Design icons

Controversial in many ways, the 996 not only saw the demise of air-cooling, but took styling in a whole new direction: these headlights were the result

One of the standout features of the 911's design is also one of the most controversial…

the 996 was a divisive neunelfer for many, and one aspect came in for particular criticism: those headlights. Referred to as a ‘runny egg’ design, the large new units replaced the traditional shape that had been a feature of the 911 since its inception, and integrated the main lighting functions with indicators, parking lights and fog lamps. some found the orange indicator lenses, which cut into the top of the bumper, particularly jarring, not least because they reinforced the fact that the new car was sharing components with the cheaper Boxster (the fact that the design was also used by the revered gt1 race car did little to alleviate criticism).

the standard set-up featured h7 halogen bulbs for main and dipped beam and benefitted from manual levelling controlled from within the cabin, but it’s no surprise that buyers could dig deeper into their pockets for something more sophisticated. the first option was ‘litronic’ units – a name adopted from supplier, Bosch – which utilised a mix of xenon and halogen bulbs and came with an automatic levelling function. the costlier choice was full bi-xenon lighting, which did away with halogen altogether, porsche claiming that the light output was twice that of the more traditional units, while at the same using thirty per cent less power. in the interim, porsche instigated a number of changes to the original design that not only harmonised the appearance across the 996 range, but also further distanced the model from the Boxster. the first alteration arrived for MY1999, when the orange indicator lenses were swapped for clear items – it would become a common modification for owners looking to facelift their car – and two years later the 996 turbo introduced a light unit that had been reshaped. the straight-edged indicator portion at the bottom was now curved, necessitating a re-profiling of the bumper, and it was a look that would be adopted for all models from MY2002.

Considered retrospectively, the 996’s lights are viewed more positively today, but it’s notable that porsche returned to a more conventional appearance for the 997. a styling mistake or distinctive feature? perhaps the jury is still out.

“The fact that the design was also used by the revered GT1 race car did little to alleviate criticism”