Dennis C

I've owned a 996 C4S, a 997 TT, and a 991 TTS. Each of them have things that I like. The 996 had an old-school feeling to it, especially compared to the 991. I loved the rear view of the 996, and I think it had the best steering of the bunch. That being said, the 997 interior was a huge upgrade over the 996. The 996 headlights never bothered me; they aren't as ugly as the headlight covers that many people like.

I would consider a 996 GT3, or perhaps a 2005 996 TTS cabriolet. Other than that, I prefer a 997 or a 991.

Saaboteur

I actually don't mind the 996 exterior look, especially the face lifted cars. But you can't drive a car from the outside, and for me the interior differences was the deal breaker and led me to 997 ownership.

SpeedyD

No, but the 996 turbo is a great value.

zirrah

I do too. The 993 interior has a classic, nostalgic sort of look to it. The 996 looks like something from a Camry circa about 1997. Now, that said, the 996 interior looks much better in person than in pictures.

ADias

Funny (or sad) to see that the comments on the 996 center on interior and doodads fluff. Perhaps I missed it, but no comments on its smaller/nimbler footprint and better steering.

Iceter

I considered a 996 turbo when I was looking for a 997. Having driven them both I have to say from a purely performance oriented viewpoint, the turbo has my vote.

But, in my case (YMMV), the car was going to be a daily driver and the more modern amenities in the 997.2 were enough to sway me.

And I won't lie, the headlights on a 996 look truly awful to me. That wouldn't be the sole motivator, but it doesn't help the 996.

srcn

Nope. If I wanted a 996 Turbo instead I would have bought one. I just can't stand the aesthetics. My car has more than enough power.

Dennis C

I mentioned the steering in my prior post. It was excellent in the 996 cars.

The "smaller/nimbler footprint" isn't so clear. If you compare a 996 turbo to a 997.1 S as the OP asked, then you could argue that the 997 is the smaller/nimbler choice. When you compare those models, you'll find that the 997 is 1mm longer than the 996. The 997 is just shy of 1mm narrower than the 996, it's 0.18mm taller than the 996, and it has a wheelbase that's shorter by 0.08mm. The 997 S weighs 264 lbs. less than the 996 Turbo.

squid42

When changing from 996tt to 997.1tt the second and subsequent gears got longer.

(gears #(3.82 2.05 1.41 1.12 0.92 0.75)) ; 996 manual
(gears #(3.82 2.14 1.48 1.18 0.97 0.79)) ; 997.1 manual

The numbers look small, but:

• between the two car generations that is a 5% difference for 2nd and 3rd gear
• when switch from 1st to 2nd gear engine rpm will drop by 44% in the 996. That is already too long, but...
• rpm drops by 46% (plus speed loss from no propulsion during clutch disengagement) in the 997.1, going from 1st to 2nd gear

The engine is the same block, but starts using variable turbine geometry and a new intake system. I don't think you benefit from VTG since you presumably talk about RPMing the gears out, and who knows what the intake does. I can imagine that this makes a real difference in raw feeling when only comparing high rpm.

ETA: my notes also show redline for the 996tt at 6700 rpm and for the 997tt at 6600 rpm. If that is correct your journey in 2nd gear starts at 3700 rpm in the 997.1 and at 3600 rpm in the 996. Small number, but all this stuff adds up.

dgjks6

Porsche people are no different than the rest of society. It is all about looks and image. Performance/feeling are not really important to most Porsche owners any more.

vern1

Now why would people focus on the performance aspects on a Porsche forum...

Maybe you can get someone to make up some "volume" measurements for the 997 to support this as actual measurements never seem to be enough

Overall I get the aesthetic argument as its a personal choice but the 996 turbo is not just "close" to a NA 997 its just a faster car period.

Dennis C

In the spirit of current social debates in the USA, maybe we need a "non-binary" choice to describe size. Bigger or smaller simply don't cover it anymore. We need another choice for the Porsche owner who feels that his or her car is smaller, despite the actual physical measurements that show that it's bigger.

Petza914

Right, that's why a bunch of people who posted in this thread have bone-stock 997 cars without any performance enhancements whatsoever - no coilovers, DSC boxes, intake plenums, exhausts, etc. Funny how the difference of opinion from yours makes everyone a poseur.

srcn

From a performance stand point my car came to me pretty much maxed out (X51, PCCB's, Bilstein damptronics). Not much left to do except for cosmetic updates (ducktail, aerokit front bumper), Fuchs wheels and DSC sport. I love it how it is though. I would have gotten to that list by now but I've been spending money on my truck project.

dgjks6

I know They are poseurs. But that's Ok. I just think you can have a different opinion without bashing someone else's opinion.