11.3:1
FUEL DELIVERY
Bosch DME with sequential injection
FINAL DRIVE AXLE RATIO
3.44:1
TOP SPEED
177mph
PRODUCTION
6,621 coupes; 7,254 cabriolets (both C2 and C4 total from 2002 through 2005)
Because the car existed as a racing class homologation, Porsche offered the GT2 only as a rear drive model. The ceramic composite brake system (PCCB) was standard. The GT2 accelerated to 100 kilometers in 4.0 seconds and reached a top speed of 319 kilometers (198 miles) per hour.
2003-2005 911 GT2
For European customers, Porsche’s rear-wheel-drive GT2 returned to the lineup using the Turbo body (though various weight reductions—primarily removing the front drive mechanisms—brought it in 100 kilograms [220 pounds] lighter than the Turbo). The Mezger 3.6-liter flat six developed 463 DIN horsepower at 5,700 rpm through twin turbos and intercoolers. As with the Turbo, the GT2 used VarioCam Plus to adjust intake valve operation and valve camshaft timing. PCCBs were standard equipment. The GT2 sold for DM 339,000 in Europe. As with the GT3, still in the lineup, Porsche offered a Clubsport option for the GT2 that delivered a competition seat, six-point harness, roll cage, and fire extinguishing system.
Alois Ruf wasted no time introducing his own R Turbo in several variations, coupe or cabriolet body in narrow or wide configurations. By altering turbochargers, fitting his own exhaust system and air intake runners, and modifying the engine management programs, his engine developed 520 DIN horsepower at 6,000 rpm. The front end incorporated vent slots and an air dam, and Ruf modified the electrically operated and adjustable rear wing. Acceleration from 0 to 62 miles per hour took 3.7 seconds, and the cars reached top speeds of 330 kilometers (205 miles) per hour or more, depending on gearing. Soon after introducing the R Turbo, he uprated its performance to 550 DIN horsepower at 6,000 rpm. This increased top speed to 351 kilometers (218 miles) per hour. A fully optioned narrow body, rear-wheel-drive coupe with integral roll cage sold for EUR 250,444 (roughly $226,000 at the time). (In hopes of developing a universal currency for its member countries, the European Union, or EU, adopted the Euro in December 1995. Banknotes and coins entered circulation on January 1, 2002.)
For 2002 the Turbo’s face-lifted front styling spread across the entire 996 lineup. Standard Carrera models got a larger engine after Weissach engineers lengthened the stroke from 78mm to 82.8, a process that required considerable reengineering. In fact, according to Jürgen Barth, Weissach changed something like 80 percent of the engine components. With bore still at 96mm, overall displacement increased to 3,596cc (219.3 cubic inches); using VarioCam Plus, this new engine developed 320 DIN horsepower at 6,800 rpm. This was a good year for 911 enthusiasts, with seven models available. The GT2 reached U.S. shores at $179,900, as did the X50 option for the Turbos, which boosted engine output to 450 DIN horsepower at 5,700 rpm in the all-wheel-drive platform. The Carrera 2 coupe and cabriolet continued, as did the Carrera 4 cabriolet. Both cabriolet models exchanged the plastic rear window for heatable glass. A bolder, more brash C4 coupe, designated C4S, adopted the Turbo bodywork. It appeared in U.S. dealers in February 2002. Along with Turbo suspension and brakes, the C4S was 60mm (2.4 inches) wider at the rear.
For the final year of the 996 series, Porsche upgraded the sprinter in the suit with new 18-inch alloy wheels that helped the car shed nearly 14 kilograms (31 pounds) from the previous year’s model.
Sport seats were optional at no extra cost, and the company deleted rear seats and the back portion of the center console to save further weight. European models developed 483 horsepower at 5,700 rpm while America customers suffered with only 477.
