Porsche 996 Carrera 4 Hits the Sweet Spot for one PCA Member
After owning several 911s over 25 plus years, a naturally-aspirated Porsche 996 wound up being one man’s destiny.
These days, as is typically the case with any wildly popular model, collectors and enthusiasts have their preferences when it comes to 911 generations. Early cars are obviously highly sought after. But in recent years, the 911 SC has exploded in value after being a bit underrated for a long time. Meanwhile, the Porsche 996 remains a value proposition mostly due to that much-maligned headlight design. But for Porsche Club of America (PCA) member and Porsche Panorama editor Rob Sass, it’s a model that represents his own personal sweet spot.
Sass recently told his fascinating story over at PCA’s site, and it’s very much well worth the read. Like many of us, he’s a longtime Porsche fan and owner of many different generations. He’s had five air-cooled cars over the last quarter-century alone, but found that several of them didn’t quite meet his needs. That included a stint with a 968, which didn’t provide much space for a booster seat. Sass also parted ways with a 1982 SC coupe back in 2014, but soon found himself looking at another one.
This potential addition was a beautiful Guards Red 1978 SC Targa with a Cork interior. It had all the right stuff, including those iconic Fuchs wheels, a recently rebuilt flat-six, and a 915 transaxle. Sass was ready to pull the trigger, until a Panorama contributor sent him a link to a 1999 Carrera 4 with an aero kit installed on it. And that Porsche 996 conjured up some fond memories.
Turns out, Sass had purchased a ’99 911 Carrera after taking the job as Panorama editor. He loved the car, but was soon enticed by a 996 Turbo after just a year of ownership. Problem was, the replacement didn’t quite hit that sweet spot, and just proved to be a magnet for police and young kids wanting to drag race at every stoplight. “I missed the accessible performance and tossability of the naturally aspirated, narrow-body 996,” Sass said.
After going to look at the 996, Sass immediately knew he had found a special example. He calls it a “30-second car,” which refers to the fact that it didn’t take long to realize that it was a gem. A test drive and pre-purchase inspection confirmed that first impression as correct. “I was instantly reminded as to how much I loved the 996’s lightly-assisted hydraulic steering, how at speed it approximates the feel and effort of an earlier air-cooled car minus the bump-steer,” Sass gushed.
And so, a Porsche 996 Carrera 4 turned out to be the perfect fit for Sass after all. It might have taken 25 years to figure that out, but when you’re talking about a car as special and diverse as the 911, that’s not terribly surprising.
If you enjoyed this story, be sure and check out all the fascinating reads over at PCA’s site.
Photos: Rob Sass for Porsche Club of America
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