PORSCHE 911 996

About the Porsche 911 996

The 996 was the most controversial 911 ever built, and it might have been the most important. Water cooling replaced the air-cooled flat-six that had defined the 911 for 34 years. The headlights were shared with the Boxster. The interior had more plastic than a Volkswagen. Purists declared the 911 dead. Then they drove it. The M96 3.4-liter flat-six was smoother, more powerful, and more reliable — intermediate shaft bearing failures aside — than the air-cooled engine it replaced. 300 hp in a lighter, stiffer body. The chassis was sharper. The gearbox was better. The 996 GT3 was, by any objective measure, the best-driving 911 to date. The 996 Turbo with the Mezger engine (borrowed from GT1 racing) made 420 hp and was effectively unbreakable. The GT2 deleted the front driveshafts and added 462 hp. The 996 saved Porsche financially and proved the 911 could evolve without dying. It's the generation collectors skipped and are now quietly reconsidering.