YEAR
2003-2005
DESIGNATION
911 GT2
SPECIFICATIONS
MODEL AVAILABILITY
Coupe
WHEELBASE
2355mm/92.7 inches
LENGTH
4450mm/175.2 inches
WIDTH
1830mm/72.0 inches
HEIGHT
1275mm/50.2 inches
WEIGHT
1420kg/3124 pounds
BASE PRICE
$193,700
TRACK FRONT
1495mm/58.9 inches
TRACK REAR
1520mm/59.8 inches
WHEELS FRONT
8.5Jx18
WHEELS REAR
12.0Jx18
TIRES FRONT
235/40ZR18
TIRES REAR
315/30ZR18
CONSTRUCTION
Unitized welded steel
SUSPENSION FRONT
Independent, light-alloy wishbones, MacPherson struts w/coil springs, gas-filled double-tube shock absorbers, anti roll bar
SUSPENSION REAR
Independent, multi-wishbone, progressive coil springs, gas-filled single-tube shock absorbers, anti roll bar
BRAKES
Ventilated, drilled discs, 4-piston aluminum monobloc calipers
ENGINE TYPE
Horizontally opposed water-cooled DOHC six-cylinder Typ M96/70 SL
ENGINE DISPLACEMENT
3600cc/219.7CID
BORE AND STROKE
100x76.4mm/3.94x3.01 inches
HORSEPOWER
483@5700rpm
TORQUE
472lb-ft@3500rpm
COMPRESSION
9.4:1
FUEL DELIVERY
Bosch DME with sequential injection, turbochargers, intercooler
FINAL DRIVE AXLE RATIO
3.44:1
TOP SPEED
198mph
PRODUCTION
Not available
Porsche had introduced its new 3,596cc (219.4-cubic-inch) Typ M96/03 engine for model year 2002, producing 320 horsepower at 6,800 rpm. Europeans had the option of a further upgrade to 345 horsepower through Exclusiv’s “Carrera Power Kit.”
2001-2005 911 TARGA
At the same time, Porsche reintroduced the glass-roof Targa, which had last appeared on 993 models for 1998. The first-generation roofs occasionally stuck open, closed, or in between due to some chassis flexibility. Weissach engineers redesigned the system and its installation. The 993 system welded the top mechanism onto reinforced cabriolet bodies. The 996 assemblers brought the roof into the car through the windshield and raised it into position from inside the cabrio body before welding it in place. This method greatly increased torsional rigidity and body stiffness. Part of the new system incorporated a hatchbacklike hinged rear window, finally achieving a goal that Ferry Porsche had had for the 901 in 1964. Porsche sold the Targa for EUR 82,128 and $75,200 in the United States.
For competitors in European Carrera Cup events, Porsche Motorsports performed numerous upgrades and engine management system revisions for 2002 to boost GT3 Cup engine output to 381 DIN horsepower from the 3.6-liter Mezger engine. According to Jürgen Barth, the restyled bodywork for both road-going and racing models reduced front lift by 25 percent and rear lift by 40 percent. Motorsports developed a new seven-position rear wing. It also increased front brake rotor diameter to 350mm. For 2002 Porsche assembled 138 Cup cars, now called the Michelin Supercup following a change in series sponsorship. For 2003 engineers again improved output to 390 DIN horsepower at 7,300 rpm through a rigorous weight loss program inside the engine. Barth reported that engineers lightened pistons by 9 percent and valves by 18 percent. The 2003 GT3 Cup car weighed 1,160 kilograms (2,557 pounds). Motorsports assembled 200 of them.
As with the 993 versions, the new 996 Targa roof consisted of three elements, all of them three-layer-thick laminated safety glass tinted green. A wind deflector rose from the fixed front glass piece when the larger panel was retracted.
For 2003 Porsche was forced to recalibrate its horsepower ratings to correspond with Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standards for vehicles in the United States. This resulted in a slight downward rerating, and Carrera and Carrera 4 mo
dels dropped from 320 to 315 SAE horsepower. The Turbo adjusted to 415, while the X50 package slipped from 450 to 444. The GT2 relisted at 456 SAE horsepower.
