Horsepwr

So I came across this article and I just had to share it. This guy, Jack, most likely still lives in his moms basement and probably drives a Ford Tempo around. The article completely bashes the 996 in every way possible, but yet I thought he was wrong on every point. I guess it never occurred to him that maybe we are the most savvy Porsche owners out there. I mean I get the same thrill, looks, compliments etc out of my 20k Porsche as people do out of their 100k Porsche. I know a 100k one will be better, NO ****, but I still have a Porsche. I get the thumbs up, the waves, the "what do you do for a living" questions everyone else gets and I didn't break the bank. So are we fools for buying the dreaded 996, I think not. Plus most the points he makes are just dumb. I found his buy here pay here car lot comment especially funny because just YESTERDAY I said to my better half, you see Corvettes at every used rinky dink car lot, but you never see a Porsche. A Porsche is a step above, even if its a 996 so let all the haters hate. I plan on buying one or two more because A) they are fun as hell and B) I do believe they will continue to rise in price. Look at the trend over the last 4-5 years, nothing but up. And if it goes down, I still have some cool looking fun cars. How does one lose???

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cul...e-collectible/

peterp

What a ******* ****! And an idiot. He's pretty much wrong about everything related to the 996. It's telling when he says the reason he likes the 997 is because "If you squint a bit, a 2005 997 looks quite a bit like the current car. That matters to people regardless of what they say or write on the Internet" -- so he is the poser that bases his value assessment on how much it can be passed off as a new car. And what does looking like the new model have to do with long-term value? Is he not aware that the 997.1 also has an IMS? Is he not aware that, unlike the 996, the 997.1 IMS cannot be proactively replaced without completely dissembling the engine? The 997.1 IMS is pretty robust but, if you are looking at long-term value as the cars age, which is the entire point of the article, wouldn't a fresh 996 IMS be much better in peace of mind than a 20 or 30 year old IMS in a 997.1?

What are the parts that are so horrendously expensive on a 996? What exactly are the issues where the 996 "stereo and HVAC systems are nothing but trouble"???? Has he checked out the AC, heating, and sound systems in the air-cooled cars?

I've owned air-cooled 911's and driven a huge number. My favorite model to drive, is the 70's 911e (the "s" was too peaky). Next in line, by a wide margin, is the 996, because it feels like a light sports car like the 911e, but it has all the creature comforts of a modern car and you can drive it anywhere and be comfortable. I loved my 87 3.2 Carrera and 74 911s, but the 996 is a lot more fun to drive - much more powerful and, most importantly, a lot lighter on its feet. I don't really care about the investment value of the 996, but I think there will be a day when the 996 is recognized for its unique position in the 911 model lineup of being the only modern (daily drivable) 911 that is lighter than the 993, 964, and much lighter than the 997. I've said it several times on this forum, but at 2900 lbs (2wd/6-speed/coupe), the 996 is the only model that recaptures the spirit of 60's and early 70's 911's from back when they were lightweight sports cars.

From the thread title, I thought this was going to be some random guy with a blog. I can't believe the guy works for Road & Track. All those words in the article, and only 1 reference to driving any Porsche (an SC). It's a sad day for automative journalism when the sum total of "experience" from a writer is having been "educated" by the internet.

strathconaman

They said the same thing about the 911SC and the 912 and the 914.

There are already some 996 variants (Turbo s, GT2, GT3 and GT3RS) that have appreciated over list price. So there is always hope.

jim010

I read that article when I was researching the 996 and 997 cars. Did not want a fried egg car, but they were over $10 000 cheaper.

I hate to say it, but he is not necessarily wrong, lol. Does remind me of the mustang fanboys hate for the Mustang Il.

billh1963

I remember this article when it came out. It's amazing how many "automotive journalists" are nothing but preening narcissists with no real appreciation for anything that doesn't make them look good. His screed on the 914 alone proves that he know nothing about cars. By mentioning the fact that a Mustang can outrun a 914 he kind of misses the point, doesn't he?

Nickshu

I bought my 911SC in 1999 for $5500 and sold it in 2013 for $40K.

I wish I'd had 5 of them. LOL.

In 20 years the same might happen to the 996...the 996's claim to fame is still that it's the last analog Porsche. For those of us who like the track that's a big deal. New Porsches cover up all the driver's mistakes with electronic assistance.

Dennis C

peterp

The issue isn't with his overall conclusion. He may be right or may be wrong, only time will tell, the problem is that just about every "fact" about the 996 in the article is wrong or misleading.

I'm not even slightly offended by any article that says the 996 won't appreciate. In fact, I think it is very easy to write a well-reasoned article that makes the case that it won't appreciate. That doesn't mean the "well-reasoned" article will prove to be right, but it can't be criticized because it is based on facts. The problem with this particular article, however, is that it is just regurgitation of the worst of 996 horror stories he read on the internet and he has zero knowledge about the subject he is writing about.

Abe Froman

I highly doubt Jack Baruth drives a Taurus but he is a divisive character in the auto journalist community. His writings border on satire. The article is strictly about the investment potential.
The 996.2 doesn't have the fried egg headlights and the interior had several improvements. Just like the 997.2, it will be the one that appreciates fastest.
This article is a bit kinder to the 996
https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cul...a-porsche-996/

Splitting Atoms

I bought my 996 because I wanted it. I could have spent more and gotten a newer model. I like that my 996 is relatively simple and light. I fully intend to track it one of these days when my work schedule allows. If it gets banged up, I will be sad, but it won't be a big deal financially.

I feel kind of good inside knowing that I saved about 15k over a 997.1 because my car has "fried egg" headlights instead of oval. It's my dirty little secret. If course you guys are in on the secret too. I say "let the ignorant be ignorant".

Abe Froman

Journalists aren't exactly the wisest people anyways. He even admits that he was skeptical in the past of the 914 and look what happened to their values. Then he says noone will be nostalgic about the 996. That's not true. Nostalgia is relative to the present. When all Carrera 911s are hybrid and the cheapest new 911 is $130,000 people will be very nostalgic for the 996.

jim010

Exactly! I didn't mind savi g all that money and using it on mods (and repairs) just because of the headlights!

just like Doug Demuro said.

peterp

A friend of mine has had a long string of new Porsche Turbos. His most recent was a new Turbo S in 2017, though he may have another by now since we haven't talked in a few months. He also has a Ferrari 458 Spyder and a few other very nice cars. When we were talking about his new Turbo S right after he got it, he said that the Turbos for him were all about the adrenaline rush, but his favorite Porsche to drive was his old 2005 6-speed 997. He loved that car because it was just so fun to drive. He regrets trading it in and said he often thinks about getting another one. That is the value of the earlier water-cooled cars in terms of being just fun sports cars. From his description of what he liked about driving his 2005 997, I feel like all of those characteristics are even more pronounced in the much lighter 996 (which he never owned). Next time he visits, I'll have him take our 996 for a spin and get his thoughts.

When people self-depricate these earlier cars by saying "of course the new ones are better", I cringe a just little bit because, even though the new cars are better in many ways, they are also worse in many ways if you like sports cars.

Nickshu

For sure. The later cars get so fat and heavy they don't have the "momentum" feel of the earlier water cooled cars or the air cooled cars and require massive HP to make up for it. Faster in a straight line, yes but if you want that buy a Mustang, that's not what a Porsche is about.

Chris(MA)

I have 3 older cars and I honestly don't find much appealing about newer cars. I've been in a few recently, the styling is ridiculous, the electronics are distracting, the various safety nags are annoying as hell and the driving experience is numb.