Photo: Porsche
When talking 911, the simplest way to make the difference between old and the new is to divide the sports car’s history in two parts. First and foremost, the period from 1963 to 1966 is known as the air-cooled era. With the advent of the 996 in 1997, the Neunelfer made the change to water-cooled flat-six power.
You see, the 996 is the first new-from-the-ground-up 911 since the quintessential German sports car took the world by storm in the 1960s. New platform, modern engine, polarizing design, IMS bearing, fried-egg headlights, there were plenty of alien details the purists didn’t take lightly. What grinds my gears, however, is that Porsche had worked with Toyota's beancounters to make the 996 as financially viable as possible.
When all is said and done, the 996 paved the way to the highly acclaimed 997, current 991, and next-generation 992. Think of it as a necessary evil if you will, a compromise Porsche had to take in order to step into the 21st century as a stronger automaker than ever before. To give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar, lots of know-how from the 996 trickled down to the first-gen Boxster.
2017 marks the 20th anniversary of the oft-hated 996, which is enough reason for Porsche Classic to celebrate the ugly duckling with its very own collection of genuine accessories. “There’s every reason to maintain its originality after all these years,” argues the Stuttgart-based automaker, “and it’s not a problem if you’d like to change the odd detailer all these years.” What’s for sale, then?
As is, the catalog attached in PDF format at the end of the write-up doesn’t contain too many bits and bobs. It features the essentials, though, including 18-inch GT3 and Carrera wheel designs, floor mats in all colors for both left- and right-hand drive models, two Sports exhaust pipes, and the complete Sports exhaust system. Rounding off the genuine accessories list are the designer key fob and the Carrera-style rear spoiler assembly, washers and third brake light wiring included.
When all is said and done, the 996 paved the way to the highly acclaimed 997, current 991, and next-generation 992. Think of it as a necessary evil if you will, a compromise Porsche had to take in order to step into the 21st century as a stronger automaker than ever before. To give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar, lots of know-how from the 996 trickled down to the first-gen Boxster.
2017 marks the 20th anniversary of the oft-hated 996, which is enough reason for Porsche Classic to celebrate the ugly duckling with its very own collection of genuine accessories. “There’s every reason to maintain its originality after all these years,” argues the Stuttgart-based automaker, “and it’s not a problem if you’d like to change the odd detailer all these years.” What’s for sale, then?
As is, the catalog attached in PDF format at the end of the write-up doesn’t contain too many bits and bobs. It features the essentials, though, including 18-inch GT3 and Carrera wheel designs, floor mats in all colors for both left- and right-hand drive models, two Sports exhaust pipes, and the complete Sports exhaust system. Rounding off the genuine accessories list are the designer key fob and the Carrera-style rear spoiler assembly, washers and third brake light wiring included.
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