mtv65

WOW! That's a 99....looks great!!

StuartFirm

Jasper:

I haven't read this entire thread, so someone may have already mentioned this but, for what it's worth and since this thread is still alive, I absolutely love my '99 996. I say get the '99 model and take the extra cash and slap an EVOMS supercharger system on it with some high flow cats and race exhaust with suspension and brake mods, then be done with it . . . . . . okay . . . . . . okay, you'll do a little tinkering here and there after that, but that will get you long ways toward where you will definitely want to be. Did I mention that I love my '99 996. My car has over 93,000 miles on it and is still going strong. The EVOMS kit was installed around 72,000 miles.

TAILWAG

I agree 100% - I also bought a 1999 about 1 1/2 years ago and absolutely love it. I paid a premium price but it had the aero kit, Techart suspension, wheels, exhaust and other extras that made me fall in love with the car. If you get the right one it will look MUCH better than some of the 02+....Mine has 40,300 miles and going strong issues-free!

silverstutt

Got a 99 and love it.
Also the headlights of the 99 model are bigger... bigger is better when it comes to headlights, I guess you all agree right?

03Targa

996 Brethren! Let us stop fighting amongst ourselves! Don't we have enough air-cooled old cronies to contend with without dividing ourselves? Beside, we all know my '03 Targa was the greatest Porsche ever made bar none.

eurotrashed

Air cooled cronies... I nearly spit out my beer just now.

03Targa

Yeah, sorry about that. I actually love all Porsche's but I'm getting sick of some of the biased crap against 996's I read over in aircooled land. I think it's strange and unwarrented.

jasper

The tide is turning. Today marked the last day I drove my air cooled car for pleasure. The new owner is taking ownership (but not possesion yet - ong story) tomorrow and I'm taking the same of my 996 on monday. After ten years as a dyed in the wool airhead, I'm ascending!

My air cooled friends are not particularly impressed, but they see the writings on the wall. The GT3 helps our cause.

mborkow

traitor ;-)

95Rover

Thanks for the great posts. I am looking at purchasing my first Porsche, and I really appreciate the information on the model year differences; it helps.

thanks.

10 GT3

Here is some ammunition you can use over there:

I know many of the purists who were against water cooling. But, to be honest; there never was an air cooled Porsche. I also have a 911 S/C. It is actually oil cooled with additional air cooling. It uses 15 quarts of oil with a 7-quart dry sump and 2 oil coolers: a big one in front and a second one at the engine.

There are a few facts that really kills the whole air cooled/oil cooled philosophy.

1. Porsche has NEVER made a single car with 4-valve heads that was not water cooled. With a higher compression/better breathing 4-valve head, you can not sufficiently cool the head without water cooling to control detonation. Oil does not have sufficient cooling properties for this level of heat reduction.

2. Those famous Porsche 962 race cars had 4-valve heads and were water cooled. Reason: see #1.

3. The 959, the best of the early 911s, had 4-valve heads and was water cooled. Reason: see #1.

4. When the new 996 came out, it's .2L smaller water cooled engine made more HP AND Torque, than the air cooled engine it replaced due to its 4-valve heads.

5. Despite adding weight from larger 4-valve heads, front mounted radiators, a full heating system, a body that is longer and wider; the 996 weighs LESS than a comparable 993.

6. You will never hear these comments at a DE as the newer cars are simply much faster than the older cars. A competant Blue student in a 996-997 can often outrun a top G-stock racer/instructor.

perfectlap

Acutally most of the 996 styling inside and out is based on the 1993 Boxster Concept car...six years before the the first 996's were rolled out.

I like the 2002-2004 headlights better too. Wish they made their way to the CaymanS and new Boxster.

03Targa

I agree with you on the headlights. When I showed off my new-to-me '03 Targa, to one of my fellow Porsche heads he said I could buy something to update my headlights to his 997, to which I honestly replied "I really like em just the way the are!" He thought for a second and said, "Yeah, I guess I do to. I wonder why people make such a fuss about em?"

M3killa

'99's are the best, lightest, fastest, and best tasting.

Ray S

Dallas, have you been licking your car again??