Tbred911

newer is better and yes you can drive it in the winter on some 17" snow tirers....

K996

I've always loved the styling of the NSX. It really is a distinctive looking car on the road (much more so than any 911), it simply looks like nothing else.

I've also wanted one since I was about 21 but the fact that it only has 2 seats is a deal-breaker. The back seats of a 996 are very useable for children (and even suitable for emergency use of mid-size adults...they won't like it but it's better than you get with the NSX).

Like someone else said it comes down to what you're looking for in a sports car.

YA911Fan

Porsche refuses to truly solve the RMS problem on entry level 911s. Even 997s aren't immune.

I think the 996 model marked the passing of the baton from the engineers to the accountants at Porsche!

mdrobc1213

I have a 99 Carrera 2 coupe and have two kids (5y/o daughter and 7 y/o son) and as far as the Carrera's back seats go...they serve my purposes just find. They're not huge by any means but you can use them for the kiddies for short trips about town and such. The usual for me is pickups after school or trips to the tutor or store or something. Grant it if I am going far I'd use my daily driver (an M3) as it has lots more room but if the kids are as small as you say; then you will get at least 4-5 or more useable years out of the 911 as far as the back seat goes. Car seats will be a problem and you'll have to get the ones that are specially fit for the carrera since your kids are smaller than mine but othewise I agree with everything else said above. Good luck

Palting

Never having owned an NSX but a fan of one, I find this thread very interesting. Very mature responses. I'm proud to be a member of this forum .

I own a C4S, but I don't drive it in the snow/ice. The AWD is about performance, not about use in the snow. Although it is obviously an advantage to have all 4 wheels turning in the snow, the C4S AWD is engineered more towards traction on all 4 corners while taking tight and fast turns in the dry. It gives it that solid "on rails" driving feel. To give credence to the enhanced performance direction, the 996 C4S comes standard with sport suspension, wider rear track, bigger brakes, bigger wheels and tires.

What I am saying is that don't stretch your budget further trying to get the C4S because of perceived snow advantage. There is a slight snow advantage over the C2, but the bigger advantage would be performance in the dry. The C2 is fine in the winter, so long as the snow is not several inches deep. A few of the C2 owners in my club use them year round. Just get a set of snow wheels/tires, and drive sensibly.

As far as stretching the budget to get a 2002, go for it. The '99-01 911's are excellent cars, excellent buys. RMS is blown all out of proportion, and shouldn't really be the focus of your decision making. However, '02 was the year of major upgrades in the 996 line. Bigger engines, higher HP, stiffer chassis, better suspension, as well as interior and aesthetic upgrades. I personally like the headlights of this series. They are not only unique, they look pretty darn good. I don't care much for the earlier 996 headlights, and the 997 headlights are simply retro.

Riad

I think the NSX styling looks very dated now.

Dan V

Character results from traits and qualities that make the subject unique and easily distiguished from others. For example, take an air-cooled 911, cover any Porsche emblems in the interior, take some average Joe Blow off the street, blindfold him, put him in the cockpit of said 911, and remove his blindfold. He will immediately guess that he is in some sort of German sports car even if he's never been in a 911.

Replace "air-cooled 911" with 996 in the above scenario. Mr. Blow will see that he's in some sort of expensive modern performance/luxury car -- most likely either Japanese or German. The ergonomics and features are clearly of the highest quality, but not particularly characterful.

The cockpit, the sounds, the styling (or lack of), all add up to a distinct character.

Palting

C'mon, guys. This thread is about a choice between an NSX and a 996. 993 is not even in the picture, and is not in contention. Don't get defensive and turn this into another dead horse 993 vs 996 thread . Just stick to the thread, or stay away.

YA911Fan

The character issue arose when somebody bashed the NSX for being devoid of said trait, as is commonly done on P and F boards. Since this came up in a thread comparing the 996 to the NSX, I think it's fair to comment on the 996's character, or the lack thereof.

imo, nobody should be justifying buying a 996/997 on "character" grounds. Bling, yes. Character, no.

Riad

What an asinine statement.

KJM3SMG

one more criteria.. for exclusivity, get the NSX. But make sure you test drive. I test drove a 95 NSX and I hated it.. felt like a cheap car. Then test drove my friend's 96.. night and day and wanted one! Both cars supposedly ok..

vove

My thoughts exactly but it still catches my eyes on the road.

lowside67

God you are always looking to pick a fight. 993 is god, 996 is ****, blah blah blah. Seriously quit trolling the 996 board and head back to 993 land where you can pride yourselves (in solitude) about having the "real 911s". And every time you get in your car remind yourself it doesn't look OLD, it looks "real".

P7

I actually test drove enough NSXs - I am very picky when it comes to cars and have to test drive cars enough times and sometimes own it for 3-6 months to see if it is my car or not - I just came out of a 2001 E46 M3 - although a nice car, liked the test drives - but after owning it for 6 months, didn't care much for it - mainly because it felt heavy, and the gearbox is garbage and the suspension is waaaaaaaaaaaaay too punishing - that's why I am taking my time in deciding - but contrary to you, I found the NSX to be an awsome car to drive - and does not feel cheap at all - from the front view when you are inside the car, to the wonderful and amazing gear box, to the amazing balance and feel of the car (but definitely not the amaaaaaaazing 996 steering and road feel) - so to sum up the comparison (my opinion), the NSX has better looks, better front view when driving, better gear box, better seats, I like the interior better, and more reliable - and the 996 has a better engine (more torque), better steering and chassis, better brakes as well as the use of the back seats which a lot of people here cleared that issue for me. That's excactly why it was such a tough decision to make !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - but I guess it is easy now (due to the kids)

KJM3SMG

I think you misunderstood me.. I am saying that between 2 NSXs (95 and 96) that I test drove, one felt super cheap, the other, was awesome, night and day difference. Both were claimed to have been babied. So I dunno, maybe for these cars, make sure u test drive them before u buy them.. they vary in feel that much. Or maybe i just had a bad car and a great car in test drives.

the "good" NSX convinved me enough to want it, quite a 180 degree change from when I hated it.

IMO, the 996 is believe it or not the practical car.. but the NSX is the more fun and exclusive car.