Is there a man who doesn’t feel excited when he hears “Porsche” !? And if “911” is added, there is no doubt that dopamine and endorphin will leak into the brain of a rich old man. Therefore, as a short-term serialization project, I would like to introduce once more the 911, which has fascinated car-loving men over time.
In the fifth short-term series, I will explain the model of the transitional period in which the 911 is regarding to evolve and the model from the transitional period to completion from the perspective of J PRIME.
I bought it in the form of a front light rather than water cooling !?
By the time of the 993 type, which debuted in 1993, the water cooling of the engine had already been whispered. The event that threatens the hearts of 911 fans who make the definition of “911 = air-cooled flat 6” worth living in life finally comes true in 1997. yes! Introducing the 996 type equipped with a water-cooled flat 6DOHC engine.
There was a lot of feedback from the media and fans around the world who saw (or rode) the 996 Carrera. Some people honestly liked it, but many people rejected it, saying, “It’s not such a 911.” Some of the people who gave low ratings specifically commented that “the body is ugly” and “the undercarriage is sloppy.”
Editor-in-chief Toga, who knew the evaluation of 996, said, “No, no, I don’t understand anyone who commented,’No, 996’s running is not good!’ Because 996 is 0-100km / acceleration and maximum speed, And all the numbers including the Nürburgring lap time exceeded 993. Because the 996 is a transitional car, it may be natural that the number of people (= anti) who can not easily accept new things and things will increase. Maybe, but I think most of those people gave it a low rating because of the front light that they shared with Boxer, not the performance. I got the impression that it was far from the 911. For Porsche, I wanted to integrate the front light and the fog lamp, so I think that it became such a shape. To put it better, the minimum design, or worse, the cost cut? Honestly, even I, who loves the 911, mightn’t convince me of that front light (bitter smile). “
The 996, which has evolved normally from the 993, is almost completed with the Carrera 4 debuting in the second year and the GT3 debuting in the third year! The body rigidity and suspension of all cars have improved, and the Carrera 4S, which debuted in 2001, has achieved a run that is convincing to 911 fans around the world. In particular, the sports chassis with LSD tightened on the legs is the true value of RR sports that “forget me and run” as it was in the old 911! “It can be said that the 996 type became a perfect sports car with a minor change in 2002. I bought a late type Carrera because the shape of the front light became sharper in the late type. It’s the first sports car = Porsche Life, “said Editor-in-Chief Toga, looking back on those days. Evolution → It seems that he was very satisfied with the completed 996 run, but “I was a little dissatisfied with the scent of cost reduction in the interior and other places (bitter smile).”
By the way, Porsche at that time gained momentum with the sales of Boxster and Cayenne, and will release the 997 type, which is the second generation of the water-cooled engine, in 2004. The headlights have been changed to a simple oval shape to revive the classical image of the air-cooled era like the 930 type. “The front light was unpopular with the 996, but due to the lack of funds, the headlight was returned to an oval shape in the 997 to give it the image of the old 911,” said Toga.
Various new technologies have been introduced inside, for example, the suspension adopts an electronically controlled variable damping force damper called Dumptronic made by Bilstein. In the latter model, the transmission changed from the 6-speed Tiptro S to the 7-speed PDK.
“The engine is 3.6 liters and 325 PS for Carrera, and 3.8 liters and 355 PS for Carrera S, but when it comes to the late model and it becomes a direct injection engine, it is powered up to 345 PS and 385 PS, respectively. Also, thanks to clearing the management difficulties. The interior has become more luxurious than the 996. Yes, it is this 997 type that has the tilt adjustment mechanism on the steering for the first time in the history of 911. ” ..
In this 997 era, there was a great debate among 911 fans, “Is the 911 a high-performance model such as” S “or” Turbo “?” “No, is it a good” elementary “model?” Toka.
“The enthusiast” ENGINE “magazine concluded that the” elementary “911 was fun, but hey, when I was running in the city with just a carrera, I got a hierarchy of carrera <carrera S <turbo <turbo S. It feels urgent. Furthermore, the strongest models GT2 and GT3 exist in Tokoro that does not fit this inequality … That is the pain of riding 911, "laughs Toga. ..
After all, 911 should be enjoyed “as far as I can buy” … In other words, “I should match my lifestyle (hobbies / preferences)”, I taught Editor-in-Chief Toga the essence of choosing a car. However, it was this 997. So, he decided that “the peak of the hierarchy = the peak of NA”, and chose the early model Carrera S (MT) and the late model GT3 (only MT!) And enjoyed sports driving to the fullest.
Wen Gao Chenghao (POW-DER)
【Related article】
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・Preaching the true intention of Porsche 911 fans, “Aim for successive Targa!” !?
・The topic “This is the last air-cooled engine!” Comes ahead of the topic of multi-link suspension!
・The second generation 911 that revolutionized high-performance sports cars around the world by adding value to the engine and body.
・The first car history that Editor-in-Chief Toga talks regarding! “I’m cheeky … I bought a Porsche with a new car when I was a student.”
