DrewskiOne

Hi all,

I am the proud owner of a '95 C2. I love the car. Driving it and caring for it means a lot to me at many levels. Yes, the clutch bothers me, as does the seat and unreliable oil level gauge. These little things coupled with watching videos of TopGear comparing the "modern" Porsche turbo the best Italian super cars, I have had an itching for some time to test drive one. And so it was that I scheduled a test drive of a 2007 997 Turbo.

The 997 Turbo is an awesome looking car. The wheels, the flared air intake in front of the rear wheel hubs makes for an impress looking car. Walking around the car I recognized the body of the 993 but this car had spent some time in the gym. From the styling it was clear that this car meant business. Before long I was driving the car. It hugged the road like velcro, accelerated blindingly fast, and shifted smoothly. The controls were digitized and overall it was clear that this car was increasingly more sophisticated and technologically advanced than the 993 that I owned.

So there I was parked next to my car in the 997 Turbo as I talked to the salesman about my experience. I actually didn't know what to say. What can you say about 20 minutes of driving on roads you're not familiar with with someone that you don't know in a car that doesn't belong to you? I knew it would take some time for the experience to sink in and have some meaning.

I said goodbye to the salesman and fished out my simple key from pocket. I started up the 993 and, while I may not have know what to make of my driving experience in the 997, I immediately knew that my 993 was the only Porsche that I would likely ever need. I roared out of the parking lot and merged with traffic loving the simplicity of the car and its basic but tactile features. I was going fast but I didn't need to drive any faster. In fact, I was just fine with this little beauty roaring to the occasion as it communicating clearly to its owner that each little rpm was hard-earned oh so sweet. Yes, I felt a bit unfaithful and guilty about contemplating owning the 997, but I had to do it to realize how truly sweet this car really is.

NC TRACKRAT

Well put but, no, you weren't unfaithful and certainly not guilty of any mortal sin....no more than any of us red-blooded, married guys who look at a Sports Illustrated swim-suit edition.

morsini

I've driven both and own a 993tt. Wouldn't trade peroid

pp000830

I believe the 993 is the last Porsche 911 where the cost of ownership should never get to the point where a nasty breakup ensues. I also feel it is the last of a series where its function is based on maximizing the physics of suspension without brute force electronics involved. For these reasons long haul ownership seems reasonable. With the PDK, electronic stability with sensor dependent functions and engines not designed for long haul low cost reliability the newer cars will be a challenge to own for long periods if you actually drive them. With VW in charge Porsche is well funded and so has had the luxury of abandoning its former keep it simple approach to design. It has also bought into the hyper focus on performance metrics in its street cars.
Andy

993Brendan

You can't replace the character of the 993. So many have left for greener pastures only to come back. If I had to choose, I would keep my 993 and sell the RS (mainly because I could buy three more 993s with the money). Keep it!

Spyder34

Maybe not for long!

DrewskiOne

I would love to drive a 993tt someday. I would love to own one too but alas, it would be hard to justify to my thrifty wife. Ironically she's German and born not too far from Zuffenhausen. However, if the choice were between a tt or a bmw, her standards wouldn't allow any other option but the tt... price be damned!

coreseller

Thanks for the post. It reminds us who occasionally wonder that the grass is not always greener. Truth be told the older I get the more I enjoy twisting up all 140 horses of the Miata vs. anything else.................

AOW162435

Drew,
Great post. New is great, but the 993 is something special. It's here to stay for this wizened old man.



Andreas

doublecabmel

I have a 993 TT s, and a 997 TTs. I love both of them- though I drive the 997.2 more often as it's worthless compared to the 993

mesprit87

Looking at the menu doesn't make you unfaithful…

Dan V

I was going fast but I didn't need to drive any faster.

That single sentence sums up perfectly the timeless appeal of an air-cooled Porsche.

Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

We used to say, "No harm in window shopping as long as you've already spent your money".

The original context was a little different, however the principle was identical.

NYC993

What I really like about 993 is that it feels fast at slow speeds. I don't know if it's size, lack of insulation, noise...all of the above.

I like pushing accelerator for a few seconds while noise builds up and the car picks up speed.

With faster smoother cars, you push accelerator for a second or two and you are braking a law, for 4 seconds and you are about to loose your license not realizing why.

Box on Wheels

As us collectors and hoarders would say, there is nothing wrong with having more than one!