A new cabriolet top system allowed drivers to raise or lower the roof electrically while driving at speeds up to 50 kilometers (30 miles) per hour. Midway through the model year, in the spring of 2003, Porsche supplemented the Carrera 4 cabriolet with the Turbo-body Carrera 4S cabriolet, similar to the C4S coupe with the Turbo suspension, brakes, and wheels. The entire 996 lineup introduced onboard computers, a CD radio, and a new three-spoke steering wheel.
The Targa weighed 1,415 kilograms (3,113 pounds). It sold for €82,276 in Germany and $76,000 in the United States.
Porsche reintroduced the 996 Targa as a 2002 model in Europe and for 2003 in the United States. Unlike the all-glass-roof version for the 993, this new car also provided buyers an opening rear hatch that was accessible when the roof was closed.
YEAR
2001-2005
DESIGNATION
911 Targa
SPECIFICATIONS
MODEL AVAILABILITY
Targa
WHEELBASE
2350mm/92.5 inches
LENGTH
4430mm/174.4 inches
WIDTH
1770mm/69.7 inches
HEIGHT
1305mm/51.3 inches
WEIGHT
1415kg/3113 pounds
BASE PRICE
$86,297 Targa
TRACK FRONT
1465mm/57.7 inches
TRACK REAR
1500mm/59.1 inches
WHEELS FRONT
8.0Jx18
WHEELS REAR
10.0Jx18
TIRES FRONT
225/40ZR18
TIRES REAR
285/30ZR18
CONSTRUCTION
Unitized welded steel
SUSPENSION FRONT
Independent, light-alloy wishbones, MacPherson struts w/coil springs, gas-filled double-tube shock absorbers, anti roll bar
SUSPENSION REAR
Independent, multi-wishbone, progressive coil springs, gas-filled single-tube shock absorbers, anti roll bar
BRAKES
Ventilated, drilled discs, 4-piston aluminum monobloc calipers
ENGINE TYPE
Horizontally opposed water-cooled DOHC six-cylinder Typ M96/03
ENGINE DISPLACEMENT
3596cc/219.4CID
BORE AND STROKE
96x82.8mm/3.78x3.26 inches
HORSEPOWER
320@6800rpm (345@6800 – 40 th Anniversary)
TORQUE
273lb-ft@4800rpm (all)
COMPRESSION
11.3:1
FUEL DELIVERY
Bosch DME with sequential injection
FINAL DRIVE AXLE RATIO
3.44:1
TOP SPEED
177mph
PRODUCTION
2,693 Targas
On the center console below the radio of each Anniversary coupe, the company mounted a numbered plaque finished in GT Silver metallic and aluminum. Photograph © 2011 David Newhardt
2003-2004 911 CARRERA 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
Late in 2003, the company celebrated 40 years of 911 production with a 40th Anniversary Commemorative edition. Porsche limited the rear-wheel-drive model run to 1,963 examples. Offered only in GT Silver Metallic, the car utilized the latest Weissach engineering tricks to bring output to 345 SAE horsepower at 6,800 rpm. In addition to many small and large interior appointments, Porsche delivered the car with fitted luggage and a brief case in hand-tooled dark gray leather. It sold for EUR 95,616 in Europe and $89,800 in the United States.
Model year 2004 brought the long-awaited GT3 to U.S. shores, though not every variation made it to America. The car had 380 SAE horsepower, so few buyers complained. A less common edition of only 200, called the GT3 RS, was conceived as a street-legal homologation model. Based on the stripped Clubsport, these cars were sold only in Carrera white, with the buyer’s choice or red or blue GT3 RS lettering on the side. Using a carbon fiber rear wing, rearview mirror housings, and front deck lid, as well as thinner, lighter rear windows, Porsche Motorsports pared an additional 50 kilograms (110 pounds) off the already lightened GT3. It was an uncompromised racing version with a loud interior, rough ride, brilliant handling, and neck-snapping acceleration and braking. Customers who bought one for street use or as collectors/speculators found it had no radio or climate control. Porsche Motorsports assembled just 68 of the RS models, as well as 48 RSR models strictly for competition. In addition, Weissach produced another 10 of the 2004 GT3 Rally models for the FIA Road Challenge series.
