1993 PORSCHE 968 Club Sport

Background

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Not all cars are great when first launched. It’s fair to say that the original Porsche 924 was a bit of a parts bin special, what with its VW van engine. But by the time the model had evolved into the 968 Club Sport, that parts bin special had become a serious performance car – and unquestionably a proper Porsche.

As the last front-engined, rear-transaxle model by the firm, before it handed junior sports car duties to the rear-mid-engined Boxster and Cayman, the 968 was and still is a great alternative to the 911. Of course, it didn’t get the fanfare or farewell that each generation of the 911 enjoys, but as an alternative Porsche sports car it’s hard to beat.

It all started with the 924, which Volkswagen planned to introduce as their sports car. Yet another recession scuppered that idea, and it’d have been a misplaced decision by VW to carry on with the project, and they abandoned it. Porsche, who developed the car, stepped in and bought the rights. The Porsche 924 was born. With the S model the van engine went back to delivery duties and the chassis, which had won high praise for its superb balance, got a proper Porsche engine.

The 944 replaced the 924, with incremental updates – especially with the engine. After a fairly solid run, the 944 made way for the 968. Porsche historians will tell you that it could have been called the 944 S3, but with about 80 per cent of the car being new it made sense to give it a new name.

The changes Porsche made were soon recognised by the members of the motoring media, too. From being showered with titles as the best handling car to being appreciated by none other than Audi quattro rally maestro Walter Rohrl, it was clear the 968 was a winner.

To make it more focussed, Porsche also offered prospective sports car buyers a stripped-out version of the 968. One which not just enabled the keen driver to enjoy the sublime handling of the car but without actually paying extra for that weight-loss regime. In fact, on the contrary, the 968 Club Sport, as it was called, was actually less expensive to buy.

Today, of course, it’s this stripped down performance focused version of the 968 that gets enthusiasts’ juices flowing – and it’s also the exact model we present here.

The Vehicle

The Club Sport was all about performance, so Porsche removed weight – less sound deadening material was used, and power windows were replaced with crank-driven units. An upgraded stereo systems, aircon and the sunroof were still optional, as on the standard coupé and Convertible models.

In addition, Porsche installed manually adjustable lightweight Recaro racing seats rather than the standard power-operated leather buckets of the standard model. The suspension was revised and performance optimised. It was also lowered by 20mm for possible track use. 17-inch wheels (also slightly wider to accommodate wider tyres) rather than the 16-inch as found on the coupé were standard, as were wider tyres, (225 front and 255 rear rather than 205 and 225 respectively.)

The four-spoke airbag steering wheel was replaced with a thicker-rimmed three-spoke sports steering wheel with no airbag, heated washer jets were replaced with non-heated, vanity covers in the engine bay were deleted, as was the rear wiper. Finally, the Club Sport has no rear seats, unlike the 2+2 Coupé.

This fine example of a Club Sport was purchased through this very platform by the seller last year; having just sold his business, he was planning to indulge his long-held passion for classic cars. Considerable research led him to this car. However, new work projects have appeared, and the 968 isn’t getting the use it deserves, hence the decision to sell.

On the Outside

As a continuation of the 944, the 968 couldn’t be expected to be entirely different – and it wasn’t. What’s unmistakable is the 968’s front, which moves away from the concealed lights on the 924/944 and adopts a more 928-like setup. Still pop-ups but one can see hints of the 993, too. The rear is new, too, and while like on the 944, the large hatchback offers easy access into the boot, one wouldn’t mistake this for any other Porsche.

This 1993 968 Club Sport has excellent Guards Red paintwork over laser-straight panels. It has been ceramic-coated.

If we are being very picky, we would point out that the front & rear screens are starting to show some slight delamination around the edges, but nothing too serious & it probably backs up the thought of them being original.

The Speedline replica alloy wheels are also in superb condition, and overall this looks like a car that has been cosseted.

Behind those wheels sit 911 Turbo (993) front brakes fed by braided hoses, an upgrade that means this Club Sport stops on a sixpence. And when you’ve finished for the day, you can tuck the 968 up in its own fitted fleece cover – included in the sale.

On the Inside

The interior of the Porsche 968 was carried over from the 944, so the oval dashboard was retained and so was the overall rock-solid build quality. The interior has aged well, and can’t be mistaken for anything other than a Porsche’s. The simple styling works wonders here, it’s devoid of distractions and focussed simply on the job in hand.

Anything remotely luxurious was considered superfluous for the Club Sport – this is a pure driving machine. It’s all in tip-top nick too. Even the gearstick gaiter and steering wheel, two areas that usually show some signs of age, are excellent.

The lightweight Recaro seats are so much more focused than any mainstream manufacture would dare fit in a production car today – this feels more like a machine that’s been prepped for track action by a race car specialist. Again, they’re in excellent order.

