Considering jumping into the off the cliff into the water...

...water cooled that is. And purely for practical reasons. Anybody here got any practical justifications for coming over into the water cooled arena either having BEEN previously an air cooled fanatic or even a first time P-car owner? I have not made the leap yet, but am gently mulling it over from a maintenance cost and drivablity viewpoint. To me the best case might be having an air cooler AND a water baby, but practicality is forcing me to consider only ONE. Frankly, a 996TT seems like a pretty good way to go. I really like my NA 993 (my 6th air cooled P-car over the past 15 years), but the affordable performance and modernized P-car panache of a 996TT is kind of irresistable. Thoughts???

If I could have afforded a TT I would consider it irresistable too. Every day and long trip drivability are the modern cars forte. Not to mention better performance. And easy maintanence. And cheaper repairs. And better looks. And as has been discussed at long length and with great civility, the only real Porsches.

You would be following the evolution! Most cars didn't used to have ABS or automatic climate control. F1 cars now shift with something closer to a Tip then a 6 speed (***** size or homosexuality notwithstanding). The best solution is, as you say, to keep your air cooled AND get an H2O wagen. Wasn't there a recnt post talking about a pilot saying how everybody likes a P-51 but he'd rather be in his F-16 in a dogfight! Both will be classics. One already is......the "aircooled" one (except the P-51 has a radiator)!

Moved from an '87 to my '02. I absolutely loved driving the '87 - a great raw driving experience. In fact, the first time I drove a 996 I didn't really like it (this may get me banned from this forum!). However, the car has grown on me to the point where I wouldn't consider trading it for one of the air cooled cars. It's a far more practical car, with real air conditioning and driver comforts. More importantly, the performance is a huge step forward. I track it often and am always amazed by the strength of the total package. Don't get me wrong, I still love getting into one of the older cars for an occasional ride and would own one again but only as a second P-car - I wouldn't replace the 996 with one. Now a GT3 - that's another story!

It's not really a question about water cooling vs. air/oil cooling, it's more a question of whether you want Porshe's advancements that have been built into the 996/997 cars. For a thorough assessment of the 993 vs. the 996, for example, read the 996 road test in the August 1998 issue of Excellence magazine. Additional contributions to the article came from Hurley Haywood. Here are some points in the article that identify some of the major improvements made by Porsche in the new model as well as impressions of the testers. "The 993 lacks the poise and balance of the new 996. And it's a lot less comfortable to drive. My head feels pressed against the glass of the old upright windshield, and the floor-mounted clutch and brake pedals preclude heel and toeing." "The longer wheelbase (up 3") and widened track (up 2") of the 996 optimize the rear-engined platform. The quantum improvement from 993 to 996 far exceeds the wampum leap Porsche made from the Carrera 2 to the 993." "The laden ground clearance of the 996 is 1" less than that of the 993, effectively lowering the new 911's center of gravity." "The gearchange is so much better than anything Porsche has done before...." "Significantly, the new 3.4 liter motor is not only 26 hp more powerful than the old one (despite being 200 cc smaller) but it is also 110 pounds lighter than the old lump." Good luck!

I went from a 996 to an '87 C3.2. The C3.2 is more fun to drive but the 996 is all around a better car. Even with Bilstein coilovers on the C3.2, I believe the 996 (factory Macphersons) can slightly out handle it. Cant comment on the AC or heat difference, the C3.2 has neither, it is my race car. The feedback from the steering wheel of the 996 is better to me, it really translates the road back to you. Go with an '02-up for sure. You will miss the thud sound of the doors though since the 996 has a frameless window. If you lay under the dash of a 996 or remove the bumpers front and back, you will be impressed with the layout and nice aluminum components Porsche used. The sole reason I got a C3.2 is because the hp potential, I simply couldnt afford to boost the 996. Sound of the exhaust and the thud will probably be the 2 things missed in the 996.

The door thud is the only thing I miss from my '86.

I had an '86 911 and a 1995 993. The '86 was fun to drive although under powered. The '95 was also a good car. I have never found the balance of good daily driver and fun track car until I got my 996. With a few mods, the 996 is the only car I have ever owned that I feel like keeping forever. With both of the older cars (and a few other P-cars, ahem, boxster) I knew I would eventually sell and buy a better one. With the 996 and a few mods, it just seems to fit.