Across The Atlantic: 968CS

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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Chesapeake Region

Across The Atlantic (cont’d)

Aaron Miller

Club Sport as a “$100k car that isn’t there yet.” Powered by the economic bounce back of easing COVID restrictions, it was a crowded market of buyers looking for the “right” car. My electronic search consisted of daily checks on the three primary German car sales websites, AutoScout24.de, Mobile.de, and eBay Kleinanzeigen.

My search ultimately ended when I located a car 90-minutes from Stuttgart that checked all the right blocks, and even added something I hadn’t considered a requirement. In the middle of January, on a dark and gray German winter day, a new listing popped up featuring a Club Sport in black. The seller prominently identified the M030 and M220 options and included the statement, “no track use known” which is an important consideration for these track-ready cars. I sent a message through the app identifying my interest and apologizing for my rudimentary German. I crossed my fingers and received a reply within a day which included a spreadsheet explaining the odometer readings and a six-year-old assessment of the condition

of the car in question. A bit perplexed but thankful for the communication, I reaffirmed my interest and attempted to set up an appointment to see the car in person. I was greeted with silence which I attributed to a pending sale or a reticence to deal with an American. Dejected, I moved on without success but at the end of February, the car was still for sale. I had nothing to lose, so I sent the seller an updated message asking for an update. I received a reply, and the seller appeared to be more amenable to moving toward a sale. In the end, the seller was worried about the additional requirements to sell to an American and concerned his language skills weren’t up to the require-

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Chesapeake Region

Across The Atlantic: 968CS

Aaron Miller

ment. After arranging a visit to confirm the condition and getting thoroughly surprised by a 3” thick binder of receipts going back 28 years, I was sold and so was that Club Sport. For reference, we agreed on a price in the low $40s given the current exchange rate but cars selling from dealers go in the $50k-$60k range.

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Chesapeake Region

Across The Atlantic (cont’d)

Aaron Miller

Nothing in Germany happens quickly or without the proper paperwork, so it took until mid- April until the sale was completed. Fortunately, mid-April is exactly the time it starts to get to “driving” weather here! I immediately discovered what automotive journalists raved about in the mid- 90s, this car is the finest handling transaxle car I’ve ever driven. Coupled with the very snug Recaro seats, there is no chance to be thrown around the cabin during hard cornering. Despite only having a decade of age over my new car, getting in and out of the car isn’t for the faint of heart! The easiest way to get in is to drop butt-first into the seat bottom and maneuver your feet in. Getting out is an equal challenge, requiring a 90- degree pivot in the seat while hanging your legs over the door sill and pushing yourself up using the seat and steering wheel. It isn’t fun, but once you’re in its surprisingly comfortable. The vintage novelty of crank windows is fun but as it turns out, even temperate Germany gets uncomfortably warm on long drives in a black car. Fortunately for us, our Club Sport had the “most important” option, Air Conditioning! And in typical transaxle fashion, it was inoperative when we bought the car, but investigation yielded a failed pressure switch and cool air. Arguably the coolest find as I got to know our new car better was the plethora of seemingly-factory performance parts. The seller included a front splitter with a 968-part number, and under the hood was a strut bar and a notched fuel rail cover. I can’t confirm it yet, but I have my deep suspicion the performance parts are from the Porsche Motorsport catalog which explains why there are factory part numbers not reflected in Porsche’s PET catalog.

So, what’s the verdict? Should you meet your heroes? Is it insane to spend average new car money on a 30-year-old sports car? Value, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder but I feel like we got a great deal on the perfect transaxle. The condition coupled with the maintenance records made it clear it’s been owned by fanatics. About meeting your heroes, I’ve got no complaints and I enjoy every time the deceptively light door clicks closed before the next ride. If I had one unfulfilled desire, it would have been to find a similarly optioned Club Sport in my favorite hue of blue, the gorgeous Riviera Blue. But you can’t win them all, and I learned a long time ago it’s easier to like a color when you love

the options and condition. *Want to follow along on our adventure between articles? Like to see pictures of Germany? Check out our Instagram @pnkpnzr968 where we’ll be posting car-related content!*

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