930 4 speed v 5 speed 89 model

I have had them both for daily drivers and can tell you that the 5 speed has little to no advantage. Actually the 4 speed is nearly perfectly suited to the turbo. In the 4 speed car I could reach 60 in 1st gear, and nearly 90 in second. That matched with an abundance of power worked pretty well. Certainly the 5 speed was the next evolution but I found that the extra gear & the spacing to be no upgrade.

At 90 to 100 I cant recall any perceivable difference.

Now the big difference was the clutch. The 5 speed models have a hydraulic clutch that felt modern in comparison with the 4 speeds cable pedal action. But that's about it.

 

Above comment is spot on description of the two!

 

What Michael B said........

IMHO, there is no financial premium to be paid for the 5 speed and/or the last year of production......

1st gear is pretty much useless on a stock 1989, as around town you'll find yourself shifting a lot from 1-2. On a higher HP modified 1989 it is pointless. The 4 speed is perfect for the torque curve of the 930......and the older clutch is more suited to the pedal feel I desire.

 

I have had my 87 930 for five years and still love every second of it. There's a certain charm to it that cannot be duplicated.

As most others would say, find the best most sorted out example you can find.

Good luck!!

 

According to friends who have been repair business of Porsches for 35+ years, the 5 speed G-50 tranny was more durable. The 930 was hard on the 4 speed. The clutch in the 5 speed is much nicer as well.

 

just as a note on durability, the 4sp is said to be rated as able to handle nearly 1000hp!

i am at approx 500 hp athe the crank so i have a ways to go before torquing the stock 4sp. i may however put short gears in the car over the winter as i don't need a car to @ 192 mph at redline in 4th gear...175mph or so should be just fine

 

I've never built (nor have the numerous techs I know) either of the cars with in excess of 500 HP so I can't comment on durability, as I've never seen a failed transmission (driver error accepted of course) in 20 years.

917's (NA versions and the turbo cars) all had 4 speeds reinforced were necessary.......so I have no qualms about using one in a street car.

 

With a nod to Aiden, the 930 4-speed was the box of choice for the crazy guys building the 700-1200HP sand rails in the 1990's. It may have been a poor choice, but they were true believers.

Unlike our 1999 M3 which desperately needs a 6-speed, I never thought my 1987 930 would have benefitted from a 5-speed. Just my $0.02

 

1983-84 330hp models where faster and had higher top speed, with less emission restrictions.. FYI