1997 Porsche 911

The 993 was the fourth generation of Porsche's seminal 911 sports car and the last of the air-cooled series. It was sold between January of 1994 and early 1998, and during the 1995 to 1998 model years in the United States. The thoroughly revamped 911 was 80 percent new, meaning that just 20 percent of its parts were carried over from the previous generation (the Type 964). It employed a new light-alloy subframe with wishbone and coil suspension, an all-alloy multilink rear suspension, a Weissach axle, styling by English designer Tony Hatter, a naturally aspirated 3.6-liter M64 engine, and the first 911 to receive a six-speed transmission.

The Carrera, Carrera S, Cabriolet, and Targa models with rear-wheel drive were available with a 'Tiptronic' four-speed automatic transmission, first introduced in the 964. The Tiptronic S with additional steering wheel-mounted controls because available for the 1995 model year, along with refined software for quicker and smoother shifts.

As with the 964, the 993 was available with optional all-wheel drive which used three differentials as opposed to the center differential with a viscous coupling unit. The Type 993 with rear-wheel drive was known as the Carrera (the rear-wheel drive Type 964 was known as the Carrera 2) while those with the all-wheel drive were called the Carrera 4. The Carrera 4 had a 'Carrera 4' badge on the engine cover, silver painted brake calipers, clear front and side turn indicators, rear red turn indicators, and was fitted with an automatic braking differential. The rear-wheel drive Carrera was lighter and faster, but the C4 (Carrera 4) was better suited to cope with bad weather conditions.

Other improvements over the 964 included larger brakes with drilled discs, a revised power steering system, and a new dual-flow exhaust system.

Body styles included a coupe and cabriolet with the latter having an automatic wind blocker and a fully electrical and hand-stitched soft top reinforced with metal sheets. A small spoiler was mounted on the rear of the Cabriolet with the third braking light. A Targa version was introduced in the 1996 model year with a new retractable glass roof system often referred to as a 'greenhouse.' When the glass roof retracted, it moved underneath the rear window. The previous Targa system had a removable top and a wide B-pillar functioning as a roll bar. Targa body styles received unique two-piece 17-inch wheels and were optional on all other body styles.

The Porsche 993 Turbo coupe with all-wheel drive was introduced in 1995 and came equipped with a new twin-turbocharged engine displacing 3.6 liters and offering 402 horsepower. It had an electronic engine management system, redesigned cylinder heads, and air-to-air intercoolers. It rode on new 18-inch alloy wheels with hollow spokes, had larger disc brakes, and body modifications included widened rear wheel arches, redesigned bumper moldings, and a fixed 'what tail' rear wing housing the intercoolers.

The Porsche 993 Turbo S Coupe was produced in 1997 only and was manufactured by Porsche Exclusive Department. They received larger Triple K K-24 turbochargers, an additional oil cooler, and a modified Motronic engine management system resulting in an increase in power to 450 hp (DIN) (424 hp (SAE) for the North American market). The interiors were given additional carbon fiber decoration, and the exteriors had a slightly larger rear wing, a front spoiler with brake-cooling ducts (on the European market cars), air scoops behind the doors, carbon fiber door sills with 'Turbo S' badging, a quad-pipe exhaust system, and the brake calipers were painted yellow. Zero-to-sixty was accomplished in 3.6 seconds and the top speed was achieved at 184 mph (296.6 km/h).

1997 Porsche 911 Carrera
The 1997 Porsche 911 Carrera consisted of coupe and cabriolet body styles. Trim levels included the Carrera 2 and Carrera S, Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S, Targa, Turbo, and Turbo S. The 911 had a horizontally opposed six-cylinder aluminum engine displacing 219.7 cubic inches and produced 282 horsepower. With the help of twin turbochargers, horsepower rose to 400 hp. The rear-engine, rear-drive 911 came with a six-speed manual transmission or an optional four-speed automatic.

The North American-destined 1997 Porsche 911 Carreras had a base price of $63,750. The Turbocharged coupe had a base price of $105,000.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2019