johnireland

Went by my favorite private dealer where I've bought two of my past three 911s. They have a manual 996 I'll take out tomorrow to see how much I really miss that vs the tiptronic. I like the tip but I don't have full confidence in it. In the mean time they have a ridiculously cheap 2006 997 S...almost a clone of the one I had and that I sold after only three months. Seal gray, sport seats, 19s, sport chrono, sport exhaust, etc. Except this one has 165k miles. They just got it in and it hasn't been through their shop to check it out...but I fired it up and sat inside and played with the switches and the nav system, etc.

It only took two minutes for me to re-experience everything I didn't like about the 997 I sold, and why I went back to the 996.

I don't really have any problems with the exterior of the 997. It is not as distinctive and unique as the 996, but I could live with it, and the color is nice but not something that makes me drool. However the 19s would have to go...they add nothing but unnecessary expense when you want new tires and they are much more prone to damage than 18s. But I'm sure I could swap for 18s and make myself happy.

Sitting in the car and facing that awful looking interior had me grinding my teeth. I realized I could not enjoy a long trip facing 1970s Datsun Z car pimp white gauges, or the cheesy faux aluminum center console and its chaotic layout and the just plain ugly steering wheel. All I could think of is how much it reminds me of the Ford Fiesta. The non-S versions of the dash are not as offensive and seem more subdued.

The 996 interior is much better looking...sedate and classic...the tools you need and easy to operate.

At last I started the engine and that cheesy (yes cheesy again) sport exhaust barked to life...like a prematurely balding fat teenager on Viagra. What on earth is Porsche trying to prove, that they know how to make loud noise? The experiment was over. I handed my friend back the key.

Driving home in my 3.4 996, the engine had a classical Porsche flat six sound, not one boosted by audio engineers. Certainly I was under powered compared to the 997S...but not really that much. Knifing my way through traffic, keeping the engine in that 4000 to 5000 rpm sweet spot...I easily had all the power I needed for city and even highway driving.

So now it is just a matter of staying with the tip, or going back to a manual. But definitely staying with a 996.

Gonzo911

I've never actually sat inside a Ford Fiesta, but now I get what it must feel like.

Thanks for yet another free association justification of why you sold your 997.

That is, if you actually ever owned one...

stan23

Nice writeup. Go back to the MT. I tested the tip for a minute, and hated how it started in 2nd. (yes, I know you can work around this)

Bash Hat

Totally agree. A sports car should not need fake exhaust gimmickry. I've had my 996 just over a month and can't keep it out of the 3-6K rpm range as the exhaust note and pull of the motor are just so addicting!

sugarwood

I thought common wisdom was that the 996 interior was Toyotajunk.

Astro

911's were made to be manual... I'm sure the tip is nice in stop and go traffic, but other than that, it's not the legend...good luck and keep us posted.

dkraige

For as much crap as the 996 takes for having a lousy interior and Toyota design, why does NOBODY ever talk about the fact that the 997 literally has a Honda emblem in the center of the dash???

Cuda911

I used to have one, a '78 stick. Actually, a very fun little car. Looked just like this one:

B-ran

I've never experienced a stock 997 exhaust, though my dad does have an 06 S. I believe he's got a fabspeed setup on it, and I think it sounds amazing, better than the fabspeed setup I had on my Boxster S. I have to say though, as much as I absolutely adore my 996, I think the 997 is just much more well built. The interior, while looks are definitely subjective, seems a little more cockpit like to me, which is just a feeling I like. The seating position is just night and day compared to my 99. In my car I feel like I'm a giant cramed into it, like I'm almost riding on top of the car instead of in it. In my dad's 997 I feel planted in it, again that cockpit feeling. Now he also has an 03 996 cab that he'll be selling soon (it has a full engine rebuild by flat6 I believe), and the seating in there actually feels a bit better than my car, but not quite as good as the 997. Driving the 997 the rear end doesn't feel nearly as heavy as mine does, also the front end seems to dance less, all around it just feels a bit more planted and stable, almost like the engine was closer to the middle of the car than over the ****. But all in all I absolutely love my 996. Even though she's a 99 she has .2 headlights, areo, ducktail, etc. I love the raw simplicity of it, down to the cable operated throttle and the cable operated frunk and engine compartment lid. No nanny aids, just three pedals, a stick, and a wheel. The stock exhaust, while lacking the burbles and pops and roar of the fabspeed I had on the boxster, does let me hear more flat six rawness. Yup, she's a keeper

johnireland

I was referring to the new Fiestas...and I know they can actually be fun to drive but the center console is like a tsunami of plastic lunging out at you. The little yellow one in you picture looks like it could be a great little street fighter.

johnireland

Your picture looks like it may be the base model but with sport chrono and the pimp white gauges as an option. Regular black gauges would take a lot of the curse off the 997 dash. The center console in you picture doesn't look as vulgar. The 997 steering wheel just has no sense of style. I find the 996 much nicer and you are looking at a 17 year old car. The best I can say about the 997 dash bright work is that it makes me think of Audi TT bling...or something out of a SEMA show.







I also found the sport chrono package less than usfull...except with a tiptronic. The sport mode ride was too harsh for LA streets and the normal mode was too soft. The old school solution was to just get more aggressive shocks and keep the springs stock. The rest was up to the driver.

dporto

"Driving the 997 the rear end doesn't feel nearly as heavy as mine does, also the front end seems to dance less, all around it just feels a bit more planted and stable, almost like the engine was closer to the middle of the car than over the ****."

^^^Sounds like your '99 might need a little suspension work...

Cuda911

I dunno, kinda looks like you have Jada Pinkett-Smith's butt embossed on yours.

gnat

So glad I like our 4 spoke better. If I had to look at a 3 I'd never get that image out of my head

johnireland

or something else. actually the light is playing tricks...that is not an indent, it is a peak.