ok, back to our 996 1st trip!

not sure if I can just rave about the car in this forum, but I just wanted to add, we took a trip to fl for turkey in the newtous cabriolet, all in all only about 1500 miles. but this car was far more comfortable than I thought it would be driving, sure some of the roads were not great and you can feel them, but the seats were very comfy, and really it was not a rough ride like i expected, the seated position was better than our 2011 mustang GT, I was not stiff nor hurt from the trip at all. on one tank we hit 22.8 mpg, the lowest we got was 18.7 and that tank was around Daytona for the turkey rod run, visiting some friends, and well... played a little with the car (very little mind you) but highway speeds were 80-85 with the occasional 90 (by accident, it is really hard to drive it 80, it just sneaks away from you) pretty darn happy with those numbers, and she did not use oil. We stayed one night on the beach and I planned on driving on the beach and getting some good pictures of it, but tide was very high so we passed on that one. I did find a hand car wash just over the river from the beach, pulled in and got her washed up real nice, place was great! my grandson thinks he is cool now and loves grandma's new car better than her Mustang GT convertible. (it has to be the spoiler as he is only 6) all the family wanted a ride in it, so that was fun in itself. all in all, i enjoyed the trip in this car, and my wife really likes it! life is good!

Yes raving permitted. Nice to see posts like this.

Sometimes I wish I had a convert. Sounds like a fun road trip. JKC

Great story tks12, sounds like a nice way to drive 1500 miles, with complete enjoyment in your Porsche.

I was actually going to ask what these cars are like on long road trips. I've just got mine so I'm still finding out what is good and what is not. Sounds like you had a good trip. I can't wait to take mine up to Orlando or down to the keys to test out a road trip. Either way about a three and a half hour drive for me.

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whacked,. some reason this was double posted

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they have their advantages living here compared to in FL, we had a couple of them years ago, and as we got older in the summers we found ourself very seldom using them even at night in the dead of the summer it was just oo hot and humid out, which seems funny as we ride motorcycles as well, so the car was not used much anyhow. But since we moved up here to the mountains, we find ourself using a convertible more and more, this is our second one since moving here, and during spring, summer and fall, almost everyday my wife comes home from her 50 mile drive home, the top is down on the car. my wife wont even consider not owning one now. this time is was either a Porsche 911 cab, or the Mercedes SLxx (she really wanted a amg sl55 she liked the power) she did not like the smaller slk series at all. but she loved driving the 911, funny huh......

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well, here is some more to it, one advantage we had was, we have traveled all over the country on motorcycles, so packing light is something we are definitely used to doing! you can fit enough to "get by" for 7 days and a few extra things you like to take in a 996 Cab!, just pretend your on a motorcycle <big grin> and don't let the car be valet parked, insist you drive it, they really do not know about the door handles and the window even at a hilton. my wife beat them to the punch opening the door, but the guy on my side had the door opened before I could say wait a second.

I just got my 996 cab a few months ago and can't wait to do a serious road trip!!

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I don't get it. What's with the door handles and windows?

I have a Cab as well and we drove up to Columbus Oh from Atlanta to attend the P2O event. Its just under 600 miles each way. I also found the car much more comfortable than I expected. Unfortunately my radar detector was on the blink so I made a contribution to the state of Ky just outside Louisville. Would definitively do the trip again.

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on the convertible, when you raise the door handle the window drops a bit to clear the roof, there is a small delay from lifting the handle to the window actually dropping, and if you just open it fast (like a normal car) the window actually pops out of the recess for the top. our stang does it as well as our Mercedes did too, but they are much faster at lowering the window from the time you actually lift he door handle, it's only a split second on our cab, still someone that does not know this, will actually open it to fast, I did notice the 08's we were looking at seemed faster than the 04's and earlier we looked at

Impressive that you dare to drive that far. I used to, and the longest trip me and my better half has done was about 2500 miles in 6 days. That was last winter and this summer my engine gave in and it's no way in hell I would ever take it on long trips or attend any track-related activity. Simply not worth the cost and hassle of replacing the engine. I'm looking into upgrading to a Turbo which doesn't have several ways to kill itself as the fun of owning a 996 Carrera is mostly gone. I spend most of my time in the car listening for any suspicious sounds or other signs of impending doom. Too bad a 996TT starts at about 118.000 usd over here...

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we are used to traveling, by motorcycle and car cross country, to tell ya the truth, I would not own something I would not drive, if I were that worried about it, I would get rid of it. if it breaks I'l get it shipped back home, or go back with my truck and trailer and get it. it would tick me off yes as it would be a major inconvenience. but I have had brand new vehicles break, and working in dealerships before I have seen plenty of any brand get towed in whit a major repair. it's all a gamble. I look forward to taking this car to texas in the spring, might even drive it right out to Las vegas from there if we have time.

