What To Pay For A Porsche 996

While many enthusiasts bemoaned the death of the air-cooled flat-six when the 996 generation arrived, this version of the Porsche 911 introduced much-needed technological advancements to the model lineage – being not just more powerful than its predecessors, but lighter and stiffer too.

Today, the 996 range is not only a compelling entry point to Porsche ownership – with some cars available for £10,000 or less – but also contains some of the very best road and track sports cars of the 911 back catalogue.

Since our first auctions in 2019, Collecting Cars has now sold more than 190 examples of the 996-generation Porsche 911, covering almost every variant, from entry-level Carreras through to a £200,000 GT3 RS.

In this new feature series, our team will be highlighting various makes and models with numerous examples sold, giving you a guide on anticipated prices. Of course, bidding on any given car will be impacted by service history, condition, and mileage – not to mention the finer points of the specification and options.

996 Carrera / Carrera 4

Originally powered by a 3.4-litre 300hp water-cooled flat-six, this was revised to 3.6-litre capacity for the 2002 model year with power rising to 315hp. A six-speed manual transmission was standard on all models, with a five-speed automatic optional (made by ZF for the 3.4-litre cars and sourced from Mercedes-Benz for the 996.2 model).

The all-wheel-drive Carrera 4 offers impressive all-season usability, but the no-frills rear-drive Carrera will typically fetch a higher price, with purists often seeking out non-sunroof cars and early examples with the cable-operated throttle. 

In the UK, a 3.4 Carrera 4 with around 82,000 miles sold this year for £11,500, while a similar mileage Carrera in Canada found a winning bid of C$28,500. A relatively limited supply when new coupled with strict import requirements drives equivalent prices in Australia considerably higher. A well-used 996 Carrera with a recent engine rebuild sold for A$59,000.

Issues with the IMS (intermediate shaft) bearing and the RMS (rear main seal) on 996 engines are well documented, if mostly blown out of proportion – but cars with these items replaced or upgraded will always fetch more. A 98,000-mile 3.6-litre Carrera with this maintenance carried out received a winning bid of £17,750 in March 2022.

996 Targa

Introduced as part of the facelift in 2002, the Targa features a single-piece retractable glass roof, which floods the cabin with light and delivers a rather different interior atmosphere to a standard coupe. Uniquely, the Targa’s glass rear window operates like a hatchback, enabling easy access to the luggage shelf behind the rear seats. Prices are broadly in line with the 3.6-litre Carrera, with a 53,000-mile Tiptronic car achieving £17,500.

996 Carrera 4S

Launched alongside the Targa for the 2002 model year, the Carrera 4S borrowed the same formula as the 993 car with the same name. That meant it had the wider Turbo-style body, wider track and tyres, incorporating its suspension components and brakes, as well as the deeper front bumper with air inlets. 

While its naturally aspirated flat-six offered no more power than a standard Carrera, today it is a far more sought-after model. Higher-mileage examples can be found for around £20,000 or less, but a manual gearbox Carrera 4S with around 50,000 miles is likely to sell for around £27,000. A pristine collector-quality example with just 10,927 miles on the clock was sold in January 2022 for £41,000.

996 40th Anniversary

Introduced as a swansong for the 996 and marking 40 years of the 911, the 40th Anniversary 996 Carrera boasts a specification that “verges on perfection” according to Total 911 magazine. The car was equipped with the ‘X51’ Powerkit as standard, featuring cast aluminium manifolds with a modified cross section; larger, machined and polished exhaust ducts; and a revised valvetrain. This engine produced up to 345hp, and was also complemented by a limited-slip differential and ‘M030’ sport suspension.

The premium achieved by a 40th Anniversary model over a Carrera 4S is in the region of 20%+, depending on the exact specification, mileage, condition and history. In Australia, a well-maintained example sold in November 2022 for A$90,000. In the UK, a 63,000-mile car with very good history found a winning bid of £31,100.

