THE NEXT EVOLUTION
As the proud owner of a recently restored 1986 944 Turbo, and being a big fan of the models in Porsche’s transaxle family of products, the opportunity to dedicate an issue of 911 & Porsche World to the thirtieth anniversary of the 968 — pitched as “the next evolution” in the manufacturer’s period marketing materials, but actually being the last evolution in a line of four-cylinder, front-engined, water-cooled Porsche sports cars starting with the 924 in the mid-1970s — filled me with excitement. In truth, any opportunity to shout about the merits of this largely unheard-of Stuttgart speed machine is good enough, but it’s great to have been able to pull together a comprehensive look at the different flavours of 968 in a single issue of the magazine, which I hope goes some way toward promoting this special Porsche to those of you who might not otherwise be familiar with its technological advancements (some influencing Porsche production to the present day) and amazing handling abilities. Even our very own Tim Harvey owned a 968 Sport, the Uk-only ‘sweet spot’ of the range and the variant splashed across the cover of this magazine in glorious Speed Yellow and the classic finish of Guards Red. If a 968 Sport is good enough for the man who holds the record for most number of wins in Carrera Cup GB, not to mention numerous Le Mans outings and a BTCC title, then it’s good enough for the rest of us. Finding an available Sport is the challenge: owners are understandably reluctant to part with their appreciating classics. In all honesty, I’d be guilty of the same. Read through the following pages, and you’ll soon discover why.