PORSCHE
A very special order for the Porsche Club of America (PCA)
Two and a half years was the time it took to transform a 1998 911 Carrera (Type 996) into the 911 Classic Club Coupe. This car was created for the Porsche Club of America (PCA), one of the sports brand's oldest and largest clubs.
Some of the special features of this vehicle are the Sport Gray metallic paintwork, the double dome roof, Fuchs wheels and the 'ducktail' style fixed rear spoiler, design heritage from the 1972 911 Carrera RS 2.7. interiors are customized in Club Blue. The center sections of the sports seats, as well as the door panels, are upholstered in leather with a specific print. Technically, and largely visually, the car was modified to become a 911 GT3 of the 996 generation (in its final evolution), including its 381 hp 3.6-litre engine, its brakes and other chassis elements.
The idea for this unique in-house model came about during a meeting between representatives of the Porsche Club of America, Alexander Fabig, VP Personalization and Classics at Porsche AG, and Grant Larson, Director of Special Projects at Style Porsche. To keep it secret, the vehicle was given the internal designation 'Project Grey', similar to 'Project Gold', which was assigned to the air-cooled 911 Turbo (Type 993) that Porsche Classic manufactured in 2018 from original parts. However, the main source of inspiration for the 911 Classic Club Coupe was the 911 Sport Classic (Type 997) introduced in 2009. With Sport Classic Gray paintwork, a double dome roof, 'ducktail' spoiler and exclusive interior details, this limited edition of 250 units quickly acquired cult status and became a collector's item.
“The 996 was unfairly hidden by other generations. That's why we chose this car as a base, to demonstrate everything we can do at Porsche Classic through Porsche AG's new Sonderwunsch program”, says Alexander Fabig. “In 2009, the 911 Sport Classic aroused great interest around the world, but this car was never sold in the United States. With this new model, we wanted to bring an equally exciting concept to North America.”
“We wanted to work together to create something unique that would generate excitement,” adds Tom Gorsuch, President of the Porsche Club of America (PCA). “The fact that the Porsche 911 Classic Club Coupe is so elegant and natural is what really surprises this challenging project.”
Exterior: double dome roof and ducktail airfoil...The Porsche 911 Classic Club Coupe is painted in Sport Gray metallic, a shade inspired by the gray of the 911 Sport Classic (Type 997). The twin strips that run through the hood, roof and rear spoiler provide an especially sporty touch and are also common on both models. However, on the 997 these stripes were darker than the body color, while on the current model they acquire a lighter gray hue. Two thin lines in Club blue mark the outline of the stripes. The hockey stick-shaped side frame is painted in light Sport Gray and features the 'Classic Club Coupe' emblem and a Club Blue line.
The fiberglass-reinforced plastic fixed rear spoiler adopts the classic 'ducktail' style of the 1972 911 RS 2.7. The third brake light is integrated into it. The model designation 'Classic Club Coupe' appears in the middle between the taillights.
Interior: leather with a specific print...The interior is sporty, sophisticated and very personalized. This is appreciated as soon as the doors are opened and the 'Classic Club Coupe' emblem appears on the stainless steel sill moldings. Black leather dominates the interior and is combined with gray Alcantara, partially perforated and present in the roof and pillars lining. The 'Nº 001/001' plate on the panel makes it very clear that this is a totally unique model.
The center sections of the sports seats, as well as the door panels, are upholstered in leather and include a specific print in black and slate gray. Porsche used a similar solution for the first time in the 911 Sport Classic (Type 997). The novelty in this model is that the plot follows diagonal lines. Decorative stitching in Club Blue contrasts with the classic look of the seats. This color is also present in the '911 Classic Club Coupe' lettering, which appears embroidered on the headrests.
The standard three-spoke steering wheel of the 996 has had its appearance modified following the same design principle, with leather, contrast stitching and the 12 o'clock mark in Club Blue. Round instrument panel clocks are customized like the 911 Sport Classic. The tachometer, for example, features the '911 Classic Club Coupe' emblem and also two gray stripes topped off at the ends with Club blue lines. The Porsche Classic Communication Management Plus infotainment system with Sirius XM, Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto is also part of the technology package. As a specific detail, the 7.0-inch screen shows an initial graphic with the inscription 'Classic Club Coupe'.
The accessories from the Porsche Classic catalog that have been incorporated into this model have been carefully modified with new materials and handcrafted methods. Included in this section are the custom-made car cover, body-coloured leather-covered key, travel bag and specially-printed leather tool bag.
A new life for a used vehicle...The vehicle taken as a basis is a black 911 Carrera, manufactured in 1998 and with almost 180,000 kilometers on its odometer. Careless and in poor condition, it was parked at a dealership in Columbia, Virginia (USA), where Porsche Club of America (PCA) Director Vu Nguyen found it and decided to give it a second life.
The first thing done was to return him to his home country on a flight across the Atlantic. As soon as he arrived in Germany, he was taken directly to the Porsche Classic workshop, which is located close to the main plant in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. Once there, experts dismantled the car completely. Taking inspiration from the 911 GT3, the bodywork has been reinforced using original parts and newly developed components. It was also decided to improve the chassis and brakes, and the original mechanics to assemble the engine/manual transmission set of a GT3 were eliminated.
The design took shape in parallel with the restoration itself. The specialists from Style Porsche and the Personalization and Classics department were preparing proposals that were regularly discussed with the PCA.
As expected, the most complex work was to adapt the specific components of the 911 Classic Club Coupe, fundamentally the double dome roof and the fixed rear spoiler. In order to integrate these two elements, the bodywork between the rear windows and the rear end had to be handcrafted. On the other hand, in the interior, the challenge was precisely to harmonize this new roof with the geometry of the surfaces of the 996's cabin. At this point, the extensive experience of a restoration specialist was the key to achieving a good result.
As it was a one-off vehicle, it was necessary to develop a second car to face all kinds of tests, which were carried out at circuits such as Weissach (Germany), Nardò (Italy) and IDIADA (Spain). Maximum speed endurance tests were included in this program. Afterwards, the vehicle designed for that purpose was destroyed after fulfilling its purpose, which ensured that the final product was truly unique.
The technical modifications of the 911 Classic Club Coupe were evaluated by teams from Porsche Cars North America, the Porsche Development Center in Weissach and also the Personalization and Classics department. Aerodynamics were tuned in the wind tunnel. The final vehicle underwent open road testing by professionals at the Weissach Development Center.
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