tcabler

Recently read in my Panamara that porsche engineers had intended the 993 to have a water-cooled engine, but due to having to redesign complicated air and heating systems, they opted to stick with the air-cooled engine and make plans for a new water-cooled model, the 996 of course. This was a real revelation to me as I had always considered the 993 the evolutionary pinnacle of the 911, only to find out that the 993 was initially intended to be a 996?? Please someone, tell me it ain't so Joe!

mdude

If you got that from Panamara then's it's true.

Many of the 996 features were supposed to be for the 993, that is, until Porsche realized it was running out of funds back in the early 90's and so settled for an evolutionary take over the 964.

Fortunate for us...

ble2011

It's great how plans change and something for the better turns out!

Jeff96-993

For a while there the 911 was supposed to be a four door sedan.

FrenchToast

I think this is incorrect. Unless you are being figurative! You are probably thinking of the 989, from which the 996 took most of its design IMO.

While I don't think it was intended to be a 996, it was definitely intended to be more of a technological advancement, closer to the 959 perhaps.

It's truly amazing the original '901' lasted as long as it did. They were pushing the envelope with the air-cooling technology in terms of emissions restrictions, as you probably read.

Porsche had a ton of other full projects that fell through due to financial struggles in that decade. The 969, 989, 984, 924-S2, 968 Roadster all come to mind. There are rumors of a Porsche minivan from that era as well. Only the Boxster came through.

Take care,