Why Choose a 996 Above All Else?

Hi! I've been mainly viewing this forum for years now & I can't recall if this question has been covered before, but what the hell! :devil: Around four years ago I picked up a 2000 3.4 996 - this, over the 993, M3, Scoob, Evo etc, etc. (Mind you, if money was no issue, I think a 996 Turbo would be presently parked in the garage, but that's a different subject). Having owned an 86 3.2 911 about 12 years ago (for a while), I was sufficiently hooked to eventually want another one, hence the 996. But why the 996? In many respects it seems to lack logic, but I still prefer 911's over most machinery out there!? :? The Scoobs just didn't cut the mustard with me. Away from the engine & performance, they seemed very basic & there was just too much wizardry involved. And, in my opinion, they look "wrong" somehow. Though it has to be said that they're very "planted" & stupidly swift! M3 BM's? At the time, not quite there. Maybe it's that BM tag that helped tarnish my opinion though? Having said that, the M5 power delivery is nowt short of spectacular! I've only been in an early Evo, but the power delivery was mad as toast! That said, far too manic for my liking! Obviously the 993 is a great looking car, but too "old school" by today's standards IMO. I took someone along with me to look at a late Cab once (not a Porsche person) & they genuinely thought I was joking as soon as they discovered what the asking price was in relation to power & interior etc! Talk about a rude awakening... I still love 'em though. Maybe as an extravagant second or third car one day!!? I think the 993 is definitely a "Porsche Nut" car! So last in line for viewing was the 996. :wtf: Well, it's possibly the best car I've ever driven! So far, in four years of ownership, it's been cheap(ish) to run, swift, handles superbly & IMO an almost descent interior! And fun too! A world apart form the 3.2 then! We all know the potential problems associated with the 996 c: (show me a car that doesn't have any), but you plan accordingly. Anyhow, four years on & since the purchase, I've been lucky enough to spend time in the 550 Maranello, the Gallardo & the 997 Turbo. The power is awesome in all these motors, but I'm still loving the humble 996 experience. Weird! So having owned an air and water cooled Porker, I think they're both cool! But I'm genuinely interested why people ended up with the 996 over all else!? We know they ain't the fastest kit on the road by a long shot (for the price), but we still love 'em! Why!? :?:

Mobs. Only you know the reason why you posted this so in-depth emotion to why you would rather drive a 911 over other able cars. I don't think you need us to comment other than to re-afirm that you are driving engineering excellence. I need to go to bed now because of the drink......... I'll probably look in the garage one last time......!

interesting post, I've had mine for a year now and it's been very inexpensive to own (touch wood) so far. As to why I ended up with it that's a good question. For me, i think it was probably one of those moments when I thought back over the years as a boy and a young man when the thought of owning a Porsche and specifically a 911 just seemed to be a dreamy aspirational thought. Then when i could afford one there was lots of reasons not to buy one with a young family etc etc. I realised that we're only on this planet once, i could step out of the showroom and go under a bus and having had fun in a TVR but shocked at the build quality I appreciated the engineering pedigree of Porsche. I also wanted a 911 because it wasn't a compromise like a Scooby or Evo which i still think is basically a family saloon car made to go quick.The 911 is for me the epitome of a performance car and when i bought it i got everything ..... great history, build quality, performance, brand status and the realisation of what used to be a poster on my bedroom wall

:yeah: (including the TVR) I did have a 993 for 4 years first though... Same thoughts about the interior, but was sensible price when I bought it nearly 8 years ago! It would probably be nearly the same price today with the same mileage as I paid in 2001 - which is just daft IMO. Done well over 60,000 miles in my 996 and apart from routine servicing (mostly done at Specialists) and tyres, I have only needed one MAF, one radiator, coil packs, a brake pedal switch, one track-rod end and I think it now needs some new suspension bushes all-round.

I wanted a car that I could drive everyday and as I do around 1,000 miles a month decided a 993 wasn't the car to do it in. I could never see the point in having two cars cause even if going to the shop for the paper, I want to drive the car that puts a smile on my face. Having said that, I'm still trying to figure out how I landed with a 996 and Golf on the driveway :?

The 996 is a 911 and why wouldn't you want one? I too would take one over most other marques all day long. My choice would be a late C4S. A 993 for me is a wonderful car but I am a daily driver that likes mod cons so not for me. The only issue with the 996 is that a 997 is so cheap these days and will probably give you lower cost motoring in terms of maintenance. I didn't buy a 997 because they were cheap. I wanted a 996 C4S and talked myself into a new 997 C2S - which I love however having paid £75K for mine there are times when I ask myself whether I would have been happier with a 996 and half the monthly payment still in my bank at the end of the month. If that were the case, I would have undoubtedly traded up by now given current 997 prices.

In all the years I've been a Porsche Nut, I've always been trying to get to the bottom of what makes them so special - hence the post. It's nice to know that there is still a strong emotional drive amongst the owners (even if they are the, ahem, water cooled variety!!!!!!). The everyday driver element was also a huge plus for me too - and I find yearly maintenance cheaper than my damned Puma. Seriously!! Current prices are just one of those things I guess & we just gotta live with it. All relative anyhow. abcheetham made the classic point too IMO relating to the history/heritage factor. I remember the Top Trump card in the 70's that first drew me to the marque! Very few companies have this element to draw on - which I guess is another reason (over & above the mechanical/performance thing of course) why Porsche folks are so unique! You only have to read the forums & go to the Porker events to see what a topper bunch they are! :lol: :worship:

why buy a 996 I have a 996 c4s wide body cabriolet and I very much like it, I do not believe that there are any other brands which offer such stunning looks handling and pure heritage. Those things together with the driving satisfaction make Porsche the only realistic supercar to own. Pure class. However as a former motor engineer I do believe the engineering quality to be poor contrary to what most owners think. The body work is high quality but the engine components leave so much to be desired, example poor steel quality on exhuast manifolds, inferior hose and exhaust clips etc, all done at cheapest cost to manufacture. However like you all I will live with it for there is no other car that I would want. Yes the 996 is a superb piece of kit thats why I bought one, and yes values are falling so grab a bargain, the reason they are falling is because they were so overpriced to start with, 85k mine when new, I could have bought two lorries for that amount,no wonder Porsche are so cash rich, Dr Wiedeling must think the worlds nuts to pay his prices. Maybe we are nuts but we only come this way once. :roll:

Does any other car look,sound,smell,drive, as good/as well as a 996? No other car that I can find. Mines turned from a purchase for ocasional use to an everyday comuter and works well for both purposes.Getting to know it well and the love is still growing. I" ll keep searching.

buying the best car for my budget that catered for my criteria criteria was the GT3