Introduced for the 1999 model year, Porsche’s 996-generation 911 marked the first time the marque’s iconic model utilised a water-cooled engine configuration.

It was a risky, though altogether necessary transition for Porsche to make due to ever-increasing power gains which were being realised by their competitors, together with stricter emissions standards.

The marque’s initial water-cooled production engine was developed from the Hans Metzger-designed blueprint found in its famous homologation special, the 911 GT1 released in 1997.

While the silhouette of the type 996 carried on the traditional look of the 911, designer Grant Larson introduced several significant updates that included a more aggressively raked windscreen, a completely retrimmed interior, and a new headlight design.

In 2002, Porsche introduced the 911 Carrera 4S, an all-wheel-drive variant that borrowed the wide-body look, as well as the brakes, front fascia, and suspension of the contemporaneous 911 Turbo.

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