[911nut]

Originally Posted by NickP

....because, as great a car as it is, it lacks the soul and character of the older air-cooled cars. It feels mass produced and there is too much plastic used. It makes you a better driver than you are, and maybe that's the biggest issue, it doesn't require the concentration or skill like an older Porsche to drive it well. Am I nuts here?

Funny, the guy that bought my '81 SC said he did so because his 964 "lacked soul" also.
As for myself, I really don't miss the SC; my Turbo is faster (a big plus), has more advanced suspension and functioning a/c.
If I were a collector I'd certainly want an old 911S, but for driving I'll take as new as technology as I can get because the performance will be that much better and hence more fun to drive.
As for the mass produced thing, well all cars are built the same way (automated body framing, paint by robots followed by human operators performing trim and final assembly). I think that Porsche builds 21 cars an hour in a two shift operation so that's not really a mass produced car. Maybe what you are detecting is the increasing modular design of components and trim. As for the plastic, the 997 is overweight as it is so that plastic prevents it from being an all-out lead sled.
Tell you what, I'll take that 997 off your hands for $500