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The Everyday Classic Car: Porsche 911 996

2025-01-21
The Everyday Classic Car: Porsche 911 996
While not in any way connected to Marcello Gandini - about whom Błażej wrote his article for the first issue of the Everyday Classic magazine - the car he drives daily and recently visited us in is no less interesting. In fact, we could even call it the Everyday Classic among cars… so how could we not showcase it on the blog of the same name?
 

Yes, Porsches are cool, to put it colloquially – and that is common knowledge. We admire them, envy them, appreciate them – especially because, in the world of expensive, fast, and luxurious cars, they represent a relatively reasonable choice. They’re like the automotive equivalent of a navy blazer – though cut from a somewhat more luxurious fabric – or white jeans, like the pair Błażej likes to wear. Jeans are jeans, sure, and they go with everything, but straying away from the classic indigo makes it clear that their owner doesn’t place practicality above aesthetics.

Still, it’s not the brand that makes something Everyday Classic immediately. Let’s hear Błażej’s take on that.


I’d say an Everyday Classic is a car that’s at least 20 to 25 years old, still largely mechanical (meaning hydraulic power steering and a throttle cable rather than drive-by-wire systems), with not too much electronics, but quite modern and comfortable enough to be used daily. It’s a car that starts without struggle; one you can take on a longer trip without fear, that has air conditioning and heated seats. It’s a car that’s a joy to drive through mountain passes, but also one that provides ‘aesthetic’ pleasure – the kind that makes your head turn for one last glance after parking it in the garage.

For example: a friend of mine has a Jaguar E-Type V12 Series III, and it’s undoubtedly a ‘classic’ (especially since it’s dark green with a brown interior – simply stunning), but it’s not an ‘everyday’ type of classic. No matter how much money he sinks into it, that E-Type will always find a way to stop working.


My Porsche 996, on the other hand, has never truly broken down. Some small things stop working due to age, and I tend to replace them immediately – but only because I’m a perfectionist, not because they would prevent me from taking a Warsaw to Vienna trip.

It’s already 23 years old, so it’s no spring chicken. And finding cars like it – well-maintained, in good condition, and not roughly put together by some amateur tuner after an accident – is becoming rare. While my 996 does have some modifications, they’re completely invisible. Modesty aside, I think it’s also incredibly good-looking [though the 996 is undeniably the most controversial generation of the 911! – editor’s note]. It has clean and minimalist lines, reminiscent of the early 901 and F-series models. Plus, it drives wonderfully, is compact and city-friendly, consumes under 10 liters per 100 km on the highway, and is the lightest water-cooled 911 in history, making it excellent for winding roads. And of course, it has electric everything: air conditioning, a good CD radio… What more could you want?

It’s my only car in Poland, my daily driver. And that’s the beauty of the 996: it works equally well as a weekend toy and a daily-use car.

It was my close friend Marcello Sora who convinced me to buy it. He made it clear that my trauma from owning a Jaguar XJS 3.6 manual was over and that I should sell the car I was driving at the time (2019) to finally buy something interesting. ‘Are you into cars or not?’ - with that push, I found a decent example at V-Centrum in Warsaw (I’m lazy and would never travel more than 50 km for a car, partly to avoid disappointment if it turned out to be a scam) and bought it quickly. To set expectations, Marcello also showed me invoices for the repairs of his previous 996 Carrera 4S, so I knew from the start that I’d have to spend roughly as much on a first service as I did on the car itself.

Over six years, I’ve probably spent far more than that… but the 996 is a keeper. My spendings are not measured in rational terms.


I probably wouldn’t trade it for anything. If circumstances allowed, I’d sooner add other vehicles than sell ‘Lucy’ (yes, that’s her name). I’ve got my eye on a Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit, maybe a Bentley Arnage or Continental GT Flying Spur.

I split my time between Warsaw and Marbella – half of the year I live in Spain. My girlfriend and I would love to have a 1990s Wrangler there. Lately, I’ve also been drawn to cars like the Renault Safrane Biturbo or the Mercedes CL 500 W215. The list goes on: I’d also love a Renault Avantime, BMW Z4 by Chris Bangle, Subaru Impreza GT, Peugeot 106 Rallye…


What other cars qualify as Everyday Classics?

Definitely youngtimers, cars that can still be bought without spending a fortune. They’re not new, but not old either (as I described above). They don’t need to belong to a specific category – they just have to be something unique, interesting, and reflective of the owner’s tastes. Specification is everything! It could be a Range Rover L322, Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit III, Porsche 968 Club Sport - but also a first-generation Renault Twingo, the aforementioned Safrane Biturbo or a Lancia Thesis. Of course, it helps if your ‘Everyday Classic’ is in excellent condition – clean, well-maintained, and functional – because if not, it’s hard to distinguish it from scrap…

  
I believe a car doesn’t need to match your clothes. In fact, it’s better if it doesn’t! Of course, we’re still talking about dressing with taste (a broad category, but I assume the blog’s readers get it). For example, I’d rather drive my hypothetical Rolls wearing jeans, not a suit.
  

My style is cohesive. It’s a sort of capsule wardrobe situation where almost everything I wear pairs with everything else. These days, there’s a trend for mixing styles – dressing like you’re in Seinfeld, matching tie with sweater, casual jacket and suede shoes.

The best piece in this puzzle is my Porsche. It’s perfect for any occasion: elegant enough for a hypothetical reception with the English King, and casual enough for a summer visit to Ultrace, where I’ll show up in an oversized T-shirt and loose pants.

_

Błażej Żuławski - one of the guests featured in our first issue of the Everyday Classic magazine. Born in 1983. A graduate of the Łódź Film School. A journalist and photographer, TV and advertising producer. He worked for the largest fashion, travel and automotive magazines in Poland and around the world. He created communication and marketing strategies for automotive brands and premium watches. A juror in vintage car beauty contests. Currently, he runs the creative consulting agency CDWorks based in Zürich. A lover of vintage cars and the good life; claims to have an opinion on every subject.

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