Pick Of The Day: 1996 Porsche 911 Turbo

Searching for a new Pick of the Day can sometimes take a while but this time it was a quick process. When I saw this 1996 Porsche 911 Turbo, I locked it in as the next car for the series. The primary reason? It was instantly eye-catching. But there’s much more to it than just its looks. You can find this ’90s classic listed on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Scotts Valley, California. It comes with a Porsche certificate of authenticity along with owner’s manuals, service documents, tools, air compressor, and spare wheel/tire.

It’s almost impossible to overlook a 911 from the 993 generation, which was produced from 1993 until 1998. It looks as if Porsche‘s designers smoothed the edges of the outgoing model to perfection. According to the company, “The roofline was practically the only thing to remain unchanged from the 964 that preceded it.” The previously upright headlights were replaced with sleeker ellipsoidal units, giving the 993 one of the most attractive 911 front ends ever. Although it’s been about three decades since 993s were new, a modern version of their taillights/lighting strip combo is present on the current 992.2 version of the 911.

This particular 911 stood out to me even more because it’s finished in bright Grand Prix White and comes with matching wheels. Color-matched wheels can be gaudy, but in this case, they heighten the appearance of an already attractive machine.

And check out the two-tone interior, complete with a blue steering wheel—if you ask me, that makes this car even cooler and more exotic. Look closely and you’ll note that there are only 10,000 miles on the odometer.

As I said at the beginning of this piece, this 911 has more going for it than just its appearance: it has historical significance. The 993 brought innovations to Porsche’s beloved sports car that are still in use today. Did you know the 993 911 Turbo was the “the first car in the world to be offered with an OBD-II system”? You do now. Porsche also replaced the old five-speed manual gearbox with a more modern six-speed, which was not available in Lamborghinis of the time, or even the Jaguar XJ220.

The personality of the all-wheel-drive 911 Turbo in particular changed substantially—just ask the automaker itself, which said, “The 1995 model marked a departure from the 911 Turbo’s bullish macho image. It had grown up—without losing its good looks.” Some credit for that goes to the 993’s new multi-link LSA (light weight, stability, and agility) rear axle, which enabled better driving dynamics and a more comfortable ride. The Turbo’s 3.6-liter flat-six deserves much of the credit. Unlike the 964 Turbo, the 993 iteration had two turbochargers (just like all its descendants). In addition to helping the engine pump out 408 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque, the pair of KKK K16 turbos delivered their power sooner and more smoothly than the old single-turbo setup. As Porsche put it, “The era of explosive power delivery that struck the driver like an elemental force was over.” And once the 996 debuted as a 1999 model, so was the era of air-cooled 911s.

If you want your time with this 1996 Porsche 911 Turbo to begin, click on any of the pictures in this article (or the link below) to contact the selling dealer for the price.

Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com