The 3.2 Carrera joined the 911 line-up in late-1983, and by the following year plans were in motion for a more sporting, lightweight version of the flagship coupé. Though not a fully fledged Rennsport creation, the famed M637 “Club Sport” option pack offered enthusiastic drivers a suite of upgrades that turned the 911 from sports car into a roadgoing quasi-racer.
The new model eventually made its debut at the 1987 Frankfurt Motor Show, bringing with it several notable improvements. Though it shared the same 3.2-litre air-cooled flat-six as its stablemates, the engine was enhanced with hollow intake valves and a new engine management system that lifted the rev limit from 6,250 to 6,840 rpm. The tried-and-tested five-speed Getrag G50 transaxle remained, though the gear ratios were revised, while a limited-slip differential became standard equipment. Bilstein dampers were added, along with stiffer engine and gearbox mounts.
On paper, at least, the 3.2 Carrera’s 231 horsepower output was unchanged, with a marked improvement in handling and performance owing more to 16-inch forged alloy wheels and a crash diet that resulted in all unnecessary weight being removed. Everything not nailed down was removed, from foglamps and rear window wipers to sound deadening and the passenger sun visor, while electric windows, central locking, and air conditioning remained the preserve of the less barren 3.2 Carrera. Even the CS badge was replaced with a sticker in the name of weight saving.
Ultimately, just 340 examples of the Club Sport would be built, among them the machine offered here. According to factory data, chassis 105133 was completed on 14 March 1988 and delivered to Porsche’s home market of Germany. It was finished in the ever-popular Guards Red and specified with the M637 Club Sport package, which included the aforementioned mechanical improvements. Little is known about the car until 15 February 2012, when it was purchased from Munich-based dealer Auto Toy Store and became part of The Carrera Collection.
The Club Sport is one of rarest and most special G-series 911s, a machine so much greater than the sum of its parts; a true driver’s car in every sense.