after 18 months without a p-car (last one was a polar silver 993 c4s) i'm ready to get back into one. i'm thinking of getting a (reasonably) low mileage 996 c2 and plan to use the car as a daily driver and some autocross. would appreciate some feedback on the following:

1. should i stay away from the my 1999 cars? there were reliability concerns with the early cars - just not sure how much is reality versus hype...
2. how are the high-mileage 996s holding up? would love to hear from people that have the 996s in the 100k mileage range.
3. did the 'upgrade' from 3.4l to 3.6l engine in 2002 add much from a performance perspective?

of course, if anyone knows of good enthusiast owned cars for sale i'd be very interested.

thanks and look forward to joining the 996 board.

 

Welcome to the land of the 996! I hope you find the car that you're looking for.

Question 1 - much of it appears to be hype vs. reality. Most '99 owners are happy and have had few problems.

Question 2: N/A

Question 3: Hard to say. There is a fair amount of added weight that came with the later model years. In my experience, there is some extra performance in the larger engine, but a good driver and some extra hp from modified intakes and exhausts equalizes some of that advantage on a lighter 996.

 

i would get another 993,but if you must get a 996,02 and on is best imo...j

 

Good luck on your search.

There is no reason to stay away from '99's. Porsche has reduced some of the 996's problems over the years but even the newer cars still can experience them. There are plenty of high mileage cars on this board, if you do a search you should be able to locate some of the threads on this subject.

In my opinion the upgrades that Porsche made on the '02's are worth the premium those cars are commanding. Some of the upgrades include:

- 20 extra hp (24 more than the '99)
- more torque at a lower rpm (thanks to VarioCam Plus)
- Better aerodynamics (20% less front lift and 40% less rear lift)
- 20% stiffer chassis
- improved interior
- improved oiling (revised pan and baffles for better high g performance)
- improved engine cooling (the newer cars run cooler as a result)
- better fuel economy (1 mpg, but with $3 gas every bit helps)
- improved suspension (reinforced strut towers, revised springs, shocks, bushings, and sway bars).
- revised exhaust (better sound)
- only a 55 lb weight gain over the '99-'01 cars

However, one big advantage for the '99's was that they were available with a limited slip (although this is a hard option to find)

I'd suggest you test drive several cars before you decide for yourself. Good luck!!

 

guys,

thanks for the feedback and look forward to the 'hunt'.

i found an '02 c2 in houston - blue with grey interior. car has about 30k miles on it. 2nd owner. minimal options (other than the bose stereo system). spoke to the owner briefly - he wants to 'upgrade' to the cayman. asking $43k OBO.

anyway, any recommendations on a good PPI shop in the houston area would be much appreciated.

thanks.