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Week after week, Porsche prices seem to climb further and further, with no end in sight. What is it that makes the vintage Porsches so popular? Is it the performance? The engineering? Maybe because people are nostalgic and want to get away from the bloated models like the Cayenne and Panamera, as good as a drive they may be. One Porsche that seems to be holding the line a bit when it comes to values is the 968. But even these sports cars are starting to climb their way up the value ladder, like this well preserved 968 Coupe for sales in Pennsylvania. Equipped with the desirable 6-speed manual in Guards Red, this takes me back to the good old days when I still wanted a Porsche new out of the box from the showroom floor.
One of my first days instructing at a high performance driving school, my student walked up to me after the morning meeting and told me he was under the weather and not up for driving. But, he said, he didn’t want to miss out on track time, so would I be willing to drive him around Lime Rock Park in his car? Sure, I said, and we strolled over towards his ride – a track prepared Porsche 968 on Michelin Sport Cup tires. I have to admit I was slightly apprehensive; a car I was unfamiliar with wasn’t the end of the world, but that day track was wet and while I had been the wheel man a few times in my father’s 924S on track, most of my seat time was spent in my front-drive Audi Coupe GT. But out on the track we went, and the 968 quickly proved why it gained a reputation as such a superlative driver’s car. Near perfect balance matched with smooth power delivery. The limited slip differential in that particular 968 also helped to translate the power to the ground, and on a soaked track we were one of the fastest cars that session within two laps – it just felt natural to push the car. Down the “No Name Straight” (which both has a name and isn’t a straight), the 968 twitched lightly under full throttle but was never out of control and never once felt uncomfortable. Even before then I had a high regard for the watercooled front-engine Porsches, but it solidified my love even more and it’s always nice when I see a track prepared 968:
The year 1995 was one that sticks out in the mind of many Porsche enthusiasts, as this would be the final year the company would offer its front-engined sports cars, the 968 and 928. The Boxster would appear shortly thereafter, targeted towards those individuals looking for something a bit more affordable than the 911. After this, a water-cooled engine would enter the equation with the new for 1999 911. Several years later, the Cayenne SUV would appear, shocking many a Porsche purist. In just one decade, the Porsche portfolio would almost become unrecognizable to the one we knew from the 1980s and early 1990s. I’m not going to sit here and deride the current Porsche product lineup, because its full of fine cars that pay the bills. However, there’s a reason why vintage Porsches are soaring in the collector market. And likewise, interest in the last of the four-cylinder, front-engined Porsches has recently taken off. This example for sale in Maryland is a final year 968 equipped with the preferred 6-speed manual gearbox.
I’ve always been somewhat intrigued by the Porsche 968 Cabriolet. Before SUVs and sedans graced Porsche’s lineup, this was a bit of an outlier, a car more suited for cruising than its hardtop sibling, yet packing the same potent large displacement inline-4 under the hood. Someone decided to turn this formula up to 11 with this example we see here for sale in California. This 968 Cabriolet packs a supercharger, with an output of over 300 horsepower. Mated to the preferred 6-speed manual gearbox, this can make for some seriously fun al fresco motoring.
As much as I’ve always loved the Porsche 968 Cabriolet, it’s a bit of an odd duck in the annals of Porsche history. However, I’m not the only one who is attracted to this car. In addition to the folks over at flüssig magazine who preach the gospel of the transaxle Porsche, former GCFSB writer Aaron had a few things to say about his desire to own a 968 Cabriolet in a conversation I was having with him yesterday evening. “Any Porsche made after ’98 is crap, ’80s 944s, 928s and 924s are all a bit dated. The 968 represents a ’90s era Porsche that the every man can afford.” Some may not necessarily agree with his sentiment, but having owned a 2000 Boxster, it must have had some affect on Aaron’s view of modern Porsches. If you share our love of 968s, check out this 968 Cabriolet for sale in Florida is one of two 6-speed examples painted in Amethyst Metallic.
