Although set forth with good intentions, the Club Sport found less than a warm reception in the U.S. Two reasons can be held accountable for this. First, the car's original automotive reviews mocked it as both harsh driving and weak performing. An overall, poor bantam-weight version of the current 911. Second, for all its deletions, and few enhancements, the cost of the CS in the States was equivalent to a showroom Carrera 3.2.
It being the '80s, it is hard to understand how Porsche would think its yuppie clients would give up push-button windows without an economic gain.
Today, it is a different story and such special versions of the 911 garner a high level of respect. While their numbers are incredibly low and their existence known only to the most avid Porschephiles, the fraternity of U.S. Carrera Club Sport owners is no less strong.
"I bought it sight unseen," said Mark Smith about his 1988 Grand Prix White Club Sport. "I handed the seller a check and then said, "Okay, let's see the car." Surprisingly, although he had been looking for 3 years for a CS, Smith stumbled upon it on eBay. He was the first to call the seller and via swift E-mail and follow-up phone calls made certain he would be its new owner.
Owning the car for 3 years, Smith admitted he has added only 300 miles to the odometer's 6,800-mile entry. "I had the full intention of driving it daily," he said. But after his first outing, Smith realized the car, #15 of the original 22, was too collectable to run often.
Making Smith's 911 unique is that it is only one of two with factory-equipped air conditioning. "It also supposed to be the only Grand Prix White car with burgundy interior," he said.
Club Sport #21 is owned by Tom Trudell, one of those avid Porsche fans the car was truly built for. "With the Club Sport you have the stiffer suspension, no sound proofing and a noisier engine. It's more visceral. You just feel more connected to the car," Trudell said with a broad grin.
"I concourse it and take it to some autocross events with the PCA. But I don't have any intention of racing it," he said. "It's a low-production car so I'm a little nervous about going off into the kitty litter."
Trudell's Silver Metallic example is, in fact, the only Club Sport with a factory sunroof. "Mine is the only one in the world," Trudell said proudly. "The Porsche salesman who ordered it had some pull with Weissach at the time."
While Smith keeps his CS in pristine condition and Trudell strives to keep his intact, Stephen Miller, owner of 1988 Club Sport #1, the very first of the U.S. versions, has found a way to do both.
"For a long time I agonized over leaving it original or making it a full track car," Miller said. He currently campaigns the car with both the Porsche Owners Club and the Porsche Club of America.
His compromise? To upgrade the car with the racing gear he wanted while carefully saving its stock equipment. "With a week or two worth of work it could be put back to absolute original," Miller said. "It has bigger anti-sway bars, heavier torsion bars, short gears in the transmission and Boxster brakes up front. But nothing has been done to the motor."
Club Sport #1 was actually Porsche's demonstration car and as its original owner, Miller is not sure the designation is exactly a privilege. "When you tell people it was the demo, you get two reactions. Two-thirds of them say, "Oh that's really cool." The other third are a little wiser and know it was thrashed by every journalist in North America."
Talking about his racing experiencing with the car, Miller echoed Trudell's comments. "Compared to a regular Carrera, it has a totally different feel," Miller said. "Because it's a bare-bones lightweight, you feel more in contact with it."
While several automotive books herald the Club Sport as a limited-edition model, and the cars built in 1988 have sequential VINs, the overwhelming evidence suggests these low-production racers were option-delete cars. Unfortunately, this is not the sort of label the current owners want to hear. For some reason, it is viewed as a devaluing factor.
Yet, the fact remains, there were only 340 examples produced. Far less than many other so-called limited-edition 911s, including the 1973 Carrera 2.7 RS, the 1988 Anniversary Carrera or the 1992-93 RS America.
No matter how it is classified, the 1987-89 Carrera Club Sport is certainly a special 911 and its creation, in a time of overindulgence, should be appreciated as Porsche's attempt to remain true to its heritage.