LVDell

DAMNIT!!!! Silly me forgot about the headlights.

jumper5836

Bang for the buck the 996 comes out on top in any variant.

The 40th anniversary is a great car, though if you find a optioned with X51 package (345HP) car it is also a sweet find.

If your taking 997 C2 money then go with a 996TT, not much can touch it performance wise after a chip, not even its fatter heavier younger sibling the 997TT.1.
997's are the dawn of sensors and computer controlled for everything. 996 is fairly stupid in this regard. Which to some of us is better and puts the driver more in touch with the car. The newer the car the more it removes the rawness of it. Again some of us think having the rawness is better.

Contrary to what other think newer is not always better. Quality of parts due to cost savings measures increase premature component failure. I am not saying that the 997 is terrible but the quality has decreased.

Clean simple interior, dated I don't think so. Full leather interior pictured here.

cannon1000

The easier question for you to ask is what's the best car for "$X".

I think this is the biggest deciding factor - what's the best car you can get for your money...that will narrow down the field....then pick based on other things (looks, mileage, HP, handling, etc).

I just went through this. My budget was $40-50k....That basically put me between a 2005 997 C4S and an 2002 996 Turbo w/X50. I went with the 996 because it gave me more "car" for less $$.

Yeah, I have replaced a lot of wear items and fixed things to my liking I wouldn't have bothered with (yet) on a 997 - but hey, its a Porsche and I think still cheaper to maintain than my damn boat was.

johnnyreb2010

Just my .02 But, the 996 unless modded doesn't even look like a sports car, pretty plain & simple. But I love the way it handles & I've never had any issues with it (except dashboard lights ABS & Brake, tried everything to no avail) Oh & last 2 years I think it's depreciated like 10k a year. But I really do love my car.

nick49

I've noticed that too. One reason I'm having a hard time warming up to the 997. My 996 was full leather, CF, painted seat backs and console and had a very deluxe and rich looking interior. Manufacturers have a way of putting profits before the need of customers, and often what is preceived as better and newer and has more style, is in reality cheaper to manufacture and gives the custome less value.

Steve2112

+1 40th Anniversary Edition 2004 with the X51 kit. I have loved it since ownership, which started in June of 09. I still have 8 months of CPO as well.

I love the looks of the 993, but the newer cars have more features, HP, etc. I would like to own one some day.

Ahmet

I would personally rather own a 996 GT3 or turbo at the 997 price point. Though I'm not a fan of the fact that the 997 is far more computerized, the S versions in particular do feel rather stout and well put together. I would shop between the 996 and 997 based on price more than anything. That said, the 996s I've had have been extremely reliable and simply a joy to own.

philooo

when you think about the component quality the gt3 is hard to beat. the car is basically built to race, everything is over the top for daily driving, which in term I assume would translate into bullet proof reliability. On the other hand, if something fail, might cost a lot more to replace and I don't know if you can find extended warranty for the GT3 ?

996 Turbo seems a clear winner in the 40k range, especially if you compare it to the 997 turbo that are nowhere under $75k at this time.

Dennis C

After spending a week driving a 997 C2S cab in Europe a few weeks ago, I can say that I do like the interior better than my 996 interior. The car I drove had the full leather interior, heated and cooled seats, nav, etc. It was very, very nice. I did feel a little more refined, quiet and smooth than my 996, but at the same time, it felt a little more disconnected from the road. The 997 shifter mechanism felt flimsy and cheap, while the shifter in my 996 feels solid. The differences are subtle, but overall the 997 is nicer.

I'll probably buy a 997 C4S or turbo for my next Porsche, and I think it would be hard to go wrong with that choice.

Bonster

Oh, wow. I forgot what a goldmine this forum is for Porsche love. I have asked him questions quite similar to what you all posted about -- I am waiting for him to return my email. I think I will tell him to open an account with RL and direct him to this thread. You guys have more than answered any questions I know I would have if I were in the market again.

It's a funny thing . . . folks think that if you own a Porsche -- A Porsche -- that you know all about the others. Lol. Heck, I don't even know everything about mine. That's why I have a great mechanic. Thanks again, guys!

spender

I will reveal my bias and indicate that I bought a 996 C4S this year. It was a steal of a deal for a great car. It would have cost me over double to have purchased a C4S that was only 2 years newer - which makes my purchase a great deal, frankly. I know I'll have a 997 or a 998 sooner or later, and love all Porsches, so you can't really go wrong with a 996 or a 997.

I do like the interior of the 997 more for sure (especially that multifunction steering wheel), but those darned LEDs on the front just look so gimmicky and "Audi" - I'm looking forward to LEDs becoming more refined so they don't look so "ghetto" and "tuner" on the cars.

However, I think a big part of the bias towards the 997 on this board (which is mostly populated by Americans) is that the U.S. is very status driven, where you *lease* the best car you can afford, and where the belief (driven by years of Madison Avenue indoctrination) is that newer is always better. I love the U.S. and Americans, but they are much more showy and "look at how rich I can pretend to be" than many other places, so obviously the 997 would be preferred in the U.S. Having a new car is so important to you guys. You are one of the greatest countries and the world and I love you, but you are too focused on having the newest and best. Just my two cents.

That being said, I like the take on the Porsche 911 from Top Gear (UK) - that the changes to the Porsche lines in recent years are so subtle that it's hard to tell the difference from one year to the next!

spender

GREAT QUOTE! I used to have a small sailboat a few years back, and ouch, you are so right. You reminded me of that old saying about what BOAT means -- Break Out Another Thousand...

htny

I would say unless it's a 996 turbo, gt3, or maybe one of the millennium or anniversary cars, I would steer him to the 997 "S", if he doesn't mind taking the depreciation hit. Won't be as fast a a turbo or gt3, but it's fast, and you're far more likely to be able to find one with CPO or some warranty.

If we're talking straight bang for the buck, I don't think there's a car on the planet that beats the 996 right now, but if I was buying today, the 997s are a steal as well.