This is the official licensed Porsche 911 Turbo Engine Kit from German company Franzis, who also make a series of other licensed kits including VW and N/A Porsche engines, a Ford Mustang V8, and a BMW R90S engine.
The engine has a transparent case, and all the internal components move just as they do in the real engine, with the crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, valves, and cams, all moving in unison thanks to the electric motor turning it over.
The engine has a transparent case, and all the internal components move just as they do in the real engine, with the crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, valves, and cams, all moving in unison thanks to the electric motor turning it over.
The Porsche 911 (930) Turbo Engine
The Porsche 930 was produced from 1975 to 1989, it was the turbocharged variant of the already legendary 911. Originally developed to meet homologation requirements for racing, the model became Porsche’s top-of-the-range 911 throughout its production run, offering performance that could best supercars with far more displacement.
Ernst Fuhrmann led the engine development, adapting turbocharging technology from the 917/30 Can-Am race car for use in the 3.0 liter flat-six from the Carrera RS 3.0.
Porsche had been testing turbocharging on race cars since the late 1960s and began developing a turbocharged 911 variant in 1972. The resulting engine was internally designated as the 930, and this is the name most commonly used today.
The initial 930 engine, designated 930/50, used a single KKK turbocharger – it produced 256 bhp at 5,500 rpm and 243 lb ft of torque at 4,000 rpm – considerably more than the naturally aspirated Carrera models.
In 1978, Porsche made significant changes to the 930 engine. The displacement increased to 3.3 liters (3,299 cc) by enlarging the bore by 2mm. More importantly, an air-to-air intercooler was added to the system for the first time.
Originally developed to meet homologation requirements for racing, the turbo model became Porsche’s top-of-the-range 911 throughout its production run, offering performance that could best supercars with far more displacement. Image courtesy of Porsche AG.
This intercooler was positioned behind the engine and integrated into the rear spoiler, cooling the compressed air charge before combustion – these modifications resulted in increased power output of 296 bhp at 5,500 rpm and 304 lb ft of torque at 4,000 rpm.
These early turbocharged Porsches were nicknamed “widowmakers” due to the turbo lag and knife-edge performance, but those who could master it were almost unbeatable.
The Porsche 911 Turbo Engine Kit Shown Here
The build-it-yourself kit you see here is made by Franzis. As with their other kit designs it’s designed to be assembled in about 3-4 hours, and its requires no painting or glueing at all.
The kit consists of almost 250 parts, and it has a transparent engine case to allow you to see all the internal parts moving. It even has LED light spark plugs which fire at the correct time. The engine was developed with official Porsche approval using original drawings from the company archive.
Once assembled, and once the batteries are fitted, it has a working integrated sound module with audio output for external speakers that give you an authentic turbo engine sound to add to the realism.
Once assembled, and once the batteries are fitted, it has a working integrated sound module with audio output for external speakers that give you an authentic turbo engine sound to add to the realism.
The kit is ideal for display by Porsche enthusiasts, it also makes a great parent/child joint project which can be put on a shelf for display once it’s completed. It comes with detailed instructions and a comprehensive manual with ample information on development history, historic photographs drawings and posters, as well as a pedestal for standing.
It’s now available on the official Franzis Amazon store here.
Images courtesy of Franzis
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