1988 Porsche 911 Club Sport

The 911 Carrera Club Sport (CS) (option M637) was developed as a reduced-weight version of the standard Carrera that was purpose-built by Porsche for club racing. 340 were produced worldwide from August 1987 to September 1989. Of those 340, only 28 are documented as delivered to North America- 21 in 1988 and just 7 in 1989.

All power options, sunroof, air conditioning, radio, rear seat, undercoating, sound insulation, rear wiper, door pocket lids, fog lamps, front hood locking mechanism, engine and luggage compartment lights, lockable wheel nuts and even the rear lid “Carrera” logo were deleted in order to save an estimated 70 kg (155 lb) in weight. Only one example retained its sunroof and two examples retained the air conditioning systems.

Hollow valves in the cylinder heads and modified DME programming to manage the fuel and injection systems allowed the engine to spin to a new redline of 6,840 rpms. Cabriolet engine mounts which used a harder durometer rubber limited the engine’s movement under load. Bilstein Sport shock absorbers and 22/21mm front and rear sway bars kept the Club Sport flat through the corners, and a shortened shift lever reduced the throw between shifts. Lightweight, manual seats which consisted of Sport backs and standard bases were covered in cloth with “Porsche” lettering replaced the heavier leather power seats.

The Club Sport’s outward appearance was fairly restrained, with just a plastic front spoiler and non-Turbo style whale-tail spoiler.  All are identifiable by the “CS Club Sport” decal on the left front fender. Most were delivered in Grand Prix White but a small percentage of clients took delivery in one of the special colors offered, and respected Porsche collector Dr. Bill Jackson was one of them. He specified his Club Sport in the unique color combination of Summer Yellow with a Mahogany interior. Of the 340 Club Sports produced, it was the only one finished in this color.

Dr. Jackson kept the Club Sport perfectly preserved from the time he took delivery as a time capsule in his collection alongside some of the most significant Porsche road and race cars in history. Its subsequent three owners took the same meticulous care and approach to maintain the Club Sport, and as a result, it presents as new throughout. The interior shows no wear of any kind, and the odometer shows just 103 miles. The finishes on the hardware in the engine bay are perfectly preserved with no signs of oxidation or corrosion, and even the VIN number sticker affixed to the transmission is in pristine condition.

Evo Magazine rated the Club Sport second to only the 1973 RS 2.7 in their group of the 10 best 911’s of all time. The Club Sport is easily one of the most underrated 911 models, and with just 28 examples imported into North America, one of the rarest. With its unique color scheme and museum-quality condition, this Club Sport stands as one of the best 911 examples in existence.