheby's. Luckily, there's still time to rescue the 911 Turbo S Lightweight from such a fate and use it as designed: for those trans-continental runs on the way to a track day at the circuit of your choice. Plus the odd show where the Porsche would always be the star because of the exclusivity. Naturally all of this comes at significant cost, and the auctioneers suggest between £700,000 and £850,000 is a realistic estimate. But hey, if you have a million on hand then why not?
