I thought I would post my experience here for you to read.

Well, it was a big letdown. I got there and the sales manager said that everything he had has a customer's name on it! Next shipment is due in August/September.

Looks like I will be heading to Columbus, Ohio in a few weeks.

At least I got a chance to see one and sit in it. I think I could learn to like it. Fit/finish seems good, but it is a larger car.

Wife did not like it! She really prefers the 993 look and feel. I kind of agree. The 993 looks are very good. Porsche did an excellent job. Even the salesman talked up my car. I wonder if he wants to sell me a car or what.

However, looking at the two cars side by side, the 993 really looks dated compared to the 997. It isn't a case of which one looks better, the 993 just looks a lot older when parked next to the 997.

The one I sat in had standard seats, same as my 993. I think the 997 seats feel better to me, so I would say that they have improved that.

I will definitely miss the 993 gauge cluster! The 997 condenses everything and you loose that classic 911 look. I really think the 997 gauge cluster is more functional and easier to view, but I would still rather have individual gauges.

Also, the center console really changes the look. When you first slide into the cockpit you get the impression that this isn't a 911, but some other sports car made by another company. There are lights and controls around the rearview mirror and the dash has speakers in it.

After you get settled, some of the cues of the 911 surface. The pedals are more like a traditional car, but shifted to the right, just like my 993. The steering wheel is centered to the driver instead of shifted to the right as on the 993.

The back deck is a little strange compared to the 993. It is more shelf like inside. I gives me the impression that the rear window does not slope as far downward. The rear deck lid is about 2/3 the size of the 993. If you have dreams of working on this engine, forget it! There is more room inside a Timex analog watch than in the 997 engine bay. Changing the air filter looks tight. If the check engine light comes on, just make the phone call and wait. I was surprised they didn't have a placard reading "No User Serviceable Parts Inside." The salesman said they just drop or lower the engine to do any real service. That really isn't a bother to me since I would not expect to see a need to work on it myself anyway.

I love the headliner material. My wife does not. "That stuff is great", I said. Looks like the sunroof is larger, too. I didn't retract it, so I don't know how far it really goes and if it is really any larger than the 993 sliver opening.

I found a few nit picks. One was the rubberized coating on the plastic tray that is to the right of the passenger seat. It was peeling. Obviously a defect, but you wonder if others will do this over time. There seems to be a little less space directly behind the seats. I like to store things on the floor back there when I go places. My Lowpro camera bag fits perfect in the 993, but I think I would need to trade in my pro Nikon body and lenses for a pocket point and shoot if I planed to store it there now.

I am glad they hid the cup holders. Nobody can argue that they didn't do a beautiful job with these. However, when these are extended out of their hidden cubby, my first thought was they were handcuffs for the passenger! That may be more useful to me than cup holders.

I did check out the adaptive sport seats in a Boxster. I think these are a must have for me. I have a very thin frame and most seats are too wide for me. I have a 30" waist after a large taco dinner. The 996 seats seemed like bench seats from an old 60's Chevy for me. The adaptive seats when fully scrunched inward for the thorax and thighs almost fit me. The lumbar support adjustments are also a nice touch. I can see why the have added three memory settings for the seats. You need at least one to save as what you think is your favorite while you spend the next month trying out various combinations. I can see myself saving various settings and then going back to a previous setting to see if I really like it. Porsche should add a forth button for the "Seat of the Day" setting, which could be a surprise setting. If they just add Blue Tooth you could download different settings from friends and the Web, too. I was tempted to ask if I could just buy the seats and mount them in my 993, but figured that would violate some law. The 997 seats have an integrated airbag system that probably is precisely tuned to the 997 and the side impact bags.

I sell jet fighter simulators to the military and Lockheed. They would go gaga if I substituted the adaptive sport seat for the ACES II or Martin-Baker ejection seat in the cockpit. Pilots would have to be hauled out at gunpoint before they would get out.

Gone are the mechanical latches for the hood and rear deck. That is understandable since the new system uses much less space. However, I feel a little nervous if the battery dies. "Oh, yeah, the jumper cables are in the trunk."

The chrono wart looks alien. I know there has been a whole thread about this. It is almost like the boss's 8-year old son designed it in art class at school and it had to go into the car or you can start writing your resume. "Got it?" "Yes, Sir!"

