A rare Porsche 911 Turbo has powered past the Hagerty Price Guide values – fired up by famous past owners that include Jenson Button, the 2009 Formula One World Champion, and The Sultan of Brunei.
Selling for a cool £105,000 more than the Hagerty Price Guide values a concours condition, 964-model 911 Turbo 3.6, it points to the influence of star power and rare, factory-fitted options. Bidding via the Collecting Cars platform ended at £317,464.
Sold on behalf of Jenson Button, the 1994, 964-model 911 Turbo 3.6 was ordered from new by the Sultan of Brunei and is reported to be one of only 13 ever commissioned from the German sports car maker to feature the standard front bonnet, bumper and wings and what’s known as the X88 pack, a number of mechanical upgrades designed to enhance performance.
Hand finished by Porsche Exclusiv, the X88-equipped 911 Turbos were fitted with a bigger turbocharger, upgraded camshafts, cylinder heads and adjusted valve timing, lifting power for the 3.6-litre flat-six motor from 360 to 380bhp. Engineers also added added an auxiliary oil cooler.
This particular right-hand drive example is believed to be the only one painted by the factory in the metallic Horizon Blue colour, complemented by period-correct, polished 18-inch split-rim Speedline alloy wheels. Inside the interior was trimmed in Marine Blue leather with comfort seats featuring full electric adjustment, plus an X26 leather steering wheel and air bag (requested by the Sultan of Brunei). Further options fitted included an electric sliding sunroof, top tint windscreen, headlight levelling system, rear window wiper and an on-board computer.
Helping put any Porsche collector’s mind at ease, the X88 car was accompanied by its original handbooks and service book, as well as a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, and a file of invoices detailing its past maintenance and all of its previous tax discs.
John Mayhead, Manager of Automotive Intelligence for Hagerty UK, felt that the price achieved is unsurprising given the car’s increasing desirability among Porsche enthusiasts, and its well-known past owners. “This 964 Turbo has a huge amount going for it: a later 3.6-litre model, purchased new by the Sultan of Brunei who specified a one-off colour, and more recently owned by F1 World Champion Jenson Button, it is also has the very desirable X88 performance pack and is in right-hand drive. For Porsche collectors, that ticks pretty much every box.
“The price achieved reflects that: over £100,000 over our top Hagerty Price Guide value of £212,000 (although this does not include the X88 option). As Hagerty has written before, the 964 is becoming one of the most sought-after Porsche 911 models, combining air-cooled engines with more modern driving technology but still retaining the classic look. This online sale has again reinforced this perspective.”
Read more
Buying Guide: Porsche 911 996 (1997 to 2004)
The Porsche 924 wasn’t born a Porsche. It became one
Hagerty Analysis: The Leonard Collection
I wonder how many miles it has covered?
But only one careful owner ?