Stewart Lund

I'm just wondering how different the 997 is to my 996...is it the same thing just a bit more refined in places or quite different experience? And what about the 991 - is that more GT? It certainly looks a lot bigger...

Dennis C

You should drive one of each for comparison. The Porsche DNA is present in all of them, and you'll feel at home in all of them. That being said, the 997 is quite a bit different than the 996 in many ways. The same is true for the 991 vs. 997. Time marches on...

johneecatt

Don't know so much about the 997, but the 991 is lots different! Bigger, heavier... definitely more GT. The 991S has oodles of really usable power, and it's MUCH smoother on the street - a great town sports car. But I don''t think I'd like driving it on a track - give me a well-tuned 996 for that. 997 is probably in the middle somewhere.

white out

nothing relevant.

Triple Black

I love my 996 for the driving experience but it now has a 997 engine (after A CEF at 66K kilometers). So, all I can say about the 997 is that I love the engine even more - pulls stronger all through the rev range and sounds even meaner than the 996 engine.

Agent Jester

What does "that more GT" mean to you?

johnireland

I'm four days into the trade from 996 to 997 and not entirely sure I made a good trade. I got what I wanted from the 997...more power and the automatic...and yet I found my 03 996 had a much much nicer interior...add another "much" compared to my 06 997. If the 993 was the last of the air cooled 911s...the 996 is the first of the water cooled. The 997 seems like the first of the committee designed 911s. You'll have to drive each and make up your own mind.

dgjks6

My best description is I had a Miata and I have a BMW 535xi. The 996 is closer to the Miata and a 991 is closer to the BMW.

Dennis C

Interesting perspective.

I find the interior in my 997 to be a significant improvement over my 996. I preferred the color of my 996 interior (natural brown leather as opposed to sand beige leather), but I can't really find anything else that I would say was better about the 996 interior. Don't get me wrong - I loved my 996, but I struggle to see how you wouldn't consider the 997 an improvement.

Quadcammer

agreed x infinity.

The 996 interior has aged poorly, material quality is suspect, and the design is unusual. 997 is massively better.

robbieracer

+1, I like the 996 interior better than the 997, the only thing it's missing is a glove box. I don't need cup holders or Navigation, I like the simplicity.
The 991 is a great car, it's lighter than the 997 even though it's larger, the interior is the best to date. Driving isn't as raw as the 996, but it's a great highway cruiser and push the sport button to firm up the suspension and it's also a great canyon driver. I never drove one at AX or DE, so can't comment on that. But, that 400 Hp (C2S) and flat six sound is heaven...

Gonzo911

I too liked the simplicity of the 996 interior...AFTER I changed out the original deck to a double din head unit, did the ashtray delete, relocated the AC, exchanged the cig lighter for a USB port and added a cubby.

The 997.1 interior is more updated than the 996 but can look a little busy with all the Aluma Look trim and buttons.

But the 997.2...simply perfect.

Hang in there Johnny. You struggled with loving your 996 for a few weeks until you started writing love sonnets about it. But alas, your heart was always with that 993. So you did the smart thing...bought a 997.

You are an interesting dude.

Dennis C

Each individual uses different criteria when they decide which car and which interior they prefer. I certainly understand the argument for simplicity. The 996 interior may be the sweet spot for many people because it has much of the simplicity of the older Porsches with an updated design.

When I look at the interior of a car, the criteria that I use judge it include: Functionality, Ergonomics, Comfort, Material Quality, Build Quality and Overall Design.

In my opinion, the 996 and the 997 are fairly equal in Functionality and Ergonomics. Both interiors work very well. I find the seats to be more comfortable in the 997. I also prefer the overall design of the 997 interior and the quality of the materials and the build quality seem to be better in the 997. The 997 feels like a much more modern car, even though a small number of years separate my 2002 C4S from my 2008 TT.

I think the 996 and the 997 sit somewhere between old school Porsches and new Porsches. The 996 feels a bit more like the older versions while the 997 feels a bit more like the newer ones.

5CHN3LL

The 996 interior may have a lot more soft-touch plastic than leather and even some hard plastic here and there, but it's not overrun with shi, er, switches and stuff. The 997 cabin is great if you want to feel like you have a bunch of crap to tinker with. The 996 reminds me of our old MGA roadster - straightforward. A button or lever for the obvious necessities, and not much else.*

I don't have heated seats, sat nav, bluetooth, individual climate control, or any other garbage to fuss with. A typical drive involves the key, the three pedals, the wheel, and maybe the PSM button if I know I'll be going somewhere that will confuse the car.

I enjoy creature comforts in my Murano - the heated steering wheel is nice on my early-onset arthritic hands, and the satellite radio is enjoyable, and sure, the electric lift gate and the electrically actuated rear seats - you can raise them back up after hauling crap from Home Depot from the dash - are nifty, but all of this stuff in a sports car seems...superfluous.

I realize there are things about the 996 that preclude it from being a "pure" sports car...PSM, for example, and air conditioning, and one or two other things - but I suspect it'll be the last "simple" sports car that Porsche ever mass-produces. If you want the kind of simplicity the 996 offers, you'll have to shell out for a GT3 or a limited-edition Cayman or Boxster...

I'm basing my "997 has a lot of crap" comment solely on the pictures John Ireland posted of his "new" 997. Damn, it looks busy compared to the 996. And Sport Chrono on a tip? Why?

Incidentally, I don't understand the whole "996 interior is crappy compared to the 993." Has everyone who writes that criticism actually LOOKED at a 993 interior? Broad expanses of flat surfaces, switches that look like they came out of a '78's Skyhawk, and a dash that was designed around the principle of "you can use ANY geometry you like. As long as it consists solely of straight lines." Prolly just me, but I enjoy owning a 911 with an interior that does NOT go well with Cocomats.

Dennis C

I know what you mean. The 996 definitely has more of an old school feeling.

If you compare a 996 interior to a 997 interior with similar equipment, are they really that different though? The only buttons on my 997 dash that weren't present in my 996 were: PASM, sport and rear spoiler. The 996 has a 1990s "oval" theme to the interior, while the 997 is more angular. The ignition is in the same place. The headlight switch is in the same place. The instrument cluster looks similar in both cars. Both cars have a hand brake instead of an electronic brake like the 991. The overall design is obviously different, but there really aren't that many more buttons and switches.

Try it one day... you'll like it!