errico

Thank you again for all the great advice, this is exactly what I was expecting from you guys. To answer you question I have never driven a 993, my dealer has the nicest c4s in midnight blue with gray interior and I will be driving in Monday. I did drive a turbo and it's very quick but a big car compared to the 993. Personally the 993 is ridiculously nice but I'll be trading in my mint 996 with added cash for a 1996 c4s which is making me think.

They say you need to drive these cars to fully understand what it is , we will see Monday. My biggest concern st this moment is not which car I want is if these car comes with known issues Ian not aware of. I know that the twin turbo 996 is a tank.

Value investment and trading in a younger car and paying 20k more to get a 993 or turbo is my biggest concern. I drive these cars about 1000 miles a year !

chsu74

I went down the exact road you are thinking. Both cars will not depreciate much going forward. 993C4S may even appreciate in value and will certainly be easier to sell in the future if you ever want to move on. The question is do you want to tie up this kind of cash on your weekend car. Which car is a better 1,000 mile per year weekend car is a no brainer IMHO...

CamsPorsche

There's a guy selling a Silver C4S in the classifieds for $35k with 84k miles...

Jeff U

There is the issue of the Secondary Air Injection (SAI) which can be a pain.

In 96 -98 cars, it can cause the check engine light (CEL) to come on. Depending on your State's emission requirements, you will probably fail an inspection.

The problem can sometimes be fixed by cleaning/flushing of the clogged ports but if that doesn't work it can be quite expensive.

race911

This is what you have to disconnect from. Think of some other scenarios--is a 996 worlds better than, say, a '73S? As a going down the road driving car, hell yes. Think you wouldn't throw your 996 plus an absurd amount of cash to do a deal on a "good" one? How about a 996 v. a Speedster (take your pick of the 356, '89 or 964 varieties)? Even for a '73T in equal shape you'd have to throw in cash + your car.

The market works very efficiently, up to you to decide where you want to jump in.

H.H.Chinn

Scarlett is stunning Mike!!

Like Mike says, you've got to be able to look at your car!

x50type

ericco,

you said, "I want a good investment and a solid car."

Both are solid cars, but the 993 is more solid.

IMHO the 993 is a better financial proposition, you are likely to lose less in the long run.

From what you say, i would suggest 993. [C4S if you can find one].

Let us know what you get and have pix ready.

Good luck.

funbug

C4S more fun and less depreciation in the future. It'll be easier to sell too if you want/need to. Your speed is limited on public roads so top-end is immaterial.

benlib

I have had my 97' C4S for about a year now. It is my first Porsche and it took me over a year to decide after test driving the 997, 996, 993, 964 in most guises.

The 997/996 were a real leap from the 993 and I felt that they had lost a certain charm. Aesthetically, their size ballooned and the silhouette as well. I didn't realise this until i got myself into a 993... Of course the current water-cooled versions are much more comfortable, its more ergonomic, its got the modern-day creature comforts with an amazing ride and matching engine. I have to point out that 996s are a huge discount as an entry 911... but those headlights - what were they thinking??!!

Once i sat in an air-cooled Porsche, i knew I was absolutely hooked! One thing that led me to the 993 over the 964 was that it was a much more modern car, the technology was significantly better, in almost every aspect, yet it still kept a very recognisable DNA from the 964. I still prefer the 964's front end over the 993's drooping one (From the driver's view, its nice to see those two humps over the headlights : )

To cut a long story short, I ended up with a fairly special 3.8l C4S Manual in Polar Silver that had 70k miles on the odo. I am the 7th owner. The 3.8l conversion was done by the first owner at the dealership within the first few months of ownership. Between the first owner and me, the car was mostly loved, driven hard by some:- but sadly neglected before i found it.

I've had to spend a small fortune to fix and upgrade the common problems.
I wished I educated myself a little more prior to its purchase, yet I have no regrets. Its a real keeper. The only thing that would make me depart with it is a 993RS!

Rides like these are never the same... word of advice, get a Manual.