Bottoming Out - Daily Driver

Long time lurker, first time poster. Finally lured my wife out of the 00' 996 C2 with a new ride. Since it became my daily driver here in Houston, I have touched bottom a couple times. Most recently, I got home to see the jack spot on the driver's side - just in front of the rear wheel - heavily scrapped. Never felt a thing. During the wife's tenure, she tore off the air ducts on the driver's front and then later knocked a hole in the oil pan. Is this an issue with all these cars, is it the operators of this particular car, or is my suspension weak/in need of reapir? Other than a skid plate to absorb some of the abuse, is there another fix (other than the nuts behind the wheel)? Car is a stock 00' C2 with 18 inchers and now 50K. No mods - YET. Many thanks in advance.

for late model porsches due to a geometry issue: Due to extended overhang (beyond the axles) for [I think] rear-engine fitment reasons and the need to fit angled radiators up front, it means that 911s (and boxsters) will bang their chins and drag their butts a lot more easily than say a bmw M3 which has comparatively little axle overhang at each end (or at least in front the M3 has comparatively little overhang). I too hate this problem and have a perpetually badly scraped chin on my C4S. No bottoming out issues for my Land Rover...but then it drives like a big fat wallowy pig...so pick your poison I guess

Take this for what its worth because I have had my '03 for less than a month, but I have yet to bottom it out. Also in Houston.

Bottom out? Mine is lowered and I have never bottomed out. I do hit the front spoiler...but I have a TechArt Type II GTS...very low (3.5 inch clearance). Before that I would scrape the chin, but never hit the bottom. Are you driving off-road?

The front air scoops that hang down are easy to damage on parking blocks. Also scraping the underside of the front bumper is easy. I can even see the tail pipes occasionally, but bottoming out is something all together different. Unless you are running over stuff I find punching a hole in the bottom of the engine difficult to explain. It sounds like significant speed bumps or something is being taken at much to fast of a speed.

Thanks guys. I do allow that this could be driver error. Did I mention that the oil pan deal was during the wife's tenure? I probably should also mention she does have a history of being the victim of numerous "hit and runs" as in "What in the world happened to the rear quarter panel of the BMW?" - "Must have been a hit and run." Not off road. Simply work downtown, live in the 'burbs, and Houston is continuously in the midst of seemingly permanent construction. Thanks again.

There is a sump guard available for the 996 aka the engine protection plate. I have one on mine, it has saved me many times.

Ernest: Driving style and local terrain both play big roles in how often you'll scrape things, but its REALLY exacerbated by those worn-out OEM shocks. At 50K, the Monroe OEM shocks are long gone and you'll really not only improve the handling, but reduce the propensity of the car to scrape its bottom parts if you install a set of Bilsteins,...

Does the 996 also use Monroes? I thought they used Bilsteins exclusively on the 996. Anyway, Steve is right it does sound like the shocks are worn out.

You really need to get new shocks. The stock ones were probably worn out at 40,000 or even 30,000 miles. I would suggest a coil-over suspension, but it sounds like you shouldn't be lowering your car. I scrape stuff all the time, but mine is lowered.