What is a Porsche Slantnose and how much is one worth today?

The Slantnose Porsche rose to worldwide fame in the 1980s and held its own for most of the decade, best known for the turbulent changes in the automotive industry. Due to the oil crisis and subsequent government regulations, automakers were still shifting production away from rear-wheel-drive gas-guzzlers toward compact, more fuel-efficient front-wheel-drive vehicles. So there were some really boring and often terrible rides in the ’80s.

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But not from Porsche. Last decade (1978 to be exact), Porsche founded the “Sonderwunschabteilung,” a highly exclusive customization program that means “Special Wishes” in German. If you had the money you could literally build the Porsche of your dreams. The “Sonderwunsch” was able to convert and modify any existing Porsche and, in special cases, also produce individual one-off pieces. From this dream factory comes, according to Porsche, “one of the rarest and most sought-after of all 911 sports cars” – the racing-inspired Porsche 930 Turbo Flachbau, also known in English-speaking countries as the Slantnose (or flat nose).

The general public was able to order the Slantnose in 1981, but its inspiration began in the ’70s when Porsche built its 935 race car, one of the most famous Porsches in racing history. Mansour Ojjeh, owner of TAG and famous for his involvement with the McLaren Formula 1 team, was so impressed by the 935 that he wanted a luxury road version. “Sonderwunsch” obliged and created 935 Street. This one-of-a-kind Candy Apple car, powered by a 3.3-liter turbocharged engine with flared wheel arches and a massive spoiler, would be the forefather of the 930 Turbo Slantnose.

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The 930 was the first production Porsche to have a turbo engine. The addition of the hand-crafted, tapered, flat nose improved the aerodynamics and performance of a 930 with a 935 nose in place of the gently tapered nose of the 911, a model that Porsche had kept alive through evolution all these years. The German sports car manufacturer built three generations in the 80s.

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The first generation slanted noses existed from 1981 to 1983 and featured headlights integrated into the front bumper. In 1983, the headlights were removed from the fascia and slid over the front bumper to create the distinctive pop-ups most people remember. The redesigned bumper of this second generation Porsche incorporated cooling fins (another styling point carried over from the 935) and lasted until 1987. Finally, the third generation ran from 1987 to 1989 and included a US market version (option code M505). the rest of the world received the designation M506).

At the back of all models was the wide “tea tray” rear wing, commonly referred to as the whale tail. There were air vents directly in front of the rear wheels, a striking design choice that helped the 930 really stand out. Porsche built a total of 948 slanted noses. There are only 58 first generation cars in existence, making them the rarest. Another 204 of the second generation were built, and 686 of the third generation, most of which ended up in the United States, rolled out of the “special request.” Several models were built, including coupes, convertibles and targas (in very small numbers).

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As mentioned, the last year of production was 1989, but Porsche briefly brought the body style back in 1994 for the 964 Turbo S “Flachbau”. Only 76 were made, 39 of which went to the US market. The flat-nose option added an additional $60,000 to the Turbo’s base price of $99,000 – an example with the desired triple black color scheme sold for $1,325,000 at RM Sotheby’s in 2022.

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The 930 Slantnoses are significantly cheaper, but still quite expensive. According to Classic.com, a total of 45 examples have been sold since 2019, for a total of $9 million and an average selling price of $199,384. Eleven of these sales took place last year. The 1987 model year was the most sold, with 24 of the 45 examples coming from that year. As usual, condition, mileage and rarity play a large role in determining the final selling price.

At a recent August 2024 auction at RM Sotheby’s, a 1988 Guards Red Slantnose sold for $291,000 with 8,565 miles on the clock. It was one of the rarer 148 North American M505 coupes built. At another RM Sotheby’s auction in June 2024, a Grand Prix White 1989 Flatnose with just 895 miles sold for $500,000. Meanwhile, an ’89 with 31,000 miles and a firm asking price of $395,930 was listed on ZWECK and appears to have just sold. The lowest sales price so far in 2024 goes to a black 1986 model with 48,000 miles on Bring a Trailer, which sold for $120,000. Ultimately, this version of Porsche’s famous 911 Turbo – one of the 12 best turbo cars of all time – is worth every penny.

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