I love my 996

Man, these are great cars. With what frankly amounts to a lot of negativity on here and elsewhere re bore scoring, AOSs, IMSB failures etc. etc. etc., I fear that some prospective owners won't take the plunge, and they will be worse for it. Took my '00 cab to this month's Cars und Kaffe here locally . Bombing down I-15, shooting around the on- and off-ramps, it struck me that this is the best-driving 911 out of many great ones I've owned over a few decades of loving these cars (with notables including an 83 911SC; a 72 911T with a 3.2; a 72 911E with a 2.7 RS engine clone; a 69 911T, several 951s, a 924 with a 951 driveline..) It's the perfect combination of old-school 911 feel and modern (yes!) reliability and smoothness. Despite all the cool cars at the event, all I could think about was getting back into my 996 and doing it again. This car makes the ones I regret selling easier to deal with. If you don't have one, just do it - buy one. My only caution: if a 996 is your first Porsche, you will be spoiled moving over to anything else.

Best bang for the buck in the P world. I laugh at the hardcore air cooled guys that dog the 996 out. If they ever got behind the wheel of one they'd sing a different tune! Also, the unique headlights are sexy!

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Totally,. The old pre 90s cars drive like crap, which is why I sold my 87 targa over a year ago and just recently my 928....there is nothing like the modern cars and the 996 modernized everything without the over kill on the computers

Of course, it�s a 911. I dunno where some of these other comments are coming from though. My 88 3.2 Carrera and other older 1970�s 911s I�ve driven, as well as newer 991 base Carreras and a 2019 GT3 all drove excellent. I�m not sure the older cars I had were any less reliable either.

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Biggest difference is versus the carbureted cars. I can keep the synchrometer holstered. It�s great to have a car that just starts and runs the same every time.

I can't wait to get mine out of the shop and back on the road so I can enjoy it! Mike

Um,,, My 69 wasn't as powerful but it drove good as my 996,, lighter and way more nimble in the twisties,, no power anything and finger light steering,, lighter, stopped faster. but 175 HP isnt 320.. If they were not over 50K now I'd have another.. I owned mine for about 10 years it was about the same as a air cooled bug for maintenance.. I tore the engine down and put it back together with nothing but a Chiltons.. Just to re-ring and check bearings,, no damage.. Running the valve clearance was a 45 minute job about once a year. In about a hundred K miles,, it got oil changes, new plugs, new wires.. Actually worked out to be the cheapest car I've owned.. Bought it for 6500 sold it for 5500 and it needed a new pan.. the one weakness the old ones had,, non galvanized sheet metal.

This thread is rather timely (and I couldn�t agree more), as my 996 had a guest over this weekend and I spent time tinkering/cleaning/driving a nice little 993 targa. Super cool, but just can�t understand how these are worth three times plus what the 996s go for. I realize nostalgia is what powers the classic car market but to live with on the daily, I�ll take my 996... particularly for the cost of entry. The 993 also really makes me love my e30 all the more. Similar vintage surroundings and driving experience (mine not a stock e30) but for a fraction of the cost. There�s a reason folks say the 996 is one of the biggest bangs for the buck in all of the sports car world and they are dead right!

Although I don't have the experience with older Pcars like you, I couldn't agree with you more. I live in the Henderson area and have this little stretch of road I like to open my C4 cab up. I enter 215 from Pecos heading West exiting Eastern. Then enter 215 from Eastern heading East exiting Pecos. It's my little personal race track. I haven't timed myself yet, maybe next time.

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, My 12 minute commute to work has two routes, the long way or the short way...They both get me there in 12 minutes, but the long way is full of twists and turns, ups and downs and I can push it (if I don't get stuck behind an old Asian lady)= so much fun!

^ I rarely take the shortest, most direct route.

Totally agree with the thoughts above. Have been a BMW guy for a long time. Have several including a well modded e30M3. That car is well balanced and a total blast to drive. Just got my 03 911 a few months ago. Love it. Very different drive. Lots of torque, very settled and well planted. Great car for road tripping in. Have not tracked it yet but after baffles will give it a run. Neither is wrong...just different. And opening my garage to either of them puts a BIG smile on my face... Anyway...drive what you love and love what you drive.

I bought a 996 because I wasn't sure how much I would like it and didn't want to blow the extra $10K on a 997. Now, I'm not sure I would want to pay more to move to a more recent model. I love the simplicity of the instruments and console. I wasn't sure about the headlights and now I look at it and go why the hell was I even worrying about it. It drives like a 911 and I can actually do my own work on the car. For me, its perfect.

