C130J

Hello,
I am looking at getting my first Porsche. I want a 911. I have driven a 03 996 Targa and was thrilled. The price is in my budget. For about $8000 more I can get a 2005 997. Is the 997 really that much better then a 996? Thank you.

gnat

The biggest thing with the 996 is the IMSB hysteria and you have to move to the 997.2 (considerably more than and $8k difference) to get away from that entirely.

Especially with the 2005 the 997 is mostly a change to the interior and exterior looks while mechanically and structurally it is pretty much a 996 still.

So to me, no it's not worth it. Keep the $8k and set it aside for things a 13 year old car is going to need to bring it up to par and make sure you have a good seed for the future if something big happens.

5CHN3LL

The 997 is incrementally more power - it's a good-sized increment, but it's still not an order of magnitude faster.

Conventional wisdom is to buy the newest car you can afford - but in this case, I'm not sure 2 years is worth $8K. You're still not out of the woods with potential engine woes with an '05 997, and while many prefer the more traditional interior of the 997 (lots of straight lines and boxes), I personally enjoy the swoopy curves of the 996, and I'm willing to overlook the second-rate materials because I prefer simplicity.

The Targa is one of the rarer 996's, so it has that going for it.

You're really the only person who can answer the question of whether the 997 is worth $8K more. In my opinion, no - a two-year bump wouldn't be worth it, but if you hate the 996's front appearance, or you worry about what other Porsche people say, the 997 might be the right car.

jumper5836

997 is 5 hp more then a 996.2 and actually 0-100kph/ 0-62 mph stats are similar if not slower then a 996.2 due to extra weight added.

5CHN3LL

Have you seen what some people are willing to spend for products that _may_ yield a 5HP increase (but probably result in a zero HP increase, or worse, a decrease in WHP somewhere along the curve)?

Function-First

From a looks and interior build quality perspective? YES
(personal opinion on the looks part)

Mechanically? Not really
(996.2 and 997.1 are essentially the same car under a different body)


That said, you should also consider 2 things...
1. Which will retain most of its value?
2. And perhaps most importantly, which car do you WANT?

mcfisticuffs

I was stuck on the 997.1 C2 train for a long time...it was just in my price range but I couldn't quit pull the trigger on one. When I ended up with my '02 C2, I paid nearly $20k less (Canadian, 2013 dollars) and since then I've invested that much in maintenance and upgrades (Coil overs, IMSB, clutch etc etc etc) that I'm glad I saved the purchase cost to make my 996, *my* 996.

Sure it's slightly uglier and slightly less powerful, but only Porsche guys know that. But this way I can afford to have fun with it.

groovzilla

Like music, design choice is purely in the hands of the buyer/owner.

I would seriously consider a 996 C4S - While being a much more aggressive looking design and better driving/handling 996, I see the C4S as somewhat of an investment compared to the narrow body 996 in that they have increased in value over the past 3 years and continue to do so. Even when things level off in the Porsche market, the C4S will no doubt be a more premium 996 model and retain more of it's value.

Shopping smart and due diligence with proper PPI/etc is mandatory

The 997 continues to drop in market value and I wouldn't consider any 997 unless it was an S or C4S - hands down the 997 C4S is a much more aggressive/visually appealing 997 design and better driving/handling characteristics.

I've successfully talked 2 RL 996 NB buyers into spending a little more $$ for the C4S - Both continue to thank me for my input on their purchase decision.

jumper5836

C4S with a nikasil 3.8 engine rebuild. 996 will be the only 911 model to ever have distinctive non 50's style head lights.

porsche951

Unless you hate the 996.2 headlights I'd say no. $8k to move up to a 2005 997 sounds too steep to me. I personally prefer the 996 interior over the 997's. And the headlights will grow on you.

Howaboutthat

The 996 interior in full leather (especially in black or natural) trumps that of the 997 for me. The 997 seems too Audi- or Benz-like; the 991, as well.

FRUNKenstein

Yes. Err, I mean no. Well, maybe.

C130J

I think you have a good point about the front lights. Years down the road, I could see them being desirable just because they are different from the other 911s. Time will tell.

C130J

Thanks, I thought the 2005 997 had fixed the IMSB issues.

C130J

I like the seal grey, I have not seen one in that color yet for sale. Do you have a different fixed spoiler on the back of yours?