I think the 996 Coupe is wearing on me but I still like Cabs

So in my search for a 2002-2004 996, I am really liking the coupes also, which is not the case for the 911s, 964 and 993s, I prefer those in cab form. I will be doing very minor changes to the body GT3 RS style front bumper and Taco wing from the 1999-2001 model...I cant seem to find any pics with this combo for the cab or coupe...anyone have any?

I don't get it. Do you mean you're starting to like it more ("growing on you") or liking it less ("wearing on you")?

I never understood why if someone wants a 911 for the drivers experience it brings to the table why a convertible is even a consideration? ALL Convertibles are decidedly a compromise that is why there are not a lot of GT3 Racing cabriolets :/

I'd love to have a cabriolet for driving on twisty Colorado mountain roads. I wouldn't want one for track use.

Don't get me wrong i am in Miami so get the appeal. I am just saying if I want a convertible for a weekend I rent one but to take a sports coupe and lop the top off just seems counter intuitive.

If you want a car to use on a track then a coupe is really the right way to go. For everything else, a cab is juuuuuust fine. I'll take a cab over a coupe on a beautiful, windy, back road any day. -Eric

Judging by OP's location, Scottsdale, a Cab with an Aero kit would be ideal; looks and enjoyment. Suspension and Fister D's would be a good start.... to the OP, GT3 body kits were called Aero kits for non-GT3 996's. With a good search, you should be able to find a 996 Cab that has the Aero kit already installed ( factory or dealer). They are still under $30-35K. A thorough PPI and test drive and move on from there. If you are looking for a beater 996 ( under $10-15K) and then do the aftermarket Aero bits...it's a gamble as to how the final product compares to OEM.. Your call. A Mk II Aero kit would be fine on a 02-04 996 Cab. A 99-01 Taco wing looks fine, but a Mk I Aero kit looks best on a Mk I 996, unless you prefer to mix the different years' components, which may hurt purists feelings and eventually, resale. There is no Taco wing for Cabs due to retracting Cab cover There is a lower profile Aero kit wing for Cabs that is nice...... As far as Mk II 996 Coupes with factory Aero kits....fellow RL'r philoo has a beautiful Slate Grey .... he may have a better opinion on values....

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+1 I did just that yesterday morning. 4 hours of twisty mountain roads starting at 8am ... sunny ... 27.5c .... practically no traffic ... Top down ... music blaring. Probably best drive of my life. Stopped only to buy some fresh peaches and cherries

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This is why when I was car shopping the Boxster S was in one list of possible cars and the 996 was in another. If I wanted a tin top it would be an M3, 996, Evo or STi. tough choice. If it was soft top it would be Boxster S, S2000 or Z4. easy choice. p.s. I have never been a 911 worshiper. Growing up I thought the 928 and 944 were cooler and the air-cooled looked like what some now call "aero beetles". But the 996 2002-2004 C4S in tin top is hands down the best looking Carrera since the 911. Every angle of the car is right. And the headlights are 100% its own, and not shared with the VW Bug or whatever that car is. The rear fender flares are awesome and it's baffling to me why someone would hack the roof of this car when a world class roadster is available with the extra benefit of mid-engine handling and RWD. Trust me the top down driving experience is better with those two things added to the mix. and you can even go one better by adding 20Lb wheels, sticky RE-11's and 'stuck-in' GT3 seats. I will assume you are rightly differentiating between convertibles and roadsters. If not, then you can say that open cockpit vs covered in sports car racing is more a safety issue, than one of performance... afterall LMP was the ultimate 'convertible' racing class but Michele Aboreto's death prompted change. Also, in a recent shoot-out between the Boxster Spyder and hard top Cayman R, on a karting track to emphasize grip/handling and reduce aero/HP as factor, the roadster was faster than the hard top version on every single lap by a substantial margin if considered in autox terms, over half a second. The convertible was also far easier to drive quickly according to the driver Overbeek, an ALMS pro and longtime Porsche driver.

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Winter will be coming soon to Az and thats cab weather for us here. Im finding cabs in the $22k to $28k range with decent miles 50k and some. I like the aero kits as they add a flair to the car, and I like the Taco wing for the 99-01 models more than the 2nd Gen wing for the 996, theres a aftermarket taco wing for the cabs...So I'll be mixing styles Going to be doing test drives on cabs and coupes this weekend and seeing which one suits me better

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Every experience is differnet to every owner....I like to be different thats why I choose Porsche

If you're going to use the car on the street and for the occasional track day or autocross, then coupe or cab doesn't matter . The money that guys spend on suspensions, etc., to supposedly go faster is better spent on a good driving school. You'll not only go faster than them, but it's transferable to any car you ever own. It never depreciates. Just get the car that puts a smile on your face. All the rest is locker room bravado.

I love the lines of the coupe but being as I'm a ragtop sort of guy, I'd consider a Cabriolet as well. Not to hijack the thread, but is the backseat of the Cabriolet a bit smaller, or at least at a more upright angle, than that of a coupe?

I think they're the same....except stuff is a lot easier to get out of the seats or off the shelf with the top down.

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How can you hear your engine and know for certain when the need to change gear is required when you have your music BLARING... Do you keep your eye on the engine rev counter. I for the life in me cannot see the point of having music BLARING with the top down or up for that matter. The sound coming from a flat six engine is music enough for my ears. I can understand having blaring music if the car was an automatic but not in a manual 911. Sorry. BTW when the top goes up so does the price of the vehicle. You cheapo coupe owners hahaha To answer another poster... I can't imagine the seating arrangement being any different from the coupe and the Cabriolet. The back seats will be the same ball crushers in either model.

While not wishing to argue w/fellow rennlisters, I can't resist throwing a couple of bones into the ring here: >Cabs w/removable hardtops are kind of the best of both worlds...if you can put up with the inconvenience of installing/removing/ storing the 73lb. hardtop. PCA DE events require Cab owners to fit their hardtops, I believe. >The back seats of the Cab's are a bit more "vertical" than those of the coupes. But my dog doesn't seem to mind this. (Its a small dog.) relinuca

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Not to mention ugly. Engine in the back doesn't lend itself to a nice profile when you chop the roof off.

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<<<< Yeah...cabs are so hideous!

My previous one was a 2000 cab. It was a lot of fun having the top down during summer nights THE FIRST YEAR OF OWMERSHIP....but than I just kind a grew out of it. Plus all the extra rattling and wind noise on the highway was getting to me. As for the back seats (if you want to call it seats LOL) yes the cabs are a little more vertical than the coupe

No rattling or wind noise here. I think the 99-01 plastic rear windows are an issue. (owned a 99 myself)

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Heh good thing you have the front 3/4 pictured. The back is no good imo.

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...and I hope you don't have those wheels in your avatar on your car 'cause they are butt ugly