Jethro Bovingdon, formerly of Evo Magazine and now of Drivetribe was not always a Porsche believer. In his words; “I was a motoring journalist for about two weeks, and had a healthy skepticism when it came to Porsche 911s.” A chance drive from Bedford Autodrome back to Evo’s office in a base-specification 996 proved to be his “road to Damascus moment.”
By his own admission the 996 is a polarizing car. Nearly twenty years on from its 1998 introduction, the 996 is beginning to stand on its own merits. The 996 is shorter, narrower and lighter than any other watercooled 911, and astonishingly undercuts the preceding 993 by just over 150lbs (the final 993 Carrera 2s tipped the scales at 3,064lbs, and the first 996 Carrera 2s were 2,904 lbs).
As with any Porsche, what matters is driver involvement. According to Jethro, his 996 delivers that in spades. On the roads of Wales Mr. Bovingdon put it best; “One thing I do know, is that in ten or twenty years, I’ll still be coming to these roads in this car, and it will still deliver every single time.”
That’s what it’s really all about, isn’t it? What was your first Porsche and why did you buy it? Did you enter the fold with a 911, or was it something more humble? Perhaps a 914, 912, or a 924?
View Comments (5)
My first Porsche was a 968 1994, next a 928 S4 auto 1986, superb car, then a 1991 911 964.........which I converted to RS specs, fabulous car, which I should have kept..........Bob R, BC Canada
Jethro,
Thank you for your honest enthusiasm. I sold my 94' 964 for a 99' 996. Every "expert" tells me what a mistake I made. Investment wise, probably true...20/20 hindsight. As a daily driver and for the occasional DE/AX, the 996 is just a better choice for me; lighter, quicker, and more responsive on the track and much more comfortable on the road. Oh, and btw the AC actually works for Florida.
' Have loved the marque since seeing the movie Where the Boys Are in 1960 . . .A protagonist drove a 356 . . .Currently seeking my grail 996.......'Not getting any younger . . The time is here.......I have too long denied myself . . . Cheers.
What a relief to read Jethro's positive comments extolling the virtues of the lowly 996. The one I have owned for 13 years now, does not drip, ooze, smoke or make funny noises. The leather is not frayed or ripped, but the windshield is sand-pitted. Everything, including a real AC system, works as it should and always has, except for the catalytic converters that eventually needed replacement. The front rotors/pads had to be replaced after about 80 track days, but a lot of tires died for the cause in that time. It is fast and great fun, wet or dry, on or off track. The new Carreras with an extra 100 HP and more cool nannies are a lot faster and maybe more fun, but after many good years, my 996 is like a brother now.
My first was a '76 grey market 911 Targa, purchased in '90. What a great car. I had so much fun & really learned how to drive in that car. I owned it for 10 years (wish I had it now), then bought an '84 Targa. The '76 was so much more nimble & light. Of course it had less power, but there was something about lightness & the narrower tires that made it fun. I now have a '97 Targa, which I bought in '15. A different car that I'm still learning, but it still has that "911" feel. Man, I love these cars....