The Porsche 911 is a sports car you either love or hate. Many love it, but many don’t. You see, it is a weird car because it belongs in the flamboyant category of vehicles but its design, to many, is a bit too simple, a bit too German. However, if you happen to love that design, and have had the pleasure of driving a 911 then you are well aware of the unique experience it can offer. The heavy rear end provides the vehicle with driving characteristics no other car can.

Now, sadly, because the 911 is widely loved, it is also incredibly expensive. Most properly fast models are out of reach for most people. That being said, there is still one incredibly fast 911 that might be attainable. And it performs just as well as all the rest. Let’s have a look.

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The Last Properly Fast And Affordable 911

Affordable is a bit of a stretch here. The 996 generation 911 Turbo is by no means cheap; however, it is much cheaper than other 911 Turbo models.

In most cases, when a certain model of a certain car is cheaper than the rest, it means it is worse. Cars that sell for less in the second-hand market are usually unreliable, not good enough to drive or not all that good to look at. The 996 911 Turbo is none of those. It is fast, reliable, great to drive, and good to look at. Then why on earth is it cheaper than the rest?

Well, when the 996 came out, it was a big change from the 911s of the past. First and foremost, it was no longer air-cooled. Porsche had to introduce water cooling to cool down the updated and more powerful engines. Sure, the less powerful models could have remained air-cooled, but sometimes we just need to move away from certain types of technology.

The second reason the 996 is generally more affordable is the different looks it implemented. Most 911s before it used round headlights, but with the 996 Porsche introduced the so-called fried-egg headlights. Porsche purists hated this design. To their defense, it doesn't look all that good on lower-spec 911 models.

However, the lower and wider 996 Turbo looks great with them. It is a blend between 1990s Japanese and German car culture. Finally, the lower spec 996 generation 911s (not the 911 Turbo) suffered from engine issues. The intermediate shaft bearing inside the engine would wear out which led to a huge bill and a difficult repair job.

So, in a sense, the 996 generation 911 was ugly and unreliable. However, this does not apply to the 996 Turbo model. As mentioned above, the Turbo variants look far better and do not suffer from the same issues as they use a completely different engine.

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The 996 Turbo Is A Supercar

Porsche 911s are sports cars up until the 911 Carrera 4s model. As soon as you get past the Carrera 4s and into 911 Turbo territory, you get a supercar. A 911 Turbo can put to shame most supercars of its time thanks to standard all-wheel-drive, a small and lightweight design and a lot of power.

996 Turbo VS. 993 Turbo Power Figures

The 996 specifically produces 420 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. A performance pack dubbed the X50 was available and pushed power figures to 444 horsepower and 457 pound-feet of torque. Oh, and let’s not forget that being a large displacement turbo engine means that it can be tuned to your heart's content.

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The 996 Offers A Better Interior Than Its Predecessors

Once again, 911 purists will criticize the 996 for having a low-quality and relatively ugly interior. However, normal people can’t really understand why that was the case. The interior of the 996 is certainly better than that of its predecessor, the 993. Sure the interior in the 993 was simpler, but it wasn’t a design masterpiece either. At least in the 996, you got:

• Heated seats
• Nice leather
• Storage compartments
• A modern instrument cluster

The 996 was the first 911 to use a digital display. Sure, it was incredibly small, but it marks the first step towards the technology we see in vehicle interiors today. Keep in mind that the rear seats aren't meant to be used as seats.

They do have seatbelts, but there is no space for a grown adult to sit. Plus, the seats themselves are two separate pieces bolted onto the rear of the cabin. Interestingly, the rear seats fold down which provides a bit more storage space in the rear. Keep in mind that this lack of space in the rear isn’t a problem just for the 996 but for all 911s.

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The 996 Drives Amazingly

The best thing about the 996 Turbo is the way it drives. New 911s might have lost their rear-engined biased handling characteristics, but the 996 is old enough to remind us of the true 911s. In fact, it may be the perfect balance between old-school 911s and new 911s. It isn't too much of a handful, but it is no easy drive either. You have to work to get the rewards.

The best part though is the turbo. This is an old car, and 420 horsepower may not seem like much. However, Porsche is known for underestimating power and 0-60 figures. Plus, the 996 is light; therefore it pulls incredibly hard. This is a car that can give much newer supercars a hard time – especially with a tune. Best of all, the 996 Turbo is available with a manual transmission which is no longer the case for most 911s.

Of course, 911s are known for their versatility and the 996 Turbo is no different. If you don't need much space, this is a car that can be used every day without being unreliable or uncomfortable.

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What Are The Prices?

Well, as is the case with everything, prices for the 996 Turbo have risen by a fair amount. A few years ago a 996 Turbo would set you back $34,000 to $39,000. Nowadays, you are looking at upwards of $59,000 and prices can go well beyond that for incredibly clean examples. So, yes, the 996 is by no means cheap. However, if you compare it to a 993 Turbo which sells for upwards of $200,000 then the 996 is an absolute steal.

It is a much safer, faster, and more well-equipped vehicle that happens to be cheaper because of its headlights. Oh, and best of all, with the 996 you won’t be a member of the hard-core Porsche enthusiast club which means you will have something non-Porsche related to say when sitting around a table.