I won't miss the spare tire. For that matter, they could get rid of the Fix-A-Flat can and substitute a fifth of Scotch and a a Tom Waits CD. The trunk space is now much deeper, but much less shallow. I don't know if this is better or worse, but it looks like you actually get more cargo room. You just need to be a stacker. Everything will go on top of everything else. Problem is, what ever you need it will always be on the bottom. I think there is some law of physics that govern that. The new Boxster trunk looks identical.

I really need to take the test drive. I have mixed feelings about the looks, but I mostly like it. It seems that some of the 911 has been excised through the years. All the rough edges have been smoothed out. That is good, but the rough edges were part of the 911 charm. The 997 seems better to me than the 996. So, I give points to Porsche for seeing the light. Porsche was correct when they said that the 997 was not a throw back to the 993, but there is an erie resemblance.

One final comment. The 996 punctuated the fact that Porsche was aiming at a different cliental than they had in the previous 33 years. The times were-a-changing. The 996 was Porsche version of Levi's Relaxed Jeans. I instantly felt old when I got into one for the first time. I found myself looking for for the storage compartments for the cain and colostomy bag. Do you get a free one year membership to AARP, too? The target market was no longer the same. The 997 still does that, but they are trying to come back a little, yet still cling to both worlds. You get all the electronic gizmos that your buds at work talk about when they mention their Lexus, BMW, or Acura. I guess I can get used to the creature comforts, but it seems odd for a sports car. Maybe I am old!

After bending the salesman ear I finally left. I washed off the bugs that had gathered on my window, opened the passenger door for my wife, and climbed into the ol'e 993. It really did seem old, like slipping into an old pair of Levis, plain cut. The knees are showing some wear, there are more than a few frayed threads at the hips, and they are fading a bit, too. They are comfortable and predictable when you pull them on, like an old friend, but they are getting old. I know I will have to hang them up sometime. "You know, they won't last forever", I told my wife. But she told me that she can always put a patch on.

To be continued...

Marv

 

Hi Marv,
Nice write-up. Only thing I do not really agree with, is the 993 looking-old business. Moreover, though my car is almost 10 years old, the quality is so great, that when I get into it I do not notice. A neighbor of mine even thought it was the new model. I like the 997, but the only part I like least is the rear-end, which is just to bulky and high for my taste.

See my comparison report:



here

 

Well, I agree with you and I didn't think my car looked old when I started out this morning! When it was parked next to the 997 it looked old.

Of course when I returned home, I spent a lot of time detailing it and it is still a beautiful car to me. On its own it looks timeless.

 

"I won't miss the spare tire. For that matter, they could get rid of the Fix-A-Flat can and substitute a fifth of Scotch and a a Tom Waits CD."


Yer Killing me!!

That is the best solution- I actually often carry a flask of single malt in my little carpet pocket in the boot for times of need- maybe now, I'll dump my spare-

Coleman,

 

Great write up!! Really enjoyed reading it. You make some great points!

 

Great write-up Marv, and I totally agree with you on your 993 dated sentiment....
I certainly didn't think my PSS9 993 Cab looked dated either, until I put them side by side, and then drove both a standard Cab and Coupe. That was my down fall!!! Perhaps you're lucky they didn't have a 997 available to test

 

I drove a 997S cab. I found it very fun to drive, and I enjoyed the sound of the exhaust note with the top down - coupe drivers don't know what the are missing in this area. I fell in love driving the car, but I can't get past the "humpy" back end and the high ride height. I think it needs a tail and it would help a lot (ala 996tt).

I saw an '05 997s coupe at a dealer, used 5K miles Porsche Certified 6 years, 100K mile warranty. $95K. Tempting.

 

I know the 997's are great cars but I just can't imagine trading my baby 993 for it, because I know I will regret it later. I've bonded with my 993 since I've owned it (especially after doing many DIYs over the months), a bond which I don't think I'll ever have with any of the newer generation Porsches. I might consider a pre-owned 997 in a couple of years as a second Porsche though.

 

You know, the 997 just hasn't sold me. I know it's a great car (probably better then our in almost every tangible way) but I was left unimpressed after my drive in one. Granted I didn't drive the "S" but I wasn't impressed with the power, the handling was good but didn't seem as crisp as mine -kinda more outa touch (BMW like), and it looked and felt big. I did love the shifting action, it makes mine feel like a truck and unlike most I really liked the interior. Call me crazy but I don't think I 'd trade my 10 year old 80,000 mile baby for a new 997. Maybe the "S" would change my mind, but for the same money I'd buy a GT3 in a heartbeat.

 

My gawd, what must they have tricked that out with? the base list for a 997S is $79.1K! They must added every option you could check.

Marv