Best of the Porsche 996
There are two core elements that create a collectable 996-generation 911. The first is the obvious requirement of rarity. Limited numbers 911s always make the cut. The second is the Mezger engine.
This core element, carried over and constantly evolved and updated through the timeline of the 911, creates a tempo, a personality that utterly transforms the 996.
At a moment in the 911’s history when the faithful may have wavered in the face of a water-cooled car, the Mezger-engined 911s showed that Porsche still understood its enthusiast driver market. They are and always will be something special, as Total 911 finds out when putting all five dry-sumped 996s to the test.
996 GT2 v 996 GT3 RS
For anyone investing in Mezger-engined 996 Porsches, the GT3 RS has long been the default choice. Iconic in appearance and exceptionally rare, the 996 GT3 RS was a collectable for Porsche enthusiasts well before the current global 911 collecting phenomenon.
But there are other 911s of that era produced in limited numbers that are equally collectable, just as challenging to drive, and in some ways could be more satisfying to own.
We are talking, of course, about the 996 GT2 – and with both cars currently commanding the same money in the Porsche marketplace, suddenly a GT2 vs GT3 RS is a 996 showdown many serious buyers may look to ponder over.
Introduced in 2001 and intended for those who felt the 996 Turbo was just too civilised, the GT2 uses essentially the same engine as the Turbo but with larger KKK K24 turbochargers.
Together with uprated intercoolers, a revised exhaust system and ECU, the maximum power increased to 468bhp. The huge torque figure of 620Nm at just 3,500rpm was all delivered to the rear wheels only and the ever-reliable Porsche Stability Management was deleted. With the GT2 it’s all down to you.
The fact that almost every 996 GT2 that I’ve seen is finished in Basalt black makes the Porsche development engineer’s nickname for the car of ‘widowmaker’ particularly apt, as we walk over to the stunning GT2 Clubsport in our pictures.
To read our celebration of Mezger-engined Porsche 996s, pick up Total 911 issue 143 in store today. Alternatively, order your copy online for home delivery, or download it straight to your digital device now.
Comments (0)