Hello gentleman.
I am deep into a search for my first Porsche and need some prudent advice.
I have owned several performance cars in the past, Corvettes, Vipers, a Superformance Cobra and other various interesting cars. I currently own a 04 Viper SRT-10 and a Superformance Shelby Cobra.
I have read all the press about the new 997 model and up until a week or so ago had planned on a new 05 Guards Red Carrera six speed.
The positive press on the new car is nothing short of astounding.
A friend of mine suggested I visit this site and seek some knowledgable advice on my choice to buy a 05 997 vs a 04 996.
I have been contacted by a dealer in Illinois who has a new 04 Carrera coupe. It is a six speed with PSM, sport seats, 18 inch wheels and a host of other options.
My friend is strongly urging me to buy the 04 instead of the 05. He has told me that the new 05 models still have some electronic gremlins that have plagued the car since its introduction.
The car will not be a daily driver, but a weekend cruiser and may participate at an occaisional track event.
I am at a cross roads now and need to pull the trigger on one of these cars. Any constructive insight would be greatly appreciated.

Regards.
Brian E

 

Welcome to rennlist. Hope you become a Porsche loyalist and I am confident whichever car you buy you will become one.

I bought a 997S on launch day (8/28/04), trading my 04 Targa after only 6 months. I didn't plan on that and only went to check out the 997, but "make me an offer I can't refuse" lead me down that path.

I believe the 997 is a substantial step forward and incorporates a lot of positive stuff. There are also future market values to think about, and my personal opinion is that 996's will be dropping in price due to 997 competition (plus there are a lot of 996's out there). In any case, the first advice would be to drive both cars, and decide which one pushes your buttons.

It is true there have been some reports of electrical gremlins in some cases. I have had nothing go wrong after 4.5 months and almost 4,000 miles. My view is that, while there may be some cases of bugs, this is not a major problem, and I think the 997 overall is a sound design and car.

If you do get an 04, I would expect a major discount off MSRP, maybe 15K+.

Good luck! Post pictures and join rennlist when you get your car!

 

When I first picked up the car the window & sunroof were making some noise, the dealership fixed it's very quickly and I've not had any issues since. It's a great car and a noticeable difference between the old 996 and the 997, the biggest difference is the handling I think. I sold an 04 that had an x51 package (engine kit mods) and don't regret it at all. Jim is right in saying that the 996 prices are dropping fast, I was lucky to get the price I wanted on mine and only after having shopped around several dealers. Have you tested the 997 vs the 996 yet, I think it would also help you decide, shop around the dealerships and get all the test rides you can.

The biggest problem I have now is deciding to wait for the porsche sport exhaust or go with an aftermarket one. The car is still too quiet for me.

 

I'd personally rather deal with any gremlins through warranty and get the 2005 997. It's simply a better chassis and a better car.

For what it's worth, I had to have a transmission replaced early but otherwise the car has been flawless.

 

Brian,

I'm a previous Viper owner (GTS) and currently own a 996 and a Turbo. I'd suggest you drive both cars; you may not be happy with the 996/997 hp getting out of a Viper. If you are a new buyer, then go for the one you think drives better; Porsche will work out the detail issues with the 997. If you could consider used, I'd look at a used 996 Turbo. It will run with your Viper and low milage ones can be purchased for less money than a 997s.

Good luck.
Roy

 

Keep on mind that the Porsche is more a finese' car, not a huge tourqe monster, the new Z06 may be more to your liking

That said, my vote goes for the '05, it's new and improved, and an evolution over the '04

I await the delivery of my Guards Red "S" in early to mid Feb to replace my '02

 

Well my vote is for the Guards red 997S.... for obvious reasons!

 

If you have a great dealer close to you, who is known for good service, then I would say go with a 911, either a 996 or 997. As others have pointed out, Porsche has made a lot of improvements with the 997. (The previous 911 I drove was an '03 996 C4S). Were I to make a purchase today, I would consider a '05 997s, '05 997s cabriolet, '04 996 C4S cabriolet, or a '05 GT3.

Good luck!

 

Guys, thank you for the input.
I was not even considering the 04 until I received some well intentioned advice from a friend.
He had me running scared from the 05.
It is a 1.5 hour drive to the nearest Porsche dealer and I just dont have the time to be taking the car in for problems.
It looks like I will go with the 05. (Boy is that 04 996 Lapis Blue a pretty car!)

This is a little off topic but, I was exploring this site and came accross a White 996 coupe for sale. The car looked gorgeous in the pictures. Does anyone see white as a detriment on resale value? This picture of this car might have me considering a white, with blue interior, car.
One last question, are there any dealers out there willing to give a substantial discount off MSRP?

Thanks for the help.

Brian E

Ps. RWO I am keeping the Viper, it will be interesting to see which car gets driven the most.

 

There are people that love white (Me included) but many that don't. I think it is a classic Porsche color. (Plus it should stay cooler here in southern Cal.) Resale - maybe harder to find a buyer.

 

Get the 05 S for sure.....I might do the same soon!

Robert

 

Dear Brian, welcome to the site. There is a lot of good information that transpires through this aea. Occasionally you have to sift through the jargon to get to what you want however. As for the white 997 there are some good pics within this site. Just search around. I love white as well and have ordered a white, 05 cabriolet 997 S with an April build. I included the sport chrono package because it does add a little more "upside" to the throttle response and performance. What you need to do is test an S versus a non-S and decide for yourself. As far as white not having the same resale value buy the car you want today. Don't buy a car just for its resale if your not going to enjoy the color today. Can you imaging buying a car that you aren't completely happy with just because you think you'll get a better resale? Look, Porsche has some geat colors. Pick one that you like. Drive your new 997 and enjoy it. When the time comes to sell believe me you will find someone to buy it, or trade it in. One last note, from the pics I've seen the white has a nice contrast with the new red brakes. I hope this helps. Take care and good luck.
Jay

P.S. Gary R, I do like your Guards Red. It looks sharp!!!

 

I think if you test drive both the 996 and the 997 the decision between them is an easy one, provided both are new. However used 996's have lost a great deal in depreciation and you could save yourself a bundle by picking up a mint used 996. Wait two years and you could repeat the process with a used 997 when the owner trades up to a 997 C4S or TT.

White with a sand beige interior, or ocean blue, or go for ( big $'s) and get white with a cocoa interior. Dealer in MA has one if I remember correctly.

 

Thanks DJ, funny thing is I went to the dealer with the thought of ordering a Black Carrera coupe and when I walked in and saw this S on the showroom floor I fell in love with it. He had Carrera and Carrera S coupes to try out and I did so, but both run so well all I noticed was a bit of sound difference (S was more to my liking) to be honest. Originally I went through the whole thing online, specing out a Carrera (to near-S specs). The red car had everything I wanted and the dealer (this was 12/04) dropped the price to almost what I would have paid for the non-S! It was a no brainer and I LOVE the car. My ONLY regret is that I still live in CT and its winter...

 

Brian,

You mentioned -"The car will not be a daily driver, but a weekend cruiser and may participate at an occaisional track event"-

IMHO you should seriously consider a 996 GT3. It is the best weekend cruiser & track event rocket combo you can find. Hands down!