993RS

If you could really gain 20 hp (which I doubt), it would be worth the cost. This gain is roughly what you get from the much more expensive 3.8L upgrade kit. IMHO, you could gain about 15hp with a chip, but only in conjunction with sport cat, etc., pushing the cost up further. I have had it all done one time or another.

Christer

Buy a 964, spend £20K on mods and you are there... (and you have a better looking car IMHO)

Monique

Driving a stock 996 is a bit like driving a padded cell. The 993 on the other hand is more raw and more fun.

Also more reliable... don't get me going on this one

kilrgt

You 993 guys are way too hard on the 996, the question was the which one is quicker, the anwser is the 996 is quicker, and a 2002+ is much more quicker, just ask the guys that see my *** end as i am pulling on them hard.....


Yea i am getting ready for the flaming...

Christer

Yes, I agree that a 996 is quicker than a 993.....not much but its there. But its all very relative, there is hardly anything in a 993/964 comparison, the 3.4 996 will just about creep away from the 993, and the 3.6 996 will walk away - but its not as if it is night and day difference....FWIW, a GT3 will walk away from a 996 3.6 - its not as if any of these cars will leave the other model as a speck of dust on the horizon.....

f_scaife

Kilrgt, I don't think anything too harsh has been said about the 996, after all it's family. Your car looks great BTW. I did find it interesting that you have a nicely modified 996, and your signature calls it "kind of boring". That is right in line with what everone has been saying.

Martin S.

with the Varioram, Variocam, wider track, longer wheelbase (I believe), lower CD, 3, or is it 4 valves per cylinder, advanced engine management system.

For me personally, and there are a lot more like me out there so I can say WE, we tend to prefer the 993 to the 996 just because of its anachronistic ways. Sit in the cockpit of a 98 Carrera S, close your eyes, but for the air conditioning ducts, you could be sitting in a 78 SC. This is the same reason some of us like Rolex watches. They are raw in a way, designed and built with an older but very reliable technology.

We also like the Dry Sump approach used on the pre 1999 cars. We are also pleased to see the 964/993 case used on the 993 TT cars up to today as well as the GT2 and CT3 cars. This tells you something about the strength and design of the case, in my opinion.

The 2002 and later 3.6 cars are screamers...no doubt about it. The Suburu WRX is a screamer too...I just don't want one. I am content to see the tail lights of other cars as long as I can remain competitive with 993 cars that have similar mods to mine.

In closing...I have tried to be candid here...not too narrow. As Clint Eastwood said in the closing lines to Magnum Force, "A man has got to know his limitations!" I know mine and they are limited to Porsche cars based on a 964/993 engine.

mrsullivan

great post.... after I read it, I went out and sat in my 98 Carrera S and closed my eyes...you are right!!

also, to the issue of the 2002+ 996 "walking" a 993... gee I should hope so... and actually, I would argue that a less than .5 second improvement in 0-60 time over the course of 5 yrs doesnt impress me terribly...

kilrgt

I really do love the 993, and was so close to buying it over my 996, truth be told i couldn't find one with the options i liked, and the warranty factor is hugh...all and all I would love both the 993 and the 996 ,but they are different cars I truly believe that the 911 gets better every re-design, so in closing the 993 is a true Porsche , old school and a little like my ex-girlfriend rough around the edges,but boy what a ride.We are family and truth be told I am looking for a 993 TT maybe...just maybe.

I know this post has been fair on the 996, but most dump on the car, and i never understood why..I love all Porsches and the reason why is because of that crest on the front. I think we are all a rare breed, passion about performance says something about a person.So in closing anyone know of a white 993 TT??

Oh thanks f-scaife, on the compliment, my signature is referring to the fact I think all cars are Boring, the reason being is I ride a sports Bike..cars will never be that exciting to me..Thats all that meant

Cheers
Paul

Hank Cohn

V-tach,

I have a well set up 993 and just sold my '99 stock 996 which, is essentially the same as a 2000 996. I never tracked the 996 because of the other car. The 996 reminded me a lot of a '99 E36 M3 that I had. The 996 was a great street car that was a good bit quicker on the street and easier to live with day to day than my 993 (better A/C, easier to get into and out of, quieter and, not to mention, 5 years newer). In all fairness, my 993 is set up to be a competent track car that I can drive to and from DEs and even club race events. That means that it is pretty far away from a stock 993. I would say that it depends on what you going to use it for. If you are going to track it extensively then buying a well set up 993 is the way to go. If it is mostly or purely for the street, I'd have to say the 996. The last statement could easily be nullified if you just love 993s.

Test drive them both, back to back, if you can and be honest with yourself regarding the purpose of the purchase. It is a really cool idea to have a track car for the street, however; if it is your only car it can be very tiring to drive daily and, possibly, painful to drive it long distances. I drove my 993 to a track event that is 4 hours away one weekend. When I got there, my ears were ringing, my feet were asleep and I was mentally fatigued from having to concentrate on driving that much for so long. It's a hard decision because the 996s are very affordable and offer a lot of technology that the 993s don't, like PSM. I do think that a 996 with an aero kit is a great looking car.

Lastly, I have driven several well set up 996s and they are great track-day cars. From reading the 996 board, I am not so sure about their engine's longevity (RMS failures) if tracked regularly. Owners of those cars who track them could tell you a lot more than I could about that specific activity.

Hank

fluid15

I have a few bits of info every now and then! I had looked into chipping my '96, like several other Rennlisters, and found it was possible but too much of a hassle and not much ROI.