SSST

Headlights. It's all about the headlights.

The 996 was the transition model between the traditional no frills air cooled sports car to a more modern GT-ish, water cooled car. This concept was further refined with the 997, and we are in full on luxury GT with the 991. Don't get me wrong, each version get faster, more comfortable, and handles better. But it also gets a little less fun IMO.

I personally like the 996 because it has just enough conveniences to make it livable in the modern world, but still leans more toward the sports car roots.

NZ951

Every sports car gets a little more comfy, unless you are talking about the stripped out cars like the GT3 RS etc. I didnt want the 996 for its sports car capability, because I am not going to track it, I wanted it to be a comfy cruiser and daily driver. Which its very good at.

leedav

I am happy with the best of both worlds. A sports car that feels stiff, solid and responsive with a nice noise (thank you GHL), no digital nanny supervision, and yet all the comforts one could want. Heated seats, leather, and climate control. The occasional compliment. And it starts when you turn the key.

I guess there are always those who will hate that.

Capt. Obvious

This is exactly why I ended up with a 996, even though when I started my search I was dead-set on a 964. The more I thought about how I would be using the car (daily driving through all seasons, long trips, the occasional track day, the wife would be driving it too) the more the 996 made sense.

And frankly, I kinda LIKE the headlights, damnit!

Capt. Obvious

Actually, now that I think about it, this exact scenario happens all the time with the air- and water-cooled Volkswagen guys.

The air cooled guys hate the watercooled cars, yet all the water cooled guys love the air cooled cars AND the water cooled cars.

Turkertwo

You are on to something Capt. I was a member of the Mercedes Club for many years, and it never ceased to amaze me what many of the speakers we booked for Tech Sessions would say. These guys always had their specialty which, in the case of MBs, was a particular era of production. All of them would declare, early in their presentation, that they specialized in pontoon fendered sedans or pagoda roofed SLs because everything made since then was crap. It was quite polarizing for our membership.
I think Porsche Club members are much better informed, and more rational in their relationship to the marque, and have chosen a better car upon which to to lavish attention, but you still have a couple folks that can't get over their first moment of infatuation with a model or type.

RPMulli

Riad

The 996 replaced the holy grail of all vehicles, the 993 and it was as if someone had replaced Jesus Christ.

shyamvenky

Forgive me if I am a bit harsh, but what the purists want from Porsche is just to build the same car over and over again. From a company stand-point, how boring is it to just make the same thing over and over again with minor changes every now and then? At some point, a big jump was inevitable. Coming to think of it, most sportscar companies have had revamps now and then. The 996 still has the characteristics of a 911 - the curves, balance, sporty feel etc. The purists still want to sit in the 80s n 90s, whereas Porsche wanted to make a machine that was quite modern, yet had the basic elements of the classic 911. Tastes change with time. Personally, I feel the one big mistake they did with the 996 was to make the Boxster very similar in looks..

Sue Esponte

The vintage SAAB community is very similar.

Many of the old timers don't even consider the 900 a real SAAB let alone another produced under GM's ownership -- to them, real "SAABs" were double digit cars: 92, 93, 94/Sonett, 95, 96, 97/Sonett and 99 and maybe even the 90.

Then, of course, there are folks who swore off of Saab once GM bought them outright (i.e., all post C900 Saabs are off limits). The pre-GM 9000 even pushes some people too far.

But any new Saab people seem to love everything Saab whether old or new.

What did the 356 crowd say when the 911 was on the drawing board and first released? Did they react to the 911 like the "air cooled purists" did toward the 996?

-Eric

Capt. Obvious

I think this pretty much sums it up:

morsini

It's not a nice looking car. That's it. It's uglier than the model before and after. Oh, and it'll implode if you fart in its general direction.

Torontoworker

It's like posting a few pictures of hot chicks and getting everyone to agree on ONE. Never gonna happen.

PoloTurbo

Not pretty and IMS/RMS sums it up.

Sue Esponte

Beauty is highly subjective and every iteration of 911 has had its own set of problems regardless of whether anyone wants to acknowledge them.

Personally, I find the 996 to be beautiful and IMS/RMS issues to be largely exaggerated; not to mention that there are "fixes" available in the aftermarket.

-Eric