The only downside to a 996 vs a 997 or 991 is if you intend on daily driving it. The car is 15-20 years old and old things need work if the mileage starts to accumulate. Plus, values may start to climb, so putting on miles will lower values over time. That said, I drive my car 5,000+ miles a year. But I would consider getting a daily now that my 996 is becoming a classic.

I am a new 996 owner as of last week. After two and a half years of 1986 944 ownership, I decided to plunge into 911 ownership. I have had a couple of nice long drives in the 996, admittedly mostly freeway driving, but driving this car is sublime. I have driven a couple of 991 GT3 RS�s and a 991 GT3, which are beyond amazing cars, but you can�t beat the fun/dollar equation you get from owning the 996. The 944 is super fun to drive as well, but having another 150 HP or so to play with increases grin width exponentially.

The 996 is a wonderful car if you can get past all the hype both negative and positive.

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Oh man that must be a nice drive! When I lived on Oahu, I had a commute that had 2 routes... one was all freeway and the other was 1/3 through the sugarcane fields and was a little twisty, I had an A4 Avant back then. My Cab would definitely get me into trouble if I was back on the island with it.

I bought my 996 C2 seven years ago and enjoy driving it every day to commute. I understand that most people (like I do) attend this forum to report/solve mechanical problems but it is nice to read satisfied Porsche owners.

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This my feeling exactly. My favorite model has always been, and still is, the 1972 911e (with 2.4l engine). The "s" was the top model, but as they were originally delivered from the factory, the "s" was not very fun to drive at anything less than 10/10ths because they had no low-end torque. The 911e felt a lot faster, and was a lot faster in everyday driving, because it had a lot more low-end torque than the "s" (and of course the "t"). Don't flame me about the "s" comments -- most today have been tuned to drive better now, but when new from the factory, that's how they drove. The reason the 996 is my second favorite Porsche to drive is because it reminds me a lot of the early 911e's. At 2900 lbs (6sp/coupe/2wd) is about 530(!) lbs heavier than the 1972 911e, but with 300hp (vs 165) and power steering, it feels a lot like the 911e in terms of being tossable. Not as visceral as the "e", but a lot faster, a lot more comfortable, handles a lot better, a lot more practical, a lot more creature comforts. Even the torque curve of the 996 reminds me of the early 911's because you don't feel it really come on the cam until you rev it out. I'd still rather have a 911e, but vintage cars beat you up a bit in anything less than perfect weather and the 996 is great to drive all the time, so I call it a draw. It wasn't "love at first drive" with the 996. My first 996 was a Carrera 4 Tiptronic (back when they were new) and, with the Tip and the 4wd, I didn't find it that sporting to drive even though my wife loved it. The 6-speed/coupe/2wd is a whole different deal -- I love driving it and it is a "keep forever" car. If you get a chance to experience the lightest 996 available, it's impossible not to love it (in my opinion).

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Matt Farah of the smoking tire has been behind the wheel of several and he bashes the 996 every chance he gets. Don't understand his hate for it.

To put another spin on my reason for this thread, in an era of $40k Hondas and Toyotas, the 996 has become the ultimate cost-benefit analysis winner. I bought mine for $18.5k. I've had 2 trouble-free years with it. It could blow up tomorrow and I would have had my money's worth out of it already, and then some. The key is to buy well, such as getting one with the IMSB addressed already (as I did), or get it even cheaper with a good PPI and do that job yourself promptly. Then maintain it well. Do all of that, and surely the 996 has to be one of the best deals going today for smiles per mile or dollar.

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Matt Farah is an moron. I refuse to watch this "expert" spew his nonsense.

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Adding to your spin... i did did the latter and bought exactly what I wanted (a well optioned c4s) that was very nice, from the right kind of owner but a bit behind on maintenance (including no IMSB replacement). Used that and the few wear items from the PPI to bid the seller down a bit on his asking price and got a deal. Then spent the next 1.5yr doing all the wear items (including the IMSB) and now have a great 911 that�s more capable than any 911 that came before it. Even if the motor goes based on one of the other 911 modes of failure (sarcasm), I can rebuild the motor, put it back in a car I know to be up to spec in all other areas and still have less than half of what it cost new invested. And at that point I�ll have years of smiles under my belt. Im fine with all the public hate, I likely wouldn�t have a 911 otherwise.

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It's pretty obvious... He's a DOUCHE ! Oooo...I almost forgot, I love mine too - for all the reasons outlined in previous posts, and also because it's got a FSI 3.8 Stage II Track performer motor in it! This is not to say the stock 996 isn't a great car, just that it's really nice to know the motor will be good for the remainder of my lifetime and the extra power is just... extra power

Another Sunday morning drive here in Vegas, another non-stop smile...

