“You’d have to be perverse to declare the old car was better…” Not our words, clearly, but those of evo in its January 1999 Car of the Year issue. The “old car”? That will be the 993 and so, by implication, there must be a new car. There was, the 996 Carrera 2, which wiped the board with the competition… and that included the Ferrari F355.
And it wasn’t just our colleagues at evo who awarded the 996 a gong and the full five stars. In the days when car mags and journos were the qualified influencers, there were few who didn’t side with that opinion. Sure, there was a lament for the demise of the air-cooled generation and that lost air-cooled character, but you really would have to be perverse to declare the old car was better.
THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME (…ISH)
It was, if you like, Porsche’s difficult second album. From the 911’s inception in 1964 right through to 1995, Stuttgart had effectively re-mixed the master tapes in a series of evolutions, culminating with the 993. In 1998, the 996 was the revolution that had to happen and the purists didn’t like it. They didn’t like the fact that it was water-cooled, they didn’t like the fact that it shared its modular construction and numerous parts/panels with the Boxster and, over time, they really didn’t like the fact that the ‘new’ 911 (like the Boxster) appealed to a far broader customer base. With familiarity grows contempt.
I was one of those 911 virgins. With no air-cooled 911 prejudice/experience (although I soon made up for that, and I grew to love the old ‘uns too), the 996 was the first 911 I ever drove in 2000. I was blown away. Dynamically, it was like nothing I had ever experienced before and I made the absolute most of my week behind the wheel, including a there-and-back-in-24-hours Nürburgring trip. This was a car that I absolutely knew I would have to own in the future. Indeed, it would be fair to say that it had quite a profound effect on me. It was a long time coming, but – thanks to a small windfall – I finally bought a basic C2 in 2015 and ran it for five happy years. I’m not the only motoring scribbler to have made such a 996 purchase; it ticks all our purist boxes. I made a modest profit when I came to sell it too.
Back in 2000, if you had told me that the 996 was going to fall so drastically, from Car of the Year-winning grace to the point today where £30,000+ can separate a 996 Carrera 2 and 993 Carrera 2, I would have considered you one cylinder short of the full flat-six. Oh, and here’s another thing. Back in 2002, when I wanted but couldn’t afford a 996 Carrera 2, I bought a 911 Carrera 3.2 as my first Porsche instead. Try writing that sentence today, in a world where the air-cooled boat has sailed for many of us. But, having had experience of both, I know which I would rather have and that’s not just making virtue out of fiscal necessity.
The 996 was the first mass-produced 911… or should that be the first 911 that was designed to be mass-produced, thanks to the arrival of Porsche saviour Wendelin Wiedeking. That wider customer base saw a car that no longer had the associated baggage of quirkiness, old-school machismo and a required deep understanding of the laws of rear engine physics. They saw a sports car that came in all sorts of guises, that was actually really very driveable and practical every day. Tiptronics, Cabrios, Targas, Carrera 4s, some really quite strange colour combos and ubiquity all conspired against the 996.
And then there were the ‘issues’. A handful of exploding engines did for the 996’s reputation and in came a whole micro industry of fixes and snake oil. It’s a subject for another story, but all the engines that were ever going to blow up have now probably done so and the ‘fixes’ that are worthwhile are easily retrofitted during routine maintenance. Also, in all my years of writing about Porsches, I’ve been privy to numerous IMS bearing swaps and I’ve never seen an original outgoing bearing that was anything less than perfect. I know of one specialist who has a ‘special’ draw in his tool chest for all the perfect standard bearings that he’s removed and replaced that he never tires of displaying.
THE STATE OF THE ART
All of this has kept the 996 in the doldrums, but that is starting to change. It’s a 911, after all, and it will have its day. That’s why we’re gathered here in sunny Norfolk with a trio of 996s to big up what is now the de facto ‘your first 911’. In many respects, this seems quite mad, but rejoice in the fact that this first rung on the 911 ladder is also one of the very best. Really? Yes, really…
In order to track the 996’s trajectory, we’re being selective in choosing a base 1998 Carrera 2 and 2001 Carrera 4 in 3.4-litre Gen 1 guises, plus making the transition to a 2003 Gen 2 3.6-litre Carrera 2. Sure, the 996 Carrera 4S is, in market and value terms, more desirable, but there is a ‘less is more’ mantra that is crucial here too. Indeed, think of the Carrera 2 as a junior GT3.
