While we can thoroughly appreciate the latest and greatest generations of high-performance sports cars, we’ll forever possess an immense proclivity for the vehicles that debuted during our formative adolescent years. And for a slew of now-adult millennials, this means the 993-gen of Porsche’s iconic 911 Carrera. To pay homage to the 933, Porsche Classic has joined forces with the Porsche Club of America to deliver a one-of-one 1998 911 Carrera christened the Classic Club Coupe.
This 911 Carrera was discovered in a barn in Virginia before being sent back to the Porsche Classic workshop where it underwent an extensive, ground-up restoration before being treated to a slew of one-off modifications. The 911 Carrera now utilizes the chassis, engine, and much of the running gear found in the 996.2 911 GT3, and as such is powered by a naturally-aspirated, 381-hp 3.6-liter flat-six. The Carrera has also been gifted a set of 18” forged aluminum Fuchs wheels, a fixed ducktail spoiler that pays homage to the 1972 911 Carrera RS 2.7, and a double-bubble roof — the latter of which is an alteration found on vintage race cars that provided more headroom to accommodate the driver’s helmet.
This custom Porsche now wears a Sport Grey Metallic livery complemented via Club Blue racing stripes — a nod to the Type 997 911 Sport Classic — and bespoke “Classic Club Coupe” script. Highlighting the configurable nature of vehicles produced through Porsche’s Sonderwunsch — or “Special Wish” — program, the interior has also received custom upholstery, having been trimmed in black leather with woven black and grey twill Pepita pattern inserts. Equipped with the Porsche Classic Communication Management Plus package, the cabin also gets an assortment of custom bits, from one-off door sill plates to a “No. 001/001” dash badge. The project even tapped Porsche Design to whip up a custom luggage collection that’s trimmed in the same houndstooth construction as the car’s cabin.
More than just a garage queen, this rolling Porsche homage was actually built to perform, and as such after its completion, has undergone extensive road testing courtesy of the Porsche Development Centre in Weissach. And, while it’s no Singer build, the Classic Club Coupe nonetheless represents a unique new direction for the Stuttgart marque’s factory services, combining expert restoration and modification — i.e. restomodding — into a single package.
