arr0gant

I'm sick of hearing people say the 997 is a throwback to the 993. It's NOTHING of the sort. Just cause they changed the headlights to round doens't make it a throw-back.

I also had someone tell me they don't like the lines of the 996, but the LOVE the lines of the 997, cause it closer to the 993.

I lined all 3 models up with side-shots, I can't even tell the diff. between the 996 and 997 and I own the eff'ing thing!!

Not flaming, just thought it was interesting how similar they actually are, and being the kind person I am, I thought I would share with you kids.

DCP

The 993 is different in profile. The 996 and 997 are virtually identical. A 997 parked next to me in a parking lot recently, and it was striking just how similar they are.

But the headlights. IMO the headlights on the 996 are a mess. Just because you can shape plastic in ways you could not previously does not mean it is a good idea. The return to round 993 style lights is a big styling improvement. But it is just styling.

It may be hard to see, but this is a good thing, at least for me. The 997 coming out and the hoopla surrounding it made the 996 more affordable. Other than very minor styling changes, the cars are pretty identical and drive the same.

One more thing, except for us in the club, so to speak, no one can tell the difference.

evansaero

The ride is completely different. For me a least

I own a 00 C4 and last time it was in the shop I got a 06 C4 as a loaner for 6 days. Put about 500 mile on it...

Stock 00' vs. Stock 06'

00' Floats at higher speed vs. 06' none at all "at least up to 110mph"
00' shifter is a mile long vs. 06' short and tight
00' clutch hard to find a good release point vs. 06' same sweet spot every time
00' PSM kicks in early vs. 06 lets you take it to the edge and won't jerk you around when it does kick in
00' good grip vs. endless grip and more "This was my favorite part"
00' tracks and wonders vs. 06' let your hands go and just close your eyes

That's just off the top of my head and if i could afford a 997 I would buy one tomorrow. The $104,000 price tag would have me in divorce court

FlatSix911

arr0gant, the similarities between the 997 and 993 have nothing to do with the side profile.

It is all about the more organic shape of the car including the CURVES when seen from the rear.

Take a closer look at the beautiful Coke bottle shape below:

Ray S

Porsche has indicated that they intended to bring some 993 elements back with the 997. Specifically, the round headlights, wider "hips" and redesigned interior are all clearly influenced by the 993.

However, you are correct that they are all very similar in profile. I would also agree that the 996/997 clearly have much more in common than the 993/997 both in styling and mechanical functionality.

I love the 996 (including the style of it's headlights) and the public clearly loves it too. The automotive press has lavished praise on it and the buying public has made it the most popular 911 ever built as it's sales far exceed any other version ever produced. Finally, with the 996 GT3, it is also one of the most successful 911's in racing!

pongobaz

The reality is that all these different variations of the 911 all have that elusive "Porscheness" that no other car has. The engineers spent a lot of time making sure that each new iteration built on that heritage; if not Porsche wouldn't exist today. Besides most people on the streets can't tell the difference between a 964, 993, 996 or 997; they just see a very sexy car that is unmistakably a Porsche. As far as the wide hips go, the 996 C4S, Turbo and GT2 have it in spades and I also love the headlights on the 2002+ 996's. I drove many 997's and 996's before choosing my car; is it perfect? No, but it's pretty darn close and it has enough positives to out number the negatives. The best solution would be (if I had unlimited funds and garage space) one 911 from every generation. Ah, one can dream!

LiveFromNY

I love 'em all but there is no question in my mind that the 993 is the best looking of the bunch.

But I want the new technology and the corresponding bells and whistles.

Now, if I could get a MY2007 993... that would really be something.

cabrio993

Side profiles are all very similar, they are all 911's after all. However, is more about the curves. Look at your pictures and the last 3 bottom pictures were taken at the same place, whith the same lighting. Look at the light reflection that looks like a white line going across the door and fenders of the black 997 and the blue 993, see the curves? Look at the line o the black 996, it's straight.

This is were the design of the 997 is more similar to the 993 than the 996, not just the on the round lights, but they made the car more organic looking with more pronounced curves on the fenders , hips and the wide *** of the 993 is back.

