This is it... the new Porsche 911. The 996 is the first 911 model ever to have a water-cooled engine. The air-cooled engines of the 911 predecessors are now extinct and the new wave of 911¹s are here. The new Porsche 911 is very similar to the Boxster and they use about 45% of the same parts. The new Porsche 911 and the Porsche Boxster are the only two models available for sale from Porsche at the moment. The new 911 Type 996 is available in five different models and four models are legal in the United States. The 996 is breaking new barriers for the 911 and the Porsche industry. The new 911 is more powerful, efficient, and quiet. The 996 is home of the rear mounted 3.4 liter, flat-6 all aluminum Porsche powerhouse. The new 911 body has been completely re-designed from the old 911¹s and shares almost no resemblance at all. The 996 does not have the wide fender flares, round headlights, rear light cluster, and other differences in the design. The new 911 is bigger however and is 7 inches longer than the old 911 and is also wider thanks to a larger chassis which also happens to be 154 lbs. lighter. The new 911 is sleek and is more aerodynamic than the previous models by having a sloping hood and rear decklid along with the sweeping sides without the fender flares of the older models. The 911 has a drag of just .30 and the low lift values on the front and rear axles along with the rear spoiler keep the car close to the ground at all speeds and allow for precise handling. The new 911 Type 996 is a bit out of the ordinary, but it is still a great car from Porsche and will undoubtedly be one the greatest sports cars around.

Porsche 911 Type 996 Models

* Porsche 911 Carrera

The Porsche 911 Carrera Type 996 is the new Porsche for the 21st century. The 911 Carrera, as before, comes in four different styles. The Porsche Carreras are the only model available for sale in the United States from the new 911 series. The Carrera is more powerful and stylish than its predecessors and the new water-cooled engine despite the controversy is a better overall engine than the previous air cooled models.

Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe
The Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe is the basic 911 with a hard top and the normal 3.4 liter, flat-6, and now water cooled engine. The Carrera Coupe is the best performing Carrera built to date and has a more powerful engine while being a more efficient car thanks to the Porsche engineers who love to improve. The Carrera is now a sleek machine slicing through the air with its sloping body curves for excellent aerodynamics which improve the car¹s performance. The new Carrera is a new look and a new car setting new standards. The 911 comes with the option of a 6 speed gearbox or a 5 speed Tiptronic S gearbox which is an automatic and a manual gearbox without a clutch derived from the Formula 1 racing cars. The Porsche powerhouse boasts 296 horsepower, which is greater than the previous 282 hp in the 993 models. The new Carrera also has a new style of luxury and keeps the Porsche tradition of style and comfort. The new Carrera is still a great car and a top notch performer despite the abandonment of tradition.

Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet
The Carrera Cabriolet is now better than ever. The new Cabriolet is not only a 911 with a removable soft top, it now comes standard with an attachable aluminum-alloy hard top for the days when you want a Coupe instead of the Cabriolet. The soft top is activated by switch and the roof is folded neatly and tucked under the rear decklid in 20 seconds for a complete convertible and can be operated even while driving. The 911 Cabriolet offers the best of both worlds in a sports car, a hard top coupe and a soft top/convertible. For those who are deciding between a coupe and a convertible, why not have both says Porsche. The Cabriolet does not lose any performance from the soft top like other cars and the flat-6 performs just as well as it would in a regular Carrera Coupe.

If you think that driving in an open top is unsafe, think again as wonders never cease with the 911. The Carrera Cabriolet contains an automatic roll-over protection device to aid the reinforced A-pillars in case of a roll-over. Behind the rear seats are hidden spring loaded aluminum roll-over bars that pop up in a fraction of second if the computer monitors detect a roll-over from changes in car position and speed thus protecting the cars occupants. This is the most sophisticated and coolest Carrera Cabriolet ever.

Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Coupe
The Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Coupe is like the normal coupe with the exception that it is an AWD (All Wheel Drive) car. The Carrera 4 consists of the basic 3.4 liter engine and now sports some very unique characteristics that separate it from the normal Carrera. The 4 now sports new 17 inch alloy wheels and a new integrated AWD driving system. The new system is called the Porsche Stability Management (PSM) and can be turned on or off by the driver inside the car.

The PSM measures the speed of each wheel and the course of the car and brakes or speed up individual wheels in order to keep the car in a set direction without slippage and incredible grip and handling on the road. The PSM is great for icy, wet, uneven, and other such roads because it allows the driver to drive safely despite all the danger by compensating each tire to keep the car from spinning out or fish-tailing like a normal car would. The viscous coupling manages the speed and torque applied to each of the axles. When the axles start to spin at different speeds, the coupling directs the energy from the faster spinning ones to the slower spinning ones until they are at even speeds again. The new Carrera 4 combines technologies to give the car optimum handling and stability characteristics.

Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet
What is this? The Porsche Carrera 4 Cabriolet combines almost everything you need in a sports car into one single car. The Cabriolet 4 is an AWD Porsche with the exact same components as the Carrera 4 Coupe version. However, the Cabriolet 4 has a self-storing soft top and a specialized hard top to put on for the coupe look. The Cabriolet 4 has a new shape to the body which gives it a slimmer and rounder look for a great aerodynamics. With a new designed dome hard top to compliment the new sides, the Cabriolet 4 is the worlds most aerodynamic convertible and with hood up, has the same amount of drag as the Carrera Coupe. The Carrera 4 Cabriolet offers all the goodies of an unsurpassed AWD and stability system with a sports car that is either a convertible or a coupe since its has two tops. The Porsche flat-6 doesn't lose anything despite being an AWD car or from being a convertible. Simply amazing is all you can say.

