Rrrockhound

Just curious for some opinions. How do folks think the 991 might affect the 996’s legacy? By being bigger, heavier, and more digital than ever, the 991 seems like it’s about to take the 911 forever down a more luxury/GT-oriented path. It seems to me that if this is the case, then the 996 could become to the water cooled 911s what the early long-hoods are to the air-cooled cars, i.e., the simpler car that everyone appreciates for its purity, even if it’s slower and cruder. Or will people 20 years from now still be bitching about how the 996 has ugly headlights?

silotwo

One never knows. I will tell you that a friend of mine who had 2012 997 Black edition drove my cars and commented that these might very well be the last of 911's that look, (I believe he was referring to the interior), feel, and smell like "Porsche".

As nice as his car was, it did not thrill him like his previous Porsche's and he just sold it. Said it was too expensive to just sit and he really didn't have much interest in driving it.

That said - I didn't pruchase mine expecting any appreciation in value and I'll probably drive them until they are worn out or I get buried in one of them.

gnat

Well the oldest are half way to being antiques and the headlight critics are still in full force so I wouldn't expect it to beloved by all in another 20.

For the water cooled people, yes I think the 996 will be the gold standard. But the old air cooled cars will likely continue to be "the real Porsche" until the last one has rusted away and the last person to drive one has died.

timothymoffat

Fly in the ointment to this is the M96.

Edit: I like the way 996s look. Early 3.4 or "facelift" 3.6, I think they have a purity that goes back to those early 911s. Unfortunately, the M96 has forever left a mark on all cars it was fitted (and we're talking a LOT of cars here). I fully appreciate that there are finally some aftermarket solutions that may prove to solve the problem.....but we're nowhere near certain yet. Time will tell. Porsche running a completely unrelated motor in its factory race cars as well as Turbos and GT models underlined the motor's shortcomings.

rpm's S2

Interesting question...

I recently drove a 991 S, hard. It is an amazing car. Every generation of 911 is criticized at some point for being larger, more complex, heavier, softer, a sellout to tradition, etc., etc.. It is always true. And yet, after a while the new is normal and then the next is too, whatever.

The 993 was a watershed, and as the last water cooled 911, it is iconic. And absolutely beautiful (spent part of my today on back roads with friends, including a pristine black 993 Turbo S - has to be the best looking 911 ever).

The 996? A good 911, but it will never be a great, heralded 911. Too much commonality with the Boxster for one, and then there is that M96... All debates on certain acronyms aside, it will never be considered a great engine like the 3.2 or the later 993's 3.6. And while they will always be worth more money, I suspect the 997 will be much the same.

And yet, the least-loved 911s (964? 2.7?) are still better than 99% of the other cars out there. So I'm going to keep smiling every time I walk up to mine. Big smile.

uswrnk54

It's funny how we criticize the new 911, much like our cars where criticized when they came out because they were a a leap forward. I was at the dealership this week for a couple minor parts. The cars sure are beautiful... Just like mine

TomF

jasper

I have pondered this question many times. There are two basic issues that make a car a classic IMO - styling and performance.

Styling: Mine is Arctic silver on black and sits quite low on PSS9 coilovers and 5 spoke liteweight wheels. It has no wings, skirts, sills, spliters...it's just about as pure as a MkII 996 can get.

I prefer aggressive lines and stance to bling, but recognize that everyone is different.

From the back views the car is a knockout to my eye, but the front and side views are not. It's not ugly - it's just not pretty, and yes, the headlights have a lot to do with that. For that reason - the 996 will not be *the* car that people lust after. The 911, 993, 997 - and (time will tell) maybe the 991 however will.

Performance: The 996 simply has *nothing* to be ashamed about. I've driven pretty much every varient of rear engined Porsche by now (except the 991) and sure there are lots that go or turn a little bit better than the 996, but as an all-arounder - the 996 is nothing but great. Note I didn't say good, I said great and I meant it.

I like 'em rough, and have installed coilovers, sway bars, RS motor mounts, and a liteweight flywheel. It leaves me wanting very little.

Let's leave reliability out of the equation for now. I change my oil a lot and my car has done 200K kilometres so far, although the M96 was exchanged by the factory for an M97 back in '05. It runs fantastic. I sleep fine at night...so what if it blows up eventually. Deal with it.

So - verdict? I think the 996 will be treated more like the 928 was - maybe a bit like the 964. Both great cars when treated right and both turn heads if they aren't messed up with bling and tack, but not everybody wants one like they do a 993 or a longhood 911..

Ultimately the best thing about the 996 is that it is affordable. I still can't comfortably justify the cost of even a MkI 997S....so what am I supposed to drive? An old air cooled 911 ? Not for every days thanks. A 928 ? I don't like them all that much. A Boxster? yah - no.

So - thank god for the 996 I say. It may never make a most desirable Porsche list - but it will always be lurking.

BruceP

It will always be the Rodney Dangerfield of Porsches. In the company's narrative, it was the first 'modern' 911, and defined as such it will be trumped over and over again in the years to come.

Which is a pity. The 996 saved the company. It also saved the 911. It was also a monument to what Porsche thought mattered in terms of continuity for the series, and cast the mold. And it was also in a completely different league, performance wise, from the car it replaced. It was the first time in a long time a 911 could hold its head up as a sports car without some kind of authenticity asterisk to explain away its quirks. Th 996 was historically among the most important 911s ever, but I doubt that's how anybody but the hardest core Porsche historians will see it. Even its owners don't treat it with much reverence.

There's a saying in Silicon Valley: The pioneers get the arrows, and the settlers get the land. Pretty much sums it up, I think

KrazyK

del

producerjohn

Widebody versions and the GT3 will become classics and values will eventually stabilize and appreciate. The others will depreciate into oblivion.

Rrrockhound

That's sort of my point. The 991 owes a lot to the 996, but I wonder if anyone will care. I can't believe people born since, say 1990, will care that much about the aircooleds, so when the nostalgia starts getting thick, what place will the 996 occupy?

I think I was wrong in my original post when I said the 991 is the heaviest yet, but the point still stands.

jumper5836

I sure hope so.


As for the head light. They were ahead of their time. They have more function and get rid of the need of having extra lights needed to be added into the front bumper. All the other modern models including the 918 use the same type of updated headlight.

The 996 may become the most affordable 911 in history. I also think it is the sleekest water cooled 911. Reading on the 991 forum it seems that all the electronic go fast gadgets come with a price of wearing out rotors and brake pads, this leads me to believe that the 996 is also a very economical when using the car for the track as well.

I just hope their is an cheaper way to replace or rebuild the engine in the future. Is it me or did Porsche increase the price of the engine? I had always though they were suppose to be easily produced and cheap but I am told a new engine in over 30k Cdn

BruceP

When Porsche stopped producing the engine for new vehicles, the price naturally went up. If engines aren't rolling off the line all day long anyway, selling crate motors becomes a lot less economical.

Capt. Obvious

Agreed.