mglobe

If you think you will want to track the car, I would go with the 997 C2. It's easier to set the car up to be more neutral than the C4, and it will allow you to develop greater car control skills. Also, I believe the PSM in the 997 is less intrusive than the 996 PSM.

If on the other hand, you like the looks and/or features that you get in the 996 C4S, go for it. Whatever makes you happiest. Either way, you will be getting a great car.

As far as 997 vs 997S, I've owned both. The latter is more car, and better for driving in traffic due to it's better low-end torque. But the non-S car is very enjoyable to drive.

Stuttgart951

...does this mean that the days of 993 v. 996 threads are officially... over?

Edgy01

He's comparing a 996 C4S to a 997. It's the simple 4WD vice 2WD business. More moving parts in the 996 C4S than in the 997. My front differential will never fail on my 997S because I don't have one.

Maintenance intervals have also been increased on the 997 cars over that for the 996s.

jyoteen

I don't understand this logic. My diff hasn't failed and I've tracked the car extensively and have fairly high miles on it.

He shouldn't get any car because if he does, it'll have an engine and that has more moving parts and therefore more prone to failure.

pongobaz

I do a tremendous amount of work with Porsche and as such I've had the opportunity to visit ALL the Porsche Centres in Canada and speak with many techs; the reliability and running costs between a 996 and a 997.1 are much the same. Yes, the service intervals have been changed from year to year (even within the 996 production years), but not significantly enough to justify your statement. The overwhelming majority of front diffs will last the life of the vehicle. Failure rate on front diffs is incredibly low and usually due to abuse or improper mods being applied to the car (wrong size wheels/tires, offset, etc...).

IrocMan

+1, I don't get it.

You'll probably have more expense with a 997 at the lower bar than a pristine 996 with low mileage.

IrocMan

Arf.

Go get a 912. No A/C, no AD, no AB, no 4WD, no EFI, no ABS...
So much no stuff that it will never fail, then

IrocMan

On the other hand I have broken a c2 transmission shaft in the past. While you can't do that on a c4 because the tork is repartitioned on four wheels and makes is softer for the car.

I don't believe there is ANY difference in the maintenance cost of the two cars except maybe a quart of transmission oil and few more bolts to check ever few years...

RallyJon

I think the only relevance to this conversation is when a 996/7 C2 driver starts whining about 2WD purity. Then it's an easy retort that if you don't drive a real 911, who cares which wheels are driven?

doctrepp

hey guys, i have been reading a lot of things over the past few weeks on the forums and all the things you have been talking about. i have a question for all of you since you seem to know your stuff!

i have a few days to decide whether to pull the trigger on a 996 CS4 (cab) from a good family friend. The car has 10k miles on it as they never used it and are asking 35k - just wondering if you think i could get something better for my money or is this a really good deal and about as good as i can do for that price...

thanks all

911661

35k will buy you a 997 now in 2015, and is a smarter buy than a 996. I own a 996 but frankly wouldn't spend 35k if I had it on a non gt 996. Super low miles isn't really a good thing on a 996, and isn't a smart investment if you ask me. And it is a cab which isn't as desirable. Spend that 35k on a nice 997.1

alpine003

If you plan to keep it a short while and are not a very hardcore performance oriented driver, I'd rather get the c4s cab. Those were only made 1-2 years and are rare, especially at that low of miles. The cab is also a bit heavier and won't be the fastest. As for resale, it should maintain its level a lot better than the alternative. $35k is avg for a c4s vert but can be considered a good deal due to mileage and long term resale.

Otoh, if you're more into performance or updated look, I'd concentrate my efforts on a 997 Carrera "S" model with the more powerful 3.8L motor in that price range. However the 997 will be a dime a dozen on the used market soon as those owners will upgrade to the 991 's or 997.2.

My $.02

doctrepp

thank you guys...this car is my first porsche and basically will be a summer car for fun...

i prefer the look of the 996 to the 997...its a 2004 and w the low miles just feels brand new. but i hear your points. for some reason KBB has it at 47k, but i guess that might just be my location?

911661

That 47k is because kbb is heavily based on the mileage of a car. I miss read your post I thought it was a c4 vert not c4s but all 2002 and up were c4s not c4's so I should of caught that oh well post pics if you do buy it

doctrepp

Boom. Did it!