Had the pleasure of driving a 997.1S (2005), stock, back-to-back against my 40th anniversary (stock other than ferodo brake pads, konis, rear swaybar, and muffler delete).

Here were the biggest differences I noticed:

Exterior: I think the 997 looks better, but from the inside the body out front looks huge compared to the 996

Interior: The sport seats in the 997 are way better. The shifter is way better in the 997. The window switches being on the door is awful in the 997.

Engine: Immediately I noticed that the 997 felt like it had more torque from 2-3k rpm. However, when I got back in the 996 I noticed that the 996 has a rush of power as it comes "on cam" around 4k that the 997 simply never does. The linear power delivery of the 997 makes it easier to drive hard, and the torque is useful, but it doesn't feel as fast although it probably is faster. Part of this is probably my muffler delete setup. I've always felt like it sacrificed some low-end torque.

Exhaust note: The 997S stock exhaust is loud for stock, and at high RPM sounds amazing. It's so refined and the volume is good. The stock 996 exhaust is lame in comparison. The burbles and pops and the chainsaw downshifts of the muffler delete 996 are still my favorite though.

Handling: The 997S is great, but I preferred my tuned setup. I think the 997S would be as good or better with similar mods.

Feedback: Steering didn't feel much different; shifter feel is lighter but positive in the 997S. Pedals are way better in the 996. The brake is way too high in the 997, and the clutch throw is really long; 90% of the pedal the clutch is completely engaged.

 

Very cool. Thanks for posting.

 

Good thing us 996 guys can swap out the seats and shifter relatively easily.

As for the power delivery, besides the S having 0.2L more displacement, your 996 has muffler delete and x51 which generally makes a bit anemic combo in the low end, something a lot of us don't need to worry ourselves with.

Thanks for another set of feedback.

 

Not to thread jack... But 997 seats fit in a 996?!

 

Not sure, but 996 GT3 euro seats do! Mine wasn't in at the time but it is still my favorite.

 

Yes, you just need to rewire.

 

Here are 997 sport seats in my 996. Thanks for posting the 996 versus 997 comparison.

 

It's always surprising to me when people find the 997 to feel huge compared to the 996. I haven't noticed that. For comparison (base C2 models):

- 996 wheelbase: 92.6 inches. 997 wheelbase: 92.5 inches.
- 996 length: 174.5 inches. 997 length: 174.2 inches.
- 996 width: 69.5 inches. 997 width: 69.7 inches.
- 996 height: 51.4 inches. 997 height: 50.0 inches.

I'm not sure why it feels huge. Maybe the different interior layout and dashboard make the hood seem longer? Hard to say.