Did the interior of the 996 grow on you?

For me the 996 has the worst interior of all the 911s, but its value proposition is good. I'm over the "fried egg" headlights but the interior is really what keeps me from considering these, as much as they may be capable cars. Has anyone felt similarly before owning one and through months of ownership taken a liking or at least gotten the distaste out of their mouth?

Nice first post... Maybe the 996 is not for you.

It's not a horrible place to be, IMO. Seats and ergonomics are comfortable. The door armrest is hard on the elbow. The soft-touch plastic that peels (mine on the center console) is a real annoyance. I hooked up bluetooth with hands-free and that updated the stereo enough. Besides the peeling, I'd say the interior has held up quite well for its age. I can't say the same for a BMW 3 series that I had prior; it started falling apart sooner in life.

Fascinating. If'n you're looking for an interior with tons of useless buttons that are too small to see and don't really do anything anyway, you'd be happier with a Maxima. If'n you want an interior that says "plant your adze and drive" then a 996 is a good choice.

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You're "looking" at the wrong things. Personally, if you want luxury interiors then maybe you should be thinking about Mercedes, Bentley, or Rolls-Royce, but definitely not a sports car manufacturer. You seem like the kind of guy that waxes his tailpipes.

you drive too slow if you have time to look around admire/bash the interior. And if you can ever see the headlights while you are driving you have a real problem.

curious what cars the OP drivs/has driven. no one has ever complained after getting in my all leather/carbon turbo. maybe you prefer Corinthian leather?

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I fell in love with the 996 interior as soon as I sat down in my current C4S for the test drive. The leather smell was intoxicating, seats comfortable, all the stuff you need is readily available from the driver's seat, the visibility outside is amazing all around the car. Once I got over the wrong sided ignition switch location the attraction was complete. I couldn't agree more with the below.

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Yes...Corinthian Leather! You Tube

Trollin', Trollin', Trollin. Keep those dogies movin', Troll on.

"Grew on me," no, but I will admit when I first started shopping for 911's I first looked for 997's for the reason you stated above. The first 996 I sat in I said to myself "Oh.... this is awesome." The issue is people like to turn their noses up. This is a car from the 90's - early 00's. If you think it's rough, if you're able, sit in a 964 and a 993. Tell me those are better.

at every Porsche get together i look at the interiors of 993 and earlier versions and say to myself ...."and people think the 996 interior is cheap looking?"

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^^^^ This !! The early air cooled cars are "hand built" and it shows. It can literally be hand replicated in the back of a dirt floor garage.. I Will admit if you have the "base" interior, it is a LOT less appealing than the "full leather" version. I have both and my son mentioned the huge difference in quality.

the interior is of-its-era and it isn't cheap feeling... it is a wonderful place to sit while driving a freakin' 911 !!!!

I quite like my interior. Try to find one with full leather.

A friend of mine has a 964 and a recently purchased 99 996. While I love the look of his 964 the interior is extremely sparse compared to the 996.2. Now I must admit the lack of a glove box in the 996.1 looks kind of cheap. I find the interior in my 02 quite nice. Now I could do without the carpeting on the lower door panel and of course I railed enough here about a cassette deck in 2002 cars when in dash CD players have been around for years, but dash, seats, carpet, alcantara (sp?) roof liner are well made and awesome looking.

I don't know about ya'll but the special ME edition and it's camel brown Full leather interior was just perfect to me. Even looks better than many modern cars today IMHO.

Stunning!

I'm not surprised a bunch of guys jumped on the OP...but to be fair I kinda agree the 996 isn't great in the cabin compared with other 911s...that said, it shouldn't put you off getting a 996...it's an incredible value for the money. I had a 996 cab and it was great (when the top was down lol )

I have gotten used to the interior, but no, it still looks like the 90s and not in a good way. It is the charm of the car that it is straight out of the 90s, though. It is more the cheapness of the interior rather than its design, though. I have tried to spruce up the interior by reupholstering it and adding contrast stitching and such. Adding in switches and getting rid of those blank buttons. But there is only so much that I can do to make the interior not as cheap looking to sit in.

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While it's not necessarily great, and I do agree with that statement, it's an update from the 993. Slightly more modern lines and curves, but at the same point remains purely simple, which in my opinion is perfect. My BMW is a 2008 model and after 215,000 miles, there are so many buttons that I haven't pressed or even know what they do. As we progress into new era vehicles they're all driveable computers. Not inherently bad, but for those of us that enjoy the driving experience all those nick-nacks are wasted space. Every car, sports, luxury, economy, offer various experiences. The 996 fills every bit of what I'd want, interior, exterior, and the powerplant tucked in the trunk.

