996 CARRERA
Though now recognised as a wildly popular model responsible for bringing the 911 into the modern age, the 996 was the subject of much derision when launched in 1997. Porsche purists were stunned at the inclusion of a water-cooled flat-six, but this was only part of the story — the 996 was the biggest redevelopment of the 911 since launch of the 901 more than three decades earlier.
Factory designer, Pinky Lai, is credited with the 996 shape, working under timeserved head of Style Porsche, Harm Lagaay. Though many will remember the early 996 for its historically unloved ‘fried egg’ front light clusters (now gaining fresh respect as we exit the 996’s twentieth anniversary year), Lai and his colleagues were proud of the fact they did away with the somewhat ugly water drain rail running across the top of the side glass, a feature of all 911s up to and including the outgoing 993.
The removal of this detail indicated the 996’s body was brand-new. Indeed, Porsche looked long and hard at using aluminium for the body and even for the chassis, though the material was eventually ruled out on the basis of cost, manufacturing complexity and concerns regarding ease of repair. Instead, a large proportion of high-strength steels were employed (hot zinc-galvanised to protect against corrosion, a method Porsche had pioneered), allowing for weight reduction and a shell claimed to be forty-five percent stiffer in torsion than that of the 993, not to mention fifty percent more resistant to bending forces. The front and rear windscreens were also bonded in for the first time, considerably upping the strength of the structure, which comprised more than sixty-three percent deep-drawn steel, accounting for the smooth, compound curve exterior body panels.
More than twenty-nine percent of the structure was manufactured from high-strength steel, including sideimpact protection, the centre tunnel, the windscreen surround and longitudinal frame members. Cleverly, the final heat treatment of these components happened when the paint was baked.
Meanwhile, the front bulkhead and side sill supports used tailored steel blanks of varying thicknesses,
accounting for almost six and a half percent of the overall steel. These were laser-welded together and then pressed to provide strong reinforcement. Last but by no means least, boron steel was used in the footwells and door reinforcements to increase overall strength.
“We see few bodywork corrosion issues on the 996s coming in and out of our workshop,” says Peter Robinson, Service and Parts Manager at Warringtonbased Porsche restoration, maintenance and tuning outfit, Ninemeister. “The 996 was better undersealed than the 997,” he continues. “Plus, the 996 doesn’t suffer as much in the way of bore scoring as the later 911. Put it this way, though I’d recommend a pre-purchase inspection, I would have no hesitation in buying a 996 Carrera today. These are really great cars and can be bought at very reasonable cost.” Indeed, a base model 996 Carrera can be yours for between £12k and £20k. Examples with exceptionally low mileage will command more, but then you’re in 997 territory. “I’d want a 996 Carrera coupe with manual transmission,” Peter stresses. “This specification will continue to rise in value, as it has done in recent years. If you’re looking for somewhere safe to park your money, but are working with a modest budget, it’s difficult to ignore everything the 996 Carrera has to offer. It’s a brilliant car.”
Though Porsche had used watercooling in many road and race cars prior to the arrival of the 996, the 911 abandoning the air-cooled flat-six was nothing short of momentous. There was a moment when it looked as though the 993 could have had the honour of being the first water-cooled 911 — Porsche seriously considered using an Audi-supplied V8. The fact this engine would have required a complete rethink of the 911’s layout was the air-cooled flat-six’s saving grace. Nonetheless, air-cooling was living on borrowed time: compromises, such as increasingly difficult-to-quell noise, cost of manufacturing and limitations on performance were at the forefront of Porsche’s thinking. Thankfully, the future of the manufacturer’s flat-six arrangement (albeit with water cooling) was assured when Porsche took the decision to develop the 996 and the 986 Boxster in parallel, allowing economies of scale.
Toward the other end of the 996 price scale resides the first-generation 911 GT3, a model which has proved itself an appreciating modern classic during the course of the past couple of years. Put it this way, back in 2020, you could easily have picked one up for sixty grand. Now? Even high-mileage examples in need of paint (to eliminate gravel rash) are fetching north of £80k. Moreover, superclean 996 GT3S are fetching six figure sale prices, such is the love enthusiasts now have for this historically significant 911. Buy one before it’s too late. ●