1991 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Lightweight
Chassis No. 964-010
Engine No. 62L15256
Transmission No. 953 00-014
What form would an early 1990s 911 take if not inconvenienced by the formalities of serialized production and road legality, the standards of which vary greatly across the world? The incredibly rare Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Lightweight of 1991 offers such a glimpse.
Conceived and developed by the head of Porsche Customer Sport, Jürgen Barth, for those Porsche customers looking for the ultimate 911, the 911 Carrera 4 Lightweight features an incredible array of special, motorsport-only bits packed into a classic 911 silhouette, in very much the same manner as the 1967 911 R and 1984 911 SCRS before it. Sharing similar build quantities (20 911 R, 20 911 SCRS, and 22 911 C4 Lightweight) the 911 Carrera 4 Lightweight shared a very similar ethos to its predecessors, each having been built as the ultimate featherweight hot rod 911 of its respective era. With an emphasis on – you guessed it – lightweight, the Carrera 4 Lightweight features a well thought out array of modifications from the motorsport department in an effort to pare back the weight. Aluminum doors and hood, a fixed fiberglass rear wing, Plexiglas sliding windows, dual fiberglass 935 style side mirrors, and a stripped-out interior all contributed to the Lightweight's impressively low weight of 1098 kg, or just over 2430 lbs.
But the 911 C4 Lightweight wasn't all about losing pounds (nearly 800 in all), it was just as much about what was improved and added back in by the race department. To start, the unibody chassis was seam welded for measurable torsional strength. It received no undercoating or sound protection. The suspension came from the 964 Carrera Cup, lowering the chassis by approximately one inch. The M64/01 3.6-liter air-cooled flat-six featured a power bump over the standard engine with modified electronics and a minimal dual exhaust system and was coupled to a short-ratio five-speed transmission via a single-plate competition clutch. Somewhat oddly for a car so focused on dropping as many pounds as possible, the C4 Lightweight features four-wheel drive, but not the system from the standard C4. Sourced from the Type 953 Paris–Dakar rally car, the C4 Lightweight's four-wheel drive system must be one of the most intriguing components of the entire package. The cockpit features two large silver dial knobs, which are usually found in the 935 as boost control but now mounted typically where the ashtray would be found. Utilizing the famous Porsche Motorsports spare parts department, the Type 953 system differential bias is controlled by these two knobs from front-to-rear and left-to-right — a highly unique component suited to a car with such unique features. Additionally, the interior was fitted with dual VDO pressure gauges set under the center fresh air vent, a bolt-in padded aluminum Matter roll cage, simplified door panels, a Momo steering wheel, fixed back Recaro seats with Porsche crests, and red Sabelt harnesses.
Naturally, the Carrera 4 Lightweight was not available through your local dealership. In fact, US buyers had to take delivery at the factory owing to EPA and DOT concerns brought about by the 959 import debacle — a concern that also had an effect on the chassis numbering system that Porsche used on the C4 Lightweight. Featuring a six-digit sequential number beginning with 964-001, the chassis number was devised to allay any consternation by the US authorities that Porsche was looking to export a road car disguised as a race car.
Retailing for 285,000 DM, this chassis, 010 was delivered on 21 September 1991. Finished in Grand Prix White, 010 is likely one of the most original and lowest mileage C4 Lightweight examples extant. Remaining in Europe in various collections for the past 30 years, it was imported to the United States in 2022. Once in the United States, the consignor quickly sent it to the Porsche Classic technicians at Gaudin Porsche. Each collectible Porsche within the consignor's collection is guided by the philosophy of, “If it needs to be done, it gets done.” While at Gaudin it received a complete checkup and required maintenance and records of this service are on file and available for review. Additionally, the consignor noted that a title has been obtained for the car in his home state of Nevada. Finally, it includes a number of spare, original parts, a factory Carrera 4 Lightweight information binder, and a custom Porsche car cover with “964 Carrera 4 Leichtbau” branding. Today, Carrera 4 Lightweight 964 010 features only 75 delivery and transportation kilometers, likely owing to the inherent collectability thrust on it by its unique development story and fascinating grouping of race componentry.
