Great article praising the 996

Not sure if this was already posted. So if it was, sorry to re-post. It is worth reading if you haven't. This is from the June 2014 issue of a magazine called The Flat Six. It makes a really great defense of the 996. This statement I think gets to the heart of why I love my car and think the 996 is such a great vehicle. "So, with regard to the IMS/RMS, there are steps that can be taken to minimize the likelihood of occurrence, as well as steps to minimize damage in the event of occurrence, as well as alternatives should the worst come to pass. First, DRIVE THE CAR. OFTEN. FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. I saw an ad in the classified section of Panorama recently for a 2002 GT2 with less than 1000 miles on it. What a terrible tragedy. Maybe that GT2 with its Mezger block would let that slide, but an M96 car will likely not forgive you for such a transgression against enthusiast humanity. A Porsche (especially a 911) is not a Lamborghini or Ferrari�it is not a centerpiece. It is meant to be used, and driven, and rained and snowed on, and packed full of groceries or people or luggage or flats of geraniums or bags of golf clubs. It is a generally accepted truth that a well-used M96 Porsche with very low miles is at greater risk of IMS/RMS failure than a slightly used one with higher mileage. Second, while driving the car (after the oil is warm) rev it. Go fast. Wind it up and hear the glorious shriek of that flat-six. Make the engine do what it was designed to do: spin fast, work hard, and get hot. An M96 isn�t happy with a steady diet of 2000 vegetarian RPM. It periodically needs a 7000-RPM all-you-can-eat steak and lobster buffet. Third, change the oil often�do it yourself, it�s easy� and use good oil (Mobil 1 Synthetic is a good start, but there�s more boutiquey stuff out there if that�s your thing). While changing your oil, cut open and check your old filter (also easy) for any solid debris. If you see any, STOP�do not pass go, do not collect $200. By stopping here, you probably just saved your engine�you just need IMS replacement, which in the grand scheme of Porsche repairs is not too expensive (it�s actually somewhat similar price-wise to chain tensioner replacement). I think, maybe a little bit, that I defend the 996 Carrera not only because I own one and love it, but because it demands a bit of knowledge and respect from its owner. It is not just another thing to be bought, bragged about at parties, and forgotten. Because it demands such an investment, one of time and thought, rather than just whim and money, it also offers rewards beyond what most �things� can. It almost forces you to make memories with it. " http://www.theflatsix.com/2014/06/10...se-of-the-996/ If you buy a car worried that the cars going the other way might think it is a Boxster and not a 911, BUY ANOTHER CAR. If you buy a car to cruise around on a few nice days in the summer and leave it in the garage otherwise, BUY ANOTHER CAR. If you buy a car and don't want to fiddle with it and change the oil and pay attention to it, BUY ANOTHER CAR. If you buy a car to enjoy cruising it in 6th gear at 2500 RPMS on the highway, BUY ANOTHER CAR. But if you buy a car because you want to use it and love it and drive it the way it was designed to be driven, daily and hard and at high RPMs and in all weathers, the 996 is just a fabulous car. You can't help but love it.

Agreed, that's how I drive mine and love every minute of it.

Great find, thanks for sharing

Absolutely right. My DD for 18 years now has been a 911 and I would never go back to any other.

I can't quite match the 18 year mark, but my DD has been a 911 for 6 years and I also can't see that changing. My 996 C4S is still one of my favorite cars that I've ever owned.

very well written article and exactly my rationale for buying my first Porsche earlier this week - a '99 Coupe with the LN IMS recently replaced along with a clutch job. The car was priced similar to the E36 M3's of similar age and mileage / condition that I was considering, and was cheaper than the E46 M3's that I was looking at. So why not I asked myself! Plan is for it to be my daily driver to lessen the load on my immaculate E39 M5.

[QUOTE=c4racer;11803800]very well written article and exactly my rationale for buying my first Porsche earlier this week - a '99 Coupe with the LN IMS recently replaced along with a clutch job. The car was priced similar to the E36 M3's of similar age and mileage / condition that I was considering, and was cheaper than the E46 M3's that I was looking at. So why not I asked myself! Plan is for it to be my daily driver to lessen the load on my immaculate E39 M5. I use mine as a daily driver. So far so good. You never seem to hear any horror stories about these cars from people who track them and use them. I think they are at heart a finicky race car at heart. They just don't do well not being driven or being driven low RPMs or without their oil changed and proper maintenance. They just don't like it and seem to punish their owners accordingly. I was talking to a guy at a car meetup a while back who has an old Ferrari 308. He told me that the people who avoid high millage Ferraris are foolish. The cars that have high miles and have been tracked are faster and run better than the ones that have been treated like garage art. The engines in cars like a 911 or a 308 were built to run fast. These cars have a top speed of over a 170 MPH. They just are not made to putter around town in and don't respond well to being treated like that. Good luck with your 911. I am curious to see how you like driving your front engine BMW after driving the 911. I have been surprised how spoiled driving a 911 makes you. There is just something alive about the car. You get so much feed back from the road. The car is just twitchy and responsive. And the sound and the feeling of the motor being behind you instead of in front of you makes me at least feel more connected to the car. After owning and driving a 911 every day, I find driving even fast front engined cars not nearly as fun.

