Porsche 911 Carrera 4S 1996 Review

It's an interesting proposition - buying a classic car instead of a newie? A mate did exactly this a few years ago and has never looked back. 

Instead of a Magna he spent the same money on a long wheelbase BMW 7 Series and he and the missus discovered a whole new life when they joined the local Beemer club. 

Essentially, instead of the latest something with all the mod cons, you could have something much more tasty instead - like this Porsche. This 993 is the last of the 'real' 911s, the last of the German sports cars to have an air-cooled, boxer engine in the boot. Remember them? 

Priced from a whopping $220,000 new this car still looks amazing and still drives like a thoroughbred, and it could be yours for as little as $60K. Well, maybe a bit more for this particular example.

THE ERA

This was the era of the VS Commodore and the EL Falcon which had just been released. Ford was first local manufacturer to market with an airbag in the 1994 EF.

DESIGN

Narrow at the front with overdeveloped rear haunches, the 993 still looks as fresh as a daisy. The same basic shape has prevailed from the start which is one of the reasons for the 911's ongoing success. Even people who know little or nothing about cars recognise a Porsche when they see it.

THE SMELL

Vintage mechanic. Open the door and the fumes transport you to an earlier time. A time when mechanics got their hands dirty, working on cars in a workshop where there was plenty of parts, big dollops of grease and lots of tender loving care.

THE NUMBERS

993 is the company's internal name for this version of the 911 built between late 1993 and early 1998 as a replacement for the 964. The design is derived from the 989 project, a four-door sedan which never saw the light of day (unless you count the Panamera). 

The introduction of an all-alloy multi-arm rear suspension attached to an all-alloy subframe necessitated the widening of the rear wheel arches, which in turned helped the 993's stability. 

The previous model had a tendency to oversteer if you took your foot off the throttle mid corner. It also reduced interior noise and improved the ride quality.

THE BOXER

The C4S is fitted with a 3.6-litre naturally aspirated flat six M64 engine, with an output of 210kW at 6100 revs and 340Nm of torque at 5250 revs. 0-100km/h takes 5.3 secs and it has a top speed of about 290km/h. It takes premium unleaded and is good for about 11.4 litres/100km.

SIX-SPEED

The 993 was the first 911 to have a standard six-speed manual. The two-wheel drive Carrera, Carrera S, Cabrio and Targa models were also available with a `Tiptronic' auto.

AWD 

The optional all wheel drive system is based on the layout from the 959 supercar. Porsche departed from the 964's setup replacing the centre differential with a viscous coupling.

OTHER BITS

The Carrera 4 S and later Carrera S shared the Turbo's bodyshell. The 4S came with four-wheel drive, lowered suspension and retained the Turbo's larger brake discs with the characteristic red calipers.

THE SOUND

Loud. You hear before you see it.

DRIVING

Love it.  The pedals and even the steering wheel are slightly off-set but gave us no trouble. Changing gears is a snap and it never seems to get caught short in the torque department. 

The car sits low and you look up at most cars. There's no steering wheel adjustment, but electric adjustment for the seats. The ultra low profle tyres get bumpy off the freeway, but the whole drive experience is so involving.

1996 Porsche 911 C4S

Price: from $220,000
Engine: 3.6 litre in-line six, 210/340 kW/Nm
Body: Two-door coupe
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Thirst: 11.4L/100km