Underneath

While the 968 shared the monocoque chassis with the 944, it’s not like Porsche didn’t make advancements on the car. Firstly, the 3-litre inline-four 16-valve engine from the 944 S2 was now made more powerful producing 236bhp, along with a healthy 224lb-ft dose of torque.

That was possible due to the adoption of variable intake cam control, or VarioCam, as Porsche call it. The engine bay looks better than the standard 968 thanks to the loss of various covers that hid the 3-litre engine from view. Here it’s in plain sight – and all the better for it. A six-speed manual gearbox kept that big four-pot on song.

With the engine sat at the front and the gearbox mounted at the rear (in the transaxle unit), Porsche achieved remarkable chassis balance, largely because of the even weight distribution. Of course, the Club Sport has stiffer springs and a lower ride height, which further improved the car’s handling.

This car has gone a stage further too, with KW coil-over suspension with adjustable ride height. Drive it to a track-day, lower it to suit the smooth tarmac, then readjust for the pot-hole strewn drive home.

There’s also a Janspeed stainless steel exhaust system under here, which probably helps release a few more horses from that engine. And the engine can spin up more quickly because there’s a lightened flywheel and clutch assembly fitted too.

While there’s some surface corrosion on some of the metal casings, the underneath looks very sound, and the exhaust and KW coil-over units in particular look very recent indeed.

History Highlights

The car comes with all of its original owners pack/books, which are all in fantastic condition & have stood the test of time over the past 30 years exceptionally well. The service book has 16 service stamps going back to day one, there’s a big stack of old MoT certificates with this 968, and an even bigger stack of receipts for maintenance work carried out over the years. Some highlights include:

• Porsche Centre Glasgow @ 1997 miles
• Porsche Centre Glasgow - 15/09/94 @ 9892 miles
• Porsche Centre Glasgow - 22/02/96 @ 15,747 miles
• Porsche Centre Aberdeen - 18/03/97 @ 17,588 miles
• Porsche Centre Aberdeen - 03/12/97 @ 23,313 miles
• Chapelgate Porsche Centre - 08/01/99 @ 28,851 miles
• Chapelgate Porsche Centre - 03/03/00 @ 32,999 miles
• Chapelgate Porsche Centre - 18/09/01 @ 38,231 miles
• Dick Lovett Porsche Centre - 11/03/03 @ 50,051 miles
• GT ONE LTD - 07/05/04 @ 61,782 miles
• GT ONE LTD - 16/04/05 @ 73,282 miles
• GT ONE LTD - 02/06/06 @ 78,105 miles
• GT ONE LTD - 30/10/07 @ 80,771 miles
• GT ONE LTD - 22/08/09 @ 83,216 miles
• GT ONE LTD - 31/05/13 @ 86,328 miles
• GT ONE LTD - 02/08/19 @ 87,544 miles
• Cambelt replacement GT ONE LTD - 02/06/06 @ 78,105 miles
• Cambelt replacement GT ONE LTD - 31/05/13 @ 86,328 miles
• Cambelt replacement GT ONE LTD - 02/08/19 @ 87,544 miles
• Major service in 2006 – £2008.
• Gearbox reconditioning in 2007 – £1210.
• Four-wheel laser alignment in 2007 – £556.
• Door seal in 2007 – £141.
• Major service in 2009 – £685.
• Major service in 2013 – £1397.
• Alternator – £296.
• New cam and balancer shaft belts in 2019 – £184.
• Specialist inspection by GT One Porsche specialists in 2019 – £1024.
• Servicing and oil leak repair in 2019 – £126.
• Headlamp repair in 2019 – £176.
• Brake pads, 2019 – £55.
• Various mechanical fettling in 2019 – £2635.
• Lightweight flywheel fitted – £1006.

The current owner bought the car via this platform last year, and the car has only covered around 500 miles in that time. The last-but-one keeper, who had the car for 18 years, was a lady whose job was Director of Marketing and Communications for Formula 1. "No expense was spared on maintenance during her ownership – mostly at GT One Porsche Specialists, and she kept it in a dehumidified garage", the previous owner reported prior to its sale last year.

The car comes with a coil-over adjustment spanner, three keys (two immobiliser keys) and a 911 and Porsche World magazine feature covering this very car. It has an MOT valid until February 2024.

What We Think

The 968 is the final evolution of the front engine Porsche sports car and in our view also the best. With unrivalled chassis balance, the 3-litre engine and a six-speed gearbox it represents an unbeatable driving experience for a car of this period. This one is in fabulous condition and has clearly been very well looked after. Then there are the upgrades, which fine tune the Club Sport further.

Is there a better driver’s car from this period? There are others that may come close, but we reckon the 968 Clubsport tops the tree. And in this condition, it represents a blue chip investment too. We estimate this will sell for between £30,000 - £40,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

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