2, but it had close ties to the mid-engined Boxster, using a 3,387cc derivative of its 24-valve 鈥淲asserboxer鈥?with 296 hp. The 996 was the first 911 to have been totally redesigned. In addition to the water-cooled engine, the body and interior were almost entirely new. The 鈥渇ried-egg鈥?headlights of the early 996 were deemed too similar to those of the lower-priced Boxster and were changed for the 2002 model year. The 996-generation spawned 16 variants, with the Turbo S, GT3, GT3 RS and GT2 taking the performance of street-going 911s to new heights. 芦I love the fried-egg headlights on the late model 996s. It makes the car look aggressive and venomous. And I find the straight upper edge of the rear bumper appealing too. This car is very dear to me, and although I regularly get to drive the latest sports cars in my profession, there is a magic I feel when I pilot this 996 on an early morning blast out of town. I would never consider a 997 platform over a 40 Jahre鈥檚 996, although I鈥檇 gladly have one of each!
As an alternative (or on the Model X), you can go down the A pillar and go along the sills. This approach will take more wire, often more than is included with the dashcam. You would be wise to buy a longer cable for your dashcam if you choose running along the sills such as a 10, 15 or 20 m BlackVue cable. We also explored some shortcuts, but each had problems or complexities, and we didn鈥檛 want to drill holes or risk interference with the curtain airbag operation. Do not route on the left side of the car (even on RHD vehicles). On the liftgate, there is a left and right rubber harness grommets. The one on the left is packed tightly with antenna wires and it will be difficult if not impossible to add your dashcam wire. The right side has a group of somewhat thinner wires, that allows for the dashcam wire and connector to be pulled through.
On current generation of cameras, we don鈥檛 recommend cutting and patching the cable. Beyond power, it supplies two-way data at very high speeds. While a splice may work, it could degrade the signal to a point where video becomes unreliable. When attaching the rear dashcam, avoid placement where the adhesive is on a defroster wire. We don鈥檛 think the heat will release the adhesive (but who knows?). Our concern is if you ever remove the dashcam mount, it may rip off a portion of the defrost wire. You鈥檒l see in the video we installed a cable cover to better hide the two wires that go to the front dashcam. This is not really necessary, but make for a more professional looking installation. Our cover was made using HD Glass PETG filament in black, using 200 ? Due to high cabin heat while parked, you should avoid PLA as it will likely warp. Here鈥檚 a step-by-step actual rear camera installation in less than 18 minutes, although we trimmed some of the longer parts!
If the rear dashcam is stand-alone, you only need power, and the installation becomes easier. While the power could be routed to the ODB II port near the driver鈥檚 footwell, there is a closer spot if your car has the power liftgate. In this case, you connect to the always-on power lead on the Hatch Control Module. To get to the module, it is located on the passenger side, behind the trunk鈥檚 right side panel. There are two connectors going to the Hatch Control module, a 20-pin and a 10-pin. You鈥檒l tap into the 10-pin connector. You can use two 16-18 gauge blue Posi-Taps to make these connections. Use the last portion of the installation video above to route the wires into the liftgate. When you first apply power to any dashcam, it often takes 10-30 seconds to boot up and come on line. The delay is not important in normal operation, as it remains on all the time. To remove the SD card, first remove dashcam power.