For a great many active Porsche sporting drivers, agile handling and favorable performance weight rank ahead of comfort, Porsche carries on its tradition of lightweight Zuffenhausen sporting models with the new type 968 CS (CS = Club Sport). The combination of competltlve and everyday capablltles with comfort reduced to the necessary, characterizes thls car, based on many years of racing experience

Weight reduction

A package of cost-reduction measures made it possible to offer the 968 CS at a clearly lower price than the comfort-oriented standard version, despite its high-class special sporting equipment. Among other things, this was achieved by eliminating weight - and cost-intensive items of operational ease such as electric window lifts and electric seat adjustment, along with their attendant current requirements. In addition, Porsche dropped the rear seat unit from the basic version of the 968 CS. However, rear seats are available as an option When fitted, the car is licensed for four people although adults in the rear seats must accept reduction in comfort.

Weight of the 968 CS has been reduced by more than 50 kg - compared to the standard version. With the same engine output of 176 kW/240 HP, the 968 CS is even more lively and produces even more favorable consumption values in practice than already exemplary 968 economy. The 968 CS is offered solely as a Coupé with six-speed manual gearbox.

17 inch wheels and bucket seats

Standard wheels for the 968 CS are 17 inch in a new design. As optical identification for the CS these wheels are painted in car color when the colors grand prix white, speed yellow, guards red or riviera blue are ordered. However, this sports car can also be ordered in other standard Porsche colors, when the rims will be silver.

Bucket seats, known from the Carrera RS, dominate the interior of a basic, two-seat version. They combine firm support and body-friendly upholstery with low weight. Seat backs of the seat shells are painted in the rim color to contrast with the standard black interior (with silver rims the seat shells are delivered in black). An extensive luggage area reaches clear to the front seat shells in the two-seat version. It is easily reached from inside the car or through a large hatch and underlines the high load flexibility of this 968 Cs a plus for automobile sport as well as for many leisure sports. The driver's seat can be individually locked in height, along with mechanical fore/aft adjustment.

When the rear seat unit is installed driver and front passenger have basic Porsche seats with folding backs. The grippy, three-spoke steering wheel has a diameter of 360 mm. The driver's air bag is an option, in combination with a front-passenger air bag.

A range of new fittings packages permits individualization of the 968 CS. Makeup of these fittings packages is oriented to customer wishes. For instance, the safety package includes a Porsche alarm system, the necessary central locking for that, as well as locking wheel nuts. The comfort package includes electrically adjustable mirrors as wel as electric window lifts. The special chassis package includes a strengthened brake system with Cross-bored brake discs as well as a Torsen limited-slip differential with up to 40 percent lockup, along with even firmer chassis layout.

Lowered body

The car (front engine, gearbox in the rear) is lowered by 20 mm front and rear. Standard brakes with ABS, in conjunction with the lighter car, permit excep tional deceleration values. Servo steering, provides a safe feeling for all surfaces, while effortless handling and neutral cornering behavior mark the high driving properties of the 968 CS in road use. Springs and interior sound permit outstanding long-distance comfort, despite the robust basic character.

17 inch wheels, with different dimensions front and rear, already proven in sports events, are standard 968 CS equipment: front wheels 7.5 J x 17 for 225/45 ZR 17 tires, rear wheels 9 J x 17 for 255/40 ZR 17 tires.

Engine and performance

The four-cylinder, light-alloy, in-line engine with 2990 cc displacement four valves per cylinder and rev-dependent intake camshaft adjustment called VarioCam, is taken over unchanged for the 968 CS. Output of 176 kW/240 HP at 6200 RPM and maximum torque of 305 newtons at 4100 RPM give i the highest torque figure of any three-liter, unblown, four-cylinder engine in production car. VarioCam effects reduced overlap of the valve lift curves at lower revs, favorable for HC emissions as well as providing advantages at idle. Above 1500 RPM stronger overlap is effected, favorable for torque. In the high performance realm basic timing is reactivated, This produces lower raw pollutant emissions ahead of the metal-core catalytic converter so that this 968 engine also counts among the best in the world for environmental compatibility.

Sporting performance with economical fuel consumption

Engine qualities, in conjunction with the six-speed gearbox and reduced vehicle weight, become apparent in many ways: even more effortless acceleration and braking, safe power reserves for overtaking, lower fuel consumption. The acceleration figure (0 to 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds) quoted for a 968 CS matches the normal version, as do consumption values by DIN standards (three-way mix, 10.3 1/100 km). In practice, there will often be an improvement, due to lower weight.

The six-speed gearbox not only provides a driver with optimum ratios for every driving situation. It also offers an opportunity to achieve active consumption reductions by using fifth and sixth at lower and medium speeds as economy gears, without facing a loss of performance. The overwhelming torque of this three-liter, four-cylinder engine is clearly evident here. The 968 CS reaches its top speed of 252 km/h in sixth gear at revs of 6330 RPM.