Tuesday, August 23, 2022

Six Reasons I've Bought A Porsche 996 Carrera




It鈥檚 no secret that I鈥檇 been harbouring ambitions to get myself into a second-generation 996 since the end of last year. Fortunately, my first field assignment of 2016 was to conduct Total 911鈥檚 996 Carrera Gen1 v Gen2 head-to-head in issue 136, and I came away from that test positively amazed by the value for money a 996 Carrera holds. So much so, in fact, that I decided I had to have one, and soon. However, the car did have RPM Technik鈥檚 110-point inspection and boroscope (closely resembling that of the service at an OPC) and it鈥檚 since had a major service and IMS upgrade carried out at RPM. I also opted for a lightweight flywheel from the company鈥檚 revered CSR range. So, it was good to go, and I collected the car at the weekend. In a bizarre way, long-term 996 ownership fascinates me, so I鈥檒l be reporting on my experiences - warts n鈥?all - with the 996.2 C4 in the 鈥楲iving the Legend鈥?owner reports section of Total 911 in each issue.





Gone is the 鈥榮hoot-from-the-hip鈥?placement of buttons and dials that stymies the interior experience of any air-cooled 911, replaced by a cabin that鈥檚 had clear purpose and ergonomic thought gone into it. So, you have performance and mod cons all together in an enviable package for just a little more than a first-generation Boxster - and with a 996 you get the added prestige of entering into 911 ownership, too. Only a brave man would currently start modifying something like a 993 Turbo, in my opinion, as residual values for classics such as those are so high. However, humble values of the 996 mean modifying won鈥檛 significantly affect its resale potential. Also, parts are relatively cheap, and you can take your pick from a wide spectrum of specialists who鈥檝e now got nearly 17 years experience in fine-tuning their products to make the great 996 even greater. By and large, these are all key components that no longer ring true on any 911 currently sitting in OPC showrooms. Moreover, the 996 is petite: place a 996 Carrera next to a 991 Carrera and delight in the former鈥檚 elfin appearance - exactly how a 911 should be. If you find rust on one, it鈥檚 likely down to poor accident repair work, rather than anything that can be levied at Zuffenhausen. Let鈥檚 be honest, values of these can鈥檛 go any lower. There鈥檚 been a small spike in residual values of the 996 in recent months too, though this is largely immaterial. The fact is, the 996 is a great 911, and people are finally waking up to its merits - I am one of them. As a specialist recently remarked to me, it鈥檚 funny how the ugly duckling can turn into something of a swan, eh? I couldn鈥檛 agree more.





Adaptive shock absorbers with coil springs and an air suspension are options if you want to improve ride/handling characteristics. 16,000 in performance options to the Macan S if you want, including carbon-ceramic brakes, the aforementioned upgraded suspensions, a torque-vectoring function for enhanced cornering rotation, sport exhaust and more. Interior styling is purely performance-minded. Our test car was equipped with optional red and black leather, red accent stitching and aluminum accents. Porsche鈥檚 signature center-mounted tachometer has a huge presence over any other gauge; it鈥檚 a testament to the Macan鈥檚 driver-oriented nature. 12,000 of convenience and media options, including blind spot monitoring, a heated steering wheel, heated and cooled seats, heated rear seats, a panoramic moonroof, navigation and a Bose stereo. About that heated steering wheel: The on/off button is hidden behind the wheel, in the bottom spoke. It鈥檚 nearly impossible to find without consulting the owner鈥檚 manual or getting a pointer from someone in the know.





Brightly colored red sport seats hug your sides like good all-purpose sport seats should, with supportive bolstering and enough lower-back padding to make long drives doable. With how little room they have, backseat passengers may not be as happy to spend long drives in the Macan. There鈥檚 a big hump in the middle of the floor, and the panoramic roof cuts headroom. At 6 feet tall, I felt shoehorned into the backseat. There鈥檚 significantly more room in the larger X6 and GLE450 AMG, which you can compare with the Macan here. Another signature Porsche interior characteristic is a massive center console littered with buttons 鈥?not only for typical controls such as Sport mode or heated seats, but also independent buttons for each available airflow direction for the climate system. It鈥檚 actually not a bad setup. I acclimated to the layout quickly and appreciated having buttons at my fingertips for functions that are normally hidden within layers upon layers of touch-screen menus.

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