I'll say this...can it grow on you? Sure, I think it can but that's just really depends on your priorities. There are certain aspects of it that have me go "meh" and some that I really do like. At the end of the day nothing really beats looking at the 5 gauges. You have to really understand where Porsche was coming from when they designed the 996. The thing that should really stand out, if you've sat and driven one, is how good the driving position is and access to all controls. In the age where everything is a screen and a finger print magnet this is awesome. But we all have different tastes. Oh you should go sit in a Ferrari of the era. You'll think 996 has Lexus quality and design by comparison!

Yes it grew on me! I LOVED it when I Before interior mods After bought a new one in 2001 and it kept growing on me I still love the interior and enjoy every minute I spend in it!

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Impressive list of "pre-owned" cars, your 996 Cab didn't make "The List"?

All the cars on that list I currently own

Me too!

Hi I have a facelift 986 with a three spoke wheel, and it took 987 seats and a console delete before I was happy with the interior. Now I really like it and in fact prefer it over the 987/997 interior. The door pocket flaps benefit from being covered in leather. There is a tutorial on how to do it. I still like my 993 interior best, but i'm a fuddy duddy. Berni

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[Image-only post; no author-written text. Original image references:] https://rennlist.com/forums/graemlins/bowdown.gif

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I just realized I have a "new" addition that I haven't added to the list either lol

Coming from Mk 7 GTI, I think the 996 interior is fine on my C4S. In fact some newer 911s remind me of the GTI. No problem, just different than 996, to me.

I will say that it is a high quality interior. I've been in one and all the materials felt nice to the touch. My gripes are with the design. From the 993 to the 997 you can see where the design went, but I'm not sure what the designers for the 996 were thinking. It's too busy and bulbous in my opinion. The gauges are very nice and perhaps I won't mind the how the center stack looks when I'm driving it, but then I do remember having my mk5 GTI and the E46 prior and admiring at the interior while I'm at a long red light or doing my biweekly cleaning.

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Porsche almost went bankrupt before the Boxter and the 996 hit the market so their priority was to stay afloat and this meant cutbacks on things that don't make enough money. I personally couldn't care less what the interior looks like. Didn't buy it for that.

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I don't think the cutback explains or even justifies the stylistic issues. I found the quality to be adequate, though I'm not too picky about the materials themselves. I must say, I didn't buy the NC Miata for its interior and it's hardly an issue. (Though I must say I prefer it over the 996 interior just based on how it looks...not as busy)

I don't get this emphasis on interiors, in any car. It might just be me but I could give a flying you-know-what. Is the seat comfortable? Is the steering wheel in the right place? If so, I'm good. The only thing that bothers me is "infotainment" systems that don't make intuitive sense (showing my age, perhaps), and the 996 doesn't have one.

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How about the insides of houses? Or clothes, or watches? In fact why should the exterior matter as long as it functions. Berni

I do think that doing the console delete changed the entire look and feel of in the interior - seems less busy - and the flat line across the bottom of the dash is visually pleasing

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Uh, well I said "cars" so those are excluded? I could have said I don't care about the design of the headlights but that wasn't the subject of the thread. Not sure what the inside of my watch looks like, I'll have to look into that.

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This is unsubstantiated and I can't remember who I heard this from - but it makes sense and this is the internet so of course I'm repeating it. Based on the aforementioned financial difficulties; the 996 interior design was actually meant for the 993 but they couldn't afford to produce it. That is why the 993 kept the 964-prior interior. Porsche paid for Toyota Manufacturing consulting to help them bring the cost down and figure out how to mass produce the interior pieces eventually for the 996 / 986.

Two words - Full Leather... Makes a huge difference in the overall quality (as well as perceived quality) of the interior. This being said, I jumped on a set of painted hardback 997 sport seats as soon as the opportunity arose. They are a real step up in comfort/drive-ability (they contain you much better than the standard 996 seats) - This isn't to say I thought the standard seats were bad - the 997 seats are just better. Needless to say, it wasn't a inexpensive upgrade (as if any of them are). ** The only comments I've ever gotten on the interior (and the rest of the car for that matter) were along the lines of "wow this looks and feels amazing...what year is it" ? Everyone's amazed that it's a 20 year old car...