10 GT3

Keep in mind that the 997' is not a completely new chassis, it is actually an upgraded 996 chassis. The floorpan, firewalls, roof, pillar stuctures, and glass are all from the 996. In fact, most of the chassis is from the 996, hence why the same wheelbase and door profile. Of course he fenders and bumpers are different. The same was true of the 964 and 993 in that the 993 was an upgraded 964 chassis. The next 911, the 998' will be on an all new chassis.

The most significant change is from the 3/4 view, not present in these photos. The 996 had very wide door sills and door structures. These were drastically narrowed in the 997 to give more of a peanut shape to the side profile and make the rear fenders more pronounced. Narrowing the doors was the primary reason why the side airbags were moved from the doors to the seats on the 997. It is also the reason why the door storage under the armrest is so much smaller.

newport996

Stock 00' vs. Stock 06'

"00' Floats at higher speed vs. 06' none at all "at least up to 110mph"

This is your suspension....my 99 with PSS9's has NO floating up to 150+

"00' shifter is a mile long vs. 06' short and tight"

Again....the Porsche shifter is plastic and sloppy, a B&M shifter would clean it up.


"00' clutch hard to find a good release point vs. 06' same sweet spot every time"

Again...a 6+ year old car vs a new car...I drove a 997 and it was very similar to my C4.

"00' PSM kicks in early vs. 06 lets you take it to the edge and won't jerk you around when it does kick in"

Could be your tires, or maybe the bigger tires of a 997.

"00' good grip vs. endless grip and more "This was my favorite part""

Again...bigger wider tires would do that..my 996 with 997 rims and tires has TONS of grip...


"00' tracks and wonders vs. 06' let your hands go and just close your eyes"

Yup again the tires are the culprit.....my 996 tracks perfectly straight with no wander.

Your 996 can perform very similarly to a 997, they are based on the same chassis and are mechanically VERY similar...I bet if you drove a 04 996 it would be very different from your 2000 996.

Palting

There are certainly styling clues from the 993 that were lost on the 996 and replaced in the 997.

Hips. It's not that the 993 and 997 hips are wider than the 996. The difference is that Porsche decided to streamline the 996 hip, and give a a more gradual flare starting from immediately behind the door, spreading out the flare. The amount of flair is the same, but spread out over a longer distance on the panel. In both the 993 and the 997, the hips come out more abruptly significantly farther back from the door, leading to a more prominent and obvious look. It is more dramatic. With the wider C4S hip, I like the fact that the wider hip and flare is more subtle. Narrow bodies and the GT3, I would have wanted it more dramatic to make up for the thinner hips.

Headlights. I am definitely in the minority here. I LIKE the teardrop shape of the C4S/TT and later 996 headlights. It sets them apart from any other 911, and it's GREAT looking to boot. If you look at my avatar, you can definitely see which one is a Boxster 987S and which one is the 996 C4S. You would have a harder time if it was with the 997 and 987. I definitely think they made a mistake going back to the ovals.

evansaero

As I understand it 997 shares about 30% of its parts with the 996, but is still very similar to it.

The rear C4 bodywork is nearly 2 in (50.8 mm) wider over larger tires. Which I don’t have

Rear Suspension went wider too

I think you misunderstood my post.

I have a car that I have yet to add any mods to it. Yes it is seven years old

Suspension (I believe is all new to the 997) Which I don’t have
Short shift (997 is tighter, less slop) Will be adding B&M on Monday
Wider tires (I did just put new tires on, same as stock) Wider I don’t have
I did put a new clutch and flywheel on

All these things I don’t have and I wish I did, but when comparing stock to stock there is a difference.

Just comparing these to cars, there is a difference, which is what we are talking about right.

I think we could go round for round all night, but I’ll give you the last word

Ray S

I agree. I think the 996 Mk II has the best looking front end/headlights and the 997 has the better looking rear and interior.

Ohh, I almost forgot.....I prefer the 996's curb weight...

Crazy Canuck

That's why I bought my 997 vs. the 996 I also test drove.

cabrio993

Yes, by looking at your avatar, I see that you have a weakness for curves