However, those early 996s, especially those out of warranty with broken engines, were left in a unique price depression.
Porsche quickly rectified the engine problems and, realizing their marketing error, soon introduced the more “Porsche-like” Type 997, which turned out to be one of the most popular 911s ever. On top of that disparaging moniker, some of these early production models also suffered from mechanical problems with their engines, lowering their value even further in the secondary market. In those circles, the 996 was often disdainfully referred to as the Camry of Porsches. Of course, the 996 was a step away from Porsche’s traditional sporting image-a marketing and design anomaly-so these first cars weren’t exactly embraced by the brand’s longtime fanatics. The targeted demographic was more familiar with the cushy ride characteristics of a couple less-sporting luxury coupes, and the 996 would be selling against those cars. Porsche gave the 996-model 911 a softened suspension and a refined, quiet ride quality in hopes of making it appeal to a whole new class of potential buyers. While their earlier, air-cooled models were hand-built, Porsche expanded and streamlined their manufacturing methods to use robotics and just-in-time component delivery on the production line-much like the Japanese car factories of the era. This meant increasing production to reduce costs and meet the expected demand. The factory wanted to broaden its appeal to a much larger portion of the market. In 1998, Porsche introduced the first of its liquid-cooled Type 996 cars in both two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive versions. Scott Mann of Renegade Hybrids is far from a Porsche purist, and the seeds for his latest project were planted nearly a decade and a half ago. Too rich for your blood? How about a 430-horsepower alternative for one-eighth the price? The price is an equally jaw-dropping $185,000. Porsche claims a top speed of 193 mph and a zero-to-60 time of 3.8 seconds. The 4.0-liter, flat-six engine produces 500 horsepower. Take the brand’s GT3 RS 4.0, for example. A new Porsche 911, especially one of the hotter models, can be an expensive date. That single item prevents many people from becoming owners. When you add up all the advantages of owning a modern Porsche, there’s really no disputing it: These cars are some of the coolest and finest pieces of automotive engineering that could ever grace your driveway.
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