Exceptional Engines: The Porsche 996 Race Car

Porsche has created hundreds of notable vehicles. The automaker has certainly encountered its fair share of hits and misses when it came to developing its cars, but if there’s one right thing it stood by, it’s the creation of the Porsche 996.

9-1-1 for the 911

Great car stories sometimes come from something tragic and unfortunate, and such was the case for the Porsche 996 Turbo.

The Porsche 996 was created in the hopes of replacing the air-cooled 911, following the financial troubles that surrounded the automaker during the ‘90s.

During this time, emissions regulations were also getting stricter by the day, and Porsche had to come up with something to save the company.

Porsche made a bold move to develop the 996 and shared most of its concepts with the entry-level Boxster, which allowed the automaker to save on production costs.

Maintenance costs were also slashed because of interchangeable parts between both vehicles.

Then Came the 996

The Porsche 996 was produced from 1992-2006. The model was intended to carry the legacy left by the 911, but there were little similarities between the two.

The front suspension, rear multi-link suspension, and six-speed manual transmission were the only features retained from the 911 under the supervision of automotive designer Pinky Lai. Other than those, the 996 was a completely different animal.

The Porsche 996 was also known as the 911 Carrera. While it had the same name as its predecessor, the 996 was much bigger and lighter. More specifically, the 996 was 185mm longer, 30mm wider, and 50 kg lighter than the 911.

The 996 was also the first water-cooled engine under Porsche, which marked the end of the 911 and air-cooled engines.

Generation 996 became known for producing generations of iconic cars, including the following:

• 911 Carrera Coupe and Cabriolet (1998-2005)
• 911 Targa (2002-2005)
• 911 40th anniversary edition (2004)

1991 was arguably one of the most iconic years for the 996. This was the year when the 911 GT3 was unveiled and became a trendsetter for Porsche Cup race cars and the global racing stage.

The 911 GT3 (Generation 996) carried the same engine as the original 911 minus the turbocharger. While this might be the case, the 911 GT3 didn’t fall short in terms of performance.

The 3.6L I-6 version of the 996 GT3 is capable of churning out 360PS and 370 Nm of torque. A six-speed manual transmission that was intended for the 993 GT2 is an available engine option.

Porsche 996 Turbo Specs

Porsche rode the momentum of the 996’s success by introducing the Turbo version in 1999 at the Frankfurt Auto Show. The 996 Turbo was first sold as a 2001 model, and production ran until 2005.

The all-wheel drive Porsche 996 Turbo was a force to be reckoned with in the high-performance sports car segment, going head-to-head with notable cars like the Ferrari 360 Modena, Lamborghini Gallardo, and the Aston Martin V8 Vantage.

A water-cooled, twin-turbocharged, and intercooled 3.6L I-6 engine manned the 996 Turbo from under the hood. It’s the same engine found on the 1998 Le Mans-winning 911 GT1 race car known as the Mezger engine.

Engine Specs:

• Engine size: 3.6L I-6
• Horsepower: 415 hp
• Torque: 415 lb-ft.
• 0-60 time: 4.0s
• Top speed: 189 mph

Exterior Specs:

• Wide rear fenders
• Side air intakes
• Fixed rear wing with active spoiler
• Bi-xenon headlights

Interior Specs:

• High-quality leather upholstery
• Ergonomic seats
• Automatic climate control
• Premium sound system
• Optional navigation system and upgraded audio equipment

Porsche 996 Turbo Tiptronic Automatic Transmission

The Porsche 996 Turbo is available as a six-speed manual or a five-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission.

Porsche developed the Tiptronic transmission in 1990 as an exclusive gearbox option for Porsche models. Over the years, however, the Tiptronic transmission was made available to other manufacturers, including Audi, Volkswagen, Peugeot, and Seat.

The Tiptronic gearbox is designed to manually control an automatic transmission. With this gearbox, drivers can shift gears sequentially.

Tiptronic also has a function that prevents the gearbox from getting damaged under critical speeds. If the system detects that the driver is inactive or that the vehicle is running too fast, it will switch to automatic mode.

Porsche 996 Turbo Model Years

There are five iterations of the Porsche 996.

2001 Porsche 996 Turbo

The 2001 996 Turbo served as the basis for the succeeding model years. The 3.6L I-6 engine was paired with an all-wheel drive feature, which trimmed down a 0-60 acceleration time to as short as 4.0 seconds.

Retail price for the 2001 996 Turbo started at $111,000, which was a bit more expensive than the standard 996 Carrera.

2002 Porsche 996 Turbo

The 2002 Porsche 996 Turbo differentiated itself from the 2001 version when it came to style, sporting more color and trim options than its predecessor. The Tiptronic automatic transmission was also refined for smoother shifting.

Drivers can customize the interior with available trims like Cinnamon Brown leather and Natural Dark Grey leather.

2003 Porsche 996 Turbo

Performance is where the 2003 Turbo shines. Porsche introduced the optional X50 Performance package for this model year, which allowed drivers to enjoy an exhilarating performance from the race car.

With a performance package in tow, engine output can go as far as 450 hp and 457 lb-ft. of torque. Acceleration from 0 to 60 is also trimmed to 3.8 seconds.

2004 Porsche 996 Turbo

A Turbo Cabriolet was introduced for the 2004 model year, which also had the same engine specs as the coupe version.

The Cabriolet, however, is better at maintaining the body and aerodynamic capabilities of the coupe, eliminating performance and handling issues.

2005 Porsche 996 Turbo

The 996 Turbo received a fitting farewell in 2005. Porsche unveiled a high-performance S-Turbo variant for the 2005 redesign, which had an engine output of 444 hp and 457 lb-ft. of torque.

Only 600 units of the Turbo S Coupe and 963 units of the Turbo Cabriolet were produced.