Chesapeake Region
Across The Atlantic: 968CS
Aaron Miller
Finding, Buying, and Owning a 968 Club Sport Wilkommen aus Stuttgart! As a longtime 968 owner and dedicated transaxle enthusiast recently transplanted to Stuttgart, Germany for a tour with the government, I had resolved to discover Porsche culture at the source. Part of that discovery process involved the elusive forbidden fruit of the “Not for USA” market of Porsche cars. Chief among them in my interest, the vaunted 968 Club Sport. To rattle of the specifications and statistics is to degrade the supreme machine Porsche unleashed on the Rest of the World market from 1993 until the sub-model’s sunset in 1995. Porsche advertised a weight savings of 50kg, primarily through deleting all of the power equipment and using thinner sound deadening throughout the car. An equal sales point at the time, the Club Sport saved you approximately $10,000 compared to the cost of a “base” 968 coupe at the time. Adroitly, Porsche marketed the car as a “hardcore” driver-oriented variant but also looked at the Club Sport to boost sales by moving units. Unfortunately, the Club Sport was never imported to the U.S. and remained a staple of racetracks, hill climbs, and slalom competitions throughout Europe. Many years ago, I read an article in the Excellence magazine featuring a comparison between Speed Yellow and Riviera Blue 968 Club Sports. From that moment I was smitten with the colors, the mystique, and the exclusivity. When I arrived in Stuttgart last July, I knew that I would buy a Club Sport to bring home to the States. As I quickly discovered though, the variables at play would narrow my scope and leave me with few options. Speaking of options, a common misconception that I carried into my search was the mistaken belief all of the Club Sports came equipped with the M030 “Sport Chassis” and M220 “Limited Slip Differential” options. Naturally, my ideal specification was the “most hardcore” variant, no power windows, fixed-back Recaro Pole Position seats, no sunroof, with M030 and M220 options. To add to the complexity of the search, word has gotten out in the U.S. about the legality to import a 968 Club Sport so I lost out on more than one car due to a “buyer in the U.S. has paid for this car, it will be exported soon.” Recent auctions on Bring A Trailer showed very solid performance with three 968 Club Sports selling above $70,000 and the Porsche Club of America lists the
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