Aircooled Versus Watercooled Porsche Track Battle
986 Vs. 996 Vs. 911 SC Vs. 930 – Which of these cars can win on a tight course?
Right now the watercooled 911s and early Boxsters are ridiculously inexpensive to buy into, and when compared with their earlier counterparts, tend to offer a good bit more performance as well. We have a Boxster in our garage, as a matter of fact, it's a Guards Red 1997 model, just like the one featured in this video, and it is one of the most pure driving experiences we've ever had the opportunity to enjoy. The 996 here is practically identical to the Boxster from the driver's seat forward, but has a longer wheelbase to fit vestigial rear seats, and a bit more power from the flat six hung out behind the rear axle. You can find 986 Boxsters for less than ten-thousand dollars all day long, and a decent 996 should be under 15k. So, the question is, can these cheapskates take it to the classic heavyweights on a handling course?
In the corner of the vintage rides lies a 3-liter naturally aspirated 911 SC and a 3.3-liter 911 Turbo, both hailing from the 1980s. With simplicity, light weight, some of the best steering to ever grace an automobile, and a gem of an aircooled flat-six behind the rear axle of each of these cars (180 horsepower in the SC & an even 300 in the 930), these cars have a lot going for them. They are also hellaciously expensive in today's market. Are you getting much bang for your buck with these vintage machines?
After both of those questions have been properly and resoundingly answered, the hosts of the video stage an entertaining drag race between the three red cars. If the course had been wide enough to fit all four cars on the course, we're relatively confident that the 996 Carrera 2 would have walked past the other three. To find out if a 986 Boxster can take it to a 930 in a straight line, check out the video above.