Background
The 944 was a proper sports car.
With near-perfect 50:50 weight distribution thanks to its front-engine, rear-transaxle layout, it garnered praise from press and owners alike - even if everyone agreed that the chassis was easily capable of handling more power.
Porsche, sensitive to criticism and with more than half-a-mind on the bottom line, introduced the Series 2 in 1989, fitting the normally aspirated cars with the 944 Turbo’s rounded nose, rear valance and braking system.
But the S2 was far more than a pretty face and new posterior because the 944 finally received the power it deserved, courtesy of a 209bhp 16-valve, 3-litre engine. With 207lb/ft of torque on tap, its performance now matched its looks and handling: sixty miles-per-hour could now be reached in around six seconds and the top speed rose to a genuine 150mph.
Porsche then transformed the 944 into the 968, an engineering sleight of hand that almost no-one realised had been undertaken.
With typical Porsche thoroughness, around 80% of its components were new compared to the outgoing 944 it was apparently based upon.
Built between 1992 and 1995, the 968 was offered as a coupe and a convertible, and with normally aspirated 3.0-litre engines that developed 237bhp.
Famously renowned as being the best handling car of its generation – and one of the best of any generation – the 968 is now a bona fide classic and, in every guise except the bafflingly expensive Clubsport iteration, it is both affordable and likely to continue appreciating in value.
