Rothen

Talking totally hypothetical here:

Considering that the new 718 is going electric, would you consider to buy a brand new, cheaper, 997 (mk2 at least, with PDK and direct injection) if porsche would still sell those?
I may imagine many difficulties with that, since from emissions to infotainment to materials (is makassar wood endangered?), porsche should invest money on re-arranging a lot of stuff.
But the fulcrum here is to understand how many would rather buying a lighter, smaller & slower of course, vehicle that very few would consider better than a 992. Just different.
I guess also, a performance comparision with 992 from car magazines is kind of useless on paper, since the tires progress of the last 15 years (997 mk2 debuted on 2008) would change some metrics.
I know, a brand new 997 on the line got 0 chances today, but who knows, maybe in decades when every car will look the same & be alimented by hydrogen/electricity only, a demand for things like this may arise.

I'd love to hear what you guys think about it

slc4s

no.

ipse dixit

No.

Slower does not always mean better. Sometimes it does, but it's not a given.

Slower just means, well, slower.

The only arguably (and I stress "arguably") better on the 997 generation is the hydraulic steering. But given the improvements in the 992 EPAS, that's almost a non-issue now.

Plus, with the 997, you'd have to worry about the IMS. No thank you.

kim9701

If the 997 was brand new with the original MSRP less 5% discount, sure.

3rdpedal

I think he did mention the 997.2 with the Mezger engine which does not have IMS issues, but I owned a 997 and while that was a fantastic, lighter, and different car, it was also not as stable and planted as the 991 and 992 wider generations. I would say without a doubt if one wants a 997.2, go buy one, they are out there and they do have low mileage ones available and if you want more modern tech, you can change out the head unit for a Kenwood or similar with wireless Android Auto/CarPlay and a touchscreen (as I did in my 997). That is always an available option. In some ways I wish I had kept my 997 (and stored it) as I think it might be even worth more now. But I'm very happy with my 992.

rk-d

The 997 engine is not special enough to make up for the fact that it's a lot slower. Hydraulic steering is better and I like the size. It's better just to have two cars - a new one and an old one. The 992 is big feeling and that's a negative to the design, IMO. That's where having a 997 or something smaller is a nice contrast to have in the garage.

renn.tp

I’m coming from a 997.2 C2S. Purchased it in 2021 with 38k miles and a CPO designation. Put ~10k miles on it and really enjoyed the car. Never had a single issue after numerous track days and extended drives.

The driving experience was analogue, and truly felt like I was piloting a car from another time. Front end was quintessential 911 light, with tons of communication coming through the hydraulically assisted steering. Even at 10+ years old and NA power, the car never felt slow (and this was while I was dailying a G80 M3 with 510+ hp). A bit more torque would have been welcome though. Dimensions were tight, with ample interior space, and after some love from FVD, the car sounded exceptional.

I enjoyed the car so much that I wanted to drive it everyday, but the lack of technology and basic driver comforts had me wishing for more as my primary vehicle. Figured the 992 T would give me the engagement and everyday usability I was after, and am scheduled to take delivery within the next two weeks. Will follow up with more thoughts as they develop.

Regarding the initial question - the two vehicles are very different. Yes rooted in the same DNA, but I view the 992 as a quantum leap forward in terms of technology, driving dynamics and everyday usability. Not sure the correct question is one vs the other, but rather, both. I plan to replace my now-gone 997 with a lower mileage example and add to the garage. To me, that’s the beauty of such a rich lineage that is the 911 - so much to acquire, experience and enjoy. With the magic transcending all generations.

aggie57

No, but if I hadn’t sold my 997 when we moved to the US in 2014 there’s a good chance I’d still own it and never have felt the need for a 992.

RudyP

I’d like to add a 997 GT3 to the garage if that counts. Don’t need it to be new though. I’m fine with buying used.

jbl16

I have a 997.1 S and waiting for a 992 GTS. Plan on keeping the 997 for a while.

6sigma

I had a 991.2 T manual, now have a 997.2 C2 manual, and have a deposit on a 992 T. I will trade the 997.2 for the 992 T as I can't afford both. I am smitten with the 997.2 though. There are some things I like better on the 997 vs the 991 and 992. I took the 997 for a long drive earlier this week when we had a warm early spring day and it was brilliant. I dropped to 2nd to pass a slower vehicle on an empty 2-lane. Plenty of linear power from 4k on up, but not too much to keep it from being fun. Sounds great from the Sharkwerks center delete. Excellent steering feel. The 997 is a good overall size and drives small and nimble. The drive refreshed my thoughts on the car and I started doing mental math to see if there was a way I could keep the 997 and the 992.

jbl16

Agreed

detansinn

If you want a 997, you can buy a used one. You’ll realize that the interior has not aged well at all. You’ll also notice that it’s a slow car by modern standards. Lest anyone forget, the 997.2 was a heavier car than the 991.1.

While the 991.1 EPAS was a step down from the hydraulic assisted steering. The 991.2 updates brought parity. I’d argue that the 992 EPAS remedies hydraulic assistance irrelevant.

I like the 997. I got the enjoy one up/down the PCH. Heck, I have foundation for nostalgia for the generation, but I just roll my eyes at the declaration of it being “the last analog 911”. I think that folks are confusing “analog” with dated tech.

Wilder

There already is a cheaper, less powerful 911. It's the base and the T. Would I want to have a 911 with 345HP instead of 380? No, and would it even matter? It's not that big a delta. As far as tech, everyone seems to want to upgrade to a 992 for the tech, so I guess the market for a more analog car may not be there.

I feel like car manufacturers have been on a performance race and we're now at the peak. It's analogous to the computer/smart phone life cycle. There is little need for faster cars because most people can't use it. Most people will never drive their 992s at the limit. The current 3.0 engine at 380HP is just perfect. Competitive in the marketplace, enough to get yourself in trouble, but not enough to require all the other performance stuff that adds cost.

detansinn

Wait until you drive an EV performance car before declaring that we are any kind of performance peak with ICE cars. The Taycan has the best throttle response of any modern Porsche — zero lag, and oh, near identical EPAS programming to the 992.

It’s not as if 997 doesn’t have tech. It’s just early BlackBerry tech — that doesn’t make it analog. Thankfully, Porsche now offers a PCCM update for those cars, but truth be told, that’s only a small part of the dated tech picture for those cars.