TonyTwoBags

+1. I drove a 987 first but fell for the 996 based on the comparatively raw & practical nature of the 911. The ergonomics are top notch imo & interior material quality can be mitigated with some parts updates.

"Fits like a glove"
-young photojournalist that drove mine last year

wyo

my 996 is a car that I can use how I want and not worry about it - I have not put the top up since I took it out for the summer and have been driving it everyday

Rdrcr

Great post! I gotta agree...

Mike

lowpue

The 996 is just a great car, its a great platform to mess around with and not worry about ruining its value (a problem with most older Porsches. It has all of the important safety features but isn't overloaded with stability crap. The manual keeps me very involved which I don't feel in my PDK/double clutch cars. Frankly, My 996 is my favorite car and I have a bunch of nice ones. So I would not even look at it as a starter car. Its just fun to play with on the track, in the shop, and with the right mods it looks fantastic...headlights and all. Here it is next to my newest car which is a technological wonder and a visceral rush...but it only lasts for a few seconds and then you have to deal with the constant attention (which is fun for awhile) but the 996, I can really drive, and enjoy and its me driving.

peterp

This is exactly how I feel. I don't think about it as a starter car at all -- it's just a great car period. It's my favorite DD by far and I've owned 30+ cars. The new 911's are really nice, but they aren't lightweight sports cars like the 996.

peterp

Regarding the 996 headlights, I really disliked them when they first came out because they were such a radical departure from all of the models before. I also did not like that they were shared with the Boxter. Fast forward to today, and I actually like the headlights a lot. The 996 is a modern car and the headlights fit the car very well. It was a radical change when first introduced, but for me, time has proven they were right to design them as they did. I would not change the headlights at all even if I could and I actually prefer the 996.1 over the 996.2.

I also did not love the body shape of the 996 when it first came out. I think they designed it too much by wind tunnel. Today, I am still not in love with the shape of the 996 versus other models. The 996 still looks great, but I like the overall body shape of most of the other 911 models better (except maybe the 964, which looks too bulky for my taste). That said, the 996 is the most fun to drive, so I never think about the body shape at all and I genuinely like the headlights.

peterp

I would love to hear about and/or see your interior upgrades Tony if you care to share.

5CHN3LL

If I liked newer Porsches, I'd agree with the "starter Porsche" comment - but I hate the bigger/heavier interiors with dozens of switches and LEDs and touchscreens. The track-focused models have less crap, but I don't want to spend track-focused Porsche money to "upgrade" from something I'm completely satisfied with.

The 996 has plenty of electronics, there's no denying it - but at least most of them are hidden away doing important car-type things like igniting the wiring in my dashboard...

As for why I'm completely satisfied with a car that seems like it's been trying to kill me since June - well, I'm just too dense to catch on to such things.

VivG

Preferring more analog cars doesn't necessarily stop the 996 from being a great starter Porsche, I don't think those are mutually exclusive qualities.

But yes, the only interesting upgrades from 996 are either marginal improvements at best, or $$$$.

Craq

I went from a '92 Corvette, mildly modified to a stock '99 996, low optioned car. On paper the performance of these two cars is similar. Very different driving experience. The Corvette felt heavy, you wondered where the limits were. Also, the Corvette probably started rattling on the assembly line. Don't get me wrong, I loved that car, but the 996 is a much more civilized driving experience, and you don't sacrifice performance to get there.

TonyTwoBags

I've shared them in some interior threads but here are a couple to give you an idea..

OEM(ish) cabin upgrades:
- gauge cover in leather (eBay)
- silver dash trim strip (Suncoast)
- Center console (eBay - LA Dismantler)
- horseshoe (eBay)
- gauge backsplash (eBay)
- 40th AE gauge cluster (eBay)
- blue tachometer decal (whitegauges.net)
- center console delete (Suncoast) I'm 6'1" so this is a great upgrade.. more room for the right leg to rest & not get sore resting on the console. The last Carrera with an open lower dash configuration!
- 997 shifter (Suncoast)
- charcoal Lloyd Ultimats (eBay)

It's been a year+ mission to redo it to my liking, but it's done . I love the new interior, not too flashy and the gray is properly broken up with silver trim that matches the wheel finish & rear decal.

peterp

Very nice. Thanks for sharing. As you saw in my other thread, I'm changing out my factory interior color gauge faces for black and I'm also changing a few other items at the same time as you have done. In my case, it was too much Savannah Beige -- even on the dials! -- it will be broken up a bit when I'm done. I will post before/after pics in the other thread.

TonyTwoBags

Cool, have fun & good luck finding the right parts for reasonable $$. I tried to buy that 40th AE cluster last year and my offer was rejected. I sent another offer this summer at the same price and the guy accepted! Patience pays in these refreshes

Search Tempest for aggregated Craigslist searches
eBay is reliable
Suncoast, AutoAtlanta, PelicanParts & others really help as well.