Again, really? Here’s a killer 996 C2 fact: at 1,320kg versus 1,350kg, it’s actually lighter than the 996 GT3. That wasn’t lost on Autocar back in the day, as the test team pondered why they couldn’t get a 996 GT3 to 60mph quicker than a 996 C2 and the C2 was still ahead even when going further to 100mph. The stats? They’re 0-60mph in 4.6s versus 4.8s and 0-100mph in 10.5s versus 10.9s. That’s the difference that 30kg makes despite a power deficit of 60bhp from the C2’s 300bhp M96 flat-six compared to the GT3’s mighty 360bhp Mezger unit. To put all this into perspective, the 996 Carrera 2 is the lightest water-cooled 911, full stop. Oh, and it’s lighter than a 993 Carrera 2, with more power and a more advanced chassis, longer wheelbase and wider track. It’s no wonder that, on the same stretch of road and with drivers of equal talent, the 996 soon pulls ahead.
Let’s fully consider the 996’s spec. With a blank canvas and the benefit of modern monocoque construction and computer modelling, Porsche was able to build a level of torsional rigidity into the new bodyshell than eclipsed the 993 by 30 per cent. In a sign of the times in construction, 21 per cent of that was achieved by being able to bond the front and rear windows.
That rigidity allows the suspension and steering to really work its magic. MacPherson struts might sound ordinary but, as a form of integrating the damper and spring, they are hard to beat. However, the real genius of the 996’s suspension lies within the 993-influenced LFA multi-link rear set-up, which keeps the rear wheels perfectly upright at all times for maximum traction – something that the 911 has in abundance, of course. Upfront is rather more conventional, with the MacPherson struts sandwiched between the lower aluminium suspension ‘coffin’ arms and the suspension top-mounts, an anti-roll bar and, for the first time in a 911, a steering rack that’s ahead of the front wheel centreline. A completely new Getrag-designed, six-speed transaxle features an engineered, mechanical short-shift action too.
To be absolutely accurate, the all-new M96 3.4-litre in launch spec produces 296bhp and a willing 258lbs/ft of torque at 4,600rpm. What it gave away in terms of noise and character, compared to the outgoing and effectively outlawed air-cooled 3.6 of the 993, it makes up for in power and sophistication. Taken at absolute face value, and leaving aside those ‘issues’, it is an absolute masterpiece of power and elasticity that’s only bettered by the Gen 2 3.6 – which we will come to in a moment.
FOUR ON THE FLOOR
While we’re not going to major on the 996 Carrera 4, we do have one to play with and it does play an important part in the modern 911 era. It’s also pertinent to the development of the 996 GT3, donating its stiffer/heavier bodyshell to cope with the extra stresses generated by the front diff transferring power – up to 40 per cent – to the front wheels and it’s structurally different to the Carrera 2 bodyshell from the windscreen forward.
The Carrera 4 introduced something new to the all-wheel-drive party in the form of Porsche Stability Management (PSM). Made possible by the adoption of an electronic drive-by-wire throttle (E-Gas), this Bosch-designed system combines onboard longitudinal controls – the anti-lock brakes and Automatic Brake Differential (ABD) – with a lateral control that cuts in only briefly, but equally decisively, to support the hard-pedalling driver in keeping the car stable in a corner. Wheel speed sensors detect the difference in speed from left to right, while a steering angle sensor, lateral acceleration sensor and yaw sensor detect drift angles. The aim is to provide lateral stability, controlling a slide by applying brake force to individual wheels. Oversteer is countered by the application of brake force to the outside front wheel, while understeer is quashed by braking the inside rear.
Sophisticated stuff, which would soon be a standard feature on all 996s moving forward. Its genius, though, was its non-intrusive nature and super-subtle intervention acting to enhance the driving experience rather than actively blunt it. Even Walter Röhrl was a big fan, claiming that he would take C2 over C4… but then he did help to develop it. Nevertheless, the 996 Carrera 4 is an absolute weapon over treacherous ground, but we’re not expecting any decisive advantage in today’s dry conditions.
