993 C2S vs 997 CS?
 

Seems like there are many in this forum who have extensive seat time in 993's. I currently have a 997CS and drove a friend's 993C2S yesterday. Being that it is not my car, I didn't want to push it hard and was not really able to assess its abilities.

I now have thoughts on trading in for one, but just can't wrap my head around the cost. I would probably have to give up my 997 + $5k for a 993C2S...which logically doesn't quite make sense. It is a bit more involving and feels more special, but tough to quantify. What a brief test drive doesn't tell me is the long term ownership prospect. As a fairweather weekend car, what would you do?

I think only 4-5K/yr 993s were produced as opposed to 5x that on the 997s. So the 993 will ways be in more limited SUPPLY. 993s have also withstood the test of time & considered highly desireable so DEMAND is relatively high. I sold my 95 993 for 31K to a friend in 2005. The car is today still worth about 31K. My purchased new 2006 997S has dropped from 90K to 50K in 4 years and will continue to.
In short it's not about the $$. If it's an investment/resale only, buy the 993.

Driving: they're both very different cars. Both awesome in their own way. Drive both, see what you like better or find a way to buy both! Cheers

A 997 is a much better car than a 993.

The 993 and 997 are worlds apart.

The 993 is a good looking classic sports car, however, you are going to have
a lot more picadelos to deal with than the 997.

In my opinion, the 997 brings all the qualities of the 993 (including looks)
into a reliable and better overall performing performance car.

Ideally, a person should have a 993, a 997, and a 997 GT3.

If one likes to deal with multiple cars the list is:

'73 911RS
997.2 S PDK
997.2 RS

Try a NB 993. IMHO it drives even better than a C2S (a bit more nimble, with less understeer) and is more reasonably priced. FWIW, there is no "better" between the 997 and 993, only different. They are both great cars. The only thing I'd add is that in my 12 years of 993 ownership, my car has been extremely reliable.

Enjoy!

Cheers,
Joe

Agree on the 73' RS. I'd drop the 997.2 PDK and maybe the 7.2 RS and replace both with a 7.2 GT3. Have to add a turbo to be complete. That'll have to be a 965 3.6 for me!

Thanks for the feedback guys. I may just add a well sorted 964 C2 for $25k to get my aircooled fix.

I completely agree with you. I should have used the word
different instead of better.

I am a huge fan of 993's and I am sure I will add one to the
stall one of these years.

Obviously most people on this forum are gonna suggest 997 and if you posted the same in 993 forum, the answer would be different.

I think 993 at its time WAS THE BEST car on the road, and a lot ahead of its competition. 997 today is amongst the best, but not by as large of a margin as 993.

Comparing the two is almost comparing Apple to Oranges though. I believe it all comes down to your purpose/goal. 997 is by far the better car for DD and track/street dual usage, more reliable, more modern, more comfortable.

However, if you're gonna use the car only for weekend cruising, occasional tracking, and if you got something for air cooled engines... then 993 is probably a better, more classic car, that may go up in value if you plan to pass it to your son! :)

I almost made deals on two separate 993's and in the end couldn't do it. I'm a stickler for reliability and no hassles and after speaking with mates who owned 993's it made sense to nab my 997. In my opinion those who own 993's do not daily drive them and my ownership was based on daily driving.

Sexier car is the 993 but the 997 is a very close 2nd.

I had a 993 TT. The C2S is more a compatriot of the 993TT, they are more on the same playing field.
The 993 C2 does not have the same power or prowess as the almost 400hp 997.2.
I would like a 993 C2S in the garage too, but since I can only have one the 997.2 is the best all arounder
you can get in the GT3/TT and PDK world in any series (993/996/997/997.2) If you are choosing a weekender then one of the GT3s would be cool. The 996 GT3 is becoming a real bargain and the 996 TT is a GREAT bargain, in the $45-45K range.

Nothing can compare to the feeling my (non-S) 993 had at the time I owned it. What a great car, from the looks to the feel - right down to the sound of the door closing. It was essentially a perfect car.

But it just became dated, as it must. Frustrating and depressing to be sure. So while I don't imagine any car can replicate the feeling the 993 offered when it was the state-of-the-art, 911s are still 911s, and they are the greatest car going. Bar none.

So if you're into performance, the 997s is the way to go. But if you want nostalgia, feel, true 911 spirit, and are fine with being 100+ horsepower behind current non-turbo cars, 993s cannot disappoint.

So sick of hearing this. And i owned one.

I dont have ANY problem finding the TRUE 911 SPIRIT in the 997. Wether it was a 997.1 GT3 or the 997.2 PDK

And I'm so sick of oversensitive people who actually take the time to whine in a post about innocuous comments. So we're even.

There are some people who aren't bothered by acknowledging the paradigm shift when 911s went from air-cooled to water-cooled, and went from more of a stripped-down niche sports car to a bigger GT feel that would appeal to a wider audience. Some people can actually embrace both approaches and not feel threatened by praise bestowed upon the strengths of either.

As I said, 911s are 911s.

I recently went from a 993 C2 to a 997 C2S Cab. They are very different beasts. The 993 was very well sorted out (PSS9 Suspension, ROW ride height, short shift, RS Tie Rods, RSR Mufflers, strut tower brace, chip, etc.) and I owned it for over ten years. It drove great and I had several people familiar with 993s say that it was one of the best set up 993s they had ever driven. I really was a great "classic" sports car. No PSM, PASM, etc. You could really feel everything and it was easy to steer with your right foot. However, you could also get yourself in some trouble. The sounds (engine note, thunk of closing the door, etc.) and smell of that car was unmistakable. I really do miss the 993 car but the 997 S is an excellent car and better in almost every way. Fast, comfortable, great handling and safe due to all of the electronic "drivers aids/safety" features. Although I never had any significant reliability issues with the 993, being a 15 year old car you know that it will require a lot of maintenance and upkeep. I guess this is a longwinded way of saying if you have to choose between the two, keep the 997.

As a side note, I was very surprised at how much larger the 997 appeared than the 993 when I had them both in my garage for a day or two. I have not checked the dimensions, but it appeared to be significant.

I re-read your post, and I think the only person to make a decision is yourself. As I said earlier, 997 by far the better car for daily car, but 993 is a great option for weekender.

However, chooing a weekend car is very personal, as it's for pure enjoyment of the driver and only yourself can quantify which makes your engine crank more! :)

Very well stated.

It is amazing that we could even have a realistic debate over which is a "better" or more enjoyable sports car, between a new 911 vs one that's 15-years old. I don't think that you'll hear this same type of debate over a Corvette, for example. Credit Porsche for creating an icon...and I'm glad to own an example of this amazing model.

Exactly! The fact that we are even debating this, says a lot! :)