The Porsche 993 | The Fourth Generation 911

Recently, we had the privilege of seeing a 1996 Porsche 993 come through the shop for a Deluxe Complete Detail. While we see newer Porsches come through the shop with decent frequency (718 Cayman GTS, Targa 4S, 911 Turbo (992)), I still can’t help but get excited when I see a classic-era 911 arrive.

The 993 is the 4th generation of the iconic 911 and was sold from 1994 to 1998 (hitting US markets in ’95), replacing the 964 and ultimately being replaced by the 996. The 993 has the claim of being the last air-cooled 911 model. Porsche strived for greatness when designing this model as they wanted to present something that was superior than the 964 in every way: design, performance, reliability, you name it.

There’s an impressive amount of variations of this model 911. Upon its release, both Coupe and Carrera versions were available. The following year, the AWD Carrera 4 was released along with the 911 Turbo iterations (Targa, Turbo Coupe, Turbo S Coupe). Following that, the Carrera S and Carrera 4S were released.

The 6-speed manual iterations of the 1996 993 see a top speed of 171 MPH while the automatic Tiptronic S models follow pretty closely with a top speed of 168 MPH. Driving manual, you’d see 15 MPG in the city and 23 MPG on the highway. With the automatic: 15 MPG and 22 MPG.

The Coupe, Cabriolet, Targa, Carrera 4, Carrera 4 Cabriolet, were all capable of delivering 272 HP in 1996. The Carrera S and 4S came in at 282 HP. The Turbo saw 408 HP and the Turbo S (1997) saw 424 HP. What’s not so impressive? The Turbo S only saw 11 MPG city/17 MPG highway. But let’s be honest; what did you expect? With a 0-60 speed of 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 183 mph, I’m going to let the fuel economy slide.

Our friend Doug Tabbutt (owner of SwitchCars, host of SwitchCast, and current Cannonball Run record holder) is one of the biggest “Porsche guys” I know. He had this to say on the 1996 993 Carrera:

“The 993 is arguably the pinnacle of 911 production, as it is (in my opinion) the greatest looking generation of the 911 and it was the last hurrah of the air-cooled run, ending a 34-year legacy of 911s. It had modernized suspension design that vastly improved on the handling characteristics of its predecessors, most notably eliminating the snap-oversteer tendency of the previous torsion bar/trailing arm rear suspension geometry.

The 993 was indeed so good that the ‘new and improved’ water-cooled 996 which replaced it had massive engine design flaws which ultimately led to a class-action lawsuit. It was hard to beat the split-case GT1 engine which traced its design heritage back to the famed engineer Hans Mezger and also had been tried, tested, and proven in multiple endurance racing series across the decades. The “Mezger” engine design continued in the pinnacle of the newer 911s, namely the Turbo and GT models.

The 993 was not without its flaws, as it is nearly as expensive to maintain as a Ferrari, but it is totally worth it.”

Giving the 993 a Deluxe Complete Detail

As stated earlier, the reason this car was in our shop to begin with was to receive a Deluxe Complete Detail as well as some polishing/buffing. I’ll only briefly touch on what all this includes.

On the interior, we started with a blast of pressurized air to loosen and remove all debris and dust. The entire entire of the 993 was then thoroughly vacuumed. Once the entire car was blasted with air and vacuumed intensely, the cracks, crevices, vents, and areas under the seats were all cleaned. The vinyl, leather surfaces, and trim are were cleaned and returned to a “like new” condition. At this point, we gave the carpets and upholstery a deep cleaning with our extractor. To finish up the interior portion of the detail, all gauges, mirrors, and windows were cleaned to total perfection.

Moving to the exterior of the car, we provided a full service hand wash and chamois dry. The wheels, wheel wells, and tires were scrubbed and rid of all traces of tar, bugs, and road grime via a clay bar process spanning from bumper to bumper. The engine compartment was cleaned thoroughly and we added a step of buffing polish/glaze to remove swirl marks and minor scratches to deep cleanse the painted surface and bring the paint back to life. We topped it off by waxing the exterior with a high speed orbital buffer and apply a premium polymer sealant to ensure optimal shine and protection. In perfect conditions, this wax will last 3 months!

Concluding Thoughts on the 993

All in all, it’s safe to say that the Porsche 993 is easily one of the most, if not the most, beloved generations of the 911. With it’s incredible looks, feel, and enjoyment, it’s easy to see why car enthusiasts can’t get enough of this sweet sport car.

References

https://www.excellence-mag.com/resources/specs/327

https://www.porsche.com/usa/accessoriesandservices/classic/models/993/993/

https://www.hotcars.com/porsche-993/