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Actually the design of the headlights is a bit questionable, both from a design point of view and also function. I'm over them now, but I did have to upgrade the internals to HID projectors to get a decent performance. The design and look of watch movements is a massive thing for those who are into them. Another thing that looks a bit uneasy to my eyes are the 986 facelift side vents. I prefer the deeper look of the earlier ones, especially with the slats removed at the bottom and replaced with black mesh. Always room for improvement Berni

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Now that�s funny!

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I know many won�t go for an updated radio, but mine has XM, Apple Car Play, BT phone connection and has Waze. Not as slick as the GTI, but close. I really don�t care it�s not stock Porsche. To each his own.

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Thanks for this post, I really like the look.

The interior never bothered me either way. I think the savannah beige is a little more beige than necessary but it�s well built and seats are good. I am interested in the console delete posted above. And maybe some Coco mats to offset some of the beige. But these are changes that would be as much about personalizing as anything else. None of my family or friends are really car people and it�s funny because almost everyone who has ridden in my car sits down and says something to the effect of �nice seats� or �I like the leather.� I dunno; these perceived design things are so small in the grand scheme of things.

[QUOTE=wildbilly32;16978479]I fell in love with the 996 interior as soon as I sat down in my current C4S for the test drive. The leather smell was intoxicating, seats comfortable, all the stuff you need is readily available from the driver's seat, the visibility outside is amazing all around the car. Once I got over the wrong sided ignition switch location the attraction was complete. THIS.

It didn’t grow on me so much as ‘with’ me. Steering wheel. Painted console and horseshoe. Custom gearshift. G-loc belt tensioners. Nice carpets, including back window with 928 manifold emblem. New radio. Better pedal covers. Compared to other performance cars of the era, the 996 is bland and isn’t luxurious (soft touch pain(t) for God’s sake!). Porsche always seems to lag a generation behind BMW, Audi, Mercedes and Jaguar with tech, switches and seats. But I enjoy my simple cockpit. I don’t listen to much other than engine noise, real engine noise. Back in 2002 I tested and considered a new base 996. But it did nothing for me...for the big money. At the time I remember lusting after the RS4, C32 AMG, M3 and even the S60R. All had better interiors. All were great cars. 18 years later...completely different story for me. I don’t love this car for it’s interior. My love’s about everything else.

Full leather and a glove box do make a difference. I�ve had a 99 with no leather dash and a C4S with full leather and it�s much better. That being said either one is light years better than a 993 or earlier interior. The 996 interior is simple and driver focused. All I�m looking at while driving are the gauges and they are perfectly laid out.

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It's not just you, but there are plenty of others who like a nice interior. Neither opinion is better than the other. Some people would say "Why would anyone buy a Porsche? A car just needs to get me from Point A to Point B." Lots of things in this world are subjective, and I am so glad they are! I love a nice interior. Nothing overly complicated but something that makes me feel like I am driving a quality car. The 996 interior did feel a little cheap to me when I first got into 911s but it grew on me pretty quickly. I can see how full leather interior would make things much better though.

I see no issues with the 996 interior at all. Mine is a rare nephrite green colour which i really like and chose to have. Some plastic parts need a bit of attention and over a course of 17 years i only had to replace the ashtray ( which has never been used) and the horseshoe console cover. Amongst my prev cars were a e36 M3 evo smg and e46 m3 smgii, both in black leather, i dont think there is any difference at all. I also had a e38 750iL , well there isca big difference there between the 7er and any sports car if you ask me not just the 996.

Mine is full leather with OEM carbon bits. The leather interior is as good as anything from that era in my opinion. Mine feels like high quality and smells delish! As far as the shapes and curves, it does grow on you in short order. Upgrade the audio and head unit with a 2020 model Kenwood made it just as good as my Land Rover or my wife's 4 series. I could drive it all day long!

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this is absolutely stunning !! One of the best 996 interiors if you ask me

Full leather is the way to go on a 996.