Competitors in the Carrera Cup saw mostly safety innovations in their cars. Revisions to the roll cage added extra X braces behind the seat that now accommodated the head and neck support (HANS) system required by the FIA. New warning lights and engine management changes alerted drivers when the engine was at upshift point, coolant was low, or a road-speed limiter held drivers to pit lane maximum speeds. Porsche sold these pure racers for EUR 109,500 (roughly $135,500), and it assembled about 150 of them.
Porsche commemorated the 40th anniversary of the 911 introduction by offering an edition of 1,963 Carrera coupes painted in GT Silver Metallic. All cars worldwide used the “Power Kit”–equipped 345 horsepower M96/03S flat six. Photograph © 2011 David Newhardt
Porsche gave the Anniversary coupes a dark gray leather interior with heated sport seats. The cars came equipped with sport suspension and Porsche Stability Management. Photograph © 2011 David Newhardt
Porsche’s new Turbo cabriolet was far more civilized yet plenty powerful. Sharing the all-wheel-drive platform and 444-horsepower (SAE) engine with the coupe, the open car ran from 0 to 62 miles per hour in 4.3 seconds (4.9 seconds with the Tiptronic S). With its top down, it was good for a top speed of 290 kilometers (180 miles) per hour.
To characterize this series as a success is an understatement. Notwithstanding a small series of serious engine failures, primarily among early 3.4-liter engines, the first-generation water-cooled 911s were everything Porsche needed to survive and prosper into the twenty-first century. The gentrified water-cooled 996 introduced many longtime Mercedes-Benz and BMW owners to the 911 and made them converts. Some longtime loyalists criticized the car for straying from the purity of purpose that defined the 911 of the 1960s and 1970s—but without the recognition that, at the price point where Porsche’s cars reside, customers expect not only performance but also electric windows, heated seats, sliding or retracting roofs that work, sophisticated audio systems they can enjoy above engine and road sounds, and climate control that coddles them no matter what goes on outside the car. The 993 came close. The 996 hit it precisely.
Because Porsche never let any good car go unimproved, the replacement, coming in 2005, addressed the comments of loyalists and new customers alike. And then Porsche turned to the creative talent at Weissach and let them loose.
YEAR
2003-2004
DESIGNATION
911 Carrera 40th Anniversary
SPECIFICATIONS
MODEL AVAILABILITY
Coupe
WHEELBASE
2350mm/92.5 inches
LENGTH
4430mm/174.4 inches
WIDTH
1770mm/69.7 inches
HEIGHT
1305mm/51.3 inches
WEIGHT
1370kg/3014 pounds
BASE PRICE
$100,290
TRACK FRONT
1455mm/57.3 inches
TRACK REAR
1480mm/58.3 inches
WHEELS FRONT
8.0Jx18
WHEELS REAR
10.0Jx18
TIRES FRONT
225/40ZR18
TIRES REAR
285/30ZR18
CONSTRUCTION
Unitized welded steel
SUSPENSION FRONT
Independent, light-alloy wishbones, MacPhe
rson struts w/coil springs, gas-filled double-tube shock absorbers, anti roll bar
SUSPENSION REAR
Independent, multi-wishbone, progressive coil springs, gas-filled single-tube shock absorbers, anti roll bar
BRAKES
Ventilated, drilled discs, 4-piston aluminum monobloc calipers
ENGINE TYPE
Horizontally opposed water-cooled DOHC six-cylinder Typ M96/03 S
ENGINE DISPLACEMENT
3596cc/219.4CID
BORE AND STROKE
96x82.8mm/3.78x3.26 inches
HORSEPOWER
345@6800
TORQUE
273lb-ft@4800rpm
COMPRESSION
11.3:1
FUEL DELIVERY
Bosch DME with sequential injection
The Complete Book of Porsche 911 Page 22
