993 and 996 test drives.........Not so black and white

Hi Gang I have finally decided to take the plunge, he was soft with me, slow at first, then we gathered speed together......me and the salesman at porschecraft that is!!!!LOL. An absolutely fantastic test driving afternoon. My mission was to determine which 911 would be my first and the guys at Porschecraft were more than willing to help. Trawling throught the many 993 vs 996 threads on this forum it was clear that the field is divided. The only way I could really determine which model was best for me was to experience them both. I have dreamed about owning a 993 for years. In my opinion its shape is still sexy and razor sharp today despite the introductions of the 2 newer derivaitaves. As an older car although, my head was telling me that drivability would most likely be agricultural when compared to many modern sports cars......Would I be prooved Wrong??? I have never been desperate to own a 996. I always felt it lacked the essincial curves that made the 993 so attractive (C4S and Turbo models excluded!!). Gradually though, my attraction grew (partly brough about by the recient fall in prices) from the realiation/curiosity that as a completely new model for Porsche, its engineering would surely make it a worthy replacement for the 993. Wouldn't it.....? Decisions decisions decisions Test drive 1 2001 Porsche 996 C2 Cabriolet 6 Speed with PSM. I was disapointed at first to be driving a cabriolet but was assured that the differences wouldn't be so noticable at the speeds planned for the test drive. After making myself at home in the cockpit, the driving position was relatively perfect. The interior felt special and of high quality..definitly supercar worthy. I Fired the beast into life......Amazing.......Despite the initial slow speed feeling my way around, throttle response was very sharp and all controls were weighted as I would expect from any modern well engineered sports car. So far so good. As I picked up speed, I noticed a distinct flat spot in the torque delivery around 4000 rpm. The car was by no means sluggish but this lack of mid speed torque was more apparant because the initial responce had been so good. Above 5000rpm though all was forgiven, the engine came on cam and she felt very brisk indeed with an extremely refined soundtrack behind me. At Wide open throttle the gearing really complemented the engines power band but had to be driven to redline to ensure the revs did not fall into the sub 5000rpm dead zone. Final impressions.....I want one!! She had done everything the magazines said she would. Easy to drive, quick, comfortable, refined etc. And yet only bottom of the 996 range and a heavy Cab. 996's could ouly get better from here. At this point I was considering not even bothering to drive the 993 but a dream still needed to be fulfilled..... Test drive 2 1996 porsche 993 c2 cabriolet 6 speed. Again another cabriolet....oh well, I was sure I wasnt going to like it anyway. Sitting inside the past master, it was clear that I had stepped back into the past. Regressing my mind, I did my best to compare the interior to other cars of the same era but it was difficult, I had just got out of the 996...ergonomic perfection....and my feet were now angled towards the left on heavy floor pivoting pedals with an alpne stereo that was just about in arms reach. Was my dream shattering around me?? oh dear!! I fired the old dear to into life.....................goose bumps. I could smell the over rich mixture and could feel the vibrations of the flat 6 behind me. This car felt raw, untamed, and beast like. As soon as I pulled onto the A1 I couldnt help but put my foot down. Unlike the 996 there seemed to be torque everywhere. I couldnt contain the grinning on my face. This felt like a track car with plenty of feedback through all of the controls. What seemed at first like an awquard driving position was now rewarding and involving. My dislike of the 80's interior was a distant memory. The engine note behind me was more thunderous than the refined 996 and the long throttle pedal gave the ability to deliver the bags of engine torque progressively. Final impressions......This was a great car, fantastic even. Day to day I can imagine driving it could be tiring in traffic say, but who cares, once it is on the open road you cant help but love it. My dream is still intact PHEW!!. So which one will I buy?? This has now turned into an even harder decision beause I love them both for similar and different reasons. My head is still pointing towards the 996 but my heart the 993. Sod it.....ill just save some more money and buy them both...LOL. Many thanks to the guys at Portiacraft, thourally fantastic service, im sure they will be seeing me again.

Nice write-up. Well you've certainly poked the wasps nest with this post - I suspect there will be a bunch of activity on this thread very shortly!! Having been in a 964, a 996 and now a 993 they are very different cars and depending on what you are going to be doing with the car may affect your choice. I was using my 996 C4 as a fun/weekend car and although it was better ergonomically and aesthetically on the interior I found that after a few months the car wasn't as fun as I wanted it to be. Yes it was a great car, and it covered the motorway miles fantastically, and it never put a foot wrong during spirited driving, and for me that was part of the problem, it just wasn't exciting enough. IMHO - unless you're at the top end of the 996 range the driving experience is better in a 964/993. In fact, I'd suggest a test drive in a 964 as well just to give you the complete picture! However, if you're planning on doing 20,000 miles a year or you can afford a GT3 then the 996 would be a better choice. At the end of the day you will know if your heart which one you really want anyway! Let us know what you decide. Nik

