One of the most iconic sports car ever built, the Porsche 911 is an impressive 57 years old as of 2020 and went through six major redesigns. While all seven generations are revered by Porsche enthusiasts, some models don't get as much love. The 996-gen, produced from 1997 through 2005, is one of them. Whether it's the "fried egg" headlamps or the fact that it was the first water-cooled 911, the 996 isn't as sought-after or as valuable as other 911s from the 1990s and 2000s. The Spanish folks over at Ludic, a Porsche shop, are among those that don't fancy the 996 and converted a Carrera model from the era into a first-generation coupe. Weird? Yes! But also cool at the same time.

Fancy an original 911 but you can't afford it? Well, it looks like now you can buy a used 996-gen model and turn it into an early version of the coupe with help from Porsche by Ludic. The Spanish shop just finished converting a 996 into an early 911 and you need to look really close to notice that it's not an authentic first-gen model. But if you ignore the roof and some small details that set it apart from the original 911, this conversion, dubbed Retro Evo, is as cool as they get.

The shop spent many ours developing the body kit that includes wider fenders and a nose and rear section inspired by the iconic 911 RSR of the 1970s. It's also fitted with Fuchs-style wheel and retro-style stripes on the sides. From certain angles you can notice that the build is a bit longer than the original 911 and that the roof looks a bit different, but it's still a Porsche and packs more punch than the first-generation model. Ludic is working on a full fiberglass body kit so you'll be able to convert your own 996 in the future.

Porsche 996 history

The 996-generation Porsche 911 was introduced in 1997 as a replacement for the 993 generation. It had little in common with its predecessor, featuring the first all-new chassis since the original 911. Another massive change under the skin was the water-cooled engine, the first of its kind for the 911, which at the time was an air-cooled sports car by tradition. Since development was shared with the then-new Boxster, the 996 shared many design elements with its smaller brother, including the "fried egg" headlamps.

The new engine was a 3.6-liter flat six that generated 320 horsepower in the Carrera. A Turbo model with 420 horses was introduced later, while the Turbo S followed with 450 horsepower. Porsche also produced GT versions, including a 911 GT3 with 360 horses and a GT3 RS with 381 horsepower. The 996-generation was actually the first 911 to feature a GT3 badge, which debuted in 1999. Porsche also built a GT2 version of the 996, fitted with the same turbocharged 3.6-liter flat-six, but rated at a more impressive 483 horsepower. The 996 was replaced in 2004 by the 997.