I'll probably start a fury here but my opinion has always been that these cars (in the "... lowly" C2 format at least) were meant to be driven and enjoyed as Sport GTs... Not Track Monsters or Special Event Cars. This comment is anecdotal but haven't you noticed that most folks with problems seem to be regular track guys (with more extreme use) or low mileage garage queens? Of course there are exceptions but it seems to me if you want to DE or track the car, prepare for upgrades and higher maintenance, and if you want to let it sit for extended periods of time, prepare for problems as a result of the engine draining completely dry of oil into the sump before start-up (as well as other various and sundry cobwebs). I think when you get into the upper levels of 996, some of this may not apply because the parts are sturdier, but I am really wondering if a lot of folks have problems because they drive their C2 "... like it was stolen" when race cars are rebuilt much more frequently... (Hell, I don't even drive my wife that way)! Or... Because they let them polish and sit up and expect them to run up to speed with no issues. For the serious gear-heads on here... Dry starting with no oil is terrible, right? So the longer you sit, isn't it true that the surfaces in the engine and transmission drip off more and more oil? Also, the coolant drips out to the radiators or sits in there in rusts/corrodes? And, the gas gets condensation or otherwise degrades? Doesn't the water pump (lubricated by coolant) get dry? Not to mention that brake fluid and coolant have lubricants in them preserving the hoses... Drive the damn things! I've driven my car respectfully, albeit with some sport and spirit and I've driven it nearly every day for 8+ years. Seems to work for me. Flame away, but I really think these are great cars if they are handled correctly. And if they are tracked, there is some appreciation for what you are doing and the buy-in to upgrade the car. My thoughts at least. Been up for the better part of two days so cranky. Sorry. JKC

Again, those comments are anecdotal and not meant to poo poo anyone who has had real problems with their car. I am sure that must suck and sympathize with you. I am just saying it had made good sense to me to drive it regularly and responsibly, and, if you drive it aggressively, to expect more maintenance/issues. JKC

I agree, 996 Carreras are too fragile to withstand track use. Which is a shame because Porsche often markets them as cars you can drive to the track, attend a track day and drive home again. Porsche even arrange official track days where 996 Carreras are welcome. Previous models handle it fine. Also, some cars fail even if they aren't tracked and aren't garage queens. So all in all, the 996 Carrera is a letdown, with a poorly built engine (by Porsche standards), and I won't own one again. A company over here that repairs cracked cylinders claim that all M96 engines have cylinders that turn more and more oval until they eventually crack, it's just a matter of time. Guess time will show if they are right.

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I like our car, and im not going to worry about it. i'm going to enjoy it, we are going to drive it, and it will go on the track at some point, at least for fun. Sorry you did not have good luck with yours. and mine may end up the same way,, but it;s like any brand, you hear of a few horrible stories out of the 175+ thousand 996's that were sold.

thklinge, Respect your opinion, but disagree. I don't think the car is fragile, but long story short, a road car is a road car. A race car or track car is different. You cannot expect to drive one to the limits and not incur rebuild/refurb issues. Can you let me know the company you are referring to on the oval'ing cylinders? I want to read up on that. Jake Raby, can you chime in on that since you rebuild/refurbish/remanufacture the M96 engines? In short (if not apparent), I think your post is off-point but want to explore it. Thanks, JKC

SS Performance here i Norway say everyone will go oval to the point of failure. I could paste the email, but it's in Norwegian. Hartech in the UK are also big on rebuilds, they have a 51 page PDF available here: http://www.hartech.org/docs/buyers%2...20part%204.pdf Where they say, amongst other things: "All the 996 engines we have stripped and rebuilt for any reason have shown measurable signs of this elongation of the bore on the thrust side (going oval) and the amount is increasing with age and mileage." Also, there is a significant difference between driving your 996 to the limit on track, race-style or just participating in a drivers ed course at a track. The 996 can't withstand neither it seems.

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well I learned my lesson, I see right now I should have never posted a thread that we like our car and drive it, IMO the moderator is welcome to delete this entire thread......... there are plenty of discussions all over the web on the downfalls of this car, I have read plenty of them, this was was NOT meant to be one of those......... again I'm sorry about posting this thread. I'm not happy it getting hi-jacked into a 996 bashing, again! there are plenty of those to be read!, and maybe, just maybe you should have bought a toyota thklinge!

