PORSCHE 911 997

About the Porsche 911 997

The 997 was Porsche's apology letter for the 996's styling. Round headlights returned. The interior quality improved dramatically. The flat-six grew to 3.6 liters and then 3.8 with direct injection in the 997.2 facelift. The 911 looked like a 911 again, and the car world exhaled. The 997 GT3 with the Mezger engine became an instant classic — 415 hp, naturally aspirated, rear-wheel drive, manual gearbox. The GT3 RS went further with less weight and more aero. The 997 Turbo made 480 hp and could embarrass supercars costing three times as much. PDK dual-clutch arrived with the 997.2 and was so good it converted manual diehards overnight. The 997 generation sold more units than any 911 before it, proving that the formula still worked — rear engine, flat-six, and a shape everyone recognized.