Porsche 968
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The 968 was an automobile made by Porsche AG of Germany between 1992 and 1995. The 968 replaced the Porsche 944 and was itself replaced by the Porsche Boxster.
The 968 was powered by an updated version of the 944's straight-4 engine, now displacing 3.0 L and producing 240 bhp (179 kW). The 968's engine was the second-largest 4-cylinder ever offered in a production car, and had a very high specific output: around 80 hp (60 kW) per L. This high specific output was partly due to Porsche's VarioCam camshaft phasing device, introduced on this model. Among road cars at that time, it was third only to the Honda NSX and the Mazda RX-7 in power per litre.
The 968's styling somewhat resembled the 928 although it looked considerablly more like a blend of the Type 993 911 and a 944 S2. Like the 944, the 968 was sold as both a coupe and a convertible. Much of the 968's chassis was carried over from the 944S2, and much of the 944S2 chassis had been carried over from the 944 Turbo (which was internally numbered 951). Borrowed components include the Brembo-sourced 4 piston brake calipers on all four wheels, aluminum semi-trailing arms and aluminum front A-arms, used in a Macpherson strut arrangement. The steel unibody structure was also very similar to the previous models.
A street-legal race variant, dubbed Club Sport, appeared later on with a stripped-out interior including racing seats, revised suspension and larger wheels and tires, but was offered only in Europe. A UK-only version called 968 Sport, a Club Sport model with some "comfort" features added back in, was produced in 1994 and 1995. Porsche briefly produced a turbocharged version called Turbo S—15 were produced in total, and again the car was only sold in Europe. The 968 Turbo S was capable (in 1993) of 0–60 mph in 4.7 s and top speeds approaching 180 mph (290 km/h). A race variant called 968 Turbo RS was added as well, only 4 were produced.
The 968 was Porsche's last new front-engined vehicle before the introduction of the Cayenne SUV in 2003. It was sold alongside the 928 GTS through 1995 when both models were dropped. As of 2004, Porsche has not yet built another front engined sports car.
External links
- FAQ for the 924/944/968 model series (http://www.connact.com/~kgross/FAQ/944faq.html)
- General 968 page (http://vista.pca.org/stl/968.htm)
- General 968 Turbo page (http://vista.pca.org/stl/968t.htm)
- General 968 Club Sport page (http://vista.pca.org/stl/968cs.htm)
- General 968 Turbo RS page (http://vista.pca.org/stl/968rs.htm)
- UK 968 Enthusiasts website (http://www.porsche968uk.co.uk/)de:Porsche 968
There were approx. 2000 cabs and 2000 coupes imported to USA 1992-1995. Values are steady and appear to have increased in the last 2 years by approx $1000 across the board. Low milage examples are worth around $30K US and 100K mile units are worth $11K-$15K.