911 Choices - 996C4S / 997C2 or 996 anniversary edit

Hi, This is my first post on the forum so a big hello to all. Like many i have been lurking for a while gathering info and trying to decide which Porsche would best suit my budget and requirements. I will soon be in a position to purchase and as per the title of this thread i have narrowed my choices down to these three: Late 996 C4S - Really like the design of these, however good ones seem to be apporaching the cost of an early 997. Early 997C2 - Probably not as good looking as the C4S but interior seems better and more modern not sure there is much of a diff in performance, (has anyone driven both? - would be interesting to hear views) 996 Aniv - bit of a wild card but they seem well spec'd and have slightly more power although as they seem slightly rarer may take a while to find a good one, is the performance over a std 996 C2 noticable? To be honest i would be more than happy with any of the above but i would be interested to hear anyones views, opinions and experiences with these models which may enable me to narrow my selection. I live in the channel islands so its not so easy for me to have a good look at these models face to face. Many thanks, Mankers.

Although this may be hard to do I strongly suggest you drive all 3. The C4S is a different drive from the C2. The 997 probably very close to the anniversary. But then the anniversary is 'fully loaded', with LSD, PSM, X51 powerkit and will probably retain more value than a 997C2. If value retention is a major factor then the C4S is the one for you. If 'purer' drive then probably Anniv, if modern feel then 997C2. All this is just opinions though, you really have to drive them all, that is half the fun anyway, good luck... :thumb:

Also, if you like the styling of the C4S, have you considered a 996 Turbo? Especially if you are concerned about the performance of a 996...

I'd second the Turbo... If you haven't driven a 996 Turbo, I'd add this to the pot for consideration...

mmm, im thinking i may need a few flights over to the uk for test driving weekends. Thanks for your views Stuart very helpful and it makes sense what you say about value retention. My choices over here are very limited and when cars do pop up they are approx 3-5k over priced compared to uk so i would import myself. Wattie/Kiwi - An interesting thought the Turbo, are they laggy at the bottom end, compared with the NA models? Over here alot of the driving is fairly slow paced im sorry to say, however France and the rest of the continent is just a short boat ride away! another thing i probably should consider is the width of the car, many of the roads over here can get pretty narrow, im just thinking the extra width of the C4S or indeed the Turbo could be an issue...ahem and we wont mention the island wide 40mph speed limit your honour :judge:

Hmmm... Channel islands - 40mph speed limit. What torture for driving a 911!. On the other hand, great weather. Surely you need a Boxster then, for just posing around in rather than serious driving? Maybe in a garish colour with an exhaust mod for louder burble at 1500rpm? JUST KIDDING before all the Boxster owners jump on my head!

Hi Mankers, welcome to the search club. I am in a similar predicament - trying to fathom the best option: late 996C4S (3.6) or early 997 C2S (3.8) As mentioned, the 997 has the better interior and nicer 993-retro look BUT assuming the same purchase price - which will depreciate more over the next 2-3 years ?

997C2 for me...

Hi Mankers I bought my c4s cab two years ago and took it to my indie for some jobs, he said that his other customers all said wow is that for sale!. That just tells you why the 996 c4s is special also when parked next to a normal 996 or 997 it looks so fantasically different, you would think it was a different car altogether. It actually looks like a 993 from the sides and rear especially with the red reflective strip on the boot lid .IMHO the interior of the late 996 is so much better than a997 its one of the main reasons I will not trade up to a 997, its just so well ...Porsche , i think the new interiors are so bmw ish and have no individuality, mine has black crested sports seats, the new shape cant shake a stick at them, also the dashboard seems more solid and Porsche ish, just buy the best you can and well specced make sure its got every option possible mine looks great with full black leather and full alu pack with matching silver dials and steering wheel, make sure you get the pse if possible and full history and warranty good luck and enjoy oh and dont worry about the extra width it wont be a problem all the best. Mike

I always said I would never have a Turbo, because of the Turbo Lag (I used to rally a SAAB 99 EMS back in the '80s, rather than a Turbo - for exactly that reason). Funny thing is, I test drove the Turbo I now own and... bloody hell!!! - the acceleration is mind-blowing and, you know what, I had to really think whether I noticed any turbo-lag, when you posted that, so I guess that answers the question? :?: Then again, I have the Tiptronic S box and the software does a good job of keeping the revs up when you want to play! :thumb: Unlike some other autos, you only need one quick stab of the throttle OR brake pedal and it instantly switches into 'sports' mode. WRT width, I come over to Jersey / Guernsey once or twice a year... Haven't been over in the Turbo yet, but I found the narrow body C4 absolutely fine and the C4S and Turbo are only wider at the rear, the mirrors are the same. So the proximity of all your lovely stone walls is not really an issue (I'll tell you if I come over again any time soon!)

Hi Mike, great write-up and you make a good case for the C4S. What do you think will fare better with regard to depreciation, a late C4S or early C2S ?

Hi thats a hard question to answer it depends on so much, I think and so do some others that the c4s will hold value better but hey the c2s is very good too. it depends on whats paid and what spec and condition and colour, personally I believe that the c4s will fare better. I have seen several c2s theres one near me at Humprey Vargus at Diss and its not selling, again it looks good from the outside but I wouldnt buy it because I dont like the interiors. Also theres still a lot of depreciation to come off the 997 as yet whereas the 996 is about at bottom, so imho maybe I will say the better bet would be the 996c4s. Mike

Thanks Mike - that is similar to my thinking. The C4S has depreciated more than the C2S and therefore it stands to reason that the C2S should lose more over th next few years. The reason I was asking was that I am not sure if the fact that they are so close in price whether the C2S will hold its valude better as people opt for the newer shape 997 to the older shape C4S

Thanks for all your comments, some interesting points. Cheers Mike for your C4S summary, they do really look great thats for sure. I guess my next problem will be finding the right spec PSE is almonst vital! mileage in the low 30's or lower (resale in the channel islands is very mileage sensitive). Not bothered by PCM, my biggest priority is the PSE. I would settle for an exhaust by-pass mod as a last resort. I do like Turbo charged cars, i have owned a few in the past and currently own one now, i guess there would be extra servicing costs to consider and also the car itself would more than likely be older than a respective C4S or 997 (harder to get that one past the mrs)...'how much for a 9-10 year old car?'! Im over in the UK next month so i will be sure to have a look at a few. i guess at this point in time i am leaning towards the C4S as intially this was my first pic. many thanks again all.

Mankers if youre still thinking about a c4s, I just took mine out to Southwold and a gentleman in a brand new bm cab 010 reg pulled up and said to me "your cars fantastic thats what I want to get one day" also the cashier at the shell garage said whilst I was paying may I say thats a beautiful car! That tells you what to buy Mankers ,thought I would share that with you all the best Mike