Dan’s Porsche 911 996 C2 (2003)

In 2003 Porsche released the 996 variant of the inimitable 911. The 996, without a doubt, represented the biggest overhaul of the successful 911 design since its inception back in 1964. Porsche made some brave decisions including a brand new water-cooled engine, a completely redesigned chassis, and significant changes to the exterior styling.

These radical changes however were borne out of necessity. The modern motorist’s expectations for performance, reliability, and comfort, paired with ever stricter emissions regulations and safety standards meant that Porsche simply couldn’t continue any longer with the existing 911 technology.

The Owner: Dan, Age 43, Lives in the UK

Dream Car: I’m not a Ferrari guy and never have been but the Ferrari F40 will always be the car I dreamed of as a child and to this day I’ve never seen a better looking car.

Owner Profile

The 996 (like all 911s that have followed since) was produced in two generations. The “Gen 1” 996 cars were styled very similarly to the new Boxster (which they shared a number of components with) and featured a 3.4 litre ‘flat-six’ water cooled engine. Following not entirely positive customer feedback, the 996 was then treated to an exterior facelift and a raft of upgrades mechanically. The “Gen 2” 996 featured a much more aggressive, purposeful front end and now looked sufficiently different to its little brother, the Boxster. Engines were also upgraded across the range to a 3.6 litre capacity, offering up 300bhp+ in the base model cars.

The most desirable 996 cars are of course, the 996 Turbo (and its beefed up sibling, the Turbo S), the 996 GT3 (also offered as a more track-focussed GT3 RS), and of course the “widow-maker”, the lightweight, turbocharged, and somewhat unhinged GT2.

We think 996 Porsches look their best when they’re low, simple and clean. Over the years their styling has aged nicely, and has taken on a real retro-appeal, and this “keep it simple” approach really complements that. Dan has taken this exact approach with his car, focussing on the natural beauty of the 996 and steering clear of wings and things. Put simply, we love it, and as a result we collared Dan to tell us a bit more!

Please note photo credits on some of the pictures go to: @CandyShowRoom, @mrpix_photographer, @c.s_photographic, @dave.auto.