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Remember the 968 Coupe? Porsche 944 Successor Gets Detailed on Video

The early ‘90s was a terrible time for Porsche. Sales weren’t great, the cars were expensive to manufacture, and SUVs were gaining traction in the United States. Before the German automaker applied Toyota’s know-how to cut costs with the first generation of the Boxster, the 968 was Porsche’s attempt at going downmarket.
Porsche 968 10 photos
Photo: Auto-Motif on YouTube
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An evolution of the 944, the 968 is rarely remembered these days for two reasons. First things first, the front-engine layout was a bit of a sacrilege at that time. Secondly, only four-cylinder options were offered, topping with the 968 Turbo S.

YouTube newcomers Auto-Motif found a 1993 model in pristine condition, and in order to reach 300 subscribers, the automotive channel reviewed the rarefied breed in great detail. Mike, the presenter, highlights from the get-go that production stopped after 12,776 units rolled off the line. Of those, only 4,665 cars were imported into the United States and Canada, most of them soft-top convertibles.

A fixed-head coupe like the car in the following video is like a unicorn, and despite the origin of the 968, this bad boy is seriously collectible in this day and age. Given the $43,000 price tag in 1993 dollars, the front-engined grand tourer would be worth $76,000 in today’s money thanks to that thing the economists call inflation.

The inline-four motor hiding under the hood develops 236 horsepower and 225 pound-feet of torque, pretty neat figures for such an old car. Because the 968 is light, 60 miles per hour are doable in 6.5 seconds while the quarter-mile ends in 14.7 seconds as long as you have the stick shift, not the torque-converter auto.

One of the biggest quirks of this model is the location of the ignition. Porsche has accustomed us to the left of the steering wheel in typical Le Mans fashion, but the 968 is more of a daily driver, hence the ignition’s location on the right side.

As for the verdict on the 968, Mike of Auto-Motif is especially impressed by how comfortable the old-timer is on the long haul. “This I feel like I could drive to Montreal and not even think twice about it.” Given that it’s also roomy for a Porsche from that era, the 968 can definitely be considered a grand tourer.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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