3.2 Carrera vs. 997

[911boost]

Forget the 997. Go out and drive a nice 996 Twin Turbo. Buy nice twin turbo, drive the hell out of it, never look back.

[jpahemi]

The 911 is the essence of what one would define as a "sports car". As Porsche focused it's sights on share holder interests and becoming one of the world's most profitable car companies, choices had to made which focused the product to what the majority market wanted.
The introduction of the water cooled cars, was the beginning of Porsche's focus towards bottom line profitability. The resulting product became more of a GT car rather than the sports car from the aircooled era. Take note that Porsche's modern version "sports car" is the limited production GT and Turbo cars. Even the Turbo cars, in 4 wheel drive configuration and cabriolet, are closer to GT cars rather than sports cars. It's only when you get into the GT2 does the Turbo emulate what was intended back when introduced in '76.
Understand I'm not knocking the new era Porsche product, but by comparison, the GT series seems to follow Porsche's mind set from the aircooled days.

jp

[RWebb]

true, but...


when first introduced, many thought of the 911 as a GT, not as a sports car

[porschenut]

A GT car IS a sports car. The 911 has always been a GT car, since the very first one. What does the GT stand for in GT3, GT2? What class has the 911 always raced in? GT.

People who think the 997 is somehow less of a sports car than an air-cooled whatever obviously don't know what they're talking about. Own both and then talk. And then look up Grady Clay's posts about the 997 after he spent a day in one.

[450knotOffice]

I've been trying to tell people of this seemingly forever. I own both air and water and love them both. They are both awesome sports cars (er, I mean GT cars ). Yes, the older lighter car seems better in the autocross environment, but jeez...it's a lot lighter. Pick the speeds up to normal 3d and 4th gear corners and then the 996/997 comes alive with balance and poise. Stock for stock, on any real mountain road, a 996/997 will leave an older 911 quite easily - and it IS fun.

[craigyirush]

Originally Posted by porschenut

A GT car IS a sports car. The 911 has always been a GT car, since the very first one. What does the GT stand for in GT3, GT2? What class has the 911 always raced in? GT..

GT means 'gran turisimo' and usually refers to a high speed performance car that you can take on a long trip with luggage, etc.

It's not quite the same thing as a sports car.

Would you call a Lotus Elise a GT car? Probably not, but it is definitely a sports car.

[CharlesJones]

My suggestion would be to get a 993. They have the build quality of the 3.2s, would be a lot more modern to drive, and would have none of the depreciation of a 997.

As regards all this talk of water-cooled cars performance being "in a different league to the earlier cars", I drove a 996 C2 and found it didn't feel any faster than my 3.2, although it did feel a lot softer. No doubt it was faster, so I guess it all depends on how much of a hurry you are.

[berettafan]

80mph in my car keeps your attention.

The flipside however is that 40-50mph on a twisty backroad is like a full on tarmac rally!

[porschenut]

Originally Posted by craigyirush

GT means 'gran turisimo' and usually refers to a high speed performance car that you can take on a long trip with luggage, etc.

Hmmmm.....Sure sounds like a 911 to me. Even has back seats.

People continue to think that "sports car" and "GT" are mutually exclusive terms. They are not. The 911, and Corvette, and Viper (both 2-seaters) are all GT sports cars, among many others.

[safe]

Originally Posted by jpahemi

It comes down to this...
If you want to drive 45mph and feel like your doing 80mph, get an early 911.
If you want to drive 80mph and feel like your doing 45mph, get a 997.
jp

+1

The 997 is a "better" car in every way, and for a dailey driver there is no question.

But for a weekend, fun run, trackday car, you'll have just as much fun (only slower) in your 3.2.

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by porschenut

Hmmmm.....Sure sounds like a 911 to me. Even has back seats.

People continue to think that "sports car" and "GT" are mutually exclusive terms. They are not. The 911, and Corvette, and Viper (both 2-seaters) are all GT sports cars, among many others.

- some cars bridge both categories; that does not of course mean that the categories are non-existent

e.g. an MG is not a GT

[89911]

About the only thing the two cars have in common is a "Porsche" badge and a rear engine. Everything else is like comparing apples and oranges.

[ToddM]

Originally Posted by 89911

About the only thing the two cars have in common is a "Porsche" badge and a rear engine. Everything else is like comparing apples and oranges.

