Thinking of going to 996 from 993

I currently have a '95 993, which is a fabulous car, but have been considering a move to the 996. I recently drove an '02 with the aero package and found the performance very stimulating, as it had better torque throughout the range than my 993. I'm interested in hearing feedback from those who have already made this switch and what common issue generally arise with these later 996's.

Slaaw, I sold my 1995 C4 last year to a fellow lister. The bad news is no matter what new Porsche you get, you will always miss your old car. The good news is that you have a 1995 and there seems to be a very strong market for well cared for 1995 993s. The 996 feels more modern has more creature comforts. The windows are kind of goofy when they zip up and down when you close the door. If your battery dies get ready for the circus as there are not too many "manual" items on these cars. Many people in this forum have used the word "raw" to describe their 993s after buying 996s. I think they are correct as I find the 996 a lot quieter on the highway and the handling more luxurious. I really liked the five hole gauge layout of pre 996 models but I got used to the overlap theme pretty quick. When you open the rear hatch of a 996 there is not a whole lot to look at unless it has some exotic airbox. If you take your time you could pull off a nice transaction by selling your desireable 1995 and buying the right 996 as they are a few years old and not the "new new" thing anymore. You have to keep in mind that some day a 993 guy will step out of his grocery getter and look at your 996 for a minute, take off his sunglasses, and ask you if you like your Boxter.........Just say yes, and that your girlfriend bought it for you. Steve

This is not a new post, I cannot tell you how many times I have replyed to these. I will try to offer what i think , its just info so take it for what it is..I think you will get very different anwsers from a 993 owner and a 996 owner.First off the 993 is a awsome car, no doubt in fact i think its one of the best looking cars EVER.With that being said its performance does not match its great looks. If you want this to be your daily driver and a weekend track car then the 996 is for you.It does these functions better. The price to purchase is close , and they both have their gremlins. I think the only problem you will have from the switch is from the some of the guys at the 993 forum.There is not to many issues with the 996, other then the RMS and its way over rated. Even if you need a new RMS its cost is less the $ 800.00 and even cheaper if you do one when you do a clutch disc. The newest seal seams to work, This is the forth one in my 04 and the new has been in there the longest with no leaks. I am not sure if your 95 is one of the years for the dreaded CEL light...AKA Carbon built up. that cost is normally $5000.00 +. I wanted to know my 996 was different then everyone elses so i made it mine, i guess you can do that to a 993 but there are so many more and better options for the 996. I say go for it, I am sure you will miss the 993, but you wont miss it once your driving the 996.

Mmmm... luxurious is the last thing that comes to mind when I'm driving the 996. I also own a 964, which is a very similar drive to the 993, and the 996 feels much more the "race car", with faster reflexes and a jumpier but more controlled ride. The steering on the 964 is like a Lexus compared to the C4S.

I love the 993 looks on the outside...I think you are going to enjoy the inside of the 996 better!

The best car buying decision I ever made was buying my '95 993. It was without doubt the best sports car I ever owned. The worse car decision I ever made was selling my 993 four years later. My 993 was absolutely bulletproof. After four years and 35K miles, it literally rode as well as the day I bought it. The only advantage of the later 911 iterations is that they have more HP. Although I've never owner a 996, I have driven them for many years and have found them to be a lot of fun to drive. Although I prefer the styling of the 993 over the 996, I nevertheless find the 996 to also be an attractive alternative. Based on some of the posts I've read on this forum, there are some concerns with engine durability. On the other hand based on the experiences of three of my friends who own 996s, they have been very reliable. Only one of the three cars had a RMS leak that was repaired two years ago, and never recurred. If you decide to buy a 996, I'd certainly buy an '02 or later because of the imrovements made in that year. Good luck.

Here are a couple of threads where this topic was discussed quite intensively: https://rennlist.com/forums/996-forum/186899-do-you-all-really-hate-your-996-s.html & https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ght=age+design Here's my 4 cents: I'm a former 993 owner(see picture link below my signature), but I moved on to 996: I think the 993 is a great car. It's 30 years of continued innovation, but it's an age old design. They could only push that frame design so far to adapt to our ever changing roads as their speed limits gets faster and faster. It's true that they say that the 993 needs more attention to drive, it dances with the road surface. The 996 does not. If it hits a bump, it stays in it's trajectory. I think that stability is good for our fast highways/freeways. 02 and newer has 40 horses more, with lighter bodyweight. So you actually gain more push power. The interior is a major seller for me. I felt like I was going back in time everytime I got in my 993. The 996 interior is more civilized functionaly. Shifting alone is so much easier with my 996. It's a shorter throw with less effort. It gives me that more sport shifting feel which is great at the track. I could only go on and on in how much better the 996 is. The engine, For the same displacement, due to being water cooled, they were able to extract 40+ more horses. My only advice though is inspect the car thoroughly for the RMS. Look where the transmission bolts onto the engine, if you see oil seepage, have a p car mech look at it. If you don't any trace of oil, check the bolts themselves, if they bear signs(shinny corners) that they were move before, a telltale that the transmision was moved possibly for RMS replacement, or could just be for a clutch. Mine and most of the guys here are clean. There's only few percentage of these cars that have that problem, of course you only hear it from these guys thats why it seems like it's an epidemic in rennlist. 1 more thing, ease maintenance on the engine is 4 folds better than the 993.. changing oil for example, 1 filter and the drain port is right in the rear bottom of the engine, with the filter beside it. Easier than my toyota truck. A race tech also told me that engines cost is $6K vice $14K for a 993. I went for the 02 to have the extra 20 horses with the 3.6 engine and the turbo look lights. I'm reallyX2 happy with the switch(993~996).

Thanks for the excellent feedback on this issue. I'm really on the fence as I, like most 993 owners, love the exterior styling and tradition of the aircooled 993's, but long for the improved driveability and increased performance of the 996. From the depreciation standpoint, I would lose much more going to a 996 as I believe they would drop in value at a higher rate than my 993. If I could only have both.

For most of the reasons listed I decided to keep my 993, just buy another 996. The good news is that most pre 2002 996s are fairly resonable priced so buying another one will not put that big of dent in your pocket book. From the technically/performance point of the view the 996 is definitely an major leap in design from the 993, I give Porsche a lot of credit for accomplishing everything they intended to achieve from a Coporate engineering, financial point of view. Sold more cars, made more profit, cut production cost, lowered cost of ownership, etc..... Now, my 996 serves as my everyday driver, and I am enjnoying every bit of it. Better A/C, easier to drive, better handling, more low end torque, better gas mileage, and don't attract as much attention... these are all the things I value everytime I get in my 996. Coming from a 993 I can easily tolerate cheap interior plastic, mystery rattles and electric motor engine tone, for me the 996 interior is light years ahead of the 993 in comparison. But compare to a real passenger car, the 996 still needs some work... Every model have their quirk and issues, even the bullet proof 993 have potential problems in engine area where it could cost you $10k for a top end rebuild (excess exhaust valve guide wear), the dreaded CEL (96+) issues which can also cost you several $k for repair. Same with the 996, small % of engine blow ups and RMS failure. But there is nothing else in the world at this price range that can provide the same joy they provide....

I wouldn't worry about the depreciation. Really. Buy the car, drive the hell out of it, enjoy it to its fullest and move on when it is time. Too many people worry about the resale value and such. I don't care at all. I enjoy the car so much that I am getting my money out of it be it tangible or intangible.

here here buy it drive when it 's time to sell it if you need to sell it or give it to your nephew or your kids 'or a less fortunate person drive hard live long