lookin to buy my first P-Car... 996 or 997

Since the 996's rolled out i fell in love. And like many threads here i've read, i think it's time for me to finally treat myself. I'm thinking the years of 02 and up for the turbo looking lights. Prices despite 997 rolling out still seem to be up there. So, my question is, should i opt to get the 996 or should i spend the extra loot and just get a 997? BTW, both cars are awesome!! cheers,

Only you can answer the question whether or not the 997 is worth the extra money. A decently equipped '03 996 with low miles will cost around $55K whereas a decently equipped '06 997 will cost around $80K. Test drive both cars and determine if the 997 is worth the extra $25K. My experience has been that most Porsche owners take a great deal of pride in their cars and do a great job of maintaing them. A low mileage CPO '03 996 is a great value.

Honestly I love my 04, when the 997 was launched, i went to go look at the car, and it was nice but it didn't have that WOW factor for me to switch. I suggest you drive both, and see which one id better for you, your wallet will love you for the 996 , and with the extra cash you can make it your own. keep us up to date

I bought a 1 yr. old 996 not long after the 997 rolled out. The 996 can be had for considerable saving over 997 as discussed above and in non-S version has the same engine with same torque plus 5 extra HP (different induction or mapping I think). The standard 997 seems to be very much an evolution of the 996 with the 993 style body the main attraction. I'm not into retro looks so that doesn't sway me enough to cough up the minumum $10k premium for a 997 over an '04 996. Also, though this is personal, I do not like the 997 interior - trendy and flashy. I think the 996 interior is hard and focused - some will say plain.

thanks guys for your reply. I've also been hearing about oil leaking with the 996 engines the rear main seal and either cam or block. Have any of you heard of this and is this a recall item or is this typical to the 996 motor?

search RMS, and enjoy your week reading all the posts about it!

thanks!

The oil leaks you talk about have been found in all years 996 and 997. Not all cars have the problem maybe 10% no one knows but Porsche. There has never been a recall. It's not a safety issue. Most cars that have had the problem (RMS) have been fixed under warrenty. It seems then that most never have the problem again. A few cars have been fixed three or more times and still leak. The cam leaks you mentioned are far more rare that the RMS leaks. Porsche has redesigned the RMS at least 4 times. Each time there is hope that they have solved this problem but it seems that they have not. The cam leaks also seem to be easy to fix.

2 words.....Test Drive then buy mine!

how much are you sellin yours... i'm looking to pick one up in March time frame! btw, i've test drove my share to know i think i really want one even with those RMS issues.

There is a black 996 02 with low miles selling for $47k on this forum. I think 02 is a great deal compared to 03-04 bc of depreciation. Only downside on 02 is that warranty will run out very quickly.

certain things i'm looking for are the turbo lights and tip with black interior. i'm pretty sure there are tons of them out there.

It really comes down to your bank account in this decision. If the 997 is financially painful "stretch", go with the high value used CPO 996 option. If we're talking pocket change, 997 for sure!

tip will be hard to find. kirby's is a tip and it's local in nor cal

but it's a Graphite Ghey interior.

eh.. i want black. BTW, just throwing some ideas... if I do get a 997 the 6 series is roughly the same price. Would you guys consider that. just playing with options? however, i think my heart is still with the p-car.

I'd get a 997 over a 6 series... Sure I can't change your mind about a GG interior? haha

Buy mine so that I can get a 997s or 04 gt3

if money is a big issue, any 2002 and later 996 is a great choice. if you don't mine spending the mony, buy 997. it's a better stiffer chassis. if you already have 996, i don't feel it's worthwhile to move to 997 (YMMV).

what's YMMV?

YMMV: you mileage may vary.

There is an article on RMS issues in the October 2005 Total 911 magazine. This article may help with any RMS questions. k

i think despite the RMS, i'm still getting it. I doubt all 996's have this problem. I just need to make sure the one i'm getting still has warrenty and is in good condition. itzikirb - how much are you sellin your car?

997s suffer from RMS problems as well.....the only way to avoid it is go TT or GT3

unfortunately this is not entirely correct - there are posters on here that have GT3's with RMS issues - albeit not quite the same frequency or severity of the normal 996 engine

you guys have been really supportive... i appriciate it.

I recently went to my Porsche dealer with the intention of ordering an '06 997. While there, I test drove an '05 997S, '02 996TT, and an '02 996C4S. I've read all the reviews on the new 997 Carerras and how they were a significant improvement over the 996 generation. I ended up buying the '02C4S. Here's why; 1. I found the 997 too refined. The cabin is well-insulated from road noise, wind noise, engine noise, and exhaust noise. The C4S felt and sounded more the way I like it....more sensory stimulation without being harsh or crude. 2. If the 997 is more capable, I couldn't tell. The 996's performance envelop is awesome and I felt the bottleneck to the degree I would enjoy my Porsche was my limitations, not the dynamic limitations of the 996. 3. While not a major factor, the new looking '02 C4S with 30k miles was $65,000 and a new 997 optioned out the way I wanted it would be ~$80,000 ('06 prices went up). Bottom line: a test drive is much more illuminating than reading the reviews. As Porsche says: "Imagining is not the same as knowing."

well said... so hows that 4wd compared to a 2wd?

I can only compare to my last two cars, the '02 BMW M3 and '01M5. It rained hard yesterday. With my M cars, especially the M5 with all its torque, driving under such conditions was like driving on ice. With the C4S, it seemed to drive no different than when it's dry. Granted, my courage ran out before I found the car's grip limits, but needless to say, it was impressive. In dry weather, I can now floor the throttle much earlier coming out of turns. In fact, I haven't seen the PSM activated yet. I live in Vegas, so AWD was not my primary concern. I like the C4S because it looks distinctive, and as someone mentioned above, I think the interior in the 996 better matches the car's personality and exterior design...sporty, curvey, and simple.

My 2 cents: also depends on where you want to go with your car. Some people like to mod their cars with aero kits, different seats, suspension, wheels, sticky tires, track time, etc. With used, you'll have more more money for that stuff. If you're a leave-it-alone and keep it forever type, then a 997 could be good, too.

thanks... i think i am going with the 996... now, whether to go c4s or c2s is the next step.

C2 - more fun to drive IMO