Yes, Porsche Built a Lightweight Clubsport Version of 968
Doug DeMuro tests out rare 1993 968 Clubsport with giant four-cylinder engine, red wheels and bizarre way of resetting trip computer.
Doug DeMuro is great at pointing out the quirks in a car, no matter how everyday and mundane that vehicle may seem. In his latest breakdown, he does just that with a Porsche that’s a giant rolling quirk itself: the 968 Clubsport.
Compared to models such as the 911 and Cayenne, the 968 takes up a short space on the Porsche timeline. It came after the long-running 944 as a 1992 model and left the lineup after the 1995 model year, not that long before the Boxster took over as the entry-level Porsche. You’re even less likely to see the Clubsport version of the 968 out on the road – if you live in the U.S., at least. According to DeMuro, Porsche only made approximately 2,000 of them. “It was a lightweight, track-focused model that was never offered in North America.” Think of it as the GT3 version of the 968. Luckily, DeMuro found someone in the states that owns a 1993 Clubsport and was willing to lend it to him for his review.
Porsche left the output of the unusually large 3.0-liter I4 at 236 horsepower and 225 lb-ft of torque. In pursuit of lower weight, it employed a variety of strategies, primarily an eraser. The Clubsport had no radio, center console storage compartment, rear seats or sunroof. Buyers could take things a step further and order it without power windows and climate control, the deletion of which brought a smaller battery, alternator and wiring harness and a single radiator fan (instead of two) along with it.
For the most part, that all sounds pretty standard. But Porsche cut a few ounces here and there in some odd ways, which DeMuro – of course – points out. They nixed the rear wiper and all of its associated hardware, but instead of using a different rear windscreen without the hole for the wiper arm, Porsche just used the same one on other 968s and plugged it with a noticeable black plastic cap. It even went as far as removing the external lock for the rear hatch, making it necessary to pull a latch in the cabin behind the driver-side Recaro bucket.
That’s inconvenient. The way of resetting the trip computer is just downright odd. There’s no stalk to press in below the actual readout for the trip mileage reading. See that sliver of what appears to be an HVAC vent to the immediate right of the main gauges? Pushing that horizontal tab in the middle of the slats is the only way to roll the trip computer back to all 0s. DeMuro rightfully points out, “I have never before seen a car where the trip odometer reset button is intended to blend in with the climate vents.” That’s saying a lot considering how many eccentric and exotic vehicles he’s tested.
Despite its giant displacement, the I4 delivers its power linearly. The six-speed manual is equally smooth. “It just makes you feel like you want to shift gears.” Ultimately, the 968 Clubsport is an improvement over its regular sibling, but it leaves a lot to be desired in terms of dynamics, especially when you consider that today it’s a $70,000-$80,000 car…and a new 718 Cayman starts at $57,500.
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