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I think Vokert's picture says it all about the Mk 1 w/out the yolk. It has aged very well...better than the 997s or the 993s. The Mk 2 996s are more like raw fish...a taste to be acquired. The 964 and older are part of the truly old styled cars.
All this back and forth but honestly most people don't even notice or realize there is a difference.
Years and years ago back when I still had my 944 I was shopping for 996s. So I stopped in here to ask what the difference was between the headlights because I couldn't see it myself! I didn't get a lot of responses but finally figured it out. Yeah it's that subtle to a non-996er.
I think the MK1 headlight will become iconic. The headlight was designed along with the body from the beginning. The car looks like its one precision piece. It "flows" well. One complete unit.
I go back and forth but think you captured it best, the .1 style headlight was the original, most native to the car. If it wasn't also deployed on a Boxter, doubt there would have been as much discussion. At the end of the day, I'd
One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?
Did you guess which thing was not like the others?
Did you guess which thing just doesn't belong?
If you guessed this one is not like the others,
Then you're absolutely right!
I think you're right. There's nobody on the 997 forums or 991 forums making posts about their superior headlight design compared to the 996. Only 996 owners really seem to care about this. You might see an odd post every now and then on the 997 forum when a prospective buyer is comparing a late 996 to an early 997, but it's not common. More people make comments about the interior of the 996 in those threads than the headlights.
I've spent lots of time on the 997 boards and the 997 turbo boards. That group really feels that the 997 is the last real 911, and that the 991 is too big, too soft, to luxurious, etc. There are multiple threads on this subject. In a similar way, I think that only the 997 owners really care about this. The 991 owners certainly don't care.
Everyone wants to feel like they got the best deal, or they have the best design, or they bought the last real 911, blah blah blah. I'm sure you can find posts in the forums for every variant of the 911 claiming superiority.
Initially I preferred the .2 variant - probably influenced by all of the nonsense hate people spew about the original .1 headlights. After a while, I really started to like the .1 headlights though. To be perfectly honest, I think they all look great. They were designed by people that are much more competent when it comes to design than any detractor is.
A few here have stated the GT-1 race car's headlights were inspired by the 996 headlights. Actually, the original GT-1 had round headlights and the 1998 GT-1 race car adopted the headlights from the 1997 Boxster and the new-to-Europe 996. A bit of marketing going on...
The Boxster style headlight was simply a cost saving measure (in manufacturing, not necessarily replacement cost) and allowed Porsche to incorporate the headlight and turn signal all in one unit rather than the more expensive and separate lights found on the 993.
For all the criticism, I love the lights on the 1998 GT-1 race car.
I go back and forth but think you captured it best, the .1 style headlight was the original, most native to the car. If it wasn't also deployed on a Boxter, doubt there would have been as much discussion. At the end of the day, I'd
They weren't also deployed on the Boxster, they were on the 986 Boxster first. Then the GT1 and 996.
01-30-2017, 08:53 PM
