The Porsche 968: An Understated Grand Tourer
The Porsche 968 is a somewhat understated Porsche grand tourer produced from 1992 to 1995. It was the final evolution of a series of cars that began with the Porsche 924 in 1976 and was Porsche's last new front-engined vehicle before the introduction of the Cayenne in 2003.
The 968 featured a 3.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing up to 240 horsepower, capable of accelerating from 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds, with a top speed of 162 mph. It was the fourth-largest four-cylinder engine ever offered in a production car at that time. Two body styles were available, a coupé or a convertible, and both were available with either a 6-speed manual or Porsche's dual-mode 4-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission.
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During its three-year production run, the Porsche 968 saw the introduction of four notable variants: the 968 Club Sport, 968 Turbo S, Turbo RS, and the UK-only 968 Sport.
The track-oriented 968 Club Sport (CS), introduced in 1993, was stripped of comfort features like rear seats, power windows, air conditioning and much of its sound insulation which resulted in a weight reduction of approximately 50kg over the standard model.
In 1994, Porsche responded to demand for a more road-friendly version of the CS by releasing the 968 Sport exclusively in the UK. This sports model blended the Club Sport's focused chassis and reduced weight with practical features such as power windows and mirrors, central locking, a sunroof, and the return of rear seats.
Unfortunately, during the early 1990’s Porsche experienced financial stress, not helped by the recession, and there was much less demand for premium sports cars from customers worldwide. However, those who were able to buy a new 968 at the time have gone on record to say what a great Porsche GT it was. In fact, it has been reported that the 968 is arguably the best-built Porsche of them all!
The 968 has become renowned for its comfortable and practical everyday driving as well as long-distance touring. The styling on the 968 is also appealing, especially in today’s market as it shows off a classy retro look with its fully coloured rounded brake lights, integrated front bumper, rear spoiler and alloy wheels.
Due to low sales numbers, the 968 is relatively rare today, making it a sought-after collectable and a potential investment opportunity for Porsche enthusiasts.
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