porsche_addict

I'm looking at purchasing another 911 in addition to my 1987 Carrera. I've been looking at 993s mostly but I've contemplated a newer car like a 996 or Cayman S. I've found a low mileage '02 C4S for 40k. It has all the updates (IMS, RMS). There is no question that this car offers a lot of value for the money but I feel like some people doubt its purity due to looks/styling, first water-cooled 911 etc. Are wide body 996s still depreciating? What is better about the 996 and how does it compare to the 993 cars? I'm looking for answers preferably from someone who has owned earlier air cooled 911s and has upgraded to a newer 996.

porrsha

I have owned both a 993 and 2 996's plus a 997 GT-3. (I also owned a 1972 911 T that I wish I had held onto) My wife and I were at the Lake Placid Porsche Parade when the 993 was introduced and we bought one right after that. It was a vast improvement over the '72 in many areas.

Being a Bruce Anderson devotee (God rest his soul) I always subscribed to buying the latest and greatest iteration from Zuffenhausen that I could afford. I leased a 996 in 2003 and was happy with the performance difference from the 993 but EXTREMELY unhappy with the intrusion of the Porsche lawyers into the driving experience via the traction control/yaw control/etc. I went so far to take out the ABS fuses to disable the driving controls for autocross because it did not allow for left foot braking like the 993 does.

When the lease was done I said good riddance and had miles to burn at the end of the lease. Fast forward to 2007 and I was able to take delivery of a 997 GT-3 that had much higher thresholds for Porsche lawyer intrusion. Noisier by a country mile but when the market crashed in 2008 the car had to go.

After a couple of 944's I got back into a 996 one year ago with a 2001 C2. Luckily the car S/N is a good IMS bearing # and I think I got a great deal at $20K with an extra set of rims included. 996's are seriously undervalued right now because of the IMS hysteria. I would repeat my purchase today if I had to with out a second thought.

The 993 air cooled bubble is like the housing market, IMHO. I would not buy a 993 today for what people are asking.

Wayne

Porsche95

I also have owned both - 95. 993 twin turbo which I loved but 2years ago bought 01 996c4 and had the IMSB -RM -aos and clutch all done for under $3500 as we purchased it for $17000 - agree with Porrsha that the 993 is way over priced and the newer "water cooled"
Car is way ahead in many aspects not just creature comforts -we love the 996 - and after 7 P cars find it hard to beat especially as a DD -yes it is not the pure "air cooled" icon but we are 55 and the car is just so much more comfortable yet still the great driver.

Spokayman

I would recommend that you try both the Cayman and 996 to see how they differ from each other.
If you are looking for something that is a bit more sharp and quick dynamically, it might be the Cayman S is what you would like. If you are looking for something that cruises better, but is still a great handling car, then a 996 would fit the bill. I agree that the 993s are too high right now. 996s are a bargain, and I would guess early Caymans will begin dropping now that the new Cayman is on the market.
Both are quite a bit different than the earlier 911s though.

porsche_addict

Do you think that there is much more depreciation for a 996 C4S? Seems like most 996s have hit the bottom of the bucket in terms of prices but then again I don't own one so it is hard to say. I don't want to end up with a car worth many, many thousands less. I do see where the 996 RMS and IMS issues could be playing into the low prices just like the 993 gets the notoriety from being the last air cooled 911. My '87 Carerra is probably worth almost the same as what I paid 5 years ago so I do like to have a car with some level of value.

pfbz

There is probably more depreciation, but in terms of net $'s, really not that much.

But $40K for a 996 C4S sounds quite high, even if it is low mileage... A $40-45K budget will put you into a very nice 996 Turbo, a car that will always rise above the IMS nonsense.

MKII C2's for Mid $20's would be my recommendation for a great car at a bargain price that will loose little value and still blow the doors off a NA 993 in every measurable category.

relinuca

I formerly owned a 911SC, then a '96 coupe, and then a '97 coupe; now, I have a Mk 1 C2 cabrio w/hardtop which I drive regularly the year around.

I strongly believe the 996/997s are vastly superior to the 993s in several respects, especially as touring cars.

If I had the garage space, I would have kept all three of my former p-cars, but it would still be the 996 I would choose for daily driving and trips.

relinuca

porrsha

+996 Pass on the C4S at that price.