Porsche 911 Carrera 2

Porsche 911 Carrera 2

Porker for the worker

Text and Photos: Reinis Babrovskis 

That’s right; if you think Porsches are expensive and exclusive to the rich, think again. This stunning Porsche 911 Carrera Generation 2 costs half of what a modern GTD Golf would be; however, what you get is 10 times the fun.

Paul has always had an itch for a Porsche and it seemed the 996 was the perfect choice ticking all the boxes: priced under £15k, reliable, fun and is capable of carrying a bike on its roof (you know just to shock the bearded guys on the Porsche forums). There is no surprise this car was the most sold 911 model to date as the 964 is a beautiful car and with the help of some subtle mods to the car Paul managed to enhance it furthermore.

Porsche 911 internal code “996” was the first water cooled 911 ever made; it was in production from 1999 to 2004. The model got replaced in 2005 with the Porsche 997. The 996 model had very little common with its predecessor model since it received brand new chassis and most importantly for the first time ever a water-cooled engine; however, it did in fact have a lot in common with the earlier Boxter. Both cars shared its entire front end and front suspension, whilst the rear suspension was borrowed from the earlier 993 model. Much of the interior and engine was just an enlargement version of the Boxter.

The man behind the glamorous design was Harm Lagaay, also responsible for the magnificent cars like BMW Z1 and Carrera GT. Even though it is a timeless classic there were a few things that do date and Paul was determined to change to bring the car back to 2015. Interior of the car received some minor, but very effective changes – the steering wheel was re-trimmed in stunning Alcantara whilst the outdated stereo got replaced with a more modern USB/Bluetooth one. The GT3 console delete allowed Paul to use the lower part of the console for some innovative mod – a wireless charging dock was installed giving the car a 2015 technology presence.

The exterior of the car really didn’t need much so only small touches were made, e.g. the dated amber number plate lights were replaced with more modern LED ones. Previous owner of the Porsche already had splashed out the cash - £2100 to be precise on the M030 suspension including shocks, and anti-roll bar, so Paul only required some Eibach springs to get the height perfect. To give it a really flush stance he chose to install 7/15mm spacers on the front/rear. The car was dressed in beautiful 18” Porsche Turbo Twist wheels with Continental tires on the back and Bridgestones at the front.

Gen 2 996 model produces a respectable 315 horsepower from the naturally aspirated water cooled straight six engine. They can accelerate from 0-60 in 4.9 seconds and reach 178mph before hitting the limiter. The straight six engine uses a dry-sump method meaning a dry sump lubrication system is integrated within the engine block; thus having no separate oil reservoir. Paul installed the 997 airbox including the BMC filter and a Design Tek induction pipe which seemed to let the car breath better combined with the exhaust mod. The car produced 321.3 bhp and 273 lb.ft of torque at the rolling road.

So if your dream is to own a Porsche one day do not worry - the Porsche 996 is affordable, easy to look after and can provide unbelievable fun. But just like many other Porsches they can suffer from the bore score, so make sure to do an inspection for the peace of the mind if you’re planning on buying one.

Spec List:

Porsche 911 (996) Carrera 2
Year: 2002
Colour: Polar Silver
Weight: 1300kg

Engine

3.6 NA 24v Straight Six 321.3 bhp 273 lb.ft of torque
Exhaust Mod
Porsche 997 airbox including BMC filter and DesignTek induction pipe

Suspension

M030 suspension including shocks, and anti-roll bar
Eibach springs

Wheels and tires

18” Porsche Turbo Twist wheels
Continental tires on the back, Bridgestones at front
7/15mm spacers

Interior:

Black leather interior with hardback sport seats
Alcantara trimmed steering wheel
GT3 Console delete