Adapt To Survive
GT Porsche|December 2017

Porsche rolled the dice with the 996. Two decades on from its launch, it has found a true place in the hearts of enthusiasts.

Simon Jackson
Adapt To Survive

For the radical new broom that was the 996 and everything involved in its creation, we can party thank the 964 generation of 911. Such was the 964’s perceived shortcomings in the eyes of some at the heart of Porsche (and beyond), that it kick-started a plan with dramatic stepchanges from which some are still reeling to this day – twenty years later. Though the 964’s replacement, the 993, would prove so popular that it had some folk questioning if such departures were really necessary at all was largely irrelevant, it was too little, too late. For Type 996 the wheels were already in motion, wheels that were part of a Porsche project worth one billion US dollars, a staggering amount of money today, even more so back in the mid- to late-1990s when the funds were raised from shareholders. Undoubtedly getting sign-off from Porsche’s (habitually traditional and judicious) supervisory board on such an expensive, and different project, would not have been so easy had it not been convinced that desperate times were calling for desperate measures. Though you might assume the 911’s shift from air- to water-cooled engines, or the sharing of a wealth of parts between it and the entry-level two-seater Boxster was sea change enough, there was more. In order to effect the changes the 996 required, the very internal workings of Porsche would come in for an overhaul equally as profound in nature.

This story is from the December 2017 edition of GT Porsche.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the December 2017 edition of GT Porsche.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM GT PORSCHEView All
Out Of Africa
GT Porsche

Out Of Africa

The Abbot name is synonymous with Porsches in South Africa, we find out what makes it tick… 

time-read
4 mins  |
May 2017
Two Titles For RSR
GT Porsche

Two Titles For RSR

Road Atlanta was the setting to round-out the 2017 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship…

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2017
Championship Goes Down To The Wire
GT Porsche

Championship Goes Down To The Wire

Races 10 and 11 of the 2017 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup took place in Mexico, deciding the championship…

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2017
Adapt To Survive
GT Porsche

Adapt To Survive

Porsche rolled the dice with the 996. Two decades on from its launch, it has found a true place in the hearts of enthusiasts.

time-read
7 mins  |
December 2017
Just Looking
GT Porsche

Just Looking

Peter Morgan’s plans to start a makeover on his 1972 911S have received a shot of inspiration from a new book…

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2017
Porsche Begins 70th Anniversary Celebrations
GT Porsche

Porsche Begins 70th Anniversary Celebrations

Celebrations have begun to mark 70 years of Porsche sports cars this year…

time-read
2 mins  |
April 2018
JTR Signs Harper
GT Porsche

JTR Signs Harper

JTR has signed 2018/2019 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Junior, Dan Harper, for its assault on the championship…

time-read
1 min  |
April 2018
Rohrl Celebrates Anniversary
GT Porsche

Rohrl Celebrates Anniversary

In 2018 Walter Röhrl has been heavily involved with Porsche for exactly 25 years…

time-read
1 min  |
April 2018
Britain's Got Talent
GT Porsche

Britain's Got Talent

The 911 Carrera 4 GTS British Legends Edition pays homage to three British racing drivers, each of whom won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Porsche.

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2017
Supernatural
GT Porsche

Supernatural

How has Alois Ruf’s Group C inspired road car, the CTR3, evolved over the last seven years? We unite the first ever example with RUF’s most recent build…

time-read
9 mins  |
April 2017