996 Turbo / X50 / Turbo S

This era of the 911 Turbo was the first to feature the ‘Mezger’ engine derived from the Le Mans-winning GT1. Its 420hp output eclipsed even the Ferrari 360 Modena, giving it the ‘giant killing’ performance that has come to define the Turbo’s capability. A more robust Tiptronic transmission was sourced from Mercedes-Benz (which would also be carried across into the 996.2 Carrera models), while the standard six-speed manual remains the most sought after.

In 2002, the optional X50 Performance Package was introduced, adding larger K24 turbochargers and intercoolers, a revised ECU, and a quad-pipe exhaust system, which boosted the engine’s output to 450hp. The 996 Turbo S model incorporated the X50 upgrade, as well as standard-fit Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) discs, a CD changer, and alu-look cabin inlays.

While higher mileage cars are available closer to £20,000, a 59,000-mile Tiptronic car sold in June 2021 for £26,750, while a manual car with near identical mileage sold for £34,000 in October 2022. In Belgium, an X50 package model with 153,000 kms found a winning bid of €42,500, while a standard US-market 996 Turbo in a stylish colour combination sold for $63,000 in April 2022. At the top end of the market, a 9,000-mile Turbo S in a rare Paint to Sample colour was sold for £85,500.

996 GT3 / Clubsport

Introduced in 1999, the 996 GT3 was the first car with this now-famous moniker. It used the bodyshell of the Carrera 4 but with the rear seats removed and other lightweighting measures implemented. There was stiffer suspension and uprated brakes, as well as a deeper front bumper, side skirts, and a fixed rear wing. 

The dry-sumped naturally aspirated ‘Mezger’ engine produced 360hp, rising to 381hp in 996.2 GT3 guise, with the latter capable of 0-60mph in just 4.0 seconds. The desirable Clubsport specification incorporates a factory-fitted roll cage, composite bucket seats trimmed in Nomex fabric, and a single-mass flywheel.

In February 2022, an 83,000-km 996.1 GT3 sold for €62,000, while in the UK a 996.2 GT3 benefiting from £15,000 of recent expenditure sold for £70,000 in December 2021. Just a month earlier, an 11,000-mile car found a winning bid of £89,496.

996 GT2 / Clubsport 

While a simple summary of the 996 GT2 would be a 911 Turbo with the drive shafts ahead of the rear axle removed, in reality it was far more substantial. Its twin-turbocharged ‘Mezger’ engine was tuned to 462hp, and it was equipped with GT3 adjustable suspension with rose-jointed supports, as well as ceramic brakes.

Nicknamed the ‘widowmaker’, it required a careful choice of tyres to make the most of the chassis, but delivered a thrilling experience behind the wheel. Just 1,287 examples were built, and of those the most desirable are the 70 Clubsport specification cars with Recaro seats, a half roll cage, and six-point racing harnesses.

In December 2021, a 996 GT2 with just 14,326 km from new sold for €137,500, while earlier in the month a Clubsport car with 77,000 km found a winning bid of €100,000. It is believed that just 113 cars were delivered to the UK, and a very smart Lapis Blue car with a strong service history previously sold for £94,500.

996 GT3 RS

The rarest 996 is the 911 GT3 RS, with just 682 cars having left the factory. The 996 RS featured a raft of lightweighting measures, including a polycarbonate rear window, composite bucket seats, and a carbon-fibre bonnet; as well as lowered and stiffened suspension, delivering a level of purity and precision rarely seen since. 

GT3 RSs are rarely used as long-distance road cars, so most have relatively low mileage. In January 2022, a 39,000-km German delivery GT3 RS sold for €130,500, while a few months later a UK RHD model with just 17,700 miles received a winning bid of £139,000. Collecting Cars holds the current auction world record for the 996 GT3 RS, with a 3,500-mile car from The Leonard Collection selling for £200,000 in May 2021.

The Porsche 996 model range represents a compelling cross-section of the marque’s products and price points, from entry-level Carreras through to powerful Turbo models, and with balletic and ballistic characters in the GT3 and GT2 models. If you’re in the market for a 996, then subscribe to Collecting Cars’ alerts to stay updated with all the latest Coming Soon and Live auctions.