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MY GOSH! many if not most engines can have measurable signs of elongation (along with TAPER)to the bore, that is WHY when you rebuild a engine you check these things! it happens to american and japense car, truck and motorcycle cylinders i am a retired auto mechanic, this is just a known fact of life

tks12 - I'm with you. Drive it and enjoy it. I have had my C2 for over 5 years and although when I bought it I "thought" it would be my fun special occassion car, it became my daily driver almost immediately. Took it on a 3400 mile road trip a few months after I got it, no reason other than to drive the car. Last year I picked up a C4S and again with flawed thinking, thought that once I got used to the C4S I'd let go of the C2 - not so, love it too much. And took the C4S on a 2200 mile road trip, and again for no reason, just wanted to drive it. I had no issues on either trip with either car, other than I didn't want the trips to end. My only problem now is to make sure that both cars get healthy and regular exercise - along with being late for work some days when both cars whisper to me in the garage "take me today, take me". And yes - sometimes I feel like a fool because proper care and maintainence can cost some cash and really, who needs two of these things anyway. Drive and enjoy - and remember that if it wasn't for all of the hype and fear these cars would be out of reach for many people. So let the hype continue as it plays well for some of us.

I was sitting in front of a friend's neighborhood waiting for him to come home so I could follow him in and a 996 C4S drove past me. Great looking car. Never driven one though. Thanks for the post, tks12. JKC

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hehe, my wife has a 100 mile a day trip to from work, it will get drove, there has only been a couple days since we bought it that she did not drive it. thinking of selling her other car and getting another 911, We tried a contacting someone that had one for sale Saturday although this one happened to be a turbo cab but it was an older one a slant nose. I have a good mind to buy another 996 and drive it too <evil grin> anyhow, she's hooked! plan accomplished (she better not see this post<grin>)

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what is the difference in a c4s? 4 wheel drive and a bit more power?, or is it cosmetic as well? we test drove a 4s one time it was newer though, it had some aftermarket exhaust on it.

The C4S is widebody like the Turbo. And has a distinctive red reflex-plate between the rear lights, a tradition Porsche has kept all the way up to the 991 which has a neat red LED-strip between the rear light clusters:

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I believe the initial attraction is cosmetic, the wide body - think Turbo without the scoops on the rear quarter panels. After that it is basically a Turbo sans the Turbo engine - the C4S has the same M96 engine as the C2 and same HP ratings. The all wheel drive makes it feel somewhat less powerful than the C2, but it is a superior handling car in my opinion. And I love the S brakes. In my case the C4S feels like the more refined car between the two. The C2 feels quicker, better throttle response, more like a pocket rocket, my C2 has the factory MO30 sport suspension and the C4S has a touring suspension, so the C4S is the more comfortable riding car of the two. Testimony is the kids - "let's take the silver one" - and the wife "can we take the blue one". The kids are into the thrill, the wife prefers the more comfortable ride. I got lucky , other than the suspension, both cars are optioned identically, including PSE and SSK, including power heated comfort seats. Makes jumping from one car to the other a dream. You need to pick up another one for yourself.

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My first roadtrip years ago was to Atlanta. I average 29 with the top closed and 28 with it opened. I recall saying the same about comfort. My only discomfort now is geting out of the car..

Nice to see this thread turn positive again. tks12 great looking car you got there, thanks for posting.

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hehehe for some reason, even if I pick one up for "myself" I think my loving wife would find a way to confiscate it <g> thank you, I did not realize they did not start that model until '02 and I did find a bit of info on it, and wish in a way I had looked a little longer, as I really do like the looks of it over our 2000 996, anyhow here is a bit about it I found. In 2002 Porsche additionally introduced a new Carrera 4S. Same as for the 993 Carrera 4S, this car can be considered as a crossbreed between the Carrera 4 and the Turbo. The bodywork was donated by the Turbo (whose widebody, front and rear bumper and sideskirts were used) except for the air inlets in the rear fenders and the fixed rear wing. As a retro-feature derived from the 993 Carrera the reflecting band connecting the two rear lights was added to this model – another item which was missed by many enthusiasts and its return appreciated greatly by them. The 996 Carrera 4S used the same powerplant as the 996 Carrera and Carrera 4 but due to the slightly increased weight (1495kg) it was a tad slower than these (0-100km/h 5.1 seconds and 280km/h). The Carrera 4S is a very popular choice within the 996 series models as it combines the attractive bodywork of the Turbo with lower maintenance costs (thanks to the normally aspirated engine and the lower power levels putting less stress on all components) and makes a perfect daily driver.

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hehehe funny you mention that, I am not too agile myself, getting is is harder than getting out because of my legs, hmmm, maybe that is another reason me wife wanted the Porsche, she can get in and out fine, what a way to keep me out of our (oops her) car <grin>

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thank you, we are enjoying it, and I got to have it yesterday! <grin>