996 TURBO: THE EVERYDAY SUPERCAR

In the Market Watch feature in this issue we look at how modern 911 specialist and GT models have rocketed in value and will now rarely if ever see life outside collectors’ secure lock-ups. So for this Buyers’ Guide we focus on one GT Porsche that is almost modern and which is affordable – the 996 generation, 2000 to 2006 911 Turbo coupe, which you can get for as little as £30,000.

Costing close on £90,000 when launched, its twin-turbo, twinintercooler 3.6-litre engine was not based on the normal 911 watercooled unit, but the ‘Mezger’ Le Mans derived engine, and produced 420bhp and 413lb ft torque. The gearbox was either sixspeed manual or the optional five-speed Tiptronic S, the automatic that preceded PDK, while the all-wheel drive transmission had a rear-bias set up, with a mere five per cent of torque fed through the front wheels in normal driving (this could rise to 40 per cent, depending on road conditions).

Sports suspension was fitted, which lowered the ride height by 10mm, and 8Jx18-inch front and 11Jx18-inch rear wheels were shod with 225/40 and 295/30 tyres respectively. By now the 911 Turbo’s classic, fixed position “whale tail” rear wing had given way to a reduced in size but extendable “duck tail”. The 996 was the last of the “analogue” 911 Turbos, with Porsche Stability Management (PSM) traction the only chassis electronics. In the UK the 911 Turbo came well equipped, including electrically adjusted leather seats with memory, climate control air conditioning, sunroof, Bose sound system and metallic paint.

Unlike the regular 996, the Turbo did not undergo a significant mid term revamp, thus the early spec ran through until the end bar some minor interior updates in 2002. For the 2003 model year the £8700 X50 Performance Kit was introduced as a factory option: with modified turbos, intercoolers, the ECU and gearbox, it raised power 30bhp to 450bhp and torque by 44lb ft to 457lb ft.

For the 2005 model year (and therefore offered alongside the first 997-series Carrera models), the Turbo S appeared. The extra £11,240 over the normal Turbo brought the Performance Kit, the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) comprising larger, 350mm ceramic front discs along with six- rather than four-pot calipers, and Porsche Communication Management.