Porsche 911 Carrera 2
Like the Mercedes, the Porsche 911 is an instantly recognisable shape, even though the 964 generation introduced in 1989 had brought the widest-ranging changes ever to the Neunelfer. The revised model was said to be 85 per cent new, and though the basic shape was the same as it had been since 1963 there were smoothed-out bumpers, rear lights that were new and bigger, and a pop-up rear spoiler – details that made the 964 look far more modern than its predecessors. The cabin was reworked, though again the innovations were only apparent in the details.
It’s a snug cabin with room enough for two and tiny rear seats that are only capable of accommodating young children or a compressed adult. Subsidiary controls are strewn haphazardly across the dashboard, but the orange-needled instruments are clustered tidily behind the steering wheel with the rev counter replete with its 6750rpm red line in the centre. I grab the small, vertical wheel – set very close to the dash and the screen – and find my hands obscure the fuel level and oil temperature gauges, as well as the speedo needle beyond 100mph. The floor-hinged pedals are well spaced but squeezed over towards the centre of the car by the wheelarch intrusion, and there’s nowhere to rest my clutch foot when it’s not in use. The whole things is an odd mixture of clarity and chaos.
The same could be said of the 964’s handling. At normal speeds it feels glued to the road, the ride firm enough to keep the car level but with enough suppleness to be unaffected by mid-corner potholes. The 964 responds in a precise, measured way to steering inputs and there’s masses of feedback through the steering wheel rim as the front wheels wriggle over and around asperities in the tarmac, despite this being the first 911 provided with power assistance. Yet there’s always the uneasy feeling that at some point driver ambition might be over-ruled by the laws of physics as that rear-biased weight distribution takes over and swings the tail around. The new suspension – by coil springs rather than the previous torsion bars – means that’s a less likely prospect than in the 911s that preceded it, but even so it makes me drive the 964 with a healthy dose of respect.
It’s at its best, its most stable, when braked in good time in a straight line and then powered out of the corners. Part of the 964’s newness was a thoroughly revamped engine, expanded to 3.6 litres over the previous 3.2, with new cylinder heads and a heavily modified block. With 250bhp on tap it was the most powerful non-turbo 911 yet made. The motor grumbles away at idle with a seething intent and on the road you’re always aware of its presence. Push it hard and the cabin fills with a gloriously purposeful wail that’s an inextricable part of the 911 appeal.
Though these are robust cars, there are weak points. Externally the body suffers from stone chips at the front and solid paint colours fade. Superficial rust can form around the front and rear screen apertures and more serious rot can attack the rear suspension pick-up points necessitating long and complex repairs. It’s important to look for signs of accident damage repairs such as uneven panel gaps and rippled panels under the front boot carpet.
‘Push it hard and the cabin fills with a gloriously purposeful wail that’s an inextricable part of the 911 appeal’
Check for soggy interior carpets on cabrios and Targas as both can suffer from roof leaks. A cabrio roof can cost £2000 to replace. The engines commonly suffer from oil leaks, but if the leak is bad or accompanied by a misfire a cylinder head stud might have broken. A head rebuild using genuine parts will cost around £7000.
Most cars were manuals, with early ones having dual-mass flywheels which can wear and cost £1000 to replace. Tiptronic automatics are usually trouble-free although the torque converters can fail with noisy consequences. Air conditioning was a rare extra which cost £2000 on a new car and will need £1000 spent on it now unless it has had a recent rebuild. Check windows, mirrors and (if fitted) electric seat adjusters all work, because replacement parts are expensive. Cabrios, Targas and Tiptronics are worth less, starting at around £15,000 for cars that need work. Good coupés start around £50,000 and the best can be over £80,000. Turbos and RS models will be twice as much or more, so the non-turbo Carreras are where the value is.