968 Sport vs 968 Club Sport
Discussion
I'm considering purchasing maybe a 968 as the next fun car for weekend use. I always thought I'd go 968CS, but now that I'm actually watching the classifieds I've noticed that there are far more 968 Sports coming up for sale, and obviously at more attractive prices than a Club Sport.
Question is though, is a ClubSport really worth the extra outlay over a Sport for some fun weekend driving on the public roads ? Is there actually that much of a discernible difference between the two with an average driver at the wheel up in the mountains on a Sunday afternoon ?
Question is though, is a ClubSport really worth the extra outlay over a Sport for some fun weekend driving on the public roads ? Is there actually that much of a discernible difference between the two with an average driver at the wheel up in the mountains on a Sunday afternoon ?
I would say from a driving & enjoyment point of view there is very little difference. It is easy to modify a 968 to be like the CS (apart from the CS's with the beefier suspension option).
It comes down to the effect of the 'desirability factor' on values. A CS costs more to buy but will always be sought after and probably appreciate in value over time.
It comes down to the effect of the 'desirability factor' on values. A CS costs more to buy but will always be sought after and probably appreciate in value over time.
A Sport is identical to a Club Sport under the skin. Only difference is the Sport has the comfort seats / electric windows, sunroof and mirrors / slightly larger wiring loom. The brakes and suspension are identical unless it had the MO30 option. A Sport is slightly heavier, thats about it.
There is actually very little difference between all 968's as the only guaranteed differences between coupes and Sport/ CS's are the springs are lowered by 1 inch and the weight. Lots of people go on about CS/ sport suspension but they have the same shocks as coupes, just lower springs, same brakes as coupes, only other difference is 50kg's lighter, some of which gets added back with a Sport model or options etc. Everything else was an option, i.e. you could have 17's on a Coupe, or a CS with a sunroof and a/c negating much of the weight savings. Its the collectability of the CS cars that sets them apart more than anything else, so you pay a bit more for them and get a bit more when you sell, so its all relative.
Every Sport started life on the Zuffenhausen production line as a CS - Porsche UK added a few luxuries back in when they were shipped to this country. Many CSes come with these options specced anyway (it's almost impossible to find a non-sunroof CS for example) - which is why Porsche UK created the Sport variant.
While there is little to no qualitative difference between the cars, the iconic CS badge attracts buyers, and having observed the market for some time it's clear that a well-maintained CS will be easier to sell on than a Sport. As a Sport owner it pains me to perpetuate the myth, but if you have an eye on resale and are willing to commit the extra purchase cost up front, a CS makes sense not because it's a better car, but because it's a more desirable car.
While there is little to no qualitative difference between the cars, the iconic CS badge attracts buyers, and having observed the market for some time it's clear that a well-maintained CS will be easier to sell on than a Sport. As a Sport owner it pains me to perpetuate the myth, but if you have an eye on resale and are willing to commit the extra purchase cost up front, a CS makes sense not because it's a better car, but because it's a more desirable car.
DAB964RS said:
...buy a good Sport it's like having an Icelandic bank account.
I disagree. I owned mine for 3 years and sold it for a grand less than I paid for it. Had I not wanted a very easy sale I'd have got all my money back (I was working abroad at the time and was selling back in the UK).Thanks for all the comments and replies folks. But I'm still undecided !! 
968CS is worth it for the extra kudos when you attend a meet or show etc., but then the premium over a near-as-damnit Sport would put a lot of juice in the tank to provide some great driving enjoyment.... Smiles per mile 'n all that....
968CS is worth it for the extra kudos when you attend a meet or show etc., but then the premium over a near-as-damnit Sport would put a lot of juice in the tank to provide some great driving enjoyment.... Smiles per mile 'n all that....
Edited by Corso Marche on Wednesday 16th June 15:42
Mag1calTrev0r said:
So what's the difference between the seats in the CS (obviously better) and the Sport 'comfort' seats? How do the 'comfort' seats compare to the standard seats?
Would it be fair to say: Std. Seats < 'Comfort' seats < CS Seats?
Sport comfort seat are what they say they are, nice and comfortable for everyday driving but still hold you in place nicely. The Recaros in the Club Sport are hard bucket seats which probably wouldnt suit everyday driving.Would it be fair to say: Std. Seats < 'Comfort' seats < CS Seats?
Fabulous cars though.
Corso Marche said:
968CS is worth it for the extra kudos when you attend a meet or show etc., but then the premium over a near-as-damnit Sport would put a lot of juice in the tank to provide some great driving enjoyment.... Smiles per mile 'n all that....
I don't think you get much in the way of kudos from those in the know. Those in the know know they're so close to being the same car that the premium paid for the CS is questionable at best on a day-to-day basis.You might get some kudos if you turned up in a mint M030 spec CS with factory cage....but other than that you would have to have something pretty special as like Will says, those in the know....know better! Save the cash get a good clean Sport and put it towards a KW V3 kit and some maintenance....you won't look back.
IMHO buy a sport and fit some proper Recaros, or do something different and buy an 85 pre-ABS 944 turbo.
All 968s are rare. ISTR on the UK market the sport was the biggest seller of the 968's, coupe sales dropped off once the cheaper CS or the latter sport was available.
In 20 months of ownership I am still yet to see another 968 on the road at the same time as mine and I use my car as a DD.
Be very wary of over hyped cars and prices, I can recall about 5 years ago seeing an absolutely mint sport for sale at £9.9K. Chatting to the garage owner recently he couldn't sell it and traded it in the end. Now fast forward a few years and there are few low mileage minty cars around but ppl are asking often crazy high prices, the spread can be all over the place. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you will definitely make mega bucks by speculating on a 968 CS that is likely already over priced.
All 968s are rare. ISTR on the UK market the sport was the biggest seller of the 968's, coupe sales dropped off once the cheaper CS or the latter sport was available.
In 20 months of ownership I am still yet to see another 968 on the road at the same time as mine and I use my car as a DD.
Be very wary of over hyped cars and prices, I can recall about 5 years ago seeing an absolutely mint sport for sale at £9.9K. Chatting to the garage owner recently he couldn't sell it and traded it in the end. Now fast forward a few years and there are few low mileage minty cars around but ppl are asking often crazy high prices, the spread can be all over the place. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you will definitely make mega bucks by speculating on a 968 CS that is likely already over priced.
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