M5's are much the same way - the ones that have the most trouble seem to be the cars that sit around a lot! I've daily driven mine for the last 3 years and 35K miles and had no issues with it. And I don't baby it either. I do maintain it and all my cars properly. Already I am pretty enamored by the 996 - it does have so much more connection to the driver than even an M3, which was always my benchmark for such things. So I am looking forward to spending a lot of time in this car! The M5 won't just sit either - whenever I need a 4 door or to carry my bike it will get the call, and it's really a perfect weekend road trip car too. Not sure if my wife will take to the 996, but doesn't really matter - we have plenty of options - SUV and 2 other sedans.

c4racer, That is another thing I like about my 996. My wife can't stand it and only tolerates it. The ride is too rough and it is too noisy for her. Also, she has yet to master a manual transmission. There is a lot to be said for a car like an M5, which is comfortable enough and roomy enough to pick up your elderly aunt at the airport and also enough of a sports car to take to the track the next morning. There also, I think, something to be said for a car that is just kind of a nasty unapologetic sports car. The 996 is a bit of that. Not quite as nasty as an original 911 or a Lotus Elise but still rough around the edges and not something that people who don't like pure sports cars have to offer will like very much. I consider it a badge of honor that my wife doesn't quite get my car or understands why I would want to own it.

Couple of english mags have been spreading some love on the 996, prasing its driving ability and price. Basically saying they feel the tide againt the 996 could start to turn.

Quotes source post: 11804041

HA! She would never drive it. But I'm not sure if she will even want to ride in it. But that's OK too. She didn't like any of my Corvettes either. And yes the M5 is a nice blend of enough sportiness when you want it with enough civility when you don't, so it covers a lot of bases for me and is really the ideal sedan for a car guy, IMHO. Especially if you want one with a manual trans, which I far prefer.

Praising? Correct me if I'm wrong at the end he says you can get one for $23000, a use scion fr- s has more value, the car needs to be drive often so the engine won't go kaput? My snowbirds neighbors keep their cars park for periods of 10 months or more, jump the battery and drive and believe me Toyotas, Lexus and Mercedes are not mean to be sitting as collector cars some of those cars have 10 years, low miles and driving perfectly fine no issues. What is driving hard? If you're doing more than 70 miles on the highway 6 speed you'll be at 3000 RPM or between shiftings easy, mine is a weekend car and drive 600 miles per month which means I will be doing 7200 miles per year or more and I know daily drivers who can't do more than 5000 miles per year. I love my 996, I like to see members here who use the car either, daily, keep them in the garage because of snow, garage queens, weekend 996's, others who track, all season drivers, high miles 996s some more than 100000, for me that's the real review I'm learning a lot here directly from the owners their experiences and advice than any article. <TTStyledTextFrame: 0x19148cf0>

Quotes source post: 11804041

My wife is the complete opposite. she LOVES her 04 Targa. We got it because earlier this year we bought a Boxster S 6 speed for her and I guess I frightened her a bit about driving it hard, rev matching downshifts, etc. Fast forward 6 months and she found a 04 black on black Targa with a Tip. A week later its sitting in our driveway and its her 1/2 DD (drives it 3 days a week to work). I'm pretty sure it will soon become a full DD. The Boxster is now my DD and I love it, although I do take her "Black Beauty" out for some twisty fun once a week or so for a good workout. I can't wait until next march when I enroll her in the next PDS from our local PCA club. Then I know it will get driven by her the way its supposed to

I had read this article before and like it. I love to drive my car. Unfortunately with 2 little boys, life just doesn't allow me to drive it as often as I like. But I make sure to drive 2-3 times per week for 3 reasons: 1) I need my fix (i.e. RPM, exhaust note, feeling my body weight against the seat back as the car screams to 80 mph), 2) it keeps the internals well oiled, 3) to avoid my battery from dying. Weekends, I almost drive my 996 exclusively.

Yah, ref. driving the 996. Proud to say have an 02 Targa with 165,000+ miles, going strong (second owner). Never a major problem. Only Mobil One, every 3000 miles. Recent compression and leakdown test by Indie showed still perfect.

Quotes source post: 11804909

over 100K is not high mileage for a German motor. Over 200K more like it. There are several strong running E39 M5's on the M5Board with 200K+ It's just all about properly maintaining this type of car. It isn't a Lexus and shouldn't be treated as one.