Porsche · 1997–2006

Porsche 996

The Porsche 996 is the fifth generation of the 911 model sports car manufactured by the German automaker Porsche from 1997 until 2006. It was replaced by the 997 in 2004, but the high performance Turbo S, GT2 and GT3 variants remained in production until 2006. The 996 had little in common with its predecessor, with the first all new chassis platform since the original 911 and a new water-cooled engine. Technically, it was a major change, a complete break from the original car other than the overall layout. The 996's development was shared with the roadster-only Porsche Boxster (986) whose nameplate was making its debut as Porsche's entry-level offering. The 986 was released shortly before the 996 for sales. Commonalities between the 996 and 986 included the front suspension, various interior components, and the engine, all of which were enlarged for the 996. The multi-link rear suspension was derived from the preceding 993. This was done mainly to save development costs as Porsche was facing financial troubles at that time. This move resulted in cost savings of approximately 30% in the development of the car. At its debut, the 996 featured the most significant change from the classic 911 series: a water-cooled engine replacing the previously air-cooled engine. Progressively more stringent emissions and noise regulations, environmental concerns, a higher expectation for refinement and the need for a high-performance 4 valve per cylinder engine made the switch necessary. Other major changes include a completely new platform having a sleeker body with a more raked windshield, and a re-designed interior along with new "fried egg" shaped headlamp covers (so called due to the amber coloured turn signals) instead of previous "bug eye" headlamps.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Porsche 993 · Successor: Porsche 997

All Porsche 996 data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Design and history

During the 1990s, Porsche was facing financial troubles and rumours of a proposed takeover were being spread. The signature air-cooled flat-6 of the 911 was reaching the limits of its potential as made evident by the 993. Stricter emissions regulations worldwide further forced Porsche to think of a replacement of the air-cooled unit. In order to improve manufacturing processes, Porsche took the aid of leading Japanese car manufacturer Toyota, whose consultants would assist in the overhaul of the Zuffenhausen manufacturing facility, introducing mass production techniques that would allow Porsche to carry out production processes more efficiently. Porsche had realised that in order to keep the 911 in production, it would need radical changes. This led to the development of the 996. The sharing of development between the new 911 and the entry level Boxster model allowed Porsche to save development costs. This move also resulted in interchangeable parts between the two models bringing down maintenance costs. The Porsche 996 was a new design developed by Pinky Lai under Porsche design chief Harm Lagaay from 1992 to 2006; it was the first 911 that was completely redesigned, and carried over little from its predecessor as Porsche wanted the design team to design a 911 for the next millennium. Featuring an all new body, interior, and the first water-cooled engine, the 996 replaced the 993 from which only the front suspension, rear multi-link suspension, and a 6-speed manual transmission were retained in revised form. The 996 had a drag coefficient of Cd=0.30 resulting from hours spent in the wind tunnel. The 996 is 185 mm (7 in) longer and 40 mm (2 in) wider than its predecessor. It is also 45% stiffer courtesy of a chassis formed from high-strength steel. Additionally, it is 5

Turbo

The 996 Turbo debuted at the Frankfurt Auto show in September 1999 and went on sale in the US in summer of 2000 as a 2001 model. The Turbo is powered by a water-cooled twin-turbocharged and intercooled 3.6-litre flat-6 engine derived from the 1998 Le Mans winning 911 GT1 race car. The engine is rated at 309 kW (420 PS; 414 hp) at 6,000 rpm and 415 lb⋅ft (563 N⋅m) of torque. It features an all-wheel drive system and was available with either a 6-speed manual or a 5-speed Tiptronic transmission. It has revised styling and a wider stance than the naturally aspirated 996 Carrera models, along with new bi-xenon headlamps and a retractable rear wing. The Turbo also came with VarioCam Plus and stability management, and on the US models, an electronically adjustable rear spoiler was included that would rise at a speed of 76 mph (122 km/h) and lower at 36 mph (58 km/h). The bodywork was also revised to allow airflow to 3 radiators up front and to accommodate 18-inch wheels and tyres. In 2002, the X50 package was offered as an option on the Turbo that included larger K24 turbochargers and intercoolers, a revised ECU and quad-pipe exhaust that raised power output to 331 kW (450 PS; 444 hp). Other features introduced in 2002 were a glove box, center-mounted cup holders, an optional Bose stereo and rain-sensing wipers. In 2003, Porsche North America restated their horsepower numbers due to SAE changes. The Turbo was still listed at 415 hp, the X50 option was now listed at 444 hp. The Turbo Cabriolet was introduced for the 2004 model year and was the first mass-produced Turbo Cabriolet model since the 1989 930 Turbo Cabriolet. In 2005, Porsche introduced the Turbo S model available as either a coupé or cabriolet. The Turbo S was essentially a 996 Turbo with the X50 option but also

