The 996 Turbo came with Turbo II 18-inch alloy wheels as standard. These are hollow spoke alloys, easily identified by their curved, rounded rear faces rather than the ribbed backs of the 993 Turbo's solid spoked alloys. Check for kerbing damage on the wheels and also for good quality N-rated tyres. Larger wheels will fit the 996 Turbo but specialists reckon they ruin the ride quality and add nothing to the car's handling or grip. Standard tyre sizes are 225/40ZR18 for the front and 295/30ZR18 at the back.
Little point going any bigger than 18-inch
Behind the wheels sit 330mm ventilated, cross-drilled discs front and rear with four-piston calipers for each disc and ABS as standard. While the outer faces of the discs can look in perfect condition, the insides can be cracked and corroded, so have a good look at both sides of the disc. Bank on about £1,400 for a specialist to replaced all four discs and pads.
The 996 Turbo was praised for its braking power when new, but Porsche went on to offer PCCB (Porsche Carbon Composite Brakes) as an option for the Turbo. The PCCB brakes have 350mm discs and six-piston calipers painted in yellow, and they reduce the car's weight by 18.6kg. Porsche claimed the carbon ceramic discs should last 150,000 miles, though this seems optimistic in hindsight. The real plus of PCCB brakes is lack of fade on track days rather than any great leap in braking power. Replacing the PCCB brakes, which were standard for the Turbo S, will cost around £3,000 per disc, so think carefully before committing to a car with them fitted.
Standard brakes fine, PCCBs costly to replace
Suspension at the front of the 996 Turbo is the common MacPherson strut with lower wishbone and anti-roll bar arrangement. The front inner bushes are bonded into the lower suspension arm, which means replacing worn, creaky bushes is more expensive than on some other supercars. Front ball joints will also wear and need replacing if there is any slack. Even so, replacing a Turbo's front suspension arm is no more expensive than for any other 996.
At the back, the familiar 996 multi-link rear suspension is present, albeit adapted for the Turbo's wider track. This involved using the longer hub control arms from the GT3, which also had the effect of lowering the Turbo by 10mm compared to a standard 996. It's a durable set up, but check the tyres for uneven wear that might indicate a poorly set up car or one that has been in an accident.
Steering is by a hydraulically assisted rack and pinion set-up with 3.0 turns between the lock stops.
Owner's view
"I purchased the 996 turbo because the standard 996 has a reputation for a weak engine. It's been a fantastic purchase and apart from a service at Hatfield OPC, a new battery and turbo heat shield, it's so far cost me very little."
Dick54