Porsche 996 Carrera 4

Our opinion:

Like many 911s before it, this water-cooled first proved that sheer performance is not just an aesthetic element but an element of the package.

A 996 provides that initial thrill, but over time there are more important things to the driver: connection, balance, or just that sense of control over every move, and that’s where Porsche nailed it.

Then came everything else… what if the headlights of the Boxster, what if the IMS, what if…

I suppose it is worth remembering the revolution that the 996 represented for Porsche. Longer, wider and lower, this generation started from a blank slate by respecting the original rear-engine formula and reinventing the shape of the 911, referencing the classic silhouette but smoothing all surfaces to create a more comfortable driving environment. modern.

Few would dispute that it lacked the allure of models like the 964 or the allure of the 993, although it was admittedly a bit strange to more traditional defenders of the model.

Yet it is still better, lighter, more powerful, stiffer and has more sophisticated suspension today.

“ For Porsche fans, the 996 was a sacrilege in its time, they even said that a Porsche had to be difficult to drive, and the 996 was just the opposite… ” — Jordi Edo