Interesting / good read comparing 993 vs. 997
#1
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Interesting / good read comparing 993 vs. 997
#5
I've really got to drive a 993. I always loved it, but for my first Pcar I lucked out with a sweet 997. I wanted a more modern car. Maybe a 993 will be in my future.
#6
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#8
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#9
Nordschleife Master
For 997 owners who pine for an air-cooled 911 I suggest '87 and earlier. The 993 has a big following as the last air-cooled 911, but it is but a transitional model. I'm sure this opinion will ruffle some feathers.
#10
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ADias: Have you owned a 993?
tran·si·tion [tran-zish-uhn]
–noun
1. movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, subject, concept, etc., to another; change:
A 993 air cooled engine with a totally utilitarian interior to a 996/997 water pumper with a luxurious interior including cup holders and navigation to me is not even remotely close to a passage or change from one position.
It's the end of an era created by the need for advancements.
The author of the linked article was correct when stating:
There are those who say the Porsche 911 died when the 993 iteration of the car and its traditional air-cooled engine were put to rest in 1998. This was the last and arguably the finest iteration of a car that could trace its genealogy back to the original Porsche 911 of 1963. The car that followed, which carried the project code 996, was all-new. The chassis grew in size and weight and its engine was cooled by water, not air. Plus, horror of horrors, the 996's interior featured a clip-on cupholder, a plastic receptacle that became the symbol for Porsche purists of all that had gone wrong with the "new" 911.
Last edited by Mark Harris; 02-05-2011 at 12:29 AM.
#11
Horses for Courses. One year at Daytona we ran a 3.8 RSR 993, and it was just fabulous, a joy to drive, and ran like a train the whole race. Two years later, we ran a GT3R, and it was really different, felt a little more pitch-sensitive, but it was an easy 3 seconds faster. Would I rather drive the 993? You bet. But the GT3R was a real race car as well, you just had to pay more attention, and it doesn't even compare to today's iterations, which are another eight or nine seconds faster. 1.48+ at Daytona is seriously fast.
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The most telling line for me was the note that the 997 weight was only 100 lbs more than the 993 tested. Given the significant size and equipment increases between the 993 and the 997, that's a very impressive bit of weight control from Porsche. If you were to look at the weight increase over time in the 911 and compare it to say the BMW 3 Series there's just no comparison - Porsche does an excellent job in keeping the excess weight in check.
#14
Three Wheelin'
I drove an '87 and it actually felt spacious which was surprising and it was black inside which usually feels smaller, even in a 997. The interior was more spartan and didn't take up so much space, making it feel about as roomy as my car. It drove great, shifted easily, steering was heavy to death, the sound was Porsche/nostalgic as was the ride.
But the 993 is what I think of in my mind's eye when I think 911 - just a generational thing. Or maybe not - could just be a matter of taste, for example, anything beyond '67 in a vette just isn't right to me even though I probably never paid attention to them until they were already classic.
Scott 1996 993c2 - that's a deluxe stable you have there.
But the 993 is what I think of in my mind's eye when I think 911 - just a generational thing. Or maybe not - could just be a matter of taste, for example, anything beyond '67 in a vette just isn't right to me even though I probably never paid attention to them until they were already classic.
Scott 1996 993c2 - that's a deluxe stable you have there.
#15
Three Wheelin'
The most telling line for me was the note that the 997 weight was only 100 lbs more than the 993 tested. Given the significant size and equipment increases between the 993 and the 997, that's a very impressive bit of weight control from Porsche. If you were to look at the weight increase over time in the 911 and compare it to say the BMW 3 Series there's just no comparison - Porsche does an excellent job in keeping the excess weight in check.