993 vs 996 new or used

I need a new or slightly used Porche. I now have a 90 c2. I have been considering a once in a life time purchase a new 996. But a used 996 or 993 would make my banker happier. also I have noticed that low mileage 97 and 98 993 seem to be bringing almost as much as a used 996. What gives? Any opinions on which is the better car and or best value?

The 993 was the end of the air-cooled line, and one of the best-looking 911s ever made. Its production run was also short, which makes many people think it will be a collector's favorite, one day.

The 996 looks like Lexus bought a controlling interest in the company, and it drives pretty much like it looks. It's undoubtably a great car, and arguably the easiest and most efficient of the 911 variants to drive at speed. But a lot of people feel it lacks the 'soul' of the classic 911.

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Jack Olsen
1973 911 T (3.6) sunroof coupe

well, the 993 was the end of the line for the air cooled cars. as with every other car Porsche made, the very last oens were the best ones mechanically. they have all the kinks fixed that appear in earlier ones. 993s are indeed nice cars.

the 996 however is a totally different beast. it is smoothed out, and there are a host of improvements over the 993 mechanically speaking. the styling was updated of course along with just about everything under the skin of the car.

for what it's worth, everyone i know that has a 996 is faster in their 996 around a race track than they ever were in their air cooled cars.

Lexus?!? i've flushed things down the toilet that are better looking than a Lexus ! the 996 styling is unique and on it's own. the only thing i can find remotely similar to the 996 styling wise is the Boxster. the "fried egg" headlights were a design that was totally unique at it's time of inception. of course the looks are totally up to you. in my opinion, the preetiest street porsche ever made was the 904... which some people criticize as looking too much like a Ferrari (though it's really the other way around).

investment? hmm, go for the 993. enjoyment (and longer warranty period).. go with the 996. it all depends on what you are looking for. hey, the reason i drive a 924 more than a 944 isn't for horsepower, it's for enjoyment. you may indeed like the raw edge of the 993 better despite the 996s better handling. here's one tidbit for you... it takes me twice the concentration and the effort to keep my 924 on the track as it does friends in later cars. the newer the Porsche the easier it is to drive. that can be beneficial when you have a deer suddenly step out in front of you at 75mph.

obin

A '97 993 2S. The ultimate!

Yea, if you're gonna get into a 993 look at the '97 and '98 Carrera 2S or Carrera 4S; aka C2S and C4S. These 'S' models have the turbo body and split rear grill. They're *awesome* cars and the split grill is Porsche paying homage to the split grill of the 4 cam Carrera of the 356 days. You'll pay more for these cars of the narrow body 993 BTW.

No question - 993.

Jeff C
83 SC

I mention 993s every other post, so might as well not spoil it here. 993 is the culmination of all that is the 911. It retains the look, has the power and it's the newest with these features.
+you can save some money

you know, i read your message again and i have a question joe w...

is the ultimate aim of this car just something to bring enjoyment, or something to put on the track?

if it's enjoyment, save your dough and enjoy the last of the 993s.. if it's for the track get the 996 for the reasons i indicated in the last post.

the final thing to consider however is test drive both of them several times before you make a decision. also consider yourself 5 or 10 years down the road. which one will have the warranty run out quicker? which one will be worth more toward a trade-in? which one will have more aftermarket performance parts available?

good luck!

obin

jack,
thanks for the new desktop picture.
bob
'68 911L

Obin --- At this point in my life this car will only be used on the street. Cost is an issue but not the over riding one. I am suprised a used 97 or 98 993 is almost as expensive as a used 996. Am I missing something?

It's purely personal choice. Perhaps the 996 is what you're after, and it would have better manners, at least in the high performance category. I agree with Jack, Jeff, Kurt and others...993.

And I agree with Obin, that 904 is just a cutie. Exactly the opposite of the 1996. You can practically rest your arm on the motor.

