911 (993)

"Practically only the roofline remained"

Porsche has said that with the 993, every part of the car was redesigned from the ground up — though it also conceded that only about 20% of parts carried over and that, visually, "practically only the roofline remained unchanged" from the 964. The new body, by Tony Hatter, traded the upright 964 look for flatter front wings (made possible by polyellipsoid headlights), integrated bumpers, flush windows, and dramatically flared rear arches.

The 993 went on sale in 1994 (1995 model year in the US), initially as Coupe and Cabriolet, both offered in rear-drive and all-wheel-drive form.

The chassis that changed the 911

The single biggest engineering story is the rear suspension. Porsche binned the long-running semi-trailing-arm layout and fitted an entirely new all-alloy multilink rear end — the "Weissach axle" — mounted to a light-alloy subframe (the LSA chassis), a design derived from the stillborn 989 four-door project. Its self-steering geometry sharply reduced the snap-oversteer reputation of earlier 911s, improved ride and refinement, and is still regarded as the high point of that rear-axle concept. The all-wheel-drive system was also re-thought: out went the 964's heavier three-differential arrangement, replaced by a lighter viscous-coupling setup borrowed in concept from the 959.

VarioRam and the six-speed

At launch the 3.6-litre flat-six made 272 PS. For the 1996 model year Porsche added VarioRam — a variable-length intake system that changes runner length with rpm/load to fatten mid-range torque — lifting output to 285 PS. The 993 was also the first 911 to come standard with a six-speed manual; rear-drive cars could still be ordered with the (now refined) Tiptronic S automatic.

A broad, now-legendary family

For its short run the 993 spawned a deep lineup: the rear- and all-wheel-drive Carrera; the widebody Carrera 4S / Carrera S; the glass-roof Targa (new for 1996); the twin-turbocharged, AWD Turbo and its Exclusiv-built Turbo S; the rear-drive, widebody GT2 homologation special; the lightweight naturally aspirated Carrera RS 3.8 (and Clubsport); and pure-race RSR and Cup cars.

The 993 was replaced in 1998 by the water-cooled 996 — the end of the air-cooled era. The very last air-cooled 911 built for the road, a Riviera Blue Carrera 4S, was completed on 31 March 1998 (and is famously owned by Jerry Seinfeld).

Secondary air injection (SAI) clogging. The 993's secondary-air system injects air into the exhaust ports on cold start to cut emissions. Over time carbon deposits clog the small passages. On 1996+ OBD-II cars this trips a check-engine light and can mean an automatic smog-test fail in CEL-checking states. There is a genuine debate about severity: many specialists treat clogged SAI ports as primarily an emissions/inspection nuisance with little effect on how the car drives, addressable by cleaning the ports; others have framed worst-case carbon-related work as very expensive. We flag this as disputed.

Oil leaks. Generally less troublesome than the 964's, but oil weeps (e.g. from the lower cam covers) are common and usually straightforward to address.

Door check straps. A well-known 993 failure point — the strap that holds the door open breaks; the repair is fiddly and can run up labor.

Targa roof mechanism. Complex, heavy, and prone to faults; repairs to the glass-roof system can be costly. Also adds weight high in the car.

Air conditioning. A/C compressors and associated plumbing can need attention and run into four-figure bills.

Turbo driveline (1996 cars). Early 993 Turbos used weaker transmission input shafts given the power + AWD loads; Porsche strengthened them for 1997–98.

General. Tired suspension bushings/dampers and deferred maintenance are the usual story on cheaper examples; budget accordingly.

Documentation and specialist history matter enormously. A sorted, fully documented car beats a "better-spec" neglected one. Receipts from a recognized air-cooled Porsche specialist are gold on these.

Secondary air injection (SAI). On 1996-on (OBD-II) cars, carbon clogs the small secondary-air passages and trips a check-engine light, which can fail emissions/smog testing in some US states. Ask whether the SAI ports have been cleaned and whether a CEL is present — but understand the debate over how much it actually matters (see Common Problems).

Rust. The 993 is galvanized and generally rust-resistant, but check door sills, the bottoms of the doors, wheel arches, and under the carpets — neglect and poor repairs show up there.

Targa roof and seals. The glass "greenhouse" mechanism is complex and can be unreliable and expensive; check it operates smoothly and look for water ingress, cabin heat complaints, and rattles.

Turbo specifics. On Turbos, 1996 cars have weaker transmission input shafts and a non-flashable ECU; 1997–98 cars got stronger shafts and a modifiable ECU. Verify which you're looking at.

Common annoyances to budget for. Door check straps (a known 993 weak point, fiddly to fix), tired A/C compressors and plumbing, and lower cam-cover oil weeps. Confirm a real service history rather than assuming.

The 993 rode the air-cooled boom hard. Hagerty documented that 993 #2 ("excellent") values jumped about 31% between January 2014 and January 2017 (some variants up 70%+), with the auction record set in that window — a 1995 GT2 selling for roughly $2.4M (£1,848,000) at RM Sotheby's in 2016.

That frenzy then cooled. Hagerty's December 2019 analysis noted that the 993's Hagerty Vehicle Rating had fallen from 77 to 48, with very low auction-activity scores — buyers were still interested (insurance/quoting activity stayed high) but no longer paying peak prices. Hagerty reported average prices slipping roughly 2–8% with its September 2019 guide update, with Cabriolets down 11–15% and Targas/GT2s down about 12%, while a #3 ("good") 993 carried a median value around $79,000 at that time.

A durable pattern worth knowing: with most classics "top down, price up," but 993s invert it — Coupes are worth meaningfully more than Cabriolets or Targas, and manual cars over Tiptronics. The hierarchy runs roughly: GT2 / Carrera RS / Turbo S at the top, then Turbo, then widebody Carrera S/4S, then Targa/Cabriolet, with the manual Carrera coupe as the enthusiast benchmark.

These are directional, date-stamped observations (the hard figures above are 2016–2019 Hagerty data), NOT a current quote. Collector values move. Use the Fully Sorted Value Guide for live comps before buying or selling.