PORSCHE 996
In the world of Porsche, the leap from air-cooled 993 series to liquid-cooled 996 was both inevitable and earthshattering. Traditionalists didn’t approve and you can kind of see why, but in reality the parent company had no option. The chassis gained a torsional stiffness increase of 45 per cent, with a 50 per cent increase in extra bending stiffness, and its softer looks reduced its drag co-efficient from 0.34 to just 0.30.
Meanwhile the liquid-cooled and wet-sumped engine had liners cast into the crankcase, and was far less susceptible to overheating – particularly in traffic. However there were some reliability issues: intermediate shaft (IMS) bearing failure, along with cracked heads and liners. These should be well and truly sorted by now.
The new M96 engine found in the rear of the 996 is actually a far more rev-happy unit in comparison to the 993’s M64. In terms of chassis dynamics, the 996 was a far more modern unit – and gave birth to the track-focused GT3 model which remains one of the best driver’s cars today.
The 996’s larger dimensions allowed for a more comfortable setting for its occupants. Placement of controls was more logical, and the switchgear and button layout was a marked improvement over the previous generations’ random scatterings.
Look across the range and there is a huge amount of choice, turbo and non-turbo, roadster, coupe, rear-wheel-drive or all-paw, with lots of combinations on offer. Get the right car and they are a compelling drive with heaps of performance, and more forgiving handling than a lot of their forebears.
We reckon there’s strong value on offer. For example we recently spotted a 2000 Carrera six-speed manual with a local ser vice histor y for $70,000. Potentially a lot of car for the money.
“WE RECKON THERE’S STRONG VALUE ON OFFER”