Porsche Widowmaker: 7 Legendary Models That Can Be Lethal If You Are Not Careful

7. Porsche 904/8 Bergspyder

Back in 1965, Porsche had already proven itself in various racing series. The 904/8 Bergspyder made its racing debut at the Targa Florio, on May 9, 1965, and secured second place overall. The 904/8 Bergspyder belongs to a line of successful, ultra-lightweight Porsche race cars succeeding the 718 RS Bergspyder and the 550 Spyder. Its flat-eight engine made 225 horsepower, thanks to Weber carburetors.

One downside of this mid-engine Porsche was that the combination of ultra-lightweight construction (1,257 pounds) and stiff suspension made the car jumpy. So much so that it earned the nickname "Kangaroo”. The car jumped around on uneven roads, making the driver work extra hard to keep the car on the pavement.

6. Early Porsche 911s

Even early Porsche 911s were praised as being exceptionally balanced. That said, there were instances when the rear-engine layout manifested its inherent disadvantages. The 1964-1973 Porsche 911s may not have had the 930’s horsepower that overpowered the chassis, but lifting off the throttle mid-corner resulted in lift-off oversteer, which quickly transitioned into a pendulum effect when counter-steer was applied.

The chassis rigidity was not exceptional in the early 911s due to technological limitations of the time, which combined with an engine hanging off the rear, resulted in some unusual driving dynamics. Things weren’t much different with the G-Body 911s either.

5. Porsche 911 GT2 (993)

The first and only air-cooled Porsche 911 GT2 was a homologation special. The 993 Turbo-based high-performance model was produced across just 194 units, 25 of which were right-hand drive, and 21 being the 911 GT2 EVO, which packed even more power. The GT2 was a stripped-down version of the Turbo that did away with all creature comforts, the rear seats, sound insulation, and the all-wheel-drive system.

The only safety assist on the 993 Turbo was ABS. The result was a vicious, rear-wheel-drive, lightweight 911 with added ground effects, including a tall rear wing. By all accounts, the 993 GT2 was a race car for the road. With up to 444 horsepower and less than 2,900 pounds, the 993 GT2 EVO’s power-to-weight ratio is superior to most modern-day sports cars with similar power.

4. Porsche 911 GT2 (996)

In 2001, Porsche introduced the 996 GT2. Like its predecessor, the second-generation 911 GT2 was a homologation special built for racing, only this time, it was more mass-produced – 1,287 units. The 3.6-liter, water-cooled flat-six was a Mezger unit with dry-sump lubrication. It developed 456 horsepower, resulting in a specific output of 128 horsepower per liter. Later, power was increased to 483 horsepower.

Just like its predecessor, the 996-generation Porsche 911 GT2 only came with a six-speed manual. Even in 2001, the 996 GT2 did not feature traction control, meaning the driver was in control of transmitting 465 horsepower to the ground.

3. Porsche 911 GT2 RS (997.2)

The 997 introduced some firsts and many last for the Porsche 911. It was here that we saw the last 911 with hydraulic steering and the last 911 with a Mezger engine. We also saw the last 911 Turbo with a manual transmission (this includes the Turbo-based GT2). On the other hand, the 997 GT2 RS started a tradition of introducing the GT2 RS with the facelift. From here on out, each GT2 would be an RS and it would arrive as the swan-song 911 before the next generation.

While the 997 GT2 RS featured all modern safety systems, it was still a rear-wheel-drive turbocharged 911 with more power and a lot more torque than a Carrera GT. Plus. The 997 GT2 RS is rear-wheel-drive, turbocharged, and you can turn the safety off. It’s a modern-day Widowmaker. With just 1,213 units built, it’s also quite rare.

2. Porsche Carrera GT

The Porsche Carrera GT is regarded as one of the very last analog supercars. The mid-engine Porsche Exotic featured no traction control and a six-speed manual with a counter-intuitive, anti-stall function, which takes some getting used to – get it wrong and you can fry the clutch. The Carrera GT did not come with traction control, which left you – the driver – alone, in charge of over 600 horsepower from a motorsport-derived V-10 that sounds like the heavens.

Early 2000s tire technology could not keep up with the Carrera GT’s performance, which made the car notoriously difficult to control during high-speed cornering. 20 years later, Porsche offered a newly developed tire for the Carrera GT, free of charge. Only 1,270 examples were built, but a good number of those have been in accidents (including high-profile ones), with some even being destroyed on purpose, during movie production.

1. Porsche 911 Turbo (930)

We cannot make such a list without including the original Porsche 911 Turbo. The first turbocharged 911 quickly earned the nickname Widowmaker due to its violent tendencies that, often, caught drivers off-guard. The turbocharged flat-six engine suffered from extensive turbo lag and when boost finally kicked in, it did not do so in a subtle way. Being mid-corner when the boost comes on will be a memorable experience... if you manage to tame the Porsche 930 Turbo.

The 930 was continuously revised, but it did not change its character. The first road-going Porsche 911 to receive the Slant nose was the Porsche 930 Turbo and while it did improve aerodynamics, it did not stop people from crashing left and right. The Porsche 930 was produced across 21,589 examples, but a good number of those were totaled.