Porsche 911 - 996 (1997 to 2005)

The Porsche 911 - 996 series was introduced in late 1997 (1998 in the US) to replace the 993 series, representing two major changes for the venerable 911 lineage: a water-cooled flat-6 engine replaced the popular air-cooled engine used in the 911 for 34 years, and the body shell received its first major re-design. Changing to a water-cooled engine was controversial with Porsche traditionalists, who noted this as the end of the 'true' 911, as was the shared styling with the entry-level Boxster. The Type 996 was available over two distinct periods now known as the 996.1 and the 996.2, and spawned over a dozen variations, including the 996.1 Carrera, the all-wheel-drive 996.1 Carrera 4 and the 996.2 Carrera 4S (the latter which had a 'Turbo look' in facelift form) models, the track-focused 996.2 GT3 and GT3 RS, and the forced-induction 996 Turbo and 996 GT2, among others. Overlapping with its last variants, the 996 generation was replaced by the 997 generation in model year 2005. Dig into all the details in our Porsche 996 Market Guide.