901aero

Pedsurg- Good point. And in more great news from Porsche is the untold millions spent on the development of a new 7 speed gearbox. He I am with a 6th speed I can almost never use-- at least not within the legal limits of the US.

Edward

Fascinating. So no "real" 911 soul" eh? This sounds much like what those "real" 911 owners have said since the the original 911 went through its first evolutionary change. I guess that initial short wheelbase was so superior that Porsche must have lost its "soul" when it extended it in 1969.

Oh wait, they must have had "some" soul left because they apparently lost it when it went to the infernal impact bumpers in '74. We all know anything that's not an original "longhood" can't be a "real 911" right?

Damn, I forgot. Porsche still must have retained some of that elusive soul after that because it was that "SC" thing that encroached upon the world in 78, destroying the classic svelt 911 dimensions.

Uh oh, still some soul must be have been there as the dreaded motronics madmen saw fit to ruin the 911 with... "electronics"! And they had the audacity to call that a "Carrera" ...oh the soul must be dead now.

Wow, I still can't believe there's some soul left, as that damn hydraulic cluth and G50 tranny was most certainly the death of the true 911 soul. Curse 1987: the death of the real 911.

Actually, I've completely missed the entire point: it is the "real Porsche guys" way back when who lamented the replacement of the 356 with that overweight abomination called a 911.

So there you go, I guess none of us own a "real Porsche," or at least a Porsche with "real soul." I suppose I'll just have to wait until my super complex electrical system fries the car to a crisp before I have to "upgrade." Either that or the other maintenance nightmares will prompt me to go find a true 911 ...the kind with real soul, of course.

Edward

Bull

Edward...you still missed the real event! The real Porsche soul was obviously lost when Porsche moved from the pre-A to the 356A in 1955! Or, was it the "power play" when they moved to the 1500cc engine in 1952? or, the move in 1951 to the 1300cc and the World's first syncromesh trans. Or, when they moved from Gmund to Zuffenhausen in 1950, and began building model 356? Or, when they started building Cabriolets in 1949, and the posers came along ?.........................

I did experience all of the transitions from the 356 change to the 912/911 and onward. I think only the Big Turtle saw the changes I mentioned above, as I have been advised that he has been around so long that when the order "let there be light!" went out, he is the guy who kicked the switch!

Edgy01

Gee, the forum here is quite defensive about the beautiful 993!

I started out in Porsches in the early 70s, so my first new 911 was from that era, and then later with an early SC. I lived with these cars for many miles and many years.

Sadly, most of those generation cars will be facing problems with fuel compatibility soon.

It's been a great discussion, even if you guys hate me for saying things about early 911s vice the 964s and later the 993s.

Let's be honest, these cars merely carry the '911' name because of marketing decisions by Porsche. The 964 shared several parts with the earlier 911s but by the time the 993 came out Porsche really started out with a fresh slate. I personally think the looks of the 993s are probably the best out of Porsche,--and apparently a lot of others do too as Porsche AG has attempted to get some of that look back with the 997s. The real irony is that one of Porsche's most successful models (from the pure sales figures) was the 996,--and yet many don't care that much for it.

(My first Porsche was a 914).

speed12sil

No offense, but what puzzles me is why you ever chose to buy a 997 considering it has no soul(since 993 to you is soul-less and the 997 is even worse off in terms of "soul")? Why didn't you stick with a pre '89 911?

Bull

Nope, not defensive here, just supportive! And , no hate here......don't really care what you have to say about them.

texas911

The 997 does have a soul, he was just poking fun at all the 993 owners saying the 997 has no soul. Which it has.

Edgy01

The only Porsche with a soul is the 914. It was neglected by all the 911 fanatics and thus needed a little boost from enthusiasts. It was a car ahead of its time.

(Don't you just love my generalizations!)

Actually, I love them all and the 993 has long been a favorite of mine, in the looks department. I've driven them all from early 911, to seventies 911, to SC, to 3.2, to 964, to 993, to 996 and now the 997. Each has its own special qualities,--and they truly do get better over time. If I was rich like you guys I would have my 997S cab along with a late 993 TT super.

jnx

I didn't think the 997 had any soul. Too refined for me.

hawk993

who cares?

Edgy01

That is precisely the point. Who cares? Drive them like you stole them!

Edward

Hey Edgy,

No offense taken, nor am I being defensive ...just had a lot of time on my hands and your "generalizations" (your word) struck a chord with me. It's all good!

Fuel compatability may just be a problem for all cars getting dated by their decade. But as for your assessments of 911's mech problems, I've found them no more problematic than any car of like age, and in many cases even more dependable. One thing that does differ, however, is the obvious cost of parts/labor when doing anything Porsche related ...this is an abvious byproduct of the marque.

As for "soul," if you define the 914 as the "only" Porsche with soul, then I guess that rests on how you define the term. Great color on your 997 cab, BTW. As I had said in my first post, I''d love to have a 997, but only if I get to keep my 993


Edward

texas911

And the point is the owners of previous 911 can say the same thing about the 993. See the irony in this? Or is everyone drinking koolaid?

Davies

Agreed. Porschephiles have been bitching about the softness/soullessness of the next gen 911 since it replaced the 356. In fact the only thing that's changed is that there was no such thing as a web discussion-board back then...

GabiOsz

I drove the 997 C2S the other day, and it is very nice and good fun to drive, however it was only six months old and already leaking oil, I'm not overly confident that the build quality is up to much and that has put me off.