WHAT NEXT - After Your 996

So, I have been recently been thinking of a possible change in my daily Driver - I will always keep my C4S (My 04 Targa is being used by my son and myself for tracking events, DE, etc) A friend of mine just picked up an 2008 Audi R8, which I feel completely in love with the look and styling of that amazing car. He picked it up for a little over 50K with 19K miles, 6sp, white - Since I drove it over the weekend for almost 3 hours, I am truly considering it. I just wanted to see if another else had any experience with it. I am not concern with your Styling comments, only the Driving experience and impressions.

After test driving many cars, and driving a C7 Corvette for several days, I have concluded that I don't want a fast car, I want a car with drama. I want something that scares me a little, without having to go fast enough to kill myself or others. I want something that I can work on myself, with readily available parts and online support. Having read that paragraph, I think the perfect car for me would be a farm tractor. That is probably why I like the 996. But a close second would be a V8 Vantage. Third a Jaguar XKR or the previous XK8.

R8 is wide, make sure it will fit in your garage. The guy I bought my GT3 from wanted an R8 next, had to take it back b/c it would not fit in his garage or on his 4 post lift!!

I have come to appreciate the R8 too. Initially, I thought it was too plain. Ironically, I watched a YouTube video yesterday where someone picked up a cheap R8. Turns out it had a cracked front frame, which is apparently common on early examples. Audi has a relatively inexpensive fix if the frame is not already cracked, but you have to use one of their certified repair shops. Once it is cracked, the car is totaled. It is apparently a $30k+ fix to replace the front of the frame.

Quotes source post: 15412320

Was that Samcrac? I saw he got a great deal on an R8, but haven't been home long enough to watch any followup videos.

If my 996 was suddenly gone, I think I'd buy another 911. If not that, then maybe a Cayman. If it had to be something other than a Porsche... Maybe another BMW 135i or 235i, or 335i. The next vehicle I'll likely buy would probably be a pickup of some kind.(Chevy or Ford) I'd like something for hauling stuff and possibly towing my 996. A friend has a well cared for (mechanically) 93 Chevy truck that he told me Sunday he was considering selling. I told him I was interested in it. Chevy 350 and old enough to not require emissions testing. It's got a lot of miles on it (280K) but I can easily rebuild a Chevy 350. Luckily my youngest (12) won't need a car for a while. My oldest (19) can buy his next car himself. My wife has the newest vehicle.(2011)

Quotes source post: 15412379

I have a 99.5 F250 SD with the 7.3. have had it for about 9 years. It's been a great truck. A 911 and F250 cover a lot of bases.

Quotes source post: 15412352

Yes. I am curious to see how he fixes it. He stated he was going to do it in his garage. I would put it in a frame machine to ensure all the suspension points are aligned prior to welding.

As an instructor for PCA DE events I am quite lucky I am asked to drive other peoples cars from time to time. It has given me the opportunity to drive a lot of P cars. As a life long purist I am a 911 guy. But drive a Cayman, well sorted Boxster or GT4 and you will come to undertstand why these cars are so popular. Amazing track cars. With four P cars now I have no room for a mid engine car. That said I see a GT4 or well sorted Cayman for track work in my stable in the not to distant future.

991 S Manual starting to drop down to an affordable range. 997 GT3 if it drops another 10-20k, we'll see though.

I honestly can't think of another sports car (within reason) that I want more than a 911. If I get rid of my 996 for another two-door, I will likely get a 997.2S or 4S. Given that we want to start a family soon, my next car will be more family-friendly. Probably a Macan or Cayenne or something along those lines. I just hope I can get it in addition and not instead!

The R8 is a great car. I got my 996 2 years ago, then my father got an R8 with the v8 engine for this summer. So i have driven it quite a bit and my verdict is after everytime i drive it, i prefer my 996. When the R8 came out some people said that they did not like it because it was so similar to a regular audi a4. I could not understand that statement until i drove it for a while. When im in it i feel that its a were competent car, it has better handling then my 911 but its not as fun to drive and not as special to be in. But thats my opinion, if i lose my 996 i would as texsqurrel and just get another one

Probably never happen due to the money involved, but the only car I consistently dream about and drool over is the GT3. My current perfect 10 car is a 2011 997 GT3 RS 4.0. It used to be a 2004 996.2 GT3 RS. I'd take either. I can afford neither.

Quotes source post: 15412236

For me a major factor is the cost of operation. The thing that got a lot of us into the 996 is the unbelievably low purchase price, but really the cost of operation is also amazingly low for such a high-performance car. Especially if you want to track the car, or run it hard. Wear components like brake pads and rotors, tires, suspension components, etc. are all surprisingly cheap. I used to track an Audi S4, and the 911 is actually cheaper to operate! Somehow my insurance is less on the 911 than it was on the S4 too! I have no idea how. So there are a lot of cars out there that can be had pretty cheaply on purchase price, but I really worry about how affordable they'd be in the long run, especially if you include depreciation. Before I bought my 996 I put together a pretty detailed performance/cost/practicality/fun analysis of a lot of different cars, taking into account things like performance specs, purchase price, maintenance price, interior and cargo volume, etc., and I couldn't find anything that beat the 996 for the particular blend of metrics that I value. As soon as I DO find such a car, I will sell my 996 and buy one. But I don't see it happening soon! Of course if money is no object, then the value matrix changes and some different options probably become relevant!

