Pierantonio Macola’s 1984 930 Turbo is a time attack car that still wears license plates. Light, powerful, approachable, and still a little fierce, it’s a sorted, track-oriented machine that is anything but boring. During a trip to Imola, he puts on quite a show with much faster, paddle-shifted machinery struggling to match his pace.
The 3.3-liter engine is mostly stock, but benefits from new pistons and cylinders, mechanical K-Jetronic fuel injection, a larger intercooler, and an Almar exhaust system. In addition to a varied and pleasing engine note with plenty of turbo tittering, the motor makes a healthy 370 horsepower. The factory four-speed’s ratios have been modified slightly for the circuit, which limits its top speed to ~165 miles per hour, but its low-end and usable powerband make the 930 frighteningly quick at the high-speed Imola.
It spits flames like an old Turbo should.
Lightened to just 2,530 pounds, that power is more than enough to accrue real speed, especially since the 930 puts it all to the asphalt via its 265-section Kumho V70 tires. A slight stagger with 245-sections at the front give it a little reassuring understeer at speed, so it maybe it doesn’t quite live up to its famous moniker. Still, Macola rotates it with aplomb through the Variante Alta chicane, so while it is confidence-inspiring, it still can move around with assertive inputs.
Though the car has a fearsome reputation, Macona’s tamed this one in the pursuit of repeatable hotlaps.
Its liveliness is better seen in the footage below. Arguably, straightline speed is its best asset, but it’s reasonably stable and it stops nicely. Only a few times does the rear squirm—most notably under braking into Acqua Minerale (1:27). Other than that, it’s stable, composed, and encouraging enough for Macola to get back to throttle quite early and fire this featherweight toward the horizon.
