Newbie seeking advice

I am currently looking for a 996 made between 1999/2001. Today I drove a C2 convertible with tiptronic gearshift. I have several observations/questions that I would really appreciate your comments on. I am coming from a BMW MCoupe and so really appreciate good brakes and steering; however I did feel that on the car I drove the brakes were a little soft and the steering slightly numb. Has anyone else experienced this? Also I was a little unsure of the gearbox. I think I will be opting for the more involving manual box. I am considering a car which has the Porsche extended warranty, however I have heard this warranty isn't as comprehensive as it could be. Are there other warranties available out there that offer a higher level of protection? JZ Matchtech are only 3 miles down the road from me and I know they have an excellent specialist reputation; would I be better getting an independant warranty and service through JZ? Sorry for so many questions but I want to get it right first time! Many thanks for your help...hopefully I will be an active owner rather than member on here soon. David

I think the Porsche Warranty is going to have the most comprehensive cover of any you are going to find. It was revised a couple of years ago - you may have heard about the previous version which was a little more limited. It has no upper claim limit either. Most aftermarket ones have a limit which may be too low on a Porsche...

The 996 steering, particularly on a C2, should be near perfect. In fact, many people, new to 911s, can find it quite lively, but "numb" - no. Of course a cabriolet won't feel as tight as a coupe. Brakes should be outstanding. They don't send you through the windscreen, but they should operate smoothly and effectively. They are better when warmed up and some cars, that have been left standing, may have corrosion on the inner discs, which is an MOT failure. The 6-spd manual is excellent - smooth, quick, with a light clutch and the engine oozes mid range torque - highly recommended. The Porsche Warranty is the one to go for. JZ Machtech are one of the best of the independents, but a really good 996 will only need to visit the OPC once a year for a service. Worth stretching to a 3.6 'facelift' if you can, but nearer 40k.

I would agree with all of the above. If the car has none Porsche brakes then it may not react as well, i had pattern parts on my car and they are not the same, in fact they started to judder after 6 months of use. If you shall not be using the car in much traffic i would recomend the manual gearbox, tips are good for town use or for sitting in traffic. The manual gearbox tends to take some time to warm up but once warm it is quick and light as long as operated smoothly. Warranty there are lots of bits not covered but i would have it for the first year to see how you get on with the car just in case there are any hidden problems. JZ never used them as i have an OPC down the road from me but i would not hesitate to use them if they were down the road, it depends how you wnat to work it with warrnaty etc. Good luck and enjoy the 996 is a great car. Phil

Echoing all of the above advice - I have had in the past two cars with Porsche extended warranties and unfotunately had to make claims on both - however the OPC and Reading handled things in a very satisfactory manner. As to the feeling of brakes and steering I would also concur with the other statements that this is unusual. C4 steering is not as communicative as in a C2 but otherwise everything should feel positive - I would advise that you try a few more. Regards Dave

hi, I have a 99 C2 and my previous car was also M3 evo when i changed i found the C2 brakes a little unfeeling and soft at first compared to M3, but don't forget Bmw have a rep for over servo'd brakes hence heel + toeing is more difficult than C2. Now i'm realising the C2 the brakes are fantastic with more actual feel because they are progressive and not over servo'd. The steering i found far from numb compared to M3 it darts and weaves in your hands with any change in road surface i found this unerving at first because the M3 seems solid, But again i was wrong because the C2 is worlds better, drove my mates new M3 the other day and felt dead in my hands.. If u compare it to karting (for fun) steering seems to be alive and very direct in your hands and u constantly make steering ajustments but u feel everything the kart is doing, 911's are similar but not so dramatic. Forget tiptronic doesn't feel the same and very nearly put me off buying, manuel totally diff.

Couldn't agree with Kerry more. I came from an Elise where the steering is probably one of the most communicative you will find on any car to an E46 M3. Great car (the engine - wow) but I found it weaknesses were the brakes and the steering - both over processed with little "natural" feel. Nearly bought a Noble (just like a bigger faster Elise!!) but have finally settled on a 911. First one I drove I felt the same way. You get so used to the artificially heavy steering in the BMW that you that you mistake the light (slightly floaty) steering with a 911 as poor steering. However, once you've driven them for a couple of hours you start to understand it and the real feedback it gives you. After that it just gets better. Brakes are exactly the same. Drive a few though - first one I drove was set up awfully and gave me a false impression. Since then I have nothing but praise for them. Drive a face-lift as well as I think they feel different and is my personal preference.

I found the Mcoupe a much better drive than an M3, great little car, for the same sort of feel as your current steed, you need your 996 to be a manual car, with 10mm lowered sports suspension & a sports exhaust, this is the only spec if you want a real drivers car. I promise it will be a useful step up on the Mcoupe. The steering is lighter, but does have MUCH more feel than an M3. Took my friends M3 out for a blast the other day & compared to my Porker everything was numb and vague, a good few layers of driving pleasure were removed, and lets face it the M3 is very good in the drivers department compared to most other cars! The big thing with Porsches monoblock brake design is you have a firm solid pedal feel & the brakes need some heat in them to work properly, from first cold they can seem dodgy, but heated up on your favourite road their solid firm feel allows you to modulate the brakes very effectively & the car will stand on it's nose if need be, abs is also very good.