My sport seats and 3 spoke wheel are all I need. Ya it's not a "fancy" or however you want to classify it but to me it's about the drive. If you want coddled, get a Benz

I went from a full leather 2.5 Boxster to a full leather (Millennium) 996. Interiors didn't just grow on me I liked both from the start. The 996 interior complaint is about as lame as the headlights. I put about 100 miles on a nice 3.2 Cab last month then hopped straight into my 996 afterwards and was laughing hysterically at how much better the 996 was all around. And if you think the 996 is bad, try a Ferrari from the same era, where the plastics melt or fall apart in your hands. Spend a little seat time and you'll find the 996 is a very comfortable car (for what it is) and a capable tourer. Mine is the summer daily driver and it excels at that.

Same steering wheel and dash cluster layout as a Carrera GT, million dollar car. And that’s what you have to stare at all day , The all leather smells like a leather wallet loaded with cash. Guess Im stuck with it..

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Well said. Maybe having full leather and contrasting console and horse shoe (Arctic Silver), in my opinion, improves the look. Also I like the simple 3 point steering wheel of the C4S. Really don�t care that others may not be impressed. The only one that matters is me, in this regard. Cheers

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Ferraris of that era smell of fish under the hot sun due to the horrid glues they used back them. Plus they have staples for leather bits..... no comparison.

I hate the left hand ignition key more than anything else in the interior of the car. Stupid nostalgia crap.

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Is it not still on left for 992 or am I wrong? I�ve gotten used to it. Not near as difficult as shifting left handed in right drive car. Remapping brain cells kind of fun!

I like the 996 interior and I don't even have the full leather option. In black or grey it can be a little bland -- I have Savannah Beige. The main drawback is that *everything* is beige; I would have preferred a combination of beige and black like BMW does quite well. The 996 interior doesn't have the mean "fighter jet" appearance of my '72 911 Targa but it is more comfortable and I love the view out front at the five gauges and the sculpted bonnet. Honestly the 997 interior is not better in my opinion. The steering wheels are ugly compared to the 996's three-spoke and there are WAY too many buttons in the center console. The door panels aren't nicer. The only thing better in the 997 is the treatment of the upper dash which is more reminiscent of the early cars. From the 991 onwards, Porsche has really advanced its interiors, but the 996 is not bad at all. Just a nice place to be. With the simpler audio options (non-PCM) it's very analog in its styling. Those early navigation displays look really dated now, so it's better not to have them at all.

[QUOTE=JBSL;16979619Upgrade the audio and head unit with a 2020 model Kenwood made it just as good as my Land Rover or my wife's 4 series. I could drive it all day long! [/QUOTE] Which 2020 Kenwood 2-din unit did you purchase? My Kenwood model is about 6 years old and I�m looking update for newer options (especially CarPlay).

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+1

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Sir, your list of cars is amazing! Are those all current?

I can think of no better place to sit while worrying and obsessing over IMSB failure rates, what motor oil to use, and wondering about the alignment of my wheel center caps..... should I cover the airbox inlet at the carwash? I love my 996 and 986, but a lot of Porsche owners are weirdos.

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Thank you yes I own all of the cars in my signature plus more...can't really fit more letters in the signature lol My first Porsche was a 2003 996 cab that I actually leased new...it really launched my love for Porsches and I hope it does that for more people as well.

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Very nice taste in cars! I'd have a very similar list if i could! A 458 is high on my "want" list at the moment.

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I bought the 458 new...it's 10 years old and feels like a brand new car...it's amazing how far ahead of their time they were...the sound is so much better than the Pista.

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Mine was about the same age so I bought the DDX8906 from Rod at cai-store.com. I came with everything to install. Took maybe 20 minutes,.

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It's funny you say that....I don't see many Ferrari where I live in the Midwest. I heard a 458 ONE time and I was hooked! lol

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Try driving it on a track...the sound will blow your mind!! Plus it's cool that you can just hold the left paddle, crush the brake...and it will auto downshift at the proper time...you'll love it. 458 is a screaming bargain for what you are getting.

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Very cool! I just got my 996 Turbo a couple months ago. Upgraded from a 4s. The 458 will probably be a few years away, but I'm keeping my eyes open! I agree about them being a bargain for what you get!