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Chassis No. 964-010
Engine No. 62L15256
Transmission No. 953 00-014
What form would an early 1990s 911 take if not inconvenienced by the formalities of serialized production and road legality, the standards of which vary greatly across the world? The incredibly rare Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Lightweight of 1991 offers such a glimpse.
Conceived and developed by the head of Porsche Customer Sport, Jürgen Barth, for those Porsche customers looking for the ultimate 911, the 911 Carrera 4 Lightweight features an incredible array of special, motorsport-only bits packed into a classic 911 silhouette, in very much the same manner as the 1967 911 R and 1984 911 SCRS before it. Sharing similar build quantities (20 911 R, 20 911 SCRS, and 22 911 C4 Lightweight) the 911 Carrera 4 Lightweight shared a very similar ethos to its predecessors, each having been built as the ultimate featherweight hot rod 911 of its respective era. With an emphasis on – you guessed it – lightweight, the Carrera 4 Lightweight features a well thought out array of modifications from the motorsport department in an effort to pare back the weight. Aluminum doors and hood, a fixed fiberglass rear wing, Plexiglas sliding windows, dual fiberglass 935 style side mirrors, and a stripped-out interior all contributed to the Lightweight's impressively low weight of 1098 kg, or just over 2430 lbs.
But the 911 C4 Lightweight wasn't all about losing pounds (nearly 800 in all), it was just as much about what was improved and added back in by the race department. To start, the unibody chassis was seam welded for measurable torsional strength. It received no undercoating or sound protection. The suspension came from the 964 Carrera Cup, lowering the chassis by approximately one inch. The M64/01 3.6-liter air-cooled flat-six featured a power bump over the standard engine with modified electronics and a minimal dual exhaust system and was coupled to a short-ratio five-speed transmission via a single-plate competition clutch. Somewhat oddly for a car so focused on dropping as many pounds as possible, the C4 Lightweight features four-wheel drive, but not the system from the standard C4. Sourced from the Type 953 Paris–Dakar rally car, the C4 Lightweight's four-wheel drive system must be one of the most intriguing components of the entire package. The cockpit features two large silver dial knobs, which are usually found in the 935 as boost control but now mounted typically where the ashtray would be found. Utilizing the famous Porsche Motorsports spare parts department, the Type 953 system differential bias is controlled by these two knobs from front-to-rear and left-to-right — a highly unique component suited to a car with such unique features. Additionally, the interior was fitted with dual VDO pressure gauges set under the center fresh air vent, a bolt-in padded aluminum Matter roll cage, simplified door panels, a Momo steering wheel, fixed back Recaro seats with Porsche crests, and red Sabelt harnesses.
Naturally, the Carrera 4 Lightweight was not available through your local dealership. In fact, US buyers had to take delivery at the factory owing to EPA and DOT concerns brought about by the 959 import debacle — a concern that also had an effect on the chassis numbering system that Porsche used on the C4 Lightweight. Featuring a six-digit sequential number beginning with 964-001, the chassis number was devised to allay any consternation by the US authorities that Porsche was looking to export a road car disguised as a race car.
Retailing for 285,000 DM, this chassis, 010 was delivered on 21 September 1991. Finished in Grand Prix White, 010 is likely one of the most original and lowest mileage C4 Lightweight examples extant. Remaining in Europe in various collections for the past 30 years, it was imported to the United States in 2022. Once in the United States, the consignor quickly sent it to the Porsche Classic technicians at Gaudin Porsche. Each collectible Porsche within the consignor's collection is guided by the philosophy of, “If it needs to be done, it gets done.” While at Gaudin it received a complete checkup and required maintenance and records of this service are on file and available for review. Additionally, the consignor noted that a title has been obtained for the car in his home state of Nevada. Finally, it includes a number of spare, original parts, a factory Carrera 4 Lightweight information binder, and a custom Porsche car cover with “964 Carrera 4 Leichtbau” branding. Today, Carrera 4 Lightweight 964 010 features only 75 delivery and transportation kilometers, likely owing to the inherent collectability thrust on it by its unique development story and fascinating grouping of race componentry.
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