Porsche 911 Carrera
Porsche 911 Carrera (993)
Photo: Calreyn88, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Vehicles · Anglo-German Precision

Porsche 911 Carrera (993) · 1995–1998

The 993 is the fourth and final air-cooled 911, built 1994–1998 around a 3.6-litre flat-six that gained the VarioRam intake and 285 hp from 1996. A new multi-link rear axle made it the most usable classic 911, and its standing as the last of the air-cooled line keeps demand firm for clean six-speed coupes.

The one to have: 1996–98 Carrera 2 · 3.6 VarioRam flat-six (285 hp) · 6-speed manual coupe — rear-drive; the wide-body Carrera S is the style-premium version of the same car.

Specification
Engine
3.6L air-cooled flat-six
Type M64; air/oil-cooled — the last of the line (3,600 cc)
Output
285 hp
VarioRam '96–'98; 272 hp before (210 kW); 251 lb-ft
0–60 mph
5.3 sec
168 mph top speed (270 km/h)
Gearbox
6-speed manual
Getrag G50 — first 6-speed 911; Tiptronic auto worth far less
The market
Verified sales on file
5
Oct 2024 – Feb 2026
Median sale
$255k
all tracked results
★ Rear-drive 6-speed coupe, VarioRam
$296k
median of 2 target-spec sales
Top result
$401k
Bring a Trailer · Oct 2024
Benchmarks: Drivers $65k–$110k; clean 6-speed coupes $110k–$200k; low-mile Carrera S / 4S $200k–$300k+. · Trend: Air-cooled premium holding firm

Know the real one

Last air-cooled 911: 993 built 1994–98, replaced by the water-cooled 996. A new multi-link 'LSA' rear axle tamed the classic 911 lift-off tail.
VarioRam intake arrived for MY1996, lifting the 3.6 from 272 to 285 hp — later six-speed cars are the ones to chase.
Carrera S and 4S wear the Turbo's wide body. Confirm wide rear arches and factory hollow-spoke wheels on an 'S'.
Tiptronic autos, Targas and cabriolets trade well under 6-speed coupes; a manual box and documented VarioRam are the value anchors.

Verified sales · ★ = target spec · foreign results converted to USD as noted

DateVenueYearSpecMilesPriceLocNote
Feb 2026Bring a Trailer1997Carrera S 'Vesuvio' X51 Coupe ★—$336,000—Vesuvio special paint + X51 power kit; record for the S manual — not a standard car.
Dec 2025Bring a Trailer1997Carrera S Coupe, 6-speed ★27,000$255,000—Low-mile 6-speed wide-body S — target-tier money.
Aug 2025Collecting Cars1996Carrera Coupe, 6-speed (RoW)96,788$72,500—High-mile UK narrow-body driver; hammer £54,136 (~$72.5k converted).
Oct 2024Bring a Trailer1996Carrera S Coupe, higher-mile—$57,998—Lowest recorded S-manual result; higher-mileage entry point for the wide-body S.
Oct 2024Bring a Trailer1998Carrera S Cabriolet—$401,000—Exceptional low-mile cabriolet (record S overall); coupes remain the collector focus.

Where to hunt

Bring a Trailer — 993 resultsSold-price archive, all body styles Classic.com — 993 Carrera S (manual)Wide-body S market, live comps Collecting Cars — 993 buyer's guideWhat to pay, variant by variant
Research file — market data verified through July 18, 2026. Sources: individually observed results via Classic.com feeds, BaT, Cars & Bids, Mecum, RM Sotheby's, Broad Arrow, Gooding, Collecting Cars, PCARMARKET and venue coverage, plus marque registries and factory press material.