25 years of the 996-generation Porsche 911  

First Look of the 996-generation Porsche 911  

At the 1997 IAA International Motor Show in Frankfurt, fans were astounded when they first saw it. It was a vehicle that flouted several rules. Everything was brand-new except for the legendary 911 design's significant modifications and the rear-engined drive concept. The interiors of the 996 and the Boxster were identical to B-pillars thanks to a ground-breaking parts-sharing concept with the 986-generation Boxster that utilized water cooling rather than air conditioning. The boxer principle of the six-cylinder engine remained unaltered. The engineers' and designers' willingness to flip many other ideas on their heads was something fresh.   

As August Achleitner puts it, it was time to "break with old patterns." Porsche required a vehicle in a lower price range to boost sales. Using elements from the original Porsche Boxster, the 996's engine was discussed. Porsche switched from the previous two-valve, air-cooled design to the new water-cooled, four-valve boxer engine due to strict pollution requirements and other issues.  

According to Achleitner, "the program anticipated that we would sell a combined total of at least 30,000 units of both cars with a satisfactory return on investment." The plan was successful; Porsche sold more than 30,000 911s from the 996 generations each year, with overall sales of 50,000–60,000 units.  

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