1996 Porsche 911 (993) Targa Tiptronic

The 993 was the final generation of air-cooled 911s, and as such will always have a special place in the affections of Porsche enthusiasts. It is also widely said to be the last of the 911s that were built whilst engineering integrity overruled accounting pressures at Porsche. Twenty years on, it still looks modern - a truly timeless design.

The 993 was launched in the autumn of 1994 and was claimed by the company to be significantly different (80% new they said) from the 964. The bodywork was altogether more curvaceous, with a number of new panels and the overall look was much smoother and more integrated. Importantly, this new style was still every inch a 911 in the traditional manner, with the profiles of the doors and rear quarter windows remaining unchanged from earlier models.

The biggest change under the skin was the new multi-link rear suspension, giving greater driver confidence, less road noise and excellent ride quality. Designed to give a level of passive rear-wheel steering (the "Weissach effect'), thus controlling the way the suspension behaved under cornering, braking, and acceleration, it transformed the 911. It was also the first 911 to be equipped with power steering and an advanced ABS system.

The 993 used essentially the same 3.6-litre engine as the 964 and could be specified with a manual or automatic (Tiptronic) gearbox. Tiptronic is a type of discrete automatic transmission developed by Porsche and it operates as a normal automatic transmission, but it also allows the driver to override the automatic mode by moving the shift lever into a second (Tiptronic) shift gate equipped with two spring-loaded positions: "upshift" and "downshift". Once in this gate, the driver takes over most of the gear changing decisions ordinarily performed by the transmission's computer. In a 993, the upshift and downshift operations can also be commanded by push buttons installed on the steering wheel.

August 1995 heralded the introduction of the 'Varioram' induction system, helping to boost power to 285bhp, and enabling a top speed close to 170mph and acceleration to match.

The car seen here is a 1996, 911 (993) Targa with the Tiptronic gearbox, and is a RHD, UK-supplied example although it was initially shipped to Japan and registered there by its first owner. It spent the first 14 years of its life there where it was fully maintained by Porsche, before returning to the UK in 2010 where again it was looked after by Porsche Centres and marque specialists, with a wealth of receipts to support this care. It has a complete service history, having covered just 55,000 documented miles and was recently serviced on 3rd February 2016 at 54,561 miles. This 993 drives and performs as well as you"d expect from such a well-cared for car. The Targa roof creates a light and airy feel in what is already a very attractive cabin and the unique benefit of the Targa concept is being able to offer a flavour of open-top motoring whilst retaining a good degree of structural rigidity.

The 993-series 911 has a real and important place in the history of Porsche's most famous model and is regarded by many as a true modern classic, offering genuine usability with all the characterful quirkiness of earlier 911s. This delightful, low mileage example is a very fine specimen, patently cared for, and now ready to be used and enjoyed by a new custodian.