I LOVE my little 996 I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Timely post. I sold my 99 aero on BaT back in March and miss it a lot. Sold my motorcycle a couple days ago to get some 911 money! Was thinking 997, but then asked myself why spend $35-$40k just for a nicer interior. Hoping to have another 996 in the garage soon. Just not sure if I want another coupe or a cab this time 🤔

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I must be the only person that felt like the 997 interior wasn't a big step forward. The seats and _some_ parts of the interior are slightly better, IMO, but the entire console feels very cheap to me. I don't think I've been in one with > 30k miles that doesn't have peeling stuff. I guess you can replace those but it just still feels like a 15 year old interior...nothing revolutionary.

Just did an overnight run with some fellow Pcar owners. Led a drive on Route 66 from Seligman through Oatman with overnight in Lake Havasu City. Came back via the back way to Prescott past Bagdad. Must have been 10,000 corners and straights with very light taraffic. FSI Stage II engine. Be smiling for weeks now!

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My feeling as well - I had considered "moving up" to a 997 and looked at a few. Can't justify it. The full leather interior on my 996 is 95% as good, IMHO, and maybe better in some ways. The 997 is a little faster, but more isolated feeling, again IMHO. I think there were still enough old-school guys at Porsche to keep the classic feel in the 996, while incorporating the increasingly Toyota-like manufacturing approach that Porsche adopted moving forward. After the 996, things marched closer and closer to Lexus or BMW - again, just MHO, no slam on 997 and 991 owners. I do love all Porsches...

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I'm not sure if you had "full leather" or not, but if not, it's what you have to get. I agree the plastic interiors are cheesy, but the full leather is super nice! No glove box? Less space to fill up with crap Between the center console box and the two door handle pockets there's plenty of space for junk.

As modern sports cars become more refined in every aspect, the raw neuro-experience you feel when driving a car like the Porsche 911 becomes less invigorating and engaging. Like the difference between true manual (i.e. clutch pedal) vs. auto-manual with paddle shifters. Luxury interiors shouldn't be the priority when purchasing a sports car. I want the performance pill that will ignite my endorphins. The 996 is my prescription.

Great posts on here. I too am a very happy 996 owner - 2002 C4S - daily driver over 4 yrs and still look for excuses to take it out. Have driven a friends 991 Turbo and just didn�t feel near as �one� with the car. Not nearly as connected. I get the itch for something new but just can�t justify the increased price vs little if any increased connection/enjoyment. Just can�t use any more performance than my car has on the roads without loss of enjoyment for fear of a big ticket. i could care less about deviated stitching, I just want to feel connected with the car and part of the process.

Sometimes you get the gold mine, sometimes you get the shaft; it's nice to read about the gold mines from time to time. My '99 is just about to roll over 100K miles - I bought it with 30ish. It's been on a tow truck exactly twice: once because the fuel pump crapped out, and once because of catastrophic wheel stud failure.

Yeah, I'm loving the 2000 C4 Cab that I bought a couple of months ago. All of the doom and gloom I read about the engine when I 1st logged on here admittedly scared the sh*t out of me but so far the car hasn't caused me any problems. Fingers crossed. It still needs a few things fixed and I've got a few mods planned but I'm in no rush to throw $ at it. The only things I've bought for it so far are a replacement manual for the radio and a Covercraft cover that I can use to cover the interior w/o raising and lowering the top (which to my way of thinking reduces wear/tear on the hydraulics and the need for a repair) that only cost a couple hundred $ but I'm looking at $2-5k for the repairs/mods if they get done. I still own/drive a 2002 Toyota MR2. Since they're both 2 seater rag tops, when I'm just cruising around, the experience is the essentially the same but when I turn the wick up on the 996, it's an entirely different story. Vive la difference!

Almost a year with my Targa and almost 5000 miles. I just can't stop driving it. Have done the IMSB, RMS, clutch, water pump, coils, plugs, expansion tank. Most of the needed maintenance items. Just turned 75K on the odometer. As a new Porsche owner, I love this car. Kyle

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That's the gist of it for me. Modern sporty cars have become extremely powerful. But you can rarely use that power on the road, and they feel disconnected and digital. The ROI just isn't there for me to justify the sky-high prices these days. It would be so great if the car manufacturers could harness the old school spirit AND the potential of current technology to produce a modern, high-performance lightweight sports car. Safety and emissions concerns, and the amenities expectations of non-trivial proportions of the buying public, altogether likely make that impossible. The closest I've felt to this was my old Subaru BR-Z, but unfortunately, Subaru/Toyota are determined to keep it underpowered. We need that car's feel and weight with 100+ more horsepower and a reasonable price tag. I understand the new Supra (mostly BMW) is seen by some as approaching that concept, but not to me - weight-wise, it's a pig, and expensive. And I understand it has the notorious newer BMW numb steering. Another tragedy there - my two old E90 3-series cars had some of the best steering I ever felt. Tough times to be a sports car enthusiast...