IN THE PINK
And the Gen 2 Carrera 3.6? Again, we’ll come to that. But before we go for a drive, we should step back and just take a good look at the 996’s Pinky Lai-styled aesthetics, which must have been one tough gig, bringing the 911’s timeless silhouette into a very different world. A success? Well, perception of the 996’s styling and looks has ebbed and flowed over the years, but now there is a certain purity about the early Gen 1 cars, with their shark-like front ends, and the nonsense about ‘fried egg’ headlight/indicators has abated too. They look great. Compared to the modern, bloated and fussily styled 992, the 996 is the model of restraint. But it’s not all good. There is no denying that the 996’s interior doesn’t feature that same restraint, with its over-stylised architecture and approximate build quality. Ergonomically, though, in terms of placement of your all-important driving tools, the 996 is a definitive 911 gamechanger. Likewise in terms of their precision and linearity.
It’s not a recognised thing, largely because I’ve only just invented it, but there is a power-to-size-to-road equation (some smart Alec could probably devise a formula) which the 911 busted through with the 991 and has truly demolished with the 992. That is to say, the current 911 is too big and too powerful for our roads, particularly our Britpop B roads. If your 911 doesn’t work here, then it’s not fit for purpose.
The 996 has the perfect balance of what we’ll call PSR. It just works, blending, flowing and dancing with the undulations and ragged topography. It’s a ride/handling balance that has seemingly been lost to 20”+ wheels and iron-fist damping. You can drive a 996 up to its limit and then just hold it there in the palm of your hand, revelling in the feedback from the steering and animated chassis. Back in the 996’s day, the only contemporary that could keep up with a well-driven 996 C2/C4 was a Subaru Impreza. A 993 C2 wouldn’t have seen which way it went, then or now. Wringing out the endlessly, elastically flexible, 3.4-litre, flat-six is an absolute joy.
The Carrera 4 isn’t far behind in terms of driving enjoyment either. On this dry day, it offers no real advantage but, if you had never driven a Carrera 2, then its slightly less chatty steering and default towards understeer would hardly register. Its advantage as a junior everyday supercar is less of an advantage these days, when few 996s are used in such a way. For maximum entertainment and driving involvement, the Carrera 2 has it beaten.
SUNNY SIDE UP
Saving the best to last, though, here comes 2002’s Gen 2 996 Carrera 2 3.6. Fundamentally, it’s the same car with some styling tweaks, most notably the headlights, plus a better-quality interior, which is welcome. But never has an extra 200cc and 15bhp made itself felt so energetically. The full fat figure is 315bhp but, as ever in real road situations, it’s the torque that talks: a loaded 273lbs/ft at 4,250rpm versus the 3.4’s 251lbs/ft at 4,600rpm. Put simply, there is power absolutely everywhere, the engine is constantly poised for any given situation and it’s ready to work the brilliance of the chassis. It’s a little heavier at 1,345kg, but the extra power and torque makes light work of such a small gain, even if you do feel a slight effect in its responses. It’s still lighter than a 996 GT3, though!
So, the Gen 2 996 Carrera 2 wins, then? The best? If only it were that simple. Yes, objectively, it is the better car and that engine is something else, but there is also something quite beguiling about that lightweight Gen 1 and the way the 3.4-litre unit is just that bit more hungry for revs and makes you work a little bit harder. Maybe it’s because you never forget your first time, it’s 25 years since mine – a silver anniversary, in fact – and today’s silver 996 Carrera 2 is a time-travelling dead ringer for that Nürburgring day-tripping machine. Back in 2000, it was peak 911. In today’s landscape, it occupies the bottom rung of the 911 ladder. Go figure, but celebrate too. Truly, we’ve never had it so good.
This feature was written by Adam Towler and first appeared in the May 2025 issue of our monthly Club magazine, Porsche Post. to receive your copy, as well as enjoying a host of exclusive member benefits and savings.