There is no way you can look at the 993 picture Jack posted above and tell me with a straight face that the 996 looks better than that. The 996 is undoubtedly a great car, but to me it looks a bit too much like all those sports coupes from the land of the rising sun. And that GPS computer screen...comeon...what good will that do at 150mph?
Nick.

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Nick Shumaker
1982 911SC Coupe

In my opinion, the 996 is just not a very attractive car (click for a larger picture).



The 904 is a nice looking Porsche (click for a larger picture).



(But I think I prefer the 993.)

And, of course, the classic 911 (click for a larger picture):



[This message has been edited by JackOlsen (edited 01-03-2001).]

996 or 993??? For me it would be easy.

My personal opinion: The 996 is not a 911. It lacks the 911 looks, sound and soul. So if you're after a 911 you go for the 993.

However if you want a new car straight from the showroom there's only one option: the 996.

It really depends on your personal taste.


Just curious: What do you think will be the most sought after classic in 15 years, the 993 or the 996?

[This message has been edited by Mikkel (edited 01-04-2001).]

My personal choice would be the 996 for a street car. It's quantifiably better in every respect than the 993 - faster, better handling and cheaper to service as well. As for looks, that is a totally subjective criteria - a wide body 993 is gorgeous and a 996 on the standard 17" wheels with the yellow indicator lights is definately not. But, with 18 or 19" wheels, C4 white indicators and a GT3 front bumper it starts to look very nice indeed.

Porsche has been improving the 911 all it's life, continually making it faster, quieter, cheaper to run, more reliable etc.. The 996 continues this tradition and is as much a 911 as the 993. It even weighs the same even though it has a stiffer body, water cooling, more interior space and more electronic gear.

Having said that, there have been reports that the early batch of 996s had some pretty serious engine problems - something like the coolant leaking through the engine castings so this may explain their low prices. I've read more than one UK report of Porsche replacing 996 engines under warranty. I guess as with most cars, the very earliest models always has problems and this may be the reason for the prices???

Having raced against 993's and 996's, I have my doubts as to the 996's supposed performance advantage over the 993.

Sure, the 996 has a higher specific output, but it's also heavier, and from what I've seen, also more prone to vicious understeer in its standard form - the first sign that it's a car designed to flatter drivers new to the 911 experience.


Matt Holcomb

[This message has been edited by Matt Holcomb (edited 01-04-2001).]

993. I test drove a '99 996 for two hours unsupervised. The car had 25,000 miles and had several squeeks and rattles. Then I drove a '97 993 with 28,000 from the same dealership and bought it for $52k. The 996 was $15,000 more. The 993 feels alive. The 996 feels tame. Sure, it is fast; but the feeling is just not the same.

joe w,

well, i think that this is a really tough one. one thing you may really appreciate about the 996 is that it has very good manners. just like i said before, everyone i know with a 996 has said that they are faster around a race track in their 996 than they were in their 993, many cases even their earlier turbos! there are 5 local PCA members to which that is the exact case. one of my good friends never owned a Porsche and he wanted something that would be good for the track, but also practical enough to drive TO the track.

he was in the EXACT same situation as you and he bought a 996 because he said he liked it better. i will e-mail you his address if it is okay with him and you can ask him because your situation is identical to his. he might have some insight on things that none of us have thought about.

me personally, wow, it would come up to a cain toss but consider the possibility that your "street" porsche may end up seeing some track time, and when it does you want to have the best car possible that you will feel the most confident in. that's not always a NEWER car, and the choice is subjective to everyone!


good luck!

obin

The 996 is not a 911. Porsche could have named it something else and nobody would have cared. The 993 is the last of the breed and is considered to be more valuable than the 996.

Joe, in my humble opinion, if you want a new Porsche, sell your C2 and buy a '89 turbo. Take the money you've saved and buy a 2 year old E320.

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-Richard
'84 Carrera Cabriolet
'74 911 Widebody 3.6 Project