I was a bit disappointed in the reader comments, but they seem fairly typical.

My theory is that most people with strong anti-996 opinions haven’t spent much time owning/driving one; are repeating things read on the internet echo chamber; or just fundamentally opposed to a water cooled 911, thus looking for nits to pick.

I suspect that bit of seat time in one in good repair would change a lot of minds, but who knows.

Like others have posted repeatedly, I’m happy that the 996 is less well liked, since it allows me to have them without financial strain.

 

I always wanted a 911. Specifically, '78-89. As I got serious, I drove a few. I was very disappointed. I was told that I just didn't "get it." That it is "mechanical" and "analog." Yea, ok. I have a `64 GTO with a 469cid stroker and a 4spd. . I think I know mechanical and analog!

Then while at a dealer I saw an anniversary edition 996. It looked purdy. Despite all the reasons it should be terrible (headlights, water pumper,...). So I drive a 996. LOVED IT. So I got it! NOW I can say I get it, cause I GOT it! (See what I did there? Lol)

Now I really like it and it's oddities. In fact, I think the amber on my early 996's headlights will some day be likened to things like the "horrible" split window '63 Vette, which was such a sore subject with buyers that Chevy did away with it for 64 and even retro fitted one piece rear windows for those that wanted them. And yet, look at the 63 split window today. A real crowd pleaser.

Yup, I'll stick with my '99 996 Aero. And the heavy use of options make my interior very nice: leather dash, vents and much more, plus a TON of carbon fiber. Hell, the steering wheel alone was a $1,700 option. Cheap, this one's interior is not. MSRP was over $100k.

And as for the switches: well, as long as they keep on switching, I'm fine with them.

 

Same on my interior. Black overall with Silver console (which matches the silver exterior) white face gauges (or is it silver???) looks white to me. Silver shifter, etc. I find the black hides the "cobra head" center stack shape which houses the audio (non NAV) and the "pill bug" buttons (which always stay black no matter which color interior one has) at least the latter is the case in all the 996's I've seen. Please chime in if someone out there has color keyed buttons.

Overall all the busyness of the interior harmonizes much better if kept in black... IMHO

-C

 

I have three cars that get undeserved hate: 996 911, S13 240SX, and C4 Corvette.

It's funny. I actually like the 996's interior. I enjoy it more than any other 911. The materials could be better, for sure, but the design is not bad! Has a more sporty feeling than the others, IMO. I almost bought a 991 911 brand new. I just couldn't get over the fact how the interior did not make me feel like I was driving a sports car. It could pass as a hopped up version of a VW interior.

I bought my C4 Corvette since prices were so low. I was expecting it to be bad. I was pleasantly surprised at the experience. Again, interior materials could be better. It was funny to see the reactions to people who knocked the interior layout once they found out the C7's dash is based off the C4's.

I, too, am happy these cars got undue hate. It made them more affordable for me. I bought all of my cars at the bottom of the value curve, too!

As for my 240SX, everyone thinks it's only good as a drift car. Smh

Prices for the 996 and 986 are already going up.

 

I have never understood the "materials could be better" argument. Now, I have a C4S, so virtually everything in there is leather. Everything else was soft touch plastic. The 997 doesn't have a dash made of carbon nano tubes, it is the same. And so many buttons where the paint flakes off. So many buttons. The 991s are all buttons, everywhere. Doors, centre console, steering wheel. Everywhere you look or touch is buttons. You know 1/2 of those won't work in 20 years.

My point is that, other than the steering wheel, gear stick and my seat, what else do I even touch to notice what they are made of?

 

As far as interiors, I have a 99 coupe with "full leather", a 99 cab with "basic interior", and an 02 986s with "some leather", yea there is a difference if you wanna look around and nitpick, and I have had comments from family members that my 99 coupe was "nicer" than the others, but they all have the Tach up front and center, that;s all that matters !!

 

Cant say when - but I’d bet in time all the things people consider ugly about the 996 (fried egg headlights) are all the same things that make it desirable / collectible in the future. Ferrari Dino was unappreciated for years and eventually took off. 996 is a great car -

 

Its honestly like people just flat out never got over the changes 20 years ago. Generally, a change in generation always seems to bring some critics. I remember when they started making the last gen of Mitsubishi Evo's and introduced the Subaru STI hatch and I really was not a fan. I almost bought an STI hatch last year for my wife's new car. Big changes sometimes take some time to get used to but some people still can't get over it lol.

 

I asked my buddy who has a 993 if my interior feels cheap to him.

He laughed and said that his 993 interior feels cheap compared to my 996. Now granted I do have an Anniversary with full leather and some upgraded bits, but still there is nothing wrong with 996 interior.

I will say, before my current AE 996 I had a C4S with standard black and the "Plush" seats and standard audio. I did not care for the plush seats and the double din navigation (although old and pretty much useless) fills the space a lot better in the center. I also agree the horseshoe and the vent surrounds should stay black. But the center console painted the color of the exterior looks great. Adding the silver dash rings, aluminum pedals, and lloyds matts drastically improves everything.

 

My interior pics and options include the following. What do you think? Look cheap? I'm thinking NOT!

662 PCM 1 Porsche Communication Management screen with navigation, telephone module, radio, cassette player
680 Nokia DSP (Digital Sound Processing) audio system
Boxster Red Special Leather
Boxster Red Floor Mats
936 Leather rear seats
981 Leather dashboard and door panels (includes leather on vents and speaker grills)
983 Leather front seats
X47 Carbon gear lever ****
X58 Carbon handbrake lever
X69 Carbon door entry guards with logo
X71 Alu-look instrument faces
X77 Carbon steering wheel, leather covered airbag module
XAA Aerokit
XKD Carbon side air vents
XKJ Carbon defroster trim
XKP Carbon speaker covers
XNR Carbon center air vent bracket
XNX Carbon dashboard trim strip
XPY Carbon instrument surround
XTL Carbon door panel parts

 

Damn, that's sharp!

 

Thanks. Nothing like fishing for compliments and catching one! ;-) But thanks. These pics were taken when I bought it. I've since treated the leather with Leatherette and it cleaned the driver's seat a bit even more. I was really on the fence about the interior color when I saw pics, but now I just love it!

 

I LOVE the 996 interiors. I almost hate the 997 interiors. All the angles. The inside doors are nowhere near as beautiful as the 996. I had a 993 and loved that too but nowhere as much as the 996! I'm going on my third one!!

 

You can buy a PERFECT 996 Turbo with under 10k miles for about $60k. Simply cant beat that price for that much car. Nowhere to go but up in value for the right examples of the 996. I like the headlights!

(this coming from the owner of a 997.2 GTS and a 991.2 carrera T)

 

I've driven all the 997 variants and find the interiors fairly dull and certainly nothing to write home about. How many 997 and 987's do we see with the finish worn off the buttons. My 996 Millennium OTOH, with full natural leather, alcantara headliner and PCM is a very high end place to sit. The complaints against the 996 interior are completely unfounded. It's such a well driving fantastic car, that for the life of me I can't figure out why my 964 is worth 3x as much. It's definitely not 3x the car. Hell if I knew nothing about pcars and drove both back-to-back, I would guess that the 996 would be the much more valuable car. It is better in almost every measurable way.

IMO the 996 hate was/is nothing more than an adult temper tantrum by the air-cooled faithful. The 996 is as much of a 911 as everything else to wear the badge and stands on its own merits.