The Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2001 bought the most significant changes to the 996. In · addition to a more powerful 3.6 li

MY2002 The Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2001 bought the most significant changes to the 996. In addition to a more powerful 3.6 litre engine and styling changes to the existing model range, there were two new models – the C4S and Targa. Visually, the main change to the Carrera 2 & 4 was to the front wings and lights, incorporating those from the Turbo model which was introduced in 2001. This gave it a noticeably different front-end look to the Boxster, as it was a common comment that they looked too similar. The front and rear bumpers were modified to give a ‘skirt’ effect around the bottom edges, giving them a slightly more aggressive appearance. Engine capacity was enlarged from 3387cc to 3596cc and there was a resulting power increase from 300bhp to 320bhp at 6800rpm. Maximum torque was up from 258ft/lb at 4600 to 273 ft/lb at 4250 rpm. The increase in displacement was achieved by increasing the stroke from 78mm to 82.8mm, while retaining the bore size of 96.0mm. Engine management was changed to the Bosch Motronic 7.8 system. The Variocam Plus system first used on the Turbo was also introduced, along with larger valves. The package resulted in improved fuel economy too. The new exhaust system was optimised for sound, within permissible noise limit values. The extra 20bhp of the facelift 996 improved the 0- 62mph time of the Carrera from 5.2 to 5.0 seconds, while the maximum speed increased from 174 to 178mph. Both manual and tiptronic transmissions were strengthened accordingly. The 6-speed gearbox had an extra bearing on the input shaft, and the tiptronic was completely revised, based on the Turbo unit. Inside the passenger compartment there were several subtle changes. Convenience features like a glovebox and integrated cupholders were introduced. A revised instrument cluster had a far more comprehensive on-board computer system (OBC). Control buttons were given a matt (as opposed to gloss) finish to give a perceived improvement of quality and a three-spoke steering wheel became standard. Other minor improvements included seat belt tensioners with belt force limiters, a larger centre air conditioning vent, memory seats option now included memory via the key fob, and CAN wiring of the instrument cluster, DME, Tiptronic, PSM, and air conditioning was introduced. There were some improvements to the 996’s running gear. The front track was widened by 10mm to 1465mm, while the wheel offset was 5mm less. Standard 17” wheels remained at 7”(F) and 9”(R) wide, but the optional 18” became 8” and 10” wide, instead of 7.5” and 10”. Extensive reinforcement of the roof frame, sills, and seat pan area increased stiffness of the coupe by 25% and by 10% for the cabriolet. A most welcome and significant improvement for the 2002 cabriolet was the introduction of a heated glass rear window. In addition, the rear window was made as part of a detachable panel, so that if either the fabric of the hood, or the glass window were to be damaged, they could be changed independently.