Sometimes I hate this forum. The OP's question is not the least bit trollish. The 996 interior has its pluses and minuses. I think it's definitely valid to consider it a huge minus if you aren't aware of all the interior options that exist, which it's probably safe to assume the OP isn't. Also, the comments about "why do you care about the interior anyway?" I think is a bit disingenuous. I would say most people do care (even some saying they don't) because you look at the interior all the time when you are in the car, all of the tactile feel while driving comes from the interior, you experience the feel of components (like the very crappy turn signal stalk) constantly while driving. Car interiors are not "out of sight, out of mind", they are "in sight and in (subconscious) mind" constantly. Make no mistake, I think the 996 in its lightest form (2wd, 6-speed, coupe), is one of the best driving Porsches of all of them, so I get (and mostly share) the whole "don't worry about the interior comment", but most people do care, and clearly the OP cares or he wouldn't have posted. The truth is, there are pluses and minuses to the 996 interior. l loved the looks of the old (993 and earlier) interiors a lot, but ergonomically the 996 interior is "leaps and bounds" better. It also fits with the fact that the 996 overall is a much more modern car. That said, there are some quality issues. Whoever put that blinker stalk on an $80ish k car (in early early 2000 dollars!) should be shot. Other things, quality-wise, can be felt in the interior that are not in line with the price of the car. Regarding the looks of the 996 interior, it's almost impossible to have an single overall opinion because there are so many variations of it available. For people who like uniform color everywhere, the "sea of gray" or "sea of beige" in the base interior probably looks great. For those who like more contrast in the interior, that "sea of whatever" color is very much the opposite of great. When carbon fiber, or wood, or contrasting color accents are added, it's a totally different look, again which some people will love and some will hate. A others have stated, options make a huge difference. My first 996.1 was a CPO bought almost new -- I didn't know anything about interior options at the time (and was looking for a Blue Tip 4wd for my wife, so I bought the one I found at a dealer 2 hours from our house). That car happened to have the 4-spoke steering wheel, and not full leather (didn't know there was such a thing and couldn't imagine a Porsche not having all leather by default). The interior was a "sea of beige". I did not like the way it looked, did not like the way it felt, and didn't know there was any other interior options. I also didn't like the Tip/4wd when driving, it felt like it took all the sport out of it. It was one of the best cars we owned in many ways, but I never loved it (and it's pretty hard not to love any almost new Porsche). My wife loved it. I didn't recommend the 996 to anyone for a long time because of that car. Fast forward 15 years, with my wife constantly talking about how much she loved her old 996, so I decided to get her one again. I wasn't excited about the search, because I couldn't love the first one, but the 996.1 I ended up buying had full leather, 3-spoke wheel, dark wood accents to provide some contrast -- it was also a 6-speed 2wd coupe. I could not believe the interior looked so good and mostly felt so good compared to the old car, and the 2wd/6-speed made it drive like one of the best cars I've ever driven. I literally didn't want to stop test driving it, and didn't even try to talk him down on price, I just bought it and this car will never leave. Option-wise, full leather and 3-spoke steering are essentials for me (that makes it fit with the character of an $80ish k car). Some people prefer the 4-spoke wheel -- pick the one you like -- but they are totally different in look and feel. Even though I love the looks of the new 996.1 interior, I still feel that quality isn't quite what it should be. That said, given how the 996's drive, and at the price they sell for, it's hard to see the interior quality issues as a big enough issue to affect purchase decisions. I would encourage the OP to look at all the interior options that existed and suspect he will find one that is to his taste. Anyone who doesn't like the 996 probably hasn't driven the right version of it for their individual preferances. Much more than any car I can think of, picking the right drivetrain/body style options, and the right interior options is critical to understanding how great it can be. Anybody who doesn't like the 996 because they haven't seen/experienced the right one for them, isn't automatically a troll.

I like the 996 interior. Would I like a 997,991,992 interior, probably. I like the 996 for what it is. It's really a classic car at this point.

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Don't feel bad. I have a degree in computer science and have been working in IT for 30 years. I still have lots of "WHERE THE #%$#@ IS IT??" and "WHAT THE #@%&# IS IT DOING THAT???" moments. Sometimes I wonder where people get their UI designers from. As for the interior, I have a '99 with the "full leather" option. I can see why some people would have been disappointed in the interior buying one of these for $80K in 1999. I think it's well laid out and LOVE the leather smell. It never seemed that dated to me once I replaced the factory stereo. But this is coming from someone who's always owned Toyota/Nissan/Subaru class of cars. In some ways its more advanced than my 2012 Outback. I'll say I wish mine had the .2 style steering wheel.

Now why did we have to disparage the C4 and C4S? LOL. Don’t really care if you like my interior or not. Last time I checked, I paid for it, not someone else.

