The inside track on the one-off vehicle, based on the 996, and inspired by Porsche greats
The ducktail spoiler of the 911 Carrera RS 2.7. The double bubble roof of the Carrera GT. The iconic look of the 911 Sport Classic. The 911 Classic Club Coupe is an exclusive Porsche sportscar and unique collaboration
The 911 Classic Club Coupe is a celebration of Porsche ingenuity and excellence both in the past and its exciting present. It’s also a testimony to the vision of Porsche and Porsche Club of America (PCA), the largest single-marque car club in the world. It’s an utterly unique car – hence the 911 Classic Club Coupe No. 001/001 badge that is proudly displayed on the dashboard – bringing together influences from some of the greatest hits from across the different 911 eras. It’s a stunning example of Porsche craftsmanship.The 911 Sport Classic (type 997) of 2009 was a prime inspiration – a limited series that was never available to US customers. It’s joined by that true icon of sportscars, one that has adorned the bedroom walls of so many car lovers when growing up, the 911 Carrera RS 2.7, with its trademark ‘ducktail’ rear wing. And you’ll also notice the unmistakable, curvaceous double bubble roof of the Carrera GT. And that’s not all – the donor vehicle is the 911, type 996, the youngest of the 911 sportscars to come under the Porsche Classic banner. It’s truly a celebration of all things 911, in the shape of one very special car. The 911 Classic Club Coupe is steeped in history. Here are the highlights of an extraordinary Porsche sportscar.Legendary design, legendary designerThe 911 Classic Club Coupe story began when Porsche and PCA sat down together and mused on what Porsche car from the past that they would have most liked to have collaborated on. It didn’t take them long to come up with an answer. In 2009, the 911 Sport Classic (type 997) drew inspiration from the past to create a car that became an icon in its own right. But it never officially went on sale in the US. So, what better car to pay homage to? And if you want to do it right, who better to call upon than the legendary Porsche designer who penned the 911 Sport Classic – Grant Larson of Style Porsche.Grant Larson, legendary Style Porsche designer – whose designs include the first Porsche Boxster – sketches the 911 Classic Club Coupe Along with the project team from Porsche Individualisation and Classic, they went to work on the unique, one-off 911 Classic Club Coupe, with particularly intensive work done on the double-dome roof and the fixed rear spoiler – standout features, respectively, from two of the most famous Porsche cars of the past five decades in the shape of the Carrera GT and 911 Carrera RS 2.7.Attention to detail in a classic Porsche sportscarThe donor car was a 911 Carrera (type 996) from 1998 – purposely chosen as it was roadworthy but somewhat in need of a little care and attention. Or, as it turned out, a complete root and branch treatment. Only the body was required, so after it had been completely stripped out, it was treated to a chemical bath to remove all the paint. From here, the body was rebuilt and strengthened, with areas that had deformed over time being reshaped by the hugely experienced manufacturing team from the Porsche Sonderwunsch programme.The Porsche 911 Classic Club at Porsche Classic in Germany and its as yet-to-be-fitted 3.6-litre powertrainIt was followed by a cathodic dip coating at Zuffenhausen for state-of-the-art rust prevention. Attention to detail and the adoption of modern car manufacturing technique is key to these special projects as well as every complete restoration at Porsche Classic. The striking paint colour is the new Sport Grey Metallic, embellished by double stripes down the middle of the car in Sport Grey Light, highlighted with thin lines in the trademark exclusive PCA colour, Clubblau. A decor of the ‘Classic Club Coupe’ logo adorns the sides of the car.The Porsche craftsmanship that built the 911 Classic Club Coupe is founded on decades of experience with the companyPorsche Classic expertiseArmed with the aerodynamics data from a test vehicle during extensive testing at the Porsche Development Centre in Weissach and on test drives, the experts from Porsche Classic got to work on those two standout features – reproducing the rear lid with a fixed spoiler in the landmark ducktail shape and the double bubble roof.This was mainly done – by hand – by the people at Porsche Classic, who count as experts in the business. In fact, a big factor in the quality of Porsche craftsmanship is that many of them previously worked on the original production lines for the cars they today help to restore. Newly-developed components, new parts and body adaptations – like that done to accommodate the GT3 powertrain of the 911 Classic Club Coupe – all benefited from their unrivalled know-how.The Pepita weave leather interior of the 911 Classic Club Coupe is a unique, standout featureThe one-off nature of the 911 Classic Club Coupe extends to the interior too. The door panels and centre panels of the sport seats, for example, are that classic Porsche pattern, Pepita – although in this case in diagonal Black and Slate Grey braided leather, with stitching in Clubblau, the trademark colour of PCA. The three-spoke steering wheel of the 996 is also stitched in the thread. Other unique details include round instrument binnacles in the style of the 2009 911 Sport Classic while the car is installed with the Porsche Classic Communication Management which displays a start image with the words ‘Classic Club Coupe’.Fuchs wheels, with a twistFew things are more identifiable with Porsche than the Fuchs rims wheels that were such a hallmark of the early 911 sportscars. For the 911 Classic Club Coupe project they were designed for the type 996 for the first time ever as a Porsche genuine part, refined with exclusive details like the Porsche logo on the rim base and a fine line in Clubblau around the radius of the wheel. They jump out at you, just like they famously did on the 911 Carrera RS 2.7.The exclusive nature of the 911 Classic Club Coupe is enhanced by specially adapted accessories from the Porsche Classic range, like the colour-matched key and pouch Finishing touches: accessoriesThe special nature of the 911 Classic Club Coupe demanded a set of unique accessories to go with it. The same levels of craftsmanship have gone into selected items from the Porsche Classic range that have been adapted for this one-off vehicle. The key is painted in the primary vehicle colour of Sport Grey Metallic and featuring a leather pouch, while the tool bag, first aid kit and touring bag are all made of that standout braided leather in the Pepita pattern. Even the car cover is tailor-made for the 911 Classic Club Coupe.Prior to delivery, the 911 Classic Club Coupe underwent a full inspection, and a drive by the manager of the Porsche Classic Factory Restoration, Uwe MakrutzkiTwo and a half years in the making, this very special Porsche sportscar is a showcase of the vision of PCA and skills of the Porsche engineers and mechanics who work on the Sonderwunsch programme. They’ve created an exclusive Factory One-Off, as part of the Sonderwunsch programme, that will be a feature of Porsche Club of America events for many years to come and an inspiration to Porsche fans everywhere.
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