Irksome

by no means am I an expert, but when I was shopping, I noticed the '02 models were much louder. The dealer attributed this to changes in suspension in '03. I felt that the '03 and '04 felt and sounded the same, but the '02 was noticably louder. I drove 2 '02s, 3 '03s, and 2 '04s. I settled on an '03 with 19" wheels, and even with the lower profile tires, it is still quieter than the '02s.

I can't say I drove any of them hard enough to determine if there was a difference in handling.

Porsche_Smile

i would go with the 02 and above.... buy the newest you can afford....

Ray S

Here is a partial list of some of the updates...

- 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 $2.50 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

Mike Murphy

Uhhhh, yeah, and let's not forget that the 3.6 engine doesn't seem to have any weak spots. That alone is worth it.

450knotOffice

Aww, you guys are making me feel like I've got the poor, slow, took-the-short-bus-to-school car.

hwk72

Really? 04 Anniversary Edition engine Kaput!

Mike Murphy

Yikes! But that's the first I've seen, although I don't typically hang out in the 996/997 forum.

RaceCarDriver

There is a noticable difference. It would be best to test drive both back to back. It's up to you whether it's worth the $$$.

To me it was.

Porsche_Smile

i say it depends on the price.... does anyone have the break down on what you can do to a 99-01 to make it into the 02+ specs.... ie suspension, rigid chassis etc....... if you can get yourself a 99 for around $32K and an 02 for around $42..... that's a $10K difference....... what can one do with $10K........

1999Porsche911

The 3.6 engine does not run cooler than the 3.4. They simply changed the gauge to read cooler.

Tbred911

don't know about that one..... in the documentation porsche puts out they state that the car is 80% new over the 3.4... so in essense your buying a newly developed car equivalent to all the pros and cons of owning a "first year" car...

from observation failure rates are no better than the 3.4 cars...

not knocking the 3.6 cars at all... they are in many ways superior (by a small margin) but buying a 2002 so you won't have the pitfalls of a 99 MY... I'd think about that one again...

Mike Murphy

Well, that's the first I've heard, but then again, I know more about the air-cooled ones than these. I ran a 996 engine poll in the 996 forum, but it seems that the 997 is still too new for that.

Can you point me in the direction of some of these 997 engine failures? Most of what I read pertains to the early 996 and early Boxster engines (Boxster Engine Failure Survey in the Boxster forum).

Tbred911

wasn't referring to 997 cars...

lfe

Just want to thank everyone who has shared thier input. This has really helped out me, a second type newbee, in my decision making process. Where I am at is preference for '02 or later, unless I find a '00 or '01 equiped satisfactorily for a rediculously low price.
I should have bought my '01 when the lease was over, then at least I would have known everything about the history of the car. But I didnt so time to start the hunt.

Mike Murphy

I was under the impression that the late 3.6 996 engines are basically the same as the 3.6s on the 997. No?