Porsche 911 Carrera (964) Review

Porsche 911 Carrera (964) Review

Often overlooked, and frequently misunderstood, the 964-series 911s have really come in to their own in recent times

Coil-spring suspension, plastic body panels, four-wheel drive and power steering hardly add up to a classic experience. But then that's not what the 964 is all about. Think of it as the model which kept the 911 alive at a time when there was serious talk of killing it off in favour of front-engined water-pumpers.

Porsche 911 Carrera (964) rear view

Work began on the new project in 1984, with plans to add it to the line-up for the 1988 model year. It was decided that, to broaden its appeal, the 911 needed to be upgraded in several areas, including the adoption of power steering and anti-lock braking.

There were plans to market the new model in parallel with the existing Carrera 3.2. Another alternative was to produce a face-lifted Carrera 3.2 in parallel with the all-wheel drive newcomer, which would see the older model restyled to look outwardly similar to the new 964. Both of these options were rejected in favour of building a new bodyshell for the 964 that could be used by both two- and four-wheel drive alternatives.

Porsche 911 Carrera (964) side view

Externally, the 964 was virtually identical to earlier models above the bumper line (the designer's brief stipulated that nothing was to be changed above this line), while the interior remained largely unchanged, too. The biggest difference was in the layout of the suspension. To accommodate the 4WD, the front struts needed to be redesigned. At the rear, there would no longer be space for the torsion-bar tube. The answer? Use coil-springs all round. Ferdinand Porsche must have been spinning in his grave...

The result was the most neutral-handling 911 to date. It was a car that could be enjoyed without fear of swapping ends quite so easily if you got it all wrong on the Nordschleife. It also meant that the car was more comfortable and quieter than earlier models.

Porsche 911 Carrera (964) engine

The engine capacity was increased to 3.6-litres, producing 250bhp. It was essentially a development of the existing air-cooled unit, but the 964 engine featured new cylinder heads with two spark plugs per cylinder, necessitating a new ignition system incorporating dual distributors connected by a toothed rubber belt... which can fail.

The 964 weighed some 20 per cent more than the old model, and production costs were high, too, with just 15 per cent of components shared with the outgoing models, the majority of which were upper body panels and interior trim.

Porsche 911 Carrera (964) interior

Full-scale production began in January 1989, but the UK market didn't get its quota of right-hand drive models until August that year. In 1990, the two-wheel drive C2 joined the ranks, along with Targa and cabriolet versions. There was also the option of a ‘Tiptronic' semi-automatic transmission on two-wheel drive models.

Many detractors are quick to criticise the 964 in two main areas: the dual-mass flywheel - and oil leaks. You can forget the first as just about every car would have been upgraded to the simpler one-piece flywheel. As for leaks, the 964 was probably no worse than most other 911s - the plastic undertray at the rear just made things look bad.

Porsche 911 Carrera (964) overhead view

We love the 964 in all its forms and have been surprised it's taken so long for values to rise. You can still find a decent C4 for well under $33,600, but if you want a good C2 (especially a non-sunroof car) then be prepared to pay more.

Don't be put off by the Tiptronic gearbox - a C4 with ‘Tip will be the cheapest option. Manual non-sunroof C2 coupés are the most sought after as they make great trackday cars.