What options would you get if you bought your 996 new?

My 2002 Targa came with over $13,000 in options but the only ones I personally would have paid for are PSM and Seal Grey paint for a total of $2,045. Which would I delete? Advanced Technics Pkg. $3,240 for a poor Bose Stereo and Zenon lamps. Yes I would miss the Zenon lamps. Comfort Pkg. $2,100 I can adjust my own seats. 18" Carrera Lightweight wheels. $1,325. 17" OEM are adequate and I can always go aftermarket or used. $340 rear wiper. I don't ever use it. Heated Seats $415 Only if I had a hemorrhoid issue. Carbon trimmed steering wheel $1,520 Seriously? Carbon trimmed shifter and e-brake handle $880 WTF? GT3 door sills $1,750 I do love these but $1,750? All this not to mention the original purchaser coughed up an additional $7,000 for a Targa over a coupe. I do love my Targa but it is a glorified sunroof. Clearly I don't bowl in the same league as these guys who purchase these cars new. But I do appreciate that they take the depreciation hit when I buy it from them.

I would order exactly what I have, but without the sunroof.

The guy who ordered my car did it right. No heated seats, no rear wiper, no carbon fiber suck, no faux (or real) wood veneer, no slush box. If it could have come with no PSM (like my 986), and without the DSP (because there's no place to put since I deleted the lower console), it would have been just the way I'd order. The comfort seats are awesome if you autocross but don't have a harness...lock the belt with the seat all the way back and reclined, and then run it forward a couple of inches and adjust the recline a bit to really cinch yourself into the seat. Two seats (those things in the back do not count), black paint, black interior, close as matters to 300hp, a gear shift, a wheel, and three pedals. Perfect . I did replace the original steering wheel with a 3-spoke model - I had a 3-spoke in my 986 and hated moving to the 4-spoke with no thumb bumps. I _never_ would have coughed up the $$ for the aero/MK2 wing, nor the Tubi exhaust - but I'm glad the previous owner did.

Everything that Porsche offered...if I had the money. But since I don't, the car I bought has everything I wanted (full aero, an 02+ cab since I wanted rear glass window/glovebox/drink holder and tip since my wife and kids cannot drive stick). Which is why I bought it in the first place. And which is why there is nothing I would want to remove/delete.

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+1 I like all the bells and whistles I got.

My car is a strange one, with full leather, Advanced Technics, Litronics, PSM, turbo twists and a few other options. It rang in at just over $82K, essentially the same price as a C4S that year - and the C4S had essentially all these same options as standard. I've always wonders why the original owner didn't just get the C4S, particularly as the car was sold in the Northeast.

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This is exactly what i was looking for...a "stripper" 996. The only option I wanted was LSD. And that's what I found...though it was much harder than expected. The only other option my car has is the full leather interior...which IS kind of nice since the quality of plastic isn't very good.

I'm the exact opposite, I now have a TT and although these options are standard, I have also had a 986 and know what the difference is between stock and luxury options. Heated seats - a must have. Full leather - I like this but not so much on the doors as it's not durable if it gets wet. Memory seats - it's a great option, not sure if I would purchase it, but it definitely like it. On board computer - now that I have it on my TT I wish I had it on my Boxster. Psm - i had this on my 986 and now TT and it has come in handy on my 986. Painted center console - I would never pay for the factory part, but I would buy it aftermarket again. Deviated carpeting and stitching - I don't have this but wish my car had it and I had ordered my Boxster with it.

On my C4S I would have chosen sports seats, heated seats, sport exhaust, X73 suspension, X51 power upgrade to 340hp, short shifter, painted center console silver, crests in head rest, thicker steering wheel and Sun roof delete.

Full Leather, PSM, and Aerokit.

My car came with a load of options, but the one I would've liked would be the PSE. I guess I would've wanted the rain sensor wipers as I use the car as a DD.

Sunrof delete, x51, x71 and LSD.

a GT3

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This.

The only option my car didn't come with that I wish it had is a Turbo.

The cool thing about buying a 996 used today is you can get all these originally outrageously priced options for pennies on dollar!

Pennies on the $ for options vs. stigma to pay $$$$ for a $15 bearing

I would have added PSE, and cruise control. Apart from that it's perfect.

Funny how little the options affect resale pricing. Dealer where I bought my car last year had a pair of 2001 Cabriolets. One had virtually no options except for heated seats (even had a hardtop delete) so original MSRP was about $75k the other had $18k in options with an original MSRP of $93k. The stripped one had 52k miles asking price $25k. The loaded one had 72k miles asking price $23k. I understand the added miles knocked the price down somewhat but with an additional $18k in options you'd think they'd be even.

Passenger ejection seat

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Thankfully, the world seems replete with people willing to spend some of their money on new-car depreciation...so the rest of us can acquire awesome cars on the cheap. The residual value for factory options is bad enough, but the return on investment for aftermarket upgrades is the ultimate beat-down. The previous owner of my 996 dropped $15-20K on upgrades - aerokit w/ MKII wing, Tubi exhaust, complete suspension upgrade, wheels that cost more than some cars I've owned, etc. etc. All top-quality parts, everything done correctly, yet the asking price was consistent with published used-car values for stock cars with similar mileage.

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Beat me to it

Hmm, I have hard back sports seats, in exterior color - would have ordered this Factory Aero-would have ordered Red seat belts - always wanted them, so I would have ordered Has xenon/litronic's which I think are better than my Cayenne's and Audi's I've had (all newer years) Would have gotten full leather (got spoiled with my CTT with full leather) Would have gotten alcantara headliner (may wrap it, idk yet due to the sunroof) - don't think this was an option in 99' Would have gotten heated seats.

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+1

I know my manhood is already in question, but I would have gotten an automatic. None of my kids can drive it and my wife refuses. I am teaching my son to drive a stick but still too scared to let him solo in it. Only other options I want are the technic package (computer and xenon's) and the sport classic rims. Agree on aftermarket upgrades. Esp with the turbos. Guys spend 50 large in mods and they are for sale for less than complete stock cars.

Would have gone for the 40 AE package ... Oh wait.

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would have taken x51, LSD, upgraded suspension and full leather... only thing my 40th AE doesn't have is a sunnroof delete

Ditto. A sunroof delete, rear wiper delete, sport seat 40AE. If aero kit wing and euro gt3 seats were possible would have gotten those too, and PCCBs if I was made of money.

Think I'd delete the rear wiper and add European Delivery

I've had my 40AE since new and fortunately was able to purchase it at close to a $20K discount, when the 997 was being introduced (so at the time it was a no brainer getting a fully loaded 40AE vs. a base 997 with zilch options) - But the thing I wish I had added was the original PSE system back then... GT3 was not an option as I needed the rear seats to sell the concept of a 911 as a "family" car to the wifey... Somehow whatever BS I used worked... And thankfully the Panamera wasn't out yet!... __________________ 2004 Anniversary Edition #1034

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Our 2004 C4S Cab? It's fully optioned with leather, aluminium package, sport exhaust etc. The only thing I would add at this point is the X51 Power Upgrade