Turbo Ron

For about $5000.00 more is it worth the difference? More HP and varioram. Are there other differences? Does the 96 feel noticeably stronger?

os993

Hi Ron,

I think most people on this board will tell you to go with the 96, but I would not so quickly omit purchasing a 95 either.

I'm the owner of a 95 993 coupe, and if you find one that is exactly the color you want, with the options and in good condition, vs. something not quite what you want in a 96, then......

96's do offer a few key additions, but you also have to deal with the keyless entry headaches (see archives) and the OBDII (also see archives). Not major issues, but I'm glad I don't have these..

As for Varioram, yup this is a biggie - definitely wish I had this, but I'm not losing sleep over it. 270hp is plenty for me.

Cheers, and let us know more about both cars and what you finally decide. Either way, we'll look forward to hearing from you more on this board....

Ray Calvo

Bit more HP, maybe you can feel it- drive both and make up your own mind. Major difference? No. Is it worth $5K more? How's your disposable income?

Other "good" things of '96 over '95:

- OBDII - means you can "easily" troubleshoot fuel injection injection with aftermarket software and a laptop. '95 requires expensive (four figures?) Porsche tools.

- Moving the 3rd brake light to above rear window from it's little "wing" just above the engie lid.

That's the main differences. Is it worth the higher price is up to you. Personally, would take a good condition '95 over a more questionable condition '96.

Also, for info, I have no interest in selling my '95 simply to get a '96.

Randall G.

Statistically speaking ... The '96's 0-60 mph and 1/4 mile times improved by 0.1s, to 5.3 and 13.7s, respectively. Top speed increased 3 mph, to 171 mph.

I think most people will agree that 0.1s isn't too tangible, but the VRAM engine is supposed to have improved "drive-ability" (Road & Track's words) and require less shifting to keep power up.

Hope this helps ...

Joe@Fabspeed

Any 993 is a great vehicle. If you can still save $5000 on a 1995 versus a 1996+ take the 95 993 as the power differences are minimal as witnessed in posted acceleration results. The power increase published by Porsche is on the high side at 13hp and was a result of bigger valves, DME tuning and varioram induction. Unfortunately, all 1996+ cars are OBD2 which is much more expensive to tune electronically/diagnose/repair and you like to modify-personalize your Porsche you can more easily MODIFY a 1994-1995 993 much easier and more cost effectively than a 1996-1998 993. Nontheless get the best deal and cleanest car you can afford and you have fun too.

SeanD

Ron,

Welcome if you get a 993. I had a similar choice to make about 2 months ago.

I ended up with a '95 and saved about $6200 vs. a '96. Mostly the color combo, lower miles and a tracelable service record with papers. I am spending the extra money on a few mods and carpet for the house!

Let us know what you get.

STLPCA

Ron
A few points -

Varioram, which others have noted, is less significant for 0-60, 1/4 mi or top speed than it is for midrange "flexibility," e.g. accelerating from 40mph w/o the need to downshift. That difference was noticable to me - try to drive both so you can decide for yourself.

Apart from the obvious, (vram, basket handle, etc.) there are a host of "minor" differences from '95 - '96 gleaned from exploring the shop manual (e.g., A/C changes, steering rack). Don't know if they were really improvements or just changes, but I hope they were improvements. There was also the '95 wiring harness problem extensively discussed on the Board.

A year newer ... is a year newer. There will likely always be a difference in value. All things being equal (which is seldom the case), get the newest 993 you can afford.

In my case, I wanted a '96+ rather than a '95 & looked until I found what I wanted. You'll be happier stretching a bit to get your 1st choice than driving your runner up every day.

Every 993 is a superb drive - you can't really go wrong. Just check out the car carefully. Of course, all just my $.02.

Edward

Ron,
Ditto on all the above posts. I, like you, found a significant $ difference and debated long about justifying the price. My answer is just as the others mentioned: varioram is nice, but IMO hardly noticable; 3rd brake location is subjective (the basket handle grew on me); and other factors such as mileage, options, condition, and of course PPI in my mind FAR outweigh the issue of which year. After driving a whole bunch of em, tapping a whole lot of people's brains, and searching PATIENTLY, I ended up with an absolute pristine '95 which,BTW, exceeded the 96's and one 97 I had come across. Once you find that "babe," you'll know it. Happy hunting and looking forward to your posting a success story/picture.
Ed

Turbo Ron

I appreciate every ones reply on this subject. I now will be buying another porsche rather than a lotus or a 328 ferrari. I will consider the 95 or the 96 depending on the money I have at the time of purchase. I have spent about $5000 on my sc about 6000 miles ago. I will be keeping my car for about another year or so. It is in emaculate shape, paint and mechanical. It never hurts to research early. I thank all of you.

Mike W

Ron, I moved from a really nice 80sc to a 95 993 11/2 years ago. Although I really loved my Sc there is no regret on my part for making the change. I happen to have a 95 which I think is a bit easier to modify than a 96. Whatever you do you will not be sorry. Mike W

Rohan Nath

IMHO Dan 96C2 St.Louis hit it on the head. The mid-range acceleration is about the only difference I was able to find between the 95 and the 96+. I did find it to be significant enough to bear on my decision.

Ideally, drive both models back to back. If that is not possible look at the torque/HP curves published in the owners manuals and compare the difference in the 3-4k RPM range.