Specifications for Porsche 911 Carrera (Type 996)

Engine: Horizontally opposed 6 cylinder, DOHC 4 valves per cylinder, all aluminum
Bore and stroke: 3.94" x 3.01"
Displacement: 3.4L. or 3,387cc
Horsepower: 296@6,800 rpm
Torque: 258 lb-ft @4,600 rpm
Compression ratio: 11.3:1 Cd: .30
Fuel system: electronic, sequential port FI
Induction: 2-stage resonant induction, w/Varioram Drivetrain: 6 speed manual or 5 speed Tiptronic S
Suspension: FRONT: MacPherson struts, lower lateral links, coil springs, semi-trailing links, anti-roll bar - REAR: 5-link, coil springs, tube shocks, anti-roll bar
Body: Unit steel
Dimensions: Curb weight: 2920 lbs
Wheelbase: 92.5"
Length: 174.4"
Width: 69.5"
Height: 51.4"
Brakes and Wheels: Dual circuit, power assist, internally vented and cross drilled discs, Bosch ABS 225/40 ZR18 front, 265/35 ZR18 rear
Fuel Economy: 19/32 mpg
Performance: 0-60mph: 4.6 seconds - 0-1/4 mile: 13.2s
Top Speed: 175 mph

* Porsche 911 Turbo

The new Porsche 911 Turbo Type 996 is long awaited for, but will not go into the market until September 1999 and will be known as the Œ00 911 Turbo. I don¹t have much information on the new Turbo yet because not much has been released about it. I will update this page as more information and pictures become available, probably close to its release in September. The 911 Turbo maintains the traditional rear wing for down force and also has the air intakes in the rear fenders like the Turbo S. The Turbo also has large air intake ducts under the front headlights along with a different body style than the other 911¹s with a new front and rear decklid. The rear wing has a little flap which automatically pops up at a speed of 120 km/h in order to provide even more down force for the high speeds. The 911 Turbo is the first Turbo to be water cooled and it is believed that the Porsche power plant will output around 420 horsepower, which is greater than the previous Turbo's, and will take the car to 194 miles per hour. The Turbo will cost around $110,000 for this power and style. The new Turbo will be more powerful and faster than all the other previous models and even though I like the 933 Turbo's the best, the 996 Turbo will be a force to be reckoned with.

* Porsche 911 GT3

The Porsche 911 GT3 is an amazing sports car with top of the line technology, power, and comfort. The GT3 was made for to race in the FIA GT3 Championship and in order to do so, a number of at least 200 production models must be built. The GT3 houses a powerful 3.6 liter flat six Porsche motor to give the unique car 360 horsepower which boosts the car to 187 mph, which happens to be the fastest normally aspirated (no turbo charger) Porsche ever made. The GT3 also has two separate exhaust systems for each set of cylinder heads which optimizes performance. The GT3 has a six speed gearbox in which the ratios on gear 2-6 can be adjusted for certain types of driving or racing.

The Porsche GT3 uses the exact same chassis as the 911 Carrera, but has a few modifications. The GT3 is 30mm lower than the Carrera and has a new roll-bar system for the driver to choose. The axles have also been changed in order to fit a larger size tire under the wheel well. The rack and pinion steering gives the GT3 great handling capabilities. The GT3 also comes plushly suited out and has two interior options available. The leather option is an all leather interior and the leather and carbon fiber interior package is a leather interior with carbon fiber console, instrument panel and the seat backs. The GT3 also keeps you strapped your seat with a three-point safety belt. The GT3 also sports the GT3 logo on the RPM gauge, the handbrake, and the door entry guards.

Safety is one thing Porsche is known for and they do not disappoint with the 911 GT3. The 911 has the legendary braking capabilities of all Porsches and has distinctive red brake calipers. The GT3 comes standard with driver and passenger airbags along with side airbags. The GT3 is also available in the Clubsport version which is the race car version pretty much and instead of side airbags, it has a complete roll-cage protecting the passengers in the car. The Clubsport also has flame resistant seats and a six-point safety harness instead of the normal three. It also has a fire extinguisher rack and battery disconnect switches near the shifter and in the luggage compartment for easy disabling of the battery in an emergency.

To prevent lift under high speeds, the 911 GT3 is equipped with an Aerokit front spoiler which reduces the amount of air that passes under the car and keeps the front axle from lifting. In the rear is a large wing and an additional lip on the rear to keep the rear axle down. The rear wing can be changed to six different setting depending on the track or speed that you will traveling. This can greatly improve the performance from the car. The GT3 is an amazing vehicle and will undoubtedly be a great racing car and a great road car. What is wrong with the GT3? It is not available in the United States because of emission and safety standards, that means that Porsche was not willing to submit four of the rare GT3 cars to the United States for safety crash testing as they are very expensive and in limited numbers. The GT3 is only available in Europe for a price tag of around $95,000 and if you want to drive one of these pavement warriors, you will have to race it on a racetrack, or get on the Autobahn.