Exactly


If you guys want to go buy a 996/997 quiet watercooled thing that goes fast but drives like the family sedan with backup warning sensors... go ahead and get in touch with your feminine side. Maybe youll get the attention of some hot martini drinking New York financial CEO who just walked off with his golden parachute.


I dont know why so many of you post on here asking for everybody elses approval of how you aspire to be like Clay Aiken.

Get on with your bad self

[Quicksilver]

Originally Posted by porschenut

I don't understand your logic here. The cars being produced today are more reliable and more maintenance-free than any time in history. And, most of us are spending far more to maintain our '80's 911s than you would pay to maintain just about ANY 4-year old car. We may love our older cars but the math simply doesn't agree.

A simple question will answer most of this:
What is the life span of plastic?

Also there is the little bit about the price of parts. For a good scare checkout how much does the wiring harness on a 997 goes for!

[70SWT]

Originally Posted by Quicksilver

A simple question will answer most of this:
What is the life span of plastic?

Also there is the little bit about the price of parts. For a good scare checkout how much does the wiring harness on a 997 goes for!

Electronics and emissions standards will be the primary reasons most of today's cars will be horribly impractical to restore or just keep on the road decades from now.

Look at how daunting just dealing with replacing a wiring harness in a long hood is now. Now multiple its complexity and components by 5 or 10...computers, sensors, emissions equipment that relies on increasingly complex subsystems...with ever-increasing emissions standards...not good.

I envision the internal combustion engine becoming the pariah of the not too distant future, for that matter...

[porschenut]

Originally Posted by Quicksilver

A simple question will answer most of this:
What is the life span of plastic?

Also there is the little bit about the price of parts. For a good scare checkout how much does the wiring harness on a 997 goes for!

For sure, repairing a 997 when a part fails will most likely be far more expensive than repairing a mid-80's 911. But parts failures are far, far less frequent on recent-model cars that are out of warranty. I don't care how much the 997 wiring harness costs because my car is in warranty. Parts failures are rare even on an 80's 911 though.

However, one year ago I did have to replace the failed main wiring harness in my '86 coupe, and it cost over $4,000 to do so.

Repairs and maintenance are two separate things. Maintenance is always relatively inexpensive for the first 5-10 years or so (depending on the car and its maintenance requirements). It's when the car gets to be about 20 years old that you have to start tearing everything apart to rebuild engines and replace bushings, wiring, and just about everything else that can wear out. Many of us (me included) make a hobby of it, but make no mistake - it's expensive to keep these things going, whereas a newer car will need none of it for quite a few more years.

[trader220]

Having owned just about every model of air cooled 911 and recently quit my old career of 20 years as an options trader to do what I have always wanted, sell Porsches, I have a unique perspective on this question. I am a die hard air cooled guy but the virtues of the 997 are undeniable. Its a fantastic car, I would not even consider a used 996 having driven a 997. I have also spent a decent amount of time in the new 2009 PDK ( new double clutch tranny ) and yes its a fantastic box. I am amazed at the things you can do in it, that being said I am a manual guy. No matter what you're like eventually most people end up putting it in drive and leaving it there.

The bigger news in the 2009 is the motor. The DFI motor is all new and its lighter, more powerful and even has lower emissions if you car about that. Whether you look at the 3.6 or the 3.8 any way you slice the pie its a better motor. I am staring at a 2009 Porsche Racing Green Carrera S not 25 feet away from me on the floor its a fantastic looking car and I know what a fantastic machine it is to drive. They made some subtle styling changes too.

I really suggest taking your time and driving a 993 and a 997, IMHO you can skip the 996. Yes the 993 has more modern technology compared to your 3.2 but the jump in pure comfort and convince and modernity in the 997 is light years ahead. You're also right the 05 and 06's are starting to come off lease and up for resale at very attractive prices.

Good luck

[RWebb]

you really want one of each:
early car
993
& new dfi 997

add on a mas Qport (for 4 people)
bmw 5 or 7 (for when Qport is in the shop)

and you are pretty well set (except for a conv [boxster] and maybe a targa)

it is when you try to winnow down the list that problems arise

only you can best describe what vehicle will be able to offer the best compromise over all of the avbve

[trader220]

Forget the Q-porte wait for the Porsche Panamer

[glenndeweirdt]

Interesting thread as I am looking to trade my daily driver 996 for an '06 or '07 997 ($50K for an '05 997 Carrera with 25,000miles or less is typical). I won't shed a tear about tossing the 996 but it would kill me to part with my '83!