I've been lusting after a GT3 for a long time. Second is a GT3RS after I win the lottery.

Quotes source post: 15412236

If your friend is being honest about what he paid - without a trade in or anything - he got the deal of the century. Clean 6-Speed R8 4.2's are still generally in the $70k - $80k range with that mileage on a Nationwide CarGuru's search. Honest answer to your question - have you ever driven a GT-R? They'll be about the same price as an R8. I'll leave my personal opinions on styling out per your request, but a GT-R should be a capable way to put a smile on your face.

Quotes source post: 15412289

The problem with that is eventually, once you get used to the drama, you get bored and look for something else.

AFTER? Hopefully there will never be an after...I think I will always have this car, maybe not as a dd, but still in my stable. I'd like to always have a Porsche as a daily driver. I've owned a 944, 944 Turbo, 968, and a Boxster, and driven a Cayman, Cayenne, and a Panamera. Only other car than a 911 would be a Panamera. Those cars are crazy smooth, quiet, and fast! You don't even know you're driving a huge sedan. (well, huge in Porsche terms)

Seeing how my 996 was an impulse buy... im planning to keep it around for a while. if i were to free up its space in my garage and had the extra $$$, id like: 2011 Mustang Boss 302 C6 Z06 Gen2 Viper GTS W210 E55 Old School Mustang Fastback for a complete restomod DeLorean Eventually i�ll have a taste of each. We�ll see in what order

I've started looking at the 997's.... just glancing right now. I think at some point, I'd like an updated 911... I like the interiors quite a bit better, but don't know if it's actually worth it for a "play" car.

Dream car is a 991 GT3 Touring (never gonna happen), then a 991 C2 (maybe in a few years), then a 997.2 C2 manual (probable in 2-3 years).

I'm a recent 996 owner (~3 weeks now) and unlike DGI a few posts above mine wasn't an impulse buy. I've wanted a 911 since high school (early 80s) and didn't notice the decline in 996 prices until this past spring. Since it took a good bit of budget torturing to get here I'll probably hang on to it for a long time. However, if an upgrade were to happen it would probably have to be a 996/997 Turbo.

Quotes source post: 15414930

A little explanation on my use of "impulse". I've been a HUGE Porsche fan most of my life. I've owned a handful of German cars over the years and new that Porsche would likely be the pinnacle of German engineering. My purchase was only impulsive as I currently have my Mustang in pieces all over the garage getting ready for a respray/overhaul and it wasnt the "right" time for adding another car to the garage but the price was too good to pass up. With two young boys, I was actually browsing Craigslist for an E55 or similar to blast around in. I look forward to wrenching on my 996 along with my two boys and wife and making life long memories!

Probably in the same boat. I have a C4S that I modified and absolutely love so there's going to be an attachment there. I don't plan on getting rid of it even after 9 years of ownership. However, I have been lurking on R8 forums and I'm supposed to test drive one this week. The car has grown on me and I'd love to add one to the stable but I also currently have an Audi A5 that is my daily driver. Just not sure if i want to add another Audi into the mix. Having a C4S...I like the wideness of the R8. I'd have to have a manual though.

997.1 turbo (996 turbo as a back-up plan) or 996 GT3 ... or Audi R8 if I become a heretic!

Dodge Viper! Only domestic car I could consider buying.

I bought my C4s not because I just wanted a new sports car, but because I�ve always wanted a 911 and this was the nicest one I could afford. Plain and simple. My my brother has a Panamera and a GTR and both are awesome cars. The GTR is an amazing car, but very different from a 911. It has performance in spades but with little drama. No doubt I feel special driving it but it�s a very ho hum driving experience albeit I�ve never tracked it. If if I were to add a sedan to the collection an e39 M5 or Panny would be pretty high on the list but neither would replace the 911.

After this my first 911, if I would change it, I would like to do it for another 911 (one step upper on performance)

I�m in too deep to get rid of my 996 - but my DD is also a 180k mike 07 Expedition. As as of today though I�m also the proud owner of a Cayanne Diesel that I�m pretty fond of.

I saw a very nice Mercedes 350SL the other day which would nice to roll around in. But ideally I'd like to add an aircooled model to the garage. Love my 996 - but it's so fast you cant really ever use all the rev range. Well you can... but I'd be in getting-the-car-impounded territory in seconds LOL

I spend way too much time thinking about this. Sometimes I get tired of the harshness in daily driving aspects and start thinking about a newer 911 or Bimmer. But I wonder if I'd regret it in the spirited drives. I know chances are my car will last, but the fear of all the modes catastrophic failure start to wear me down too. I haven't taken any test drives, but eventually I'd like to consider a 997.2, E46 or E92 M3, M235. Growing up as a kid, I've always wanted a Mustang, so that tugs at me as well. Edit, R33 Skylines are starting hit the 25 mark, that might be interesting.

I'd most likely get a 997.2 or try to find a reasonably priced air cooled 911.

Quotes source post: 15412989

add a GT-R to my list... R33 or R35. hard to beat at any price!

Everyone is very different with different experiences. If you liked the r8 get one. I had a 996 c4s which I sold. Was making a deal on a 997 turbo when my dad said go check his r8 out first. One drive was all it took to steal me away from the pcar. I now own the r8 with no intentions of buying another Porsche.