1996 Porsche Carrera 4S Coupe

This is a nicely optioned example of the collectible widebody Carrera 4S in very striking colors. Fastidiously maintained, it is ready to enjoy.

The Model

Today, the 993 is especially appealing to traditional Porsche enthusiasts not only for its fantastic performance, but also because it is viewed to be the last of the original 911`s. It is the last of the air-cooled cars, and those familiar with a 1965 911 will instantly recognize the dashboard, doors, and greenhouse as being the same, despite the passage of over thirty years between the two cars. When asked why the door design was unchanged for so long, Porsche Design Chief Harm Lagaay simply replied `it`s a good door`. The more recent car has of course been updated and bears all of the modern equipment expected of a car of this caliber.Today, the 993 is especially appealing to traditional Porsche enthusiasts not only for its fantastic performance, but also because it is viewed to be the last of the original 911`s. It is the last of the air-cooled cars, and those familiar with a 1965 911 will instantly recognize the dashboard, doors, and greenhouse as being the same, despite the passage of over thirty years between the two cars. When asked why the door design was unchanged for so long, Porsche Design Chief Harm Lagaay simply replied `it`s a good door`. The more recent car has of course been updated and bears all of the modern equipment expected of a car of this caliber.

History

The owner of this car bought it in January of 2006 with the intention to replace his 964 with it. He ended up keeping the 964 because he is just too emotionally attached to that car since he bought it new and watched his kids grow up in and around it. Plus it’s a great car! He has been a PCA member for 40 years and has a pretty good understanding of what these cars are about and has treated this car well. When he first bought it, he had a 60k major service done (though it appeared to have been done already) for the peace of mind, and because the car had no prior records. When the Pirelli P Zeros wore out, he replaced them with Michelin PS2’s and had a set of adjustable H&R coilvers installed as well. The car is otherwise stock, aside from a CD player from a newer Porsche.

This car was sold new in Canada and imported to the United States in 2001 with ~48,000 miles on it. It was federalized correctly, and running the VIN with Porsche NA has indicated many repairs performed at the dealer network, including a replacement of the DME, new windscreen etc.

Options: This car has color wheel crests, headlight washers, and heated sport seats with embossed Porsche crests and power height adjustment. The color is called iris blue and was available in 1995 and 1996 only. It’s similar to ocean blue but it’s not quite as green.

Maintenance

February 2006/66,467 miles: Replace CD player, repair rear defroster, lubricate rear spoiler, tighten loose side mirrors, perform 60,000 service (replace spark plugs, change oil and filter, replace air filters, change transmission and differential oil, replace fuel filter), diagnose check engine light: replaced ignition coils, distributor caps and rotors, ignition wires, oxygen sensor ($5964.52).

April 2006/67,845 miles: Replace injectors and impulse sender, clean carbon deposits ($1924.77).

September 2006/70,429 miles: Install four Bridgestone Potenza RE-050 tires (225/40/18 and 285/30/18) and adjustable H&R coilovers. Align and corner weight car (done at Roger Kraus Racing, $3794.05).

July/August 2007/74,6XX miles: Replace clutch and flywheel, new hood and rear deck lid shocks, idle stabilizer, ignition distributor(~$7600)

Condition

The car is quite presentable but has some wear appropriate to the mileage of the car. The glass and lenses have the usual light road wear, but nothing too serious. There are a few chips and a few minor scratches about the body. There is one scratch in the rear bumper, and some on the front left fender in front of the wheelarch. There are a few others about the car that have been touched up. The front end has rock chips commensurate with the mileage and there is an area of cracked paint on the front bumper from what must have been a parking impact, but the bumper itself is unharmed. The paint itself is excellent and the color is absolutely gorgeous in my opinion. I have polished and waxed the car with Griot’s garage products and it turned out beautifully. The wheels are in very nice condition, though there is one small area of peeling clearcoat on the left rear wheel, and several on the right rear wheel.

The interior is generally very good to excellent. There is one hole in the carpet on the dead pedal, and one small hole in the left rear seat squab. The dash is free from warping, discoloration, and cracking, and the seat leather is very good to excellent, with light wear only to the driver’s bolster. The headliner and visors are fine, and all warning lights etc. function properly. Aside from the aforementioned hole, the carpets are excellent. There are black overmats embossed with PORSCHE script, which were recently fitted.

On the whole, this is a great car. It is not too nice to use regularly yet it is still in beautiful condition and gets lots of glances. The combination of the wide bodywork, great color combination, and lowered right height makes this car really stunning. A lot of traditional 911 enthusiasts consider the 993-generation cars to be the pinnacle of the original 911 because it is the last of the air-cooled cars that features the original greenhouse and door architecture of the original 1963 911, and the C4S with its wide body and Turbo brakes and suspension is certainly among the most desirable of the naturally aspirated 993’s. As a 1996 model, this car is fitted with the Varioram engine which has and adjustable intake manifold to broaden the torque curve and increase overall torque and power compared to the earlier engines.

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