What Is A Porsche Slantnose And How Much Is One Worth Today?

The Slantnose Porsche became globally famous during the 1980s and managed to stick around for the better part of the decade, which is best known for tumultuous change in the auto industry. Thanks to the oil crisis and subsequent government regulations, carmakers were still shifting production away from rear-wheel drive gas guzzlers to compact, more fuel-efficient front-wheel vehicles. Thus, the '80s saw some truly bland and often terrible rides.

But not so from Porsche. During the previous decade (1978, to be exact), Porsche established the "Sonderwunschabteilung," an extremely exclusive customization program that in German translates to "special requests." If you had the money, you could literally build the Porsche of your dreams. The "Sonderwunsch" could convert and modify any existing Porsche, and in special cases create custom one-offs. It's from this dream-making department that came as, Porsche states, "one of the rarest and most sought after of all 911 sportscars" — the race-inspired Porsche 930 Turbo Flachbau, otherwise known to English-speaking people as the Slantnose (or Flatnose).

In 1981, the general public could order the Slantnose, but its inspiration began in the '70s when Porsche built its 935 racecar, one of the most iconic 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 luxurious street version. "Sonderwunsch" obliged and created the 935 Street. This Candy Apple one-of-a-kind, powered by a 3.3-liter turbocharged engine with flared wheel arches and a massive spoiler, would become the forefather to the 930 Turbo Slantnose.

The 930 was the first production Porsche that featured a Turbo engine. The addition of the handcrafted slanted flat nose improved aerodynamics and performance on what was essentially a 930 with a 935 nose instead of the gently sloped one found on the 911, a model Porsche had kept alive all these years through evolution. The German sportscar maker built three generations during the '80s. 

First-generation Slantnoses lasted from 1981 until 1983 and included headlights blended into the front bumper. In 1983, the headlights were removed from the apron and pushed above the front bumper to create the characteristic pop-ups that most people remember. The remodeled bumper on this second-generation Porsche included cooling slats (another styling point taken from the 935) and lasted until 1987. Finally, the third generation went from 1987 to 1989 and included a version for the U.S. market (option code M505, while the rest of the world got the M506 designation).

In the back of all models was the wide "tea tray" rear wing, typically referred to as a whale tail. Just ahead of the rear wheels were louvered air vents, a distinctive design choice that helped make the 930 really pop. Porsche built a total of 948 Slantnoses. A mere 58 first-generation cars exist, thus making them the rarest. Another 204 of the second gens were built, and 686 of the third gens, most of which ended up in the United States, rolled out of the "Sonderwunsch." Several models were built, including coupes, convertibles, and Targas (in very low numbers).

As stated, the final production year occurred in 1989, but Porsche briefly brought the body style back in 1994 for the 964 Turbo S "Flachbau." Only 76 were made, with 39 of those going to the U.S. market. The flat-nose option added another $60,000 to the Turbo's base price of $99,000 — one sporting the desired triple-black color scheme was sold by RM Sotheby's in 2022 for $1,325,000.

The 930 Slantnoses go for considerably less, but are still quite pricey. According to data from Classic.com, a total of 45 have sold since 2019, with a total dollar volume of 9 million and an average sale price of $199,384. 11 of those sales have occurred within the last year. The 1987 model year has sold the most, with 24 of the 45 coming from that year. As usual, condition, mileage, and rarity play a huge role in dictating the final sale price.

A recent RM Sotheby's auction in August 2024 sold a 1988 Guards Red Slantnose for $291,000 with 8,565 miles on the odometer. It was one of the rarer 148 M505 North American coupes built. Another RM Sotheby's auction in June 2024 sold a Grand Prix White 1989 flatnose with just 895 miles for $500,000. Meanwhile, an '89 with 31,000 miles was listed on ZWECK with a fixed asking price of $395,930 appears to have just sold. So far in 2024, the lowest sale price goes to a black 1986 model with 48,000 miles on Bring a Trailer, which sold for $120,000. In the end, this version of Porsche's famed 911 Turbo – one of the 12 best Turbo cars ever made — is worth every penny.