Porsche 968

The Porsche 968 is the successor to the 944 and due to the poor financial standing of many in the UK and Europe was sold in limited quantities, however because of this it is a rare site to see a 968 of any description on the roads today. The Club Sport is today regarded as one of the best sports cars for the money being awarded 5 stars by many motoring journalists for handling and everyday usability. Anyone who has owned a Porsche will tell you that the brakes and handling are just as important as outright pace and the ability these cars have at carrying the pace through the corners is confidence inspiring. The Convertible, Coupe, Sport and Club Sport (in descending price order) were all fitted with the same 240 bhp, n/a, 4 cylinder, 3.0l engine, which at the time was the most powerful four pot manufactured for road use. There is the question why bring out a new model, which is slower than the previous, being the 944 turbo. Porsche believed the way the new variable valve timing equipped engine (Varioram) delivered the power, there was no need for a turbo. At some point others clearly had different ideas and in limited numbers a Turbo S model with just over 300 bhp and 369 lb-ft was produced and a Turbo RS for racing. These today remain extremely collectable and can fetch prices over £100k.

Condition:

You would be hard pushed to find a better example of this 968 coupe; full Porsche service history and a recent MOT with no advisories. The receipts were folder bound and totaling more than £10k of standard maintenance with letters confirming previous owners were in PCGB (Porsche Club Great Britain) and various magazine article cut outs praising the 968 as one of the best handling cars available. This example had no previous accident damage, rust or noticeable faults and excluding some curbing on the wheels, could be described as immaculate.

Check:

All Porsche 968’s are fitted with the same 3.0L, 4 cylinder engine at the same level of tune. However from stereotyping different owners of Club Sports to Convertibles, it is more important to check for ware and tear of components as well as accident damage on the Club Sport due to previous track days and spirited road driving. Brakes and suspension components remain unchanged on all models except for 20mm lower front springs on the Sport and Club Sport with torsion bars adjusted on the splines to lower the rear by the same level. Build quality is as expected from a 90’s Porsche, nearly bullet proof, although the head of the engine with the Varioram variable valve timing can be similar to BMW M3 vanos issues if not looked after and serviced at regular intervals. Listen for any clonking/rattling noises in the engine bay and driving from the transmission and suspension components for clues to how the particular example in question has been looked after.

Servicing:

The 968 has been serviced at Porsche dealerships only with some major maintenance carried out at specialists to avoid excessive fees.

Stats:

Engine: 3.0L 4 Cylinder, 240 bhp

Performance: 0-60 in 6.2 and 158 mph

Time owned: 08/2007 - 06/2008

Bought and sold for: £13,500 and £9,500

Mileage owned: 81,000 - 86,000

Parts/Servicing costs: £450

Insurance: £640 with 5 year NC