996 to 997 conversion
05-31-2007, 03:32 PM
#16
Banned
Originally Posted by perfectlap
997 is ugly, notice its always photographed from the back?.
Particularly the 997 GT3. Looks like if a Mazda RX8 and VW Beetle had a kid.
Not a fan of the Cayenne interior in the 997 either.
996 02-04 is modern and will never be mistaken for VW.
Best 911 design ever in my lowly opinion.
Particularly the 997 GT3. Looks like if a Mazda RX8 and VW Beetle had a kid.
Not a fan of the Cayenne interior in the 997 either.
996 02-04 is modern and will never be mistaken for VW.
Best 911 design ever in my lowly opinion.
06-02-2007, 04:17 AM
#17
Considering that this is a hybrid thread, here are my comments:
1. I like the 997 front end better than the early and late 996. It is very well integrated and the new headlights give a much clearer look to thr fornt end.
2. I like the 996 back end better than the 997. The problem with the 997 back end is it looks awkward because none of the lines line up. The tails lights, decklid, bumper and spoiler all have different lines. Everything on the back of a 996 lines up evenly. The 996 split white/red tail lights are a huge step up from the white in red tail lights of the 997. I also don't like the look of the 997 rear spoiler when it is open as it looks like it is only partically open.
3. I like the curve shapes of the 996 dash better than the 997, which looks very flat. The 996 dash actually looks more modern.
4. The 997 instruments are far better than the 996. Not only do you get more information at any time, the whitish-blue tint is a huge improvement over the 996 safety orange.
5. I like the 996 door panels a lot better than the 997. With the 997, they narrowed the center of the body which made the doors thinner. As a result, they had to remove the side airbags and relocate them to the seat. Since the airbags are in the seats, you lose them if you go to GT3 seats. The door pockets are much smaller and they have those cheap old-style 911 armrest lids. They also use those cheaper (almost Ford cheap) speaker grills. I love the look of the 996 door panels. The storage compartments are great and the entire shape of the door is very well integrated.
6. The 997 has much nicer seats. The base 997 seats are bolstered more than the 996 sport seats. The materials are also better.
Bottom line is I am 50/50. I would not rush out an buy a 997 as an upgrade, but if anything happened to my 996 it would most likely get replaced with a 997 because they are newer. So far I am not happy with the changes to the fornt end styling of the 08' refresh, but the back end appears to fix many of the issues with the current styleing.
1. I like the 997 front end better than the early and late 996. It is very well integrated and the new headlights give a much clearer look to thr fornt end.
2. I like the 996 back end better than the 997. The problem with the 997 back end is it looks awkward because none of the lines line up. The tails lights, decklid, bumper and spoiler all have different lines. Everything on the back of a 996 lines up evenly. The 996 split white/red tail lights are a huge step up from the white in red tail lights of the 997. I also don't like the look of the 997 rear spoiler when it is open as it looks like it is only partically open.
3. I like the curve shapes of the 996 dash better than the 997, which looks very flat. The 996 dash actually looks more modern.
4. The 997 instruments are far better than the 996. Not only do you get more information at any time, the whitish-blue tint is a huge improvement over the 996 safety orange.
5. I like the 996 door panels a lot better than the 997. With the 997, they narrowed the center of the body which made the doors thinner. As a result, they had to remove the side airbags and relocate them to the seat. Since the airbags are in the seats, you lose them if you go to GT3 seats. The door pockets are much smaller and they have those cheap old-style 911 armrest lids. They also use those cheaper (almost Ford cheap) speaker grills. I love the look of the 996 door panels. The storage compartments are great and the entire shape of the door is very well integrated.
6. The 997 has much nicer seats. The base 997 seats are bolstered more than the 996 sport seats. The materials are also better.
Bottom line is I am 50/50. I would not rush out an buy a 997 as an upgrade, but if anything happened to my 996 it would most likely get replaced with a 997 because they are newer. So far I am not happy with the changes to the fornt end styling of the 08' refresh, but the back end appears to fix many of the issues with the current styleing.
Last edited by 10 GT3; 06-03-2007 at 05:11 PM.
07-01-2007, 03:50 AM
#19
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I agree with 02Carrera in most of the points: I prefer the front of the 997 and the back of the 996 too.
If you can buy a 996 for about 25 to 30 thousand Euros nowadays, and the cheapest 997 costs at least twice as much, I do not think it is just a "sell and buy" thing.
As I understood the 997 bumper and fenders are simply a bolt-on update. Then why not? You can always put the originals back on and the spare parts keep their value. When you sell the car one day, you can simply sell the update kit on ebay.
If you can buy a 996 for about 25 to 30 thousand Euros nowadays, and the cheapest 997 costs at least twice as much, I do not think it is just a "sell and buy" thing.
As I understood the 997 bumper and fenders are simply a bolt-on update. Then why not? You can always put the originals back on and the spare parts keep their value. When you sell the car one day, you can simply sell the update kit on ebay.