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For sure. I wonder is that will ever change.

I'm sure you have all seen this video, but it is still worth a 2nd or 3rd watch. It sums up the theme of this thread. DRIVETRIBE GARAGE: Jethro's Porsche 911 https://youtu.be/w6jCiB9dt0A

Reference 5chn3ll, I can never completely convince myself one way or another: goldmine or shaft. The adage every 996 is a $35k car, one way or another; rings true for me. I�m at $32k with a second set of fine shoes included. I�m driving a rebuilt 3.8 that had an IMSB fail 28,000 miles ago. Will I rebuild a motor if this one destructs. Oh hell yes! I�ve already rationalized the possible total investment of $50 large. A new 2002 M3 was $50,000ish new. I prefer the way this car drives now to what the new M3 drove like. My 996 ownership is absolutely everything I dreamed of getting from my 996. Parts are not gold plated. Not so many computers that I get spooked trying to troubleshoot or repair the car. I can use a Durametric. I can pimp the car any way I want and not give a rat�s *** about resale. The car feels like it always wants me to show it the whip. I can peg the gas and the freak machine rails corners with an insouciance like no other street car. Today, I did a 4.33 0-60 and 12.7 1/4. �Just because� on my way home from errands. Kind of surprised by the performance. 210 lb driver and 35 lb bag of dog food in the frunk. Normal idle launch, a/c and PSM off, stock Carrera II 18s/AS3+, 40degF and 93 octane. Don�t know the whp and torque for this 3.8 build, but I really enjoy the pep. Mostly keeps me from lusting after a 997.2S. Mostly. If I lived closer to a good track/s, my need for a different flavor of 911 would require review. But I am not gonna move just to be closer to a race Mecca. Probably. Unless my wife said it was ok. She will not. To be continued...

Bought mine in August, in a relatively short time I have been studying about the 996 and M96 engine. I've been driving and tracking BMW for 25yrs, my first P car was a 1991 968 with the best shifting transmission I have ever had the privilege to row. Must say that I live scared of tracking the car due to all the scary stuff floating on the www, but every time I get behind the wheel, well damn it if it isn't a cool feeling that I get when I push it, tiptronic and all. I might have to keep this and try its track legs, but if I could daily this car, I would, well done Porsche.

Just rummaging through older posts, this one hit a chord. I can�t agree more that the 996 is an amazing platform. My first 911 (�04 C4S) was back in �08 and I distinctly recall the car being better than I thought it would be. The C4S didn�t last long because I started scratching the 911 itch pretty hard and in quick succession. Since that first 996, I�ve gone 996 Turbo > 997 GT3 > 996 C4S Cab > 996 Turbo > �73 911E > 991.1 GT3 RS > 997.2 Turbo S Cab. While all of them are wonderful in one way or another, and I would have loved to keep them all, I�ve come to the conclusion that the 996 is my favorite generation. The size, unique smell, minimal electronics, perfect blend of old/new�it just hits all my buttons. Luckily, I still own a unicorn Carrara White/Savannah Beige Turbo manual that I�ll take to the grave. I�ve ironically come full circle and am now in search of the perfect 996 C4S to park next to the turbo. I�m glad to see the 996 now receiving its due respect! Happy motoring regardless of which 911 you partner with😀

I bought my 996 (Lapis blue '01 C4 manual gearbox) in march of this year and after owning two other 911 (3,2 targa and 996 turbo), I can tell this is my favorite one. Enjoy !

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Unadorned .1 is so purely beautiful.

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I would recommend that you at least test drive a 2900lb base C2 6-sp coupe before picking up another C4S. Seems like you have the C4s vibe largely covered with the Turbo, you might find the lightness of the base C2 a better "opposite end of the spectrum" compliment to your Turbo. Think 911E with creature comforts .

My 99c2 is lithely and fearsome all at once it’s the greatest all arounder I’ve ever driven and I drive for a living graceful purpose should be a car name for this car

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That's a REALLY impressive number given how much added weight was in the car (not a knock on you personally) Is that an FSI 3.8? I'd bet with a smaller jockey and no dog food that would get close to a 4.1 or 4 flat 0-60. Heck in a lighter early 99 car that would be a missile. That's damn quick for an older car.