GT variants

The 996 platform was used as the basis for two lightweight GT variants called the GT2 and the GT3. The GT3 was based on the standard 996 Carrera, but was stripped of a great deal of equipment for weight savings, featuring stiffer, adjustable suspension and upgraded brakes. The GT3 used the bodyshell of the four-wheel-drive Carrera 4, which incorporated additional front-end stiffening. The GT3 was produced in two versions. The first, commonly referred to as the Mk.I GT3, was introduced in 1999 in all markets, except North America. It featured a naturally aspirated 3.6-litre flat-six engine generating a maximum power output of 265 kW (360 PS; 355 hp). This engine was shared with the 996 Turbo and was a derivative of the engine developed for the 911 GT1 race car. The Mk.II GT3 variant was based on the second generation of the 996, and featured updated aerodynamics, and a more powerful version of the 3.6 L engine from the MK.I, now rated at 280 kW (381 PS; 375 hp). The Mk.II was the first GT3 marketed in the North America. An Mk.II GT3 was tested in 2004 and accelerated from 0–97 km/h (0–60 mph) in 4.0 seconds, and produced 1.03 g on the skidpad, the second highest number ever recorded by a street-legal vehicle at the time. The turbocharged counterpart to the GT3, the GT2, was rear-wheel drive as well, to save weight and to avoid power losses through the transmission (This is primarily due to the fact that the GT2 was built to compete in GT2 class racing, which restricted the use of an all-wheel-drive system). The GT2 received an added group of aerodynamic body parts, and a re-tuned version of the 996 Turbo's 3.6 litre, twin-turbocharged engine featuring larger turbochargers and intercoolers, a revised intake and exhaust system and re-programmed engine control software. The

Special editions

Porsche offered a special edition of the 996 for the year 2000. The car, named the 911 Millennium edition was based on the Carrera 4 coupé. Only 911 cars were made. It came with polished “turbo look” wheels. This special edition was finished in Violet Chromaflair paint with natural leather interior and dark burr maple trim. The car was available with a Tiptronic or six-speed manual gearbox. A number plate on the center console and a unique "911" badge on the engine lid and lettering on the door sills make this special edition easy to identify from other base Carrera models. Porsche celebrated the 911's 40-year history in 2003, using the slogan, "40 Jahre 911/40 Years of the 911". The company also introduced the 996 "40th Anniversary Edition" for model year 2004. This model has the 996 Turbo's front-end, and was available only in GT Silver metallic paint. Other unique features included: X51 power kit, turbo radiators, limited slip differential, sport suspension, polished 5-spoke alloy wheels (unique to this model), GT3 side skirts, natural gray leather interior (with matching luggage set), sports seats (there was a power comfort seat option), polished exhaust tips, heated seats (option in Latin America), litronic bi-xenon headlights, special dynamic sealed panels, and a special "40 Jahre 911" logo on the engine cover. The power was increased to 254 kW (345 PS; 341 hp). Only 1,963 units were made, to commemorate 1963—the year in which the 911 was first introduced.

Mechanical issues

The Porsche 911 996 model equipped with the engine code M96.01 and M96.02 3.4 litre engines and M96.03 and M96.04 3.6 litre engines, produced between 1998 and 2005, is known for some mechanical issues including problems with the rear main seal (RMS), cylinder cracking, slipped sleeves, and bore scoring, and last, the intermediate shaft (IMS) bearing. The rear main seal issue in some models was due to improper machining, requiring engine replacement to correct for chronic RMS leaks. Porsche did redesign the rear main seal and the most current PTFE seal addresses most RMS issues. Some early 996 engined M96.01 and M96.02 3.4 litre models were sleeved from the factory to correct for manufacturing issues, but some of these sleeves can drop, referred to as a slipped sleeve failure. Cracked or scored cylinders are also common with the 996's 3.4 and 3.6 litre engines that can result in intermix of the engine oil and coolant, or in the case of bore scoring, excessive piston noise, oil consumption, and smoking can occur. The most well-known 996 M96.01 and M96.02 3.4 litre and M96.03 and M96.04 3.6 litre engine issues is that of the intermediate shaft bearing, which was the subject of The Eisen class action lawsuit. IMS failure rates of up to 8% were disclosed during the discovery process. These mechanical issues are very rare (<1%) in early MY98 models with a dual-row IMS bearing, and do not apply to the Hans Mezger designed Mezger GT3, Turbo, and GT2 engine models.

Statistics

Specifications for the MkI, EU spec 996 models: Specifications for the MkII, EU spec 996 models: Integrated dry-sump is Porsche's name for a dry sump lubrication system integrated within the engine block, i.e. no separate oil reservoir. Production Numbers:

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Specifications

aka: Porsche 911, Porsche Carrera
Manufacturer: Porsche AG
Production: July 17, 1997–2004 (2005 and 2006 for 911 Turbo S, GT2 and GT3 models only)
Assembly: Germany: Stuttgart
Related: Porsche 986 Boxster, Ruf RTurbo, Ruf RGT
Layout: Rear-engine, rear-wheel drive/Rear-engine, all-wheel drive
Class: Sports car (S)
Body style: 2-door coupé, 2-door convertible, 2-door Targa top
Engine: 3.4 L–3.6 L M96 naturally aspirated/twin-turbocharged flat-6
Transmission: 6-speed Getrag G96/00 manual, 5-speed ZF 5HP19 automatic, 5-speed Mercedes-Benz 5G-Tronic automatic
Predecessor: Porsche 993
Successor: Porsche 997
Designer: Pinky Lai (1993–2006), Harm Lagaay
Wheelbase: 92.6 in
Length: 174.5 in, Carrera 4S and Turbo: 174.6 in
Width: 1999–2001: 69.5 in, 2002–2004: 69.7 in, Carrera 4S and Turbo: 72.0 in
Height: 51.4 in, Carrera 4S and Turbo: 51.0 in, 40th Anniversary coupé: 50.2 in, GT2: 50.2 in
Kerb weight: 2904 lb