Buying Guide: Porsche 911 (996)
What you need to know about Gen 5 911s
COVER STORY All you need to know before you buy a water-cooled 911.
This year marks 55 years since the Porsche 911 arrived. Since that first car rolled off the production lines more than one million 911s have been built. There have been seven distinct generations and hundreds of different variations on the theme – the variety is bewildering.
Most of the air-cooled cars are now out of reach financially, while most of the water-cooled 911s have yet to achieve classic status. But there is one generation that’s in the classic sweet spot, and that’s the 966, the first of the water-cooled models.
The 996 was something of a watershed for Porsche, as it was far more modern to drive than its predecessor, and it was sold in significantly greater numbers, so it’s much more readily available than the 993. More refined, better equipped, smoother and more efficient, the 996 represented a big step forward for Porsche. What didn’t change was the car’s usability; with its four seats and excellent build quality, this is one of the most usable supercars ever created.
Which one?
The entry-level 996 is the rear-wheel drive Carrera 2 (C2) and there was also a four-wheel drive Carrera 4 (C4); the hotter Carrera 4S (C4S) sat above these. The Turbo came in four-wheel drive form only, in coupé or cabriolet guises, and there was also a Targa in 3.6-litre Carrera 4 spec. Targas are rare and while they’re reliable, they can suffer from rattles. Few people seek one out specifically, largely because unlike previous 911 Targas the 996 is effectively just a coupé with a large glass sliding sunroof; there’s no lift-out panel like before. We’re focusing on the mainstream 996s here – the C2, C4, C4S and Turbo. The more specialist models such as the 462bhp GT2 and 360bhp GT3 are limited-run track-day lightweights. These make great investments, but with prices starting at £70,000 for a GT3 and £100,000 for a GT2, they’re specialist machines.
The early 996 has a 300bhp 3.4-litre engine that’s smooth and sounds great (even better with the optional sports exhaust), but the later car, with its 316bhp engine feels more punchy. The C2 and C4 editions are the most prevalent, and unless you’re a seriously hard-core driver they’re ample. On four-wheel drive models, in normal driving just 5% of the power goes to the front wheels, but this jumps to 40% if the rear wheels are struggling for grip.
What you should buy with care is a Tiptronic 996, as this semi-automatic transmission isn’t slick. Even though most buyers want a manual-gearbox car there’s not much difference between manual and auto values. Whether you go for a coupé or convertible is a question of preference. The Carrera 4S is seen by many as the pick of the bunch as it’s got the wide body of the Turbo, larger wheels and tyres, a lowered chassis, bigger brakes and sports seats. Quite brilliant to drive, the C4S is worth seeking out, but we wouldn’t steer you away from a 996 Turbo either, which has all of the C4S’S characteristics, but is insanely fast.
Bodywork
The 996 doesn’t rust at all, so any sign of corrosion means the car has been crashed then badly repaired; invest in an HPI check before buying any 996. While most panels are galvanised steel, the front and rear bumpers are plastic, so check for cracking and crazing that indicates parking by touch; most 996s have rear parking sensors. Investing in some rustproofing is worthwhile to ensure the underbody fittings don’t corrode, as they can do after years of exposure to the