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It's an empty conversation point. It's like asking why one chooses a toothless one eyed hooker. Sometimes people appreciate a non complicated transaction of money for a wild ride. The C4 or C4S just happens to have two functioning eyes.

It is a sports car, not a Lexus. My interior (2000 C2 w/78k mi) looks as new with the exception of the �Porsche wear � on the drivers left side bolster. And this car is NOT a garage queen. Just use some Lexol on the seats and they will last.

What�s not to love about a metropol blue full leather interior. Took two blank switches on center horseshoe and replaced with front/rear radar warning lights, replaced stock radio with iPhone compatible touchscreen and 25,000 miles later (in 19 months) i have no complaints. Plus the 996.2 4s rear end is the best looking of any Porsche, especially in silver!

I'm a new 996 owner, but I think the quality issue is overblown. The interior is a nice place to be. It isn't too rattle-y. The parts I've taken apart have been nice to work with. It feels nice to my hands. Would I be disappointed if I paid $140k in 2020? Yeah--but I didn't. And, tbf, I ended up with well-kept full leather and a three spoke wheel by accident. But regardless, the leather quality is NICE. I get that the styling cues are in many ways similar to a similar era Ford Taurus. But, I greatly appreciate a car (or anything really) with a point of view. And the 996 very much reflects its place and time, whereas the 997 is obviously just a 996 trying to dress like something else. Ultimately, you ought to buy a car you like. If you don't like the curves of or quality, maybe the 996 isn't for you. But then, you probably aren't going to find something for anywhere close to the same price that has the other attributes. (Then, it is a matter of figuring out what you want to give up.) Back to your initial prompt, I didn't love the interior of the 996 initially. But my fondness for the whole machine certainly is causing every aspect to grow on me! Paul

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Metropol is growing on me too. Design wise you have to admire the organic, sensuous, curvalicious-ness of the interior design that was absent before and after 996. So there. Hardly any edges or corners. All flow and go. Love my '72, love my 964, this is diffrn't. In my humble opinion the person who put the pen to paper deserves much greater recognition. Who was that anyway?

Men, it's like this... if you have problems with looking at old interiors, take my advice. Think about it like 80-year-old sex, turn the lights out and it's amazing what the mind creates. (For the record for all you twisted minded people... NO, I haven't had sex with an 80-year-old!)

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Yet...

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Love the metro blue interior but the cig lighter ****! My eys are bleeding

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?? What am i missing?

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IT'S UPSIDE DOWN, MAN! ... I've been on Zoom with my therapist since last night.

i have it perfectly aligned with the crests on my wheel caps....tough crowd!

I don't think anyone dislikes the interior because it's old. In fact, for me, somewhere around the early to mid 2000's is the sweet spot for interiors -- they have all the creature comforts of modern cars without the bizarre interface and almost complete abandonment of ergonomics of new cars. The dislike for the 996 interior is because not all versions of the interior are to everyone's taste and because the quality in some areas is not on par with the expectation of the brand. The "looks" issues can be fixed for probably 90% of people by becoming aware of all the variations available because the reality is that some 996 interiors look awesome and some don't (which is which depends on each person's taste). The quality issue can be fixed for probably 80% of people through careful selection of options (most profoundly with the full leather option and 3-spoke wheel).

I've never had a problem with my 996's interior. My last vehicle was a 2009 BMW 135i, and I think the 2002 996 interior is on par with it. Mine came with a Kenwood double din radio...which I've considered replacing with the original radio. Even though I liked my interior, I have made quite a few modifications to my interior. (MOMO steering wheel, FunctionFirst shift ****, in-dash USB charger, cellphone holder, hidden-ish Valentine1, front & rear dashcams, customized Batwing, 3D-printed cup holder, rear seat delete, RSS rollbar, Dual XGPS, GoPro...and someday I'll install some racing seats)

Add some more leather to your interior! A few of these are pretty confusing as to why but what do I know: http://shop.exclusiveoption.com/996-...a-99-04_c7.htm

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That brings up a good point. One thing I never liked about the 996 interior is the blackness of the instrument cluster gauge dial bezels. That blackness worked perfectly on the 993 and earlier dashboards, because there was nothing modern about those interiors, but it didn't work (in my opinion) in the 996 where the rest of the interior is modern. I don't think the factory offered aluminum gauge trim as an option, but they can be bought aftermarket. They are inexpensive and go a long way towards making the gauge cluster fit better with the rest of the modern 996 interior.

