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While the final evolution of Porsche’s front-engine four-cylinder transaxle experiment wasn’t a resounding sales success, it was not for lack of trying. The standard 968 was certainly a competent and composed performance coupe; sure, it lacked the panache of the 300-horsepower Japanese imports of the time, but wasn’t that in part the point? It was an understated and well-built car that still looks nice today. And it wasn’t as if it also didn’t have some performance. Adding to that in 1992 was the launch of the lightweight Club Sport model. By eliminating some soundproofing material, the sunroof, and the air conditioning as well as fitting manually adjustable Recaro seats, Porsche stripped ~200lbs of weight out of the 968. The same 237-horsepower M44 was under the hood, but the “add lightness†formula worked and produced better performance.
The “must have” colors are Maritime Blue and Speed Yellow, but even if you choose a black one – these only came in five colors in ’93 – they demand a serious premium over other 968s:
911 Turbo prices have never been really low, but over the past year 996 and 997 Turbos have really been on the rise. It’s easy to understand why; they’re the do-it-all supercar of choice. They’ve got nearly 500 horsepower out of the box and enough safety measures for you to have fun without setting your hair on fire – and if it did, there’s a top-down version to cool the burns. Today’s car is a Tiptronic model, which seems to be the weapon of choice for the most effective use of the 911 Turbo’s power delivery. But the automation of gears isn’t the story here, obviously. This car is claimed to be one of five delivered in RS Orange (8C6), and for good measure it’s got sport seats, too, as well as the Sport Chrono Package, which gave the Turbo 10 seconds of overboost at 505 lb-ft or torque. Neat!
It’s pretty amazing to consider that the Porsche 928 was intended to replace the 911 considering the lengths to which Porsche went to keep the 911 alive during the former’s production. The 928 was rolled out alongside the revised 911SC in 1978 and remained in production as the 911 became the Carrera, then the 964, and finally, the 993. Of course, the 928 wasn’t without changes – the S, S4, GT, and finally what we see here – the GTS – kept the model fresh and one of the most potent on the market. The styling was tweaked along the way, but the vision remained – a big V8 in front, a transaxle out back, and space-age looks in between.
Today’s car is a European version of the GTS, replete with a 5-speed manual gearbox. While it’s not the most exotic color combination in Slate Grey over black leather, the allure of the ultimate 928 is pretty strong – as is the asking price.
Here’s an interesting comparison for you! While the 1989 944 Turbo was the last year for the model in the US as the normally aspirated S2 and later 968 took the reigns, in other parts of the world the forced-induction models carried on – and lost their top. That’s right, in Europe you could get a 944 Turbo Cabriolet! They’re quite rare to see – just 625 were produced only in the 1991 model year, and this number represents about 1/10th the amount of 944 S2 cabriolets. Today’s car is pretty slick and already has been imported – but it’s also not very cheap. So, for comparison’s sake, I thought it would be interesting to see the 968 Coupe that the same seller is also offering – also a rare car in its own right, since just 649 were imported for the year. Let’s start with the Turbo:
In the world of Porsche tuners, RUF may be the name that is most hallowed. The company made its name long ago by taking cars with excellent performance and turning everything up – sometimes, way up. Their early work began with the 911, and here we have the model that began the madness: the RUF BTR. Using Porsche’s already prodigiously powered 930, RUF bored the engine to raise displacement to 3.4 liters and then raised the turbo pressure to increase output to 374 hp. But these were never intended to be cars simply producing more power. The braking and suspension setups were improved, aerodynamic aids fitted, and the interior outfitted to meet a customer’s specifications. All together you had a car instantly recognizable as a 911, but with enough visual cues to make clear it was not any old model. These were special.
Today’s car isn’t a full RUF BTR because it predates the RUF-specific VIN period; rather, this is a conversion that has most of the goodies you’d want in a BTR. For good measure, it’s a very rare color combination. Let’s check it out:
