New stablemate: 40th Anniversary 996

My dad finally over several years of yearning for a 996 (primarily a C4S for the wide rear) picked up a sharp 40th Anniversary here locally. He really liked the GT Silver, and thought the wing was more tasteful than the Porsche Aero "flying taco" wing. He had actually wanted a water-cooled flat-6 over the air cooled after driving a 996 on the Nurburgring back in 2000. The sound that it makes past 5 grand is just phenomonal! Some details: Just a tad over 24k miles 3M Clear bra PSE, NAV unit, Bose w/6 disc CD, Power Seats #0165 TechArt wing and EVO Air Intake

SCHWEET! THe 40th Anniversary cars are so nice looking!

My brother was considering one of those but he decited on a C4S. I do like that the are 345 hp with 3.44 gearing. I am sure he will have many years of joy. Congrats. Andy

Beautiful car, congrats and enjoy!

Many happy hours behind the wheel to your dad (and hopefully you, too).

I prefer the look of the 4S, but the engine in the 40th Anniversary is great.

Stunning car. One of the best packages in the MarkII lineup (except the GT3 of course). Only cirticsm of the car woiuld be that awful, out of place rear wing. If it was me, I would remove it and be able to show off the beautiful smooth line of the 911. Regardless, congrats!

I concur on the rear wing, but otherwise a sweet looking car! Love the color! PS--Motor Trend (I think) named the GT-3 "Best handling car on the planet" in a shoot-out. Check it out if you haven't already seen the issue!

Yummy...looks great.

Yes, it was MT, the new Shelby Mustang is on the cover. Excellent article!

Thank you all! Planning on being up at Elkhart Lake Road America for the Kohler Vintage Race in mid July. Hope to see some of you up there!

That looks good!

Yeah...for some reason the wing looks out of place...its not a factory wing..it looks like a Ruf or Techart....but it looks out of place on the car....but congrats...the 40th's are GREAT cars and a great value....

Me no likey rear wingy.... Dad looks happy, though, so what the hell.

The wing is a TechArt brand, and I think it looks better in person that in the pictures concerning the wing. Yep dad is very happy and I am happy for him. Is there a noticable difference between a standard Carrera 3.6 non X-51 and one with. I know the stats and peformance figures but does it become that more noticable? Andy, you mentioned the 3.44 gearing....is this taller or shorter than the the standard 996?

Yes there is a noticable difference. It's most obvious when accelerating during WOT.... particularly after 4500-5000 rpm. The X51 car feels like it gets a kick in the *** around 4500-5000, not quite as strong as a turbo kicking in, but a kick in the *** none the less. You don't feel that in cars without the X51 engine.

Congrats, but def not the best looking 996... I kinda liken it to a frankenstein... Turbo/C4S front bumper matched to a narrowbody - quirky. Regardless, special car and the wing does have to go unless you had the full aerokit which would make it very un-anniversay look which is fine by me but not so great for the more conservative rennlisters.

Welcome aboard. I also have a 40th (no wing though). What number is your Dad's?

Hey Ben, next time don't "sugar coat" it! Just tell him EXACTLY what you think of his car!

Sat40th911, thank you kindly...the 996 is #0165. What number is yours? LiveNupe, thank you for the information and real world persepective! Are all water cooled H-6's except for the the GT-3 wet sump instead of the dry sump oiling that dominated in the air cooled days? Ben, the different GT-3esque side skirts do add to the "areo" look and the C4S nose helps distinguish this 996 from the standard Carrera's of that year. There comes a point or direction when class gets shoved over for gaudy and distasteful additions, but this car except for the wing (which is not adaucious) is all Porsche...the way the factory intended. This car is no where near the Frankenstein that my Callaway 944 is...951 front nose and fenders, early 944 interior and chassis, 951 longblock....Callaway exh manifold, turbo, and wastegate. Not to mention the turbo is located on the "RIGHT" side. And it is 1 of 15 cars Reeves Callaway converted to turbocharged configuration in 1983. I do things because I like them not because others would prefer it that way. I take pride in making conservative purists **** in their boots.

I like you already, Charlie. And while I can appreciate what the factory intended, the factory also makes mistakes especially in the aesthetic realm. I find the 40th exterior to be a last minute after thought in the looks department. It's just kinda all thrown togther pulling from both the wide and narrow bodies. Not a fan, but hey, it's all relative. It's a head turner. I like those sideskirts and I think it'd look great on my C4S, but then I'm not so sure they'll fit. It's the one thing on my car that's lacking. Enjoy it, kind sir. Best, Ben

To each their own..... Of all the 996 front ends, my favorite is the GT2. Second favorite?? Turbo/C4S..... but I'm not a fan of the AWD platform so I feel as though I get the best of all worlds. The nose of the non-40th 996 C2 doesn't look aggressive enough IMHO. Like I said to each their own. As for the Frankenstein analogy.... I'd love to create a Frankenstein woman.... The brains of Condy Rice + the smile of Hally Berry + the body of Serena Williams + Beyonce's face + Anita Baker's voice = 1 happy LiveNupe!!!

Ben, cheers to you as well I would have liked to see a totally different styling in the front to seperate the standard Carrera from the "911" 40th. But I presume that with only 1,963 made it would not have been economoical hence why they grabbed from their existing stock pile of parts. The option list is impressive though! I have always been a fan of the wide hipped 911's be it from the 930 and 934 days to the 993 C2S's and C4S's to the 996 C4S's. In regards to the side skirts are they in fact GT-3 skirts? I know they look very similar but I am not sure if they are in fact the same also did the 996 GT-3 share the narrow body C2 body or the wider C4 but just with no AWD? Here is a quick pic of my Frankenstein:

Nice looking car!

The 996 GT3 is a narrow body.

GT3 has the C4 tub (stiffer than the 2wd C2 tub)

To make sure we're not confusing you, the GT3 had the C4 tub and the narrow body sheet metal

peter piper picked a peck of pickled peppers

Congratulations! The 40th is one of my favorite Porsche models for day to day driving. I've always felt that my car needed a proper one piece rear wing. I have never been a fan of the pop up wings that Porsche has been using. The recommendation I have is to lower the car with a nice suspension. I have PSS9's on my 40th and love them. Your 944 Turbo is awesome looking and I'm sure a beast on the track. I've done many things to my 911SC to fit my desires so I know where you're coming from. I love the neighborhood. Makes me want to move out of CA. Got to pick a place near some race tracks though.

I totally disagree. I think the wing is SICK. I LOVE how the car looks, all around. Still not as good looking as the C4S or Turbo tho, due to the lack of widebody. But you add that extra power and it makes that car hit the quarter mile like a half sec faster than the C4S!! I think they should have just called it the C2S!! Cause that's what it is. I still don't understand why they didn't give the C4S the extra power like they did on the 997 C4S. I always felt like it needed it and it's one reason I moved away from it so fast. The S SHOULD ALWAYS denote more power, AS WELL as stiffer suspension, bigger brakes etc... Gorgeous car with a GREAT package, enjoy it....I LOVE IT!!!

Welcome to the family-- Mike

Mine is 1018. Bought new in September of 2004 with a hefty discount of MSRP. I think it is a deal because it is so heavily optioned. If you bought them separately, it would be a fortune to option out your 996 the way the 40th came. Ride is a little harsh on bad streets, but overall a great car and it has been my DD for the past 3 to 4 months. I did have the RMS repaired under warranty, but no other major problems. I am approaching 25k miles, and gearing up for the 30k service. I will also need four new tires and brake pads by then. I replaced my rears at the 15k service, but the fronts are still original. My only real complaint, depending on the hwy surface, the tires can be pretty noisy above 80mph. My ABS seems to engage a lot also. But it is by far the best car I have ever driven. I wish that the hatch opened, and I wish that the back seat had another 2 inches of leg room. But for now, my kids fit back there, so it is ok.

Thanks pal, awesome looking Turbo...I really like the exhaust tips! EarlyApex, thanks a lot! The PSS9's look like a nice upgrade, and I think it would enhance the overall stance of the car having it lowered some. I lowered both my 944's and love the look! I have always been attracted to 911's/930's/964's with whale tails, the 3.8RS bi-wings, and the 993TT turbo whale tails. Yeah my 944 is a ton of fun on the track! It corners hard, the weight is balanced, and there is minimal turbo lag with the turbo hanging right off the exhaust manifold unlike the factory 951's. Mike, how do you like the sound of the Fabspeed muffler bypasses? I enjoy the PSE option but for my tastes I would like it louder. Does anyone make a cat-bypass pipes, or does this really reek havoc with the OBDII and Motronic? sat40th911, the list of options is stacked to the hilt and like you said it would cost a fortune over list on a standard 996. The X-51 Engine package was $13.5K, the paint another 3k, then you have the PSE, full leather int, NAV unit, etc, etc. What tires are on there now? Our 40th has Pirelli P-Zero Corsa's that will need to be replaced next year. Happy motoring!

Mich Pilot SPorts

Did you really just compliment the man's package? Not that there is anything wrong with that or anything.

On a Porsche forum, you can god-damn guarantee, I'm talking about a car, when I compliment a guys package!! NOW AND FOREVER!!