If you’d been lucky enough to work as a motoring journalist in the 1980s (when budgets were generous and launches went on for days) you’d have laughed at the proposition that the 911 Turbo would evolve into the definitive, secure, all-weather supercar within the next decade or so. 1995 marked the beginning of the evolution towards the 911 Turbo as we know it now, with the 993 Turbo introducing technology that had first appeared almost a decade earlier in the seminal 959. Twin turbos delivered an even bigger, yet more manageable hit of power. Married to modern chassis technology and four-wheel drive, the 911 Turbo was suddenly a car capable of covering ground with immense speed and security. And if the 993-generation Turbo heralded a new direction in the evolution of the 911 Turbo, the 996 cemented what the 911 Turbo would come to stand for: the definitive all-weather supercar.
The 996 represented so much for Porsche, bringing with it the biggest revolution in the 911’s development so far. It introduced a new way of building cars (hence the commonality with its Boxster cousin), a water-cooled flat six for the first time, and truly modern aerodynamics. This platform would form the basis of the 911 for the next 15 years. also formed the basis of the 911 Turbo that many regard as the optimum balance of speed, usability and purity of driving experience. Why? It offers perhaps the perfect blend of compact dimensions (it’s a little wider than a 718 Boxster), immense performance from the unburstable Mezger flat six, and a chassis which delivers a secure, communicative driving experience with a purity supposedly lost to PASM and computerised chassis control systems of future generations. Or so the accepted wisdom says…