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X7 1 Alu-look instrument faces was a factory option. I have it on my car.

Me too, X71 Aluminum Instrument Dials on 03 4s

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Sorry, I was referring to aluminum trim rings around the outside of the gauges -- I should have posted a picture. I don't think there was a factory option for trim rings, but could be wrong. My car actually had the "matching interior gauge color" option, which I think was something like an $1100 option, but I hated the color and they bubbled, a lot. I think the Alu-look ones are solid dials, but the interior-matching color dials are just stickers that replace the black face (those gauge dial stickers are definitely a quality issue! (especially for what they charge for it)). I wanted to put the dial faces back to black, and there are no aftermarket dials in black (and Porsche doesn't sell OEM black dial faces as a separate part), so I had actually buy another gauge cluster and then transfer the black faces to mine. It was a very painful process, but worth it to me in the end. The gauge surround was also Savannah Beige and the PO had a dealer replace the leather dash pod (it has full leather option) with vinyl (presumably the original leather one was damaged), so I put leather pod back in with contrasting gray gauge surround (instead of beige). I also added the aluminum trim rings around the dials. The wraparound trim piece under the gauges and steering wheel surround are vinyl ,even with full leather option, and the vinyl color darkened over time to no longer match the leather color, so I replaced those surrounds also (using non-colorfast vinyl on those pieces with the full leather option is another example of a quality issue to me). The leather hazard button had LED's for a hidden K40 radar detector, so I replaced it with new leather surround while I was in there. Originally it was a "sea of beige" with bubbled beige gauges, and the end result was a more contrasting look. Some people might prefer the look the original "all beige" look before my changes, and others might like the more contrasting look after the changes. That's why I think the 996 interior can look good to anyone as long as you have the options that match your individual preferences.

It never had to "grow" on me. I liked it when I 1st saw it and still like it the way it is. Had I not, I would have never bought the car.

Quotes source post: 16983071

I�ve never been a fan of the aluminum trim rings on the 996, but that looks AMAZING. Must be the darker gauge surround.

It�s a very basic interior much like the generations that proceeded it. I have always enjoyed its simplicity. Porsche interiors became too luxurious for my taste after the 996. To me Porsche interiors were always just utilitarian and basic which was part of the appeal.

Quotes source post: 16983269

Thanks. There are two different styles of trim rings. The "wider" ones like I have are probably most common. They usually come painted aluminum color (or sometimes red depending where you buy them). I prefer raw brushed aluminum over the look of painted aluminum color, so I bought red rings, stripped off the paint (with paint remover) and then sanded them with decreasing grit and polished them to get raw polished brushed aluminum. That may be why mine look different from others you've seen. If you can find them in raw brushed aluminum, definitely do that because it took a bit of work to strip and polish, but I couldn't find them in raw aluminum so I had to take fairly drastic action . The other style is the "thinner" gauge rings from Dido Tuning in Poland ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/PORSCHE-911...item33c41ab284 ). These actually come in several finishes including brushed aluminum. Wide style (aluminum paint stripped, sanded, polished to raw brushed aluminum) Thin Style (from Dido Tuning)

Quotes source post: 16978689

Love the steering wheel! Where did you get it?

It has, especially after the steering wheel and shifter upgrade. The color matched sport seats (not visible in photo) really finish it off.

Lmk if you want to sell the carbon fiber interior

I honestly wasn't in love with it when I was early shopping these cars. Now I am a huge fan. I personally think a GT3 console delete makes a massive difference in a good way. It's kind of like the outside. So ugly it's beautiful.

I�ve never had a problem with my interior

Quotes source post: 17668822

Looks great. What shift **** and boot is that?

Quotes source post: 17668822

looks great! what shift **** is that?

Quotes source post: 17669603

Thank you. The boot is an alcantara one with silver stitching from Black Forrest Industries and shift **** is a RaceSeng Circuit 100. Kind of reminded me of the more modern/current Porsche shift ***** and feels much better in hand than stock.

I liked it enough to buy one, interiors are a big talking point for me.

Quotes source posts: 16979229, 16978460

You're not supposed to wax your tail pipes - darn

Wait...you're not supposed to wax your tail pipes? 21 years of effort wasted. Hmmm.... Ohhh...and I liked my interior from the day I bought my car. So simple and analog, just the way I like it. Still holding up very well. 99 C2 @147K miles (build date 7/98)