Thats funny 911 Virgin, :?: I thought those guys at Portiacraft were the MOST unhelpfull people that I came across when I was looking to buy a 911 and you managed to get 2 ! test drives out of them I couldnt even get them to return my phone calls despite having visited that little showroom Are you sure you dont work for them :blue-no:

And if you want total confusion try a 996 GT3

That's an excellent write up. I had a 996 C2 Coupe for 10 months and what a fantastic car it was! it never put a foot wrong and made driving very quickly very easy, it was comfortable, well screwed together and relatively practical. For me however I felt that it was almost a victim of its own success in that it was so capable and good at what it did as to feel a tad boring to drive, at least that was my conclusion. I switched to a 993 C2 Coupe recently and I have to say I've got no regrets, the 993 is a different kind of ownership experience, for me it's more hobbyist and more fun which is just what I want from the car as it's effectively a toy (for want of a better word) I do remember getting out of my very well cared for 996 and into a 993 and thinking "crikey this feels OLD" but that is a distant memory now as are the offset pedals and the daft dash which are just part of the 'charm' I don't recall my old 996 being flat around 4k, isn't that roughly where the variocam kicks in? As has been said so many times It so depends what you want the car for, they're both superb and as you've just discovered; very different!! One thing is for sure at some of the current prices 996's are looking like a flippin bargain, or rather a potential bargain if you find a good one. Good luck with what ever decision you make, either way they're both great cars. :thumb:

but make sure its a Mk 1

...sorry but I don't agree that the pre 3.4ltr 996's are "bargains". The prices will continue to drop like stones with good 1998 993's now selling for more than 3.4 ltr 996's. Without doubt a fair amount of pre-2002 cars are starting to cause owners to spend lots of money. I know of two 996 cars laid-up with knackered engines. The 993 cab should ££hold up better.....and it's engine(the heart of of any 911) is generally so much better/reliable than the 3.4 in the 996. The 996 chassis is superb(better than the 993) and it's visually OK but I am afraid it's 3.4ltr engine is helping to drag 996 values down quicker than the Titantic. Of course there are some excellent 996's out in the market but ask yourself this - how often to you see tired/tatty 993's with knackered engines vs the standard 996 variant? Buying any 911 over 5 years old is always a gamble. I just think you have better odds with a 993 unless you spend lot's of time searching out the absolute best 996's for sale(which are ££holding up ok). Just my tuppence worth

if i worked for them this would be easy, i wouldn't buy any, i would just use their stock, chop and change as soon as I got bored. For the prices I have seen GT3's I dont know if I could justify one of those over a 996 turbo or 997. Again it will come down to the test drives and finances obviously so I wont worry about those for the time being! check out this vid: 993 vs 996 vs 964 vs skyline etc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WPba3M_UFI I had expected the 993 to do better

Is there another kind ? :? ?

I wouldnt say any 996 I have ever driven was better up togther than a 993 and if deprecition / classis looks / sound/ character/ and excusivity/ plays any part in your decision making then the 993 all the way.. I would suggest to try a well sorted 993 with all the the necessary work done to it (suspension) alignment etc and then make your choice.. the difference is unbelivable. 8) and make it a widebody one.. good luck

The biggest achilles heel for the 996 is that it looks identical to the Boxster up to the A pillar. However, seeing that the Boxster is widely credited for turning the company around, that's no bad thing. The second problem is that the 996 was mass produced, resulting in a lot of cars on the second hand market, which has an effect on price. It is widely accepted that the 993 is a better looking car, slightly more raw and produced in fewer numbers means that it will hold it's price better than the 996 longer term. However, you don't buy a car to save money, so you buy on your requirements. If you want an everyday car, then I'd go for a 996. If you want something for the weekend, then it's a tougher choice. On balance, I'd probably avoid both and go for an early 1970/late 1960 model personally.

I've been thinking about replying to this for a couple of days now. Everyone knows that I favour the air cooled cars so I'm not going to enter the kettles versus proper cars debate :floor: To be completely honest, if I had to choose between a 993 and a 996, I'd be tempted to go for the 993. You all knew I'd say that, but try this for a reason. Whichever way you decide, you'll always think, "what if", so what I reckon is to buy the 993 and if you like it - job done. If you don't like it, you can sell it and buy a 996. Why this way round? well, you won't loose any money doing it in this order but you will if you keep the 996 for a few months and then decide to go for a 993. Hell, you might even save some money doing it in this order because by the time you come to do the change, the 996 will have dropped in price - that's like free use of a 993 for a while. :wink:

Thats the best Porsche buying information EVER!