A Bold Retromod: 992 Porsche 911 Gets 996-Style Fried-Egg Headlights
Once criticized, the iconic fried-egg headlights may be on their way back.
High-waisted mom jeans have returned, mullets are back in style, and Crocs have somehow become acceptable everyday footwear. But is it possible to redeem the Porsche 911 “fried-egg” headlights from the early 996 era? That question inspired automotive 3D-modeling specialist Simas Design Studio to create a set of renderings exploring how the once-divisive headlight design might look on today’s 992 generation. Speaking with CarScoops, Simas called the project “a quick personal experiment,” yet it’s already generating considerable buzz.
A Bit of Design Brilliance
The original 996 headlight design featured a full lens with an amber section acting as the “yolk” for the indicator bulb. Simas, however, reinterprets the look by using intake vents to mimic the classic housing while adding visual complexity. The result isn’t just stylistically believable — it could also serve a functional purpose. The effect feels authentically Porsche in both form and detail, and if the brand ever introduced a similar design in a future Porsche 911 facelift, we suspect only the usual fraction of purists resistant to any change would object.
Interestingly, some 992 owners have commented on Simas Design Studio’s Instagram posts asking whether the housings could be 3D-printed as a bolt-on kit. That might be an opportunity worth exploring. Aftermarket headlight customization is a booming niche — just look at the popularity of halo-style “Angel Eye” setups on older BMWs and Jeeps, or the aggressive grille conversions that have become common on Jeep models. In this case, though, the approach would lean more tasteful than extreme.
The Original Hate for the 996…
When Porsche introduced the 996 in 1997, it marked a major turning point for the brand. It rode on an all-new chassis and featured the first water-cooled engine ever fitted to a production 911. That mechanical leap came with a fresh exterior design — one that needed to preserve the 911’s iconic silhouette while signaling a bold new chapter. Because the 996 shared development with the 986 Boxster, both models inherited the now-infamous “fried-egg” headlight design. The exterior was penned by the brilliantly named Pinky Lai, working under Porsche design chief Harm Lagaaij.
The headlights arrived just as the internet was rapidly reshaping culture. Online forums and early message boards were exploding in popularity, giving enthusiasts a new public arena for sharing information — and strong opinions. As a result, debate over the 996’s headlights spread fast, becoming so heated that Porsche soon began revising the design to remove the amber “yolk” that sparked so much backlash.
Why the 996 Headlights Were Considered Bad
During the mid-1990s, Porsche was navigating a financially fragile period, and the 996’s headlight design is widely believed to have been influenced by cost-saving priorities. For many enthusiasts, the dislike stemmed from the perception that combining the headlight and turn signal into a single unit — and sharing that same design with the Boxster — cheapened the Porsche 911 identity.
Fortunately, the controversy didn’t tarnish the careers of designers Pinky Lai or Harm Lagaaij the way BMW’s infamous “Bangle Butt” episode affected Chris Bangle. And in a twist of fate, the 996’s long-standing stigma has had a silver lining: the generation is often overlooked on the used market, which has led some enthusiasts to view it as undervalued — even something of a hidden bargain.
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