That the last of the original transaxle Porsches is 30 years old will come as a shock to many. After all, the 968 is a car that still looks and feels comparatively modern against a backdrop of air-cooled contemporaries with 1960s DNA. That its own roots can be traced back to the mid-1970s is further testament to the remarkable modernity of Porsche’s thinking in the period. That, and its business acumen.
A potted history of the 968 must start with the thwarted collaboration between Volkswagen and Porsche to produce a more efficient and affordable sports car. This was not the first time such a venture had been undertaken, of course, the 914 Volks-Porsche having already created a smash hit in the US despite lofty production costs and an enduring degree of scepticism from the Porsche cognoscenti.
But Project 425, which would ultimately beget the 924, took a different turn when, in 1975, Volkswagen withdrew its interest and sold the entire programme to Porsche. Part of the contract would see VW’s workers continue to build the car at the NSU/Audi plant in Neckarsulm, but the 924 was now Porsche’s to do with as it wished. It would soon become a very different car from the humble two-plus-two that Volkswagen had envisaged.
The 924’s USP was its ‘transaxle’ transmission arrangement that offered the light and rigid semi-galvanised front-engine monocoque design near perfect weight distribution and, with it, the sort of handling Porsche had previously only dreamed of. What was missing, however, were apposite levels of performance, and the timely arrival of forced induction soon saw a 924 Turbo added to the line-up in 1978.
The inevitable progression of the 924 into motorsport would usher in the homologated and more aggressively turbocharged 924 Carrera GT, the wider, beefier design of which would dictate the outlines of the incoming 944, arrive in 1981. Another masterclass from Dutch head of design Harm Lagaay, the 944 not only presented a far more modern take on the transaxle concept for a new decade and a new breed of Porsche customer, but it also introduced a new all-alloy in-line four-cylinder engine, counter-balanced for smoothness and making impressive levels of power and torque, even in naturally aspirated form.
The 944 was an extraordinary car in the early 1980s and it remained so throughout its long and hugely profitable production cycle. Here was a viable (albeit only just) two-plus-two with a vast and accessible load space, superb efficiency, refinement and performance and that never-bettered handling balance. It was, in other words, everything the 911 was not and the latter’s time was deemed to be well and truly up by midway through the 1980s.The 944 would evolve as both a naturally aspirated coupé and cabriolet alongside two Turbo derivatives and the last-of-the-line ‘S’ and ‘S2’, its engine growing from 2.5 to 2.7 and ultimately 3.0 litres. By the time it was replaced, it had been in constant production for a decade with more than 160,000 units sold globally, almost a third of which had gone to the US alone. Product line efficiencies and relative affordability meant the 944 had become a sales phenomenon for Porsche; one that rescued it not only from the tanking uptake of the 911 but also the universal indifference to the far more complex and expensive 928.
Little wonder, then, that the 944’s race was not yet run. An ‘S3’ version was put into development in 1990, restyled once again by Lagaay and so completely overhauled mechanically that the decision was taken to launch it as an entirely new model: the 968.
This third generation of Project 425 was now almost 20 years on from its early ’70s inception yet, in the best Porsche tradition, the intervening decades of near-constant development had refined it into a remarkable all-rounder. To help matters, in the twilight of the car’s market viability (and with the 986 Boxster already on the easel), the decision was taken to leave Neckarsulm and build the 968 in-house at Zuffenhausen alongside the 964. It comes as no surprise that the 968 enjoys a reputation for being one of the best-built Porsches of all time.
Lagaay’s restyling had created a far more modern appearance, the front end a nod to the 928 flagship but also previewing the forthcoming 993. This was a smoother, more streamlined aesthetic that belied the ’70s concept and S2 chassis beneath. The powertrain was a similar story of evolution, with Variocam valve timing and a new six-speed ’box offered alongside the newly created Tiptronic auto. The Cabriolet would return, and the final three years of production saw the range topped off by the lightened, pared back and unapologetically track-focussed Clubsport.
It was this last car that was to cement the 968 legend, with many an industry expert over the years hence hailing it as the finest-handling Porsche of all time and of any description. High praise indeed but, on reflection, not wholly surprising. By the time production of the 968 was formally wound down to make way for the new methodology that would implement both 986 Boxster and 996 gen 911, the transaxle had been around for almost a quarter of a century. It had begun life with a rock-solid grounding in innovative and uncompromising design and engineering, and continued to be refined and improved through multiple product cycles.
Thirty years on, the 968 still doesn’t feel like an old car and it remains remarkably useable. A brilliant package that struck the perfect balance between performance and accessibility at a time when Porsche’s halo cars that did neither, the simple logic of the 968 feels more relevant than ever today.
Many thanks to PCGB members Rob and Mandy Harris for providing their superbly presented 968 for a blustery coastal shoot this month. The couple have owned this Polar Silver coupé for 11 years, having previously run a 993 Targa in the same colour while working in Brunei. Now settled in west Dorset, the pair are keen to attend more Club events in future and will continue to cherish their 968 for their four enthusiastic children.