A Plea to Porsche

Dear Porsche, Please build me a car. I already have one of the last 993s and one of the first 996s but I need one more. Not only do I need it but I think you need it to. You need a car to help you return to your roots as a pure sports car company and I, and all my racer friends, need a car to serve as the next generation of stock club racers. You have the perfect platform. The 996 is a great car. Lower, wider, stiffer, lighter and more aero dynamic than any previous Porsche. You have the parts. All you need to do is build it. So here goes: Concept: Low weight, big brakes, reasonable power, no frills. Sound familiar? Start with a plain 996. Remove: A/C, radio(maybe a cheap one), power windows, power door locks, sound proofing, power seats, center counsel, glove box, cup holders, etc. Add: M030 (good for the street, racers will replace it anyway) Carrera wheels (for establishing a low "stock weight") X51 (maybe this should be optional to keep the cost down) Turbo brakes (not an option) LSD (for god's sake NO PSM!) Cloth GT3 seats This car, right out of your parts bin, should weigh around 2850 lbs dry. Call it an Clubsport or an SC or whatever. That way you can charge a couple extra thousand. This is nothing new. You've done it before. You should be able to sell such a car for under $80k. We'll buy it. It will shut up the "the 993 is the last real Porsche" crowd and the club racers will have a platform on which to begin making plans for 2010. I'll take mine in black. Thanks, Jim

just order a RGT3 from Ruf. they are THE factory, 'tis a pity....

Cup car???

You must be an addict to want a car like this....no psm...hope you've kept the airbags. Luxury and toys forever Donny J

Nice list! That would be great 996! You forgot one important point though: NO sunroof, not even as option (we've seen how it went with RSA's, too many of them has friggin' sunroof.

Finn, You're right. My mistake. NO SUNROOF! As for the RSA, I wish Porsche would take note. A nice RSA is worth more than an early 996 so maybe, just maybe there is a market for a simple sportscar. Watt, Unfortuantly PCA club racing doesn't use Ruf to set stock specs. Noony, Cup cars are great but certainly don't fill the need for a basic but very capable street car or as a future platform for a "stock" club racer. Donny, As a matter a fact, I did remove the airbags from my 996. (track car)

Ah, Now, here is a group of fellas I can talk with .. I love the way you all think!! .... Slan.... Sean.

Man JimB-wished you were the one making the decisions with PAG-we would love ya!!!! Regards. Mike

Great, I'll take one.... Unfortunately, if you followed the GT3 threads, Americans as a whole are a bunch of spoiled woos es. We are talking very limited market here!!!

Maybe you should ask them to equip the car with: A rebuildable transmission A cooling system that works An oiling system that works A throttle cable instead of E-gas An engine case correctly machines so the rear seal doesn't leak A shifter that is durable

"Add: ... Carrera wheels (for establishing a low "stock weight") ... Turbo brakes (not an option) " you realize that the unsprung weight savings of the carrera wheels would be 100% negated by the extra unsprung weight of the tt brakes (the GT3 has even better ones stock - not an option)? "This car, right out of your parts bin, should weigh around 2850 lbs dry." substitute the OEM seats in the GT3 for real GT3 ones and you're really not that far off.

I agree, I don't like sunroofs on any car! I guess that's why I love my '83 944 - she's bone stock: no power steering, no rear windshield wiper, no radio (okay, I tossed it into the hatch area). I wonder if Porsche will listen to us. - Julie

It's already done for you. Classic "stripper", great power to weight ratio, mid engined. Perfect!

Jim, you are basically describing the RS America. The only problem - it didn't sell! The dealers couldn't give them away, especially when ordered without sunroof and air. The other problem with the RSA was that it didn't offer the performance of the European Carrera RS, which was what US enthusiasts really wanted. A friend of mine bought a white, no-sunroof, no ac, LSD, '94 from the dealer by where you work for under invoice after it languished in their inventory. They were so happy to have someone interested that they wouldn't let him get away, no matter what. He immediately turned it into a Club Racer.

If you want a race car, then build it yourself! You know nothing stock will every be as good as you want it to be! IMHO, a 996 will always be a 911, and if they build a 997 with an 8, it will still be a 911 too, know why? Because ancient history teaches us a thing or two, and non-progression would be UNporsche.

Great list but couldn't you build one of these yourself? Buy a pre-owned 996 and take all the stuff you want out and leave the stuff you want in, in. Of course you couldn't do anything to the motor (unless you transpl..... nah, that would be cost prohibitive). By the way, I have a nearly stripped '99 996 C2 with the LSD... does anyone here know how to disable the traction control? Pull the fuse? Ah well, I guess turning off the TC via the button after start up isn't so hard.

I suspect Roger is right about people not wanting to buy another RSA although the demand for the old one is pretty good right now. Here are the reasons I think they should build it. 1) It would make for some great press. The car mags would love it. It would be fast, brake like crazy and have a little of that visceral feel that was lost with the 996. 2) It would be a good (not perfect) platform on which to build the next generation of club racers. For those of you suggesting that we just build the car don't understand how stock PCA club racing rules are set. You need a good base car to set the specs for things like weight, required options, brakes, etc. 3) I want one. Chris C is absolutely right that a few other things should be changed like Porsches new rules around providing parts to rebuild engines and transmissions not to mention strengthening the drive train. These things need to happen no matter what cars are built. Anyway, enough about this. Back to "what color should I powder coat my cup holders?"

For those who want a cross between a sedan and a sports car there is the standard 996, for those who want a pure sports car that is fun for the road, and can be used durably on the track, there is the GT3, albeit at a high dollar cost. The GT3 does not have the problems that Chris Cervelli pointed out that make the standard 996 unsuitable for severe duty, even if lightened of it's standard equipment. The R&D and tooling costs to change the standard 996's design and fix the problems would be to much given the low numbers of cars that would actually sell because of the changes.

I really wish they would build it - or a new 356 for that matter. My next posche will be something like this - No options except for the suspension and wheels - ditch everything else

amen Brian Lopez. my honda accord (stock) will eat an original 911 for lunch,...thank goodness for progression.