Barn996

At least a million for a 993...

dak911

Now, if only they could make the 996/997 SOUND like an air cooled engine...THEN they'd have it right
The later cars, whether Porsche, Ferrari, Lambo all have that flat raspy sound.
When an air cooled Porsche drove by...you knew exactly what it was...and the oil on the ground was a dead give away that there had been one parked there....
Oh well, I guess I'll eventually get with the times...(searching for a super 05 Tip Cab)
Hey, I'm an old curmudgeon...

Ray S

993's sound pretty cool especially with aftermarket setups, but they didn't sound as cool stock as a stock Mk II 996 w/PSE. Furthermore, a 996 w/straight pipes sounds positively bad ***.

fpena944

I agree...A stock 993 is pretty quiet from the outside. Of course within the cabin that's different but as an outside observer you need an aftermarket (or factory PSE) to make anything after a 993 sound decent.

H2OJazz

I love the way 993's look! Especially as I pass them on the track.

Sue Esponte

IMHO, the 993TT perfected the 911s styling at the time. It modernized the original design without deviating from the original DNA and bundled it into a perfectly proportioned package. The 993TT is still one of my favorite cars just to look at.

On the other hand, the 996 introduced a lot of changes to an enthusiast group who was largely happy with the status quo. Porsche didn't just do away with the air cooled engine. They injected new DNA into its design (fried egg headlights) that seemed to come from its lesser sibling, the Boxster (rather than the other way around) and, of course, the car got bigger and heavier again. It was a conspiracy of too much change for a group that never asked for it. How many air cooled fanatics were clamoring for a water cooled engine or a revolutionary new design? At least one of the books I've read on the 996 questioned who Porsche was trying to appeal to when they built it.

I happen to love older Porsches, especially the 993, but I wasn't discouraged by the shift to water cooled engines and while I've always preferred the round lights on the 993 and 997, I have always thought the 996 was and is a beautiful car in its own right.

There will always be old codgers in the fan base who argue against change...which is good for keeping the old cars healthy and on the road. Here's a thumbs-up to the old codgers! lol As for why it's more expensive, I say we start a movement to charge more for our cars on resale...who's in?

-Eric

utkinpol

993 will only raise in value, such car in a good cosmetic condition is truly a marvel. collectable item. 996/997 is not a collectable so their value will drop.

Ray S

Eric, check your facts the 996 was actually significantly lighter than the 993 before it. Porsche desparately needed the change that 996 brought. Porsches sales as that time were disasterously low, and one can reasonably argue that the sales success of the 986 and 996 saved the company. If you look at the sales figures the 996 and the 997 after it raised 911 sales to levels far far beyond the success of earlier models.

Sue Esponte

Right you are. I should have said that the "perception" was that it was bigger and, therefore, heavier. My bad though you are correct.

As for the rest of your comments, I completely agree with you that Porsche needed the 996 and that it was a sales success but neither of those things necessarily translate into collectibility. In the supply and demand equation you need to look to who collects Porsches and what those people look for in their cars. If most Porsche collectors are air-cooled purists then that will drive up the value of those cars. A lot of "Porschephiles" felt disenfranchised by the company when they abandoned the air cooled engine in the 911. And, if a significant portion of the original 996 buyers had no real affinity for the brand (and I'm not saying this is the case) then maybe the 996 wasn't built with the typical 911 fanbase (or collector) in mind. Who knows?

When it comes to collectibility I often think of the quirkiness and limited availability of my own '73 Saab. Saab only built about 10,000 Sonett IIs, V4s and IIIs between '66 and '74. Few people have any idea what it is and, most importantly when it comes to value, few care. You can pick up a Sonett that's in great condition for a relative pittance. As you know, supply is only one part of the equation.

-Eric

raceral

When was the last time an aircooled motor had a IMS failure and destroyed same?

redridge

^^^ wtf, enough with the IMS already.

Ray S

When was the last time you read about a 996 needing a $7k-$10k top end rebuild or having an SAI problem?

Let me know when Porsche builds a perfect 911 as it has not happened yet.

Welcome to Rennlist, nice first post.....

Barn996

...if you drink enough kool-aid ....

Barn996

The last time a 996 had valve guide wear and excessive smoking.