Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

Hi Luke:

May I jump in here and offer some perspective?

There is no question that one can read many things on ALL of the Lists & Boards across the Internet; some positive but more are negative, I'm afraid.

IMHO, this is human nature as we all tend to complain loudly about something and are normally quiet when everything is just fine.

I would offer that Porsche sold LOTS of these cars world-wide and the greatest percentage of these are truly troublefree. I would also mention that these were the most complicated & sophisticated cars that Porsche had produced to date, and any such machines will not be perfect.

Although I deal with the "problem children" of these things overall, I do not have any reservations about strongly recommending these cars to anyone in the market for a very high-performance sports car. Personally, if I had the means, I would have one for my daily driver, hands down.

In conclusion, my suggestion is that you maintain a "Global View" of what you read here (and elsewhere) and keep everything in perspective compared to Porsche's world-wide production numbers. The 993 might be seen by history as Porsche's finest hour,......

bet

I agree with Steve that the internet in general results in a lot of negative comments about what ever topic is being discussed. If you visit the various Honda web boards you would think that Honda’s are nightmares to own, but from my experience I think they are quality built (although some what boring) cars. I have owned two and never did anything to either of them expect for scheduled maintenance. Most people don’t make post like... “just wanted to let everyone one know I have no problems with my coupe” usually they are more on the lines.... “I have a strange noise.....etc.” Along those same lines when I was considering getting Lasik eye surgery done a couple of years ago, most boards I came across only were discussing the botched procedures and terrible side effects (which probably only accounts for 2-3% of all procedures) and saying not to get it done. I got it done and think is was the best money I have every spent (p-cars not included )

I think everyone needs to take message boards, like the Rennlist, for what they are. They are great sources of information and people know that they can come here when they have problems and get solutions. Would we any of us think of the Rennlist as a great source of information if the only post on here were people wanting to know what color combinations looked best and to inform everyone that their cars were perfect? I think most like the blunt truth of possible problems and solutions even if most of the talk could be considered negative. A whole other prospective could also be that “bullet proof” is a relative term depending on what you are talking about. Just my $.02

Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

Good point!

It seems that there are several definitions of what people think of by the word "Bulletproof":

1) Durability

2) Trouble free

I would mention that 2 of the cars that Porschephiles consider "bulletproof", the 911SC and Carrera 3.2 are nowhere near as complex as the 993 and both had their own issues,.......valve springs, head studs, valve guides and rod bolts.

All things considered, I would place the 993 in the same category as the SC and Carrera 3.2 with the caveat that the 993 has FAR more components and a much more complex engine management system to consider. Pretty damned good cars, IMHO,..........

Anir

I feel a bit weird writing in defense of the 993 since my car is currently in the shop for a failed door check strap and non-functioning stereo at 14,000 miles, ....BUT,

At track days, you often see the RX-7 / Corvette / Viper / etc owners working on various failures half way through a weekend, when the Porsches drive to the event, race all weekend, and drive home without a hiccup. Proof positive: Greg Fishman has so little "real work" to do at track days that he'll bleed his brakes four times in a weekend. That might be one definition of "bullet-proof".

There are still a ton of 1970's and 1980's 911s on the road being actively used by their owners for daily transportation. Of course, they are often owned by knowledgeable, capable, and conscientious folks, but that might also support the claim.

My car has never failed to start or get me where I'm going, despite driving it on bitter cold winter days through sizeable snow drifts.

Remember, we're talking about a high-performance car here, so it may be more valid to compare a Porsche with another high-performance sports car, rather than a truck or subcompact. I can't think of any other exotic auto, or supercar, that comes close to the 993 in terms of everday reliability and maintenance costs.

BTW, my Ducati has been perfectly reliable as well, when I'm not crashing it!

Edward

Just to chime in:

Steve, Anir, Brian, et al, have said it well: the 993 IS a remarkable car and as close to "bulletproof" given the understanding of what a 993 is: a complex, hi-tech, sports car with world-class road manners. No, I don't hyperbolize. As an auto enthusiast myself, these are my observations of professional publications as well as my (humble) experience wrenching a myriad of cars for the 20+ years I've been following the auto world. As fine as some of the Japanese & American offerings are, they don't offer the same in all those tangibles/intangibles that we love in "great" cars. The 240Z, for example, was fun, 2nd gen RX7 turbos exciting, Camaro Z28 lots of bang for buck, Corvettes(well, sort of, maybe), but still (again just IMHO) NONE in the same league as a 911 of the same vintage (no flames on the vette comment,please). Compare those oldies today and you'll see what I mean. And like the 911, these aforementioned "sportscars" had their own unique problems as well.

Which brings me back to the 993. Boards like this aren't for gripes as much as they are forums for discussing "issues" that arise: issues which, as has already been pointed out, are statistically small when compared to how many 993s are out there (including ours on this board) that are ripping up the streets w/o problems, and "issues" reported from nit-picky car fanatics that want things "just so" ...yes, I include myself If you really wanted something "bulletproof," you'd scour Consumer Reports and find that ubiquitous, multipurpose transportation device. For me, while my finances dictate that I have a car that doesn't break down, I also want car that ROCKS! Sorry for the length. I get so passionate abouts these things !

Edward

scott watkins

Can one of you guys please answer, what defines a supercar?

Thanks,
Scott

Jim Sullivan

Hi Scott. I know what a Supercar used to be.. it was expensive and stood shoulders above even the best high performance cars in measurable abilities. Names like Porsche 959, Ferrari F40 and F50, throw in a BMW M1 for good measure.. these cars were indisputably more capable than anything short of a race car, with accompanying multiple 6 figure price tags.

Well, it's 2002 and you've got a pair of "pedestrian" Turbos from Porsche that will throw sand in the faces of former supercars in most areas, and at a more approachable price. How do you define a supercar today when a Corvette Z06 has such high capabilities at a meager $50K?

If someone is thinking about writing a new millennium coffee table "Supercar" book, he or she'd better wait for the dust to settle on exactly what a Supercar is..

Anir

Well said, Jim. With "my wife's" E46 M3 arriving in 4 weeks with a better paddle shift sequential manual gearbox than Ferrari and a 0-60 time of 4.8 seconds, at $55K nonetheless, the definition of a "supercar" seems a bit more blurred than in the past.

Personally, I'd include cars like the Lamborghini Diablo and Mucielago, most Ferraris (except maybe the 456GTM), the Porsche Turbos, TVR Tuscan, Corvette Z-06, Pagani Zonda, Dodge Viper, Noble, ...

I doubt that my beloved 993TT is twice the car of the M3, but I'm not trading!

tom_993

Any car faster than mine.

scott watkins

Tom... excellent reply