Porsche Classic and the Porsche Club of America (PCA) proudly introduced the Porsche 911 Classic Club Coupe. It is a one-of-one restoration project that was completed through their joint efforts.
At first glance, it is immediately noticeable that this coupe is truly unique. If a glance is not enough, however, there is also the “No. 001/001” badge on the dashboard that really emphasizes its rarity. It has a ducktail spoiler that reminds of the 1972 911 Carrera RS 2.7. An 18-inch forged aluminum Fuchs wheels, a double-bubble roof, and a distinct paint combination is reminiscent of the Type 997 911 Sport Classic. And that is not all.
“We wanted to take a different route – to base this unique project on a car less obvious – a modern classic – that would appeal to a slightly different group of enthusiasts. The fact that the finished Porsche 911 Classic Club Coupe looks so cohesive, with the changes appearing so natural, is what’s really incredible about this challenging project,” shared Porsche Club of America (PCA) President Tom Gorsuch shared.
Inspired by the 1998 911 Carrera, they took the chassis, engine, and brakes from the 996.2 911 GT3 which was the first of the model which was homologated for sale in the U.S. The naturally aspirated 3.6-liter flat-six engine generates 381 hp. PCA Executive Director Vu Nguyen found the donor car seemingly neglected in Colombia, Virginia. It was then transported to the Porsche Classic workshop which was near the plant in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen where it was originally made.
The once neglected car was given a complete restoration which included a total disassembly. Using both original and newly developed parts, they also strengthened the body-in-white.
Head of Individualization and Classic Alexander Fabig shared, “The Type 996 is unjustly overshadowed by the other 911 ranges. That’s why we were happy to choose it as the basis for demonstrating all the things we can do with Porsche Classic and the recently expanded Sonderwunsch program of Porsche AG. In 2009, the 911 Sport Classic, a limited series of 250, had already generated worldwide interest. However, this special model was not sold in the U.S. With this one-off, we’ve now managed to bring a similarly exciting vehicle concept to the U.S. as well.”
Exterior
To keep the project on schedule, they worked on the styling and design plans were while the car was being restored. PCA and Porsche Classic in Germany and the United States gave input and direction to the final car.
Experts from Porsche Individualization, Style Porsche, and Porsche Classic worked on proposals, discussing them regularly with the PCA throughout the whole duration of the project. The project took two and a half years to complete.
Just this month, they gave a sneak preview of the results at The Amelia. It had a Sport Grey Metallic finish with stripes in light Sport Grey Metallic with Club Blue outlines that goes from the hood to the roof, and up to the spoiler, reminiscent of the Type 997 911 Sport Classic. Along the sides of the car is a “Classic Club Coupe” script in light Sport Grey with Club Blue accent line.
They gave it a double-dome roof as a nod to its motorsport connection. Before, tall racing drivers would bulge the roofs to create enough headroom for a helmet. This roof design shape could be seen on the 911 Panamericana from 1989, the 911 Sport Classic, and the Carrera GT.
Today, many limited series from Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur as well as the 911 GT models were given the double-dome roof as a classic design feature. Glass-fiber-reinforced plastic was used for the fixed rear spoiler, and it was molded to have the iconic “ducktail” of the 911 RS 2.7 from 1972.They built a third brake light into it with the model designation “Classic Club Coupe” seen right in the middle of the tail lights.
The roof design and the spoiler were both hand-built for the project and matched with the paint scheme, gives it a really one-of-a-kind look that is built in Porsche heritage.
Interior
The Classic Club Coupe interior is the testament of what the Sonderwunsch program is capable of in terms of design.
Custom door sill plates sport the model name. The interior is mostly upholstered in black leather with Slate Grey accents and perforated Alcantara headliner. Door panels and seat centers are wrapped in woven black and grey leather in a twill Pepita pattern. Club Blue stitching can be seen in around the whole interior including the “911 Classic Club Coupe” embroidery on the headrests and the steering wheel. Even the tachometer, flanked by two grey stripes and Club Blue lines, sports the logo.
Modern infotainment convenience is provided by the Porsche Classic Communication Management Plus, which has Apple CarPlay and Google® Android Auto. It will also have the Sirius XM. After a special request, they added the “Classic Club Coupe” to show at the start screen when the infotainment is powered on.
Support from a lot of different parts of the company is needed to be able to successfully take on such an extensive project. The most intensive adaptation work that the team did was on the special features of the 911 Classic Club Coupe, namely the fixed rear spoiler and the double-bubble roof. They had to handmade part of the body between the rear window and the ducktail to be able to achieve it.
For the interior, the greatest challenge they had to face and overcome was the matching of the new materials with the geometry of the Type 996 interior.
A team of experts from Porsche Individualization and Classic, Porsche Development Center in Weissach, and Porsche Cars North America evaluated the technical modifications that were done on the 911 Classic Club Coupe. This was done to ensure that the vehicle is kept in compliance with applicable U.S. regulations.
Vehicle dynamics validation testing was also an important part of the whole process. A test vehicle was actually used as a stand in for the all-important one-off. This stand in was subjected to extensive trial runs at different test sites including Weissach in Germany, Idiada in Spain, and Nardò in Italy. Some of the tests it went through was the endurance runs at top speed and the wind tunnel testing.
To ensure that the Classic Club Coupe is a real one-off, the test vehicle was dismantled after the verification program was completed.
The Porsche Development Center in Weissach approved the overall vehicle after a final road test.
