996 vs 986(7)

I currently have a 2000 986S and was at the dealership drooling over the 987 when my fiance dragged me over to a 996 cab on the lot and pointed to the rear seats (such as they are). "Look," she said, "if you had one of these I could put my seat back." Sure enough, she has back problems and thus hates to ride any longer than an hour in my beloved boxster. Needless to say, this has put a damper on spontaneous roadtrips and drives to a B&B with the top down and the wind in our hair. So, I nodded, said "yes dear" and promised to look into a 996. Now, I know next to nothing about 911's except that, like boxsters, they are subject to the dreaded RMS failure (which, thankfully I have never suffered). So, I am here asking for guidance, opinions (both objective and subjective), and facts and issues to keep in mind when purchasing a 996. There is a 2001 with low miles and an apparent clean history and a decent price for sale close to me.

I can sympathize with your plight with your fianc�. My wife loves to sleep in the car on longer trips and continually complained about my Boxster prior to our marriage. As a current Boxster S owner you are already familiar with the maintenance and Porsche ownership and the 996 is no different than your Boxster in that regard. The driving experience is different in the 996 vs. the 986S but I will let you reserve the opinion which is better for you. In comparing the �01 996 with your 986S you will find the 996 has more power across the band and is easier to use the torque without being in the exactly correct gear than the 986S. However, the car is not as nimble as the 986S and you can feel the weight behind you in the 996. In stock US suspension set up the 996 has more float to me in the front end than the 986S. I can�t comment on the 987S because I have not had extensive seat time in one yet. The power is very similar to the �01 996 and the car weighs less. I think the 987S ride is more refined and better sort out with a more �on rails� feel than the 986S (and it was a very good ride in of itself). The interior of the 987S is better than the 996 IMHO (but that is really down to preference). Drive them all and see which you like better.

Search is your friend. This questions has been asked countless times. You will get the same general themes over and over plus all the opinions. Get a PPI done, get the CPO warrranty, run a Carfax, etc.

I have a 996, and will have a 987S delivered next month. Brian is dead on with the difference in driving experience between a 996 and the 986. It also translates to the 987S. The 996 also drives quieter in the cockpit than the 987S. For equal money, you get more with the 996 cab. Look at 2002 or newer 996's, though, rather than the '01. There is nothing wrong with the '01, but there were significant improvements 2002 and up. Improvements worth the money, IMHO.

Palting, Could you give a short summary of the differences between the '01 and '02? The '01 I am looking at is at a dealer and is certified (I figured it's worth the premium with RMS lurking out there), has plenty of options and can probably be had for around 50K, give or take. I am pretty familiar with boxster models, pricing and options but I am just at the beginning of my 996 research. Thanks. Randy

Aside from the obvious change to the headlights, there were revisions to the aerodynamics on the front end to decrease lift and to increase the air flow through the radiators for better cooling capacity. Additionally the chassis was stiffened by something like 15-20%. There was a increase in HP and torque along with a change in the distribution of such along the rpm range. The result was a more satisfying seat of your pants power and torque band. There were other tweaks and improvements such more elegant (but still crappy IMHO) cup holders, the addition of a glove compartment, the Bose HI/FI option (2003+ have MOST which makes a hardwired Ipod installation almost impossible), and some other items which I can�t think of off the top of my head. The popular options of the Boxster are also popular options with the 996. IMHO the certified preowned is a very nice feature.

And the '02+ cars are significantly stiffer torsionally, something like 20%.

Looks like they beat me to the punch . The torsional stiffness is particularly important since you are considering a cab. Rear window in the cab is also now glass with integral defroster rather than polycarbamate.

and 3.6 vs the 3.4 in the 2001 -

Agree with Brian's comments. Having owned several 911's before my Boxster S, I was never quite happy with the Boxster; it was a quick and nimble car for sure, but at the end of the day I'd rather have a 911. I think your fiance is probably also thinking babies in the back of her head (if she's like most women) and, if you plan to have kids while you own the car, then the 996 would come in very handy with its back "seats".