Drove my air cooled to the dealer to look at a 997 coupe

[nippy]

nice cool eve weather in St Pete/Tampa Bay after rains earlier in the day.Went to just take a look at a low mile 05 carrera S black coupe certified for a good price.

My car must have known because it felt so nice tonight on the 45 minute drive over.She is just dialed in so nicely.

They were closed so I parked my car in the drive of the dealership and went and checked the new car out.I looked back at my car with about 5 new model Porsches in between me and her and I came to a conclusion.I CANT DO IT!She stood there so proud with all her heritage (1982) amongst all the new big dogs on the block.I wish I had my camera.

This is her.........




This was the other.....

[Jerome74911S]

I recommend that you consult a good therapist for even having looked at that hussy of a car. Shame.

[fanaudical]

I wouldn't either; just looking at those two pictures, your 911 has 1000x the soul of the 997.

[JeremyD]

seriously?

[Cdnone1]

I just spent a few days in Toronto driving my brothers 997 C4S. It may not have a lot of soul but it one wickedly fast, well made car.
Steve

[Jgordon]

If your hormones overcome your senses again, let me know. I'll take yours off your hands.

I actually liked the 997 much more until I saw one side by side with yours.

[MMiller]

Great looking 82....... Please share more pictures/details

[fbarrett]

If you want something different, try earlier, not later!

Frank

[Speed Buggy]

Your current car is sweet. Needs some wax though....lol

[preston_brown]

I drove my '87 as my daily driver from Oct. of 2003 until January of 2010. Had new-car-itis (I haven't bought a new car for myself ever!), had money, got weak, went in, bought a 2009 997S.

Yeah, I love it. Come on now guys, a car from 2009, any car, a frigging Accord, is going to be very much nicer than a mid-80s anything, even a Porsche, in some respects. Power is one... that Accord can be had with more HP than my '87 has.

Does that mean my 87 is relegated to the trash heap?!? Hell no. I love it even more than I did when it was my DD. Now it is even more my baby, I want to make it even more fun, it has so much SOUL. My kids (9 and 7) all LOVE to ride in it. Dad, can we ride in the old 911? We love the SMELL!! Hah, get that! But you know what they mean...

If you can afford a new 911, they are really nice sports cars, and they are pretty comfy too. But are they the same as your 82? Not even close. So don't think you are trading up...you are trading into something else entirely.

[yelcab1]

I ride regularly in my boss's Carrera 997. It put my SC to shame. Soul, looks, class, and almost affordable. Like your SC, that is good, but the 997 is a superb Porsche which gives nothing to the SC.

[Jeff Alton]

I love the aircooled cars, owned a number of them in stock and wildly modified form. Great cars. The late model watercooled cars put them to shame. I hate admitting it by my Cayman S is an unreal car and I can't wait to get the 996 race car back on the track. They are excellent cars in a different league all together, but they should be, they have years of technical advancement on their side. But there is no mistaking that they are true Porsches that even diyed in the wool aircooled enthusiasts will love....

Cheers

[911mnypt]

Originally Posted by fanaudical

I wouldn't either; just looking at those two pictures, your 911 has 1000x the soul of the 997.

You totally summed it up about these old air cooled cars...they have soul. Few new cars today have it.

[kugelfischer]

While a 997 is no doubt a cool car, there's no comparison to the air cooled generation. The 997s are too refined and practical for my taste. Would make a good DD though I suppose.
When I lost my senses and went to shop for a 997 it took all of 30 seconds in the drivers seat to realize that this wasn't what I was looking for.
I told the salesperson that the car had no soul. He looked puzzled. Poor guy, someone needed to take him out in an earlier car to break the spell

[450knotOffice]

You guys...

I have both - a very well sorted, lightened, track modded, black '84 911, and a 2000 996 in Guards Red, totally stock with 125,000 miles and counting. My wife has had a 2007 Cayman since new.

This idea of "soul" is totally mis-used and over applied. The new cars can have every bit of the "soul" you guys are talking about if they are modded as most of our old air cooled cars are nowadays. The sound track of any of them can be made to sound wicked with an aftermarket exhaust (sound familiar?), the cars can be lowered and substantially stiffened up in terms of ride quality, and they can be lightened too. The six speed transmissions are silky smooth, quick shifting, and offer up the perfect ratio for any situation, and the power is fantastic. These cars literally come into their own - get into their stride, if you will - at 120+ mph and pull like freight trains at that speed, with no float, no lane wander, nothing. steady as an ocean liner - and yet able to dart in and out of lanes at those same triple digit speeds with but two fingers on the wheel.

These are finely honed machines made by Porsche, and are deserving of the name. They have plenty of "soul".

As far as I am concerned, why not have both, as I do? Keep the air cooled car (gorgeous car btw!!) and pick up a 997 (but not with those hideous first Gen wheels).

[robhamster]

I recently purchased a 2007 Turbo Coupe to add to the fleet. I have driven the air cooled for 25 years and really struggled with trading up to a new, shiney, smells-like-leather-not-oil, fast, air conditioned, easy shifting, wife will ride in kind of car. I am keeping my '84 Cab and love it when I am in it, but nobody can tell me there is not an entire well of souls in the rear of that Turbo, especially in sport mode.

If you can afford to keep the old one, do so. You will appreciate both cars for what they offer even more.

[JeremyD]

They are great cars (the current group) but knowing the time and effort that nippy put into the car he has - Seriously?

and yes - yada yada yada - new 997 will run circles around your SC - yeah it has better AC - the brakes are better, better ergonomics. And a 1000 lbs won't make that much of a difference, right? it has the power to match. Out of the box - it will flat embarrass pretty much any 911 varient. But ten years from now - you'll look back on the SC as something special - and the 997 as another car.

[porschenut]

Originally Posted by 450knotOffice

You guys...

I have both - a very well sorted, lightened, track modded, black '84 911, and a 2000 996 in Guards Red, totally stock with 125,000 miles and counting. My wife has had a 2007 Cayman since new.

This idea of "soul" is totally mis-used and over applied. The new cars can have every bit of the "soul" you guys are talking about if they are modded as most of our old air cooled cars are nowadays. The sound track of any of them can be made to sound wicked with an aftermarket exhaust (sound familiar?), the cars can be lowered and substantially stiffened up in terms of ride quality, and they can be lightened too. The six speed transmissions are silky smooth, quick shifting, and offer up the perfect ratio for any situation, and the power is fantastic. These cars literally come into their own - get into their stride, if you will - at 120+ mph and pull like freight trains at that speed, with no float, no lane wander, nothing. steady as an ocean liner - and yet able to dart in and out of lanes at those same triple digit speeds with but two fingers on the wheel.

These are finely honed machines made by Porsche, and are deserving of the name. They have plenty of "soul".

As far as I am concerned, why not have both, as I do? Keep the air cooled car (gorgeous car btw!!) and pick up a 997 (but not with those hideous first Gen wheels).

As a current owner of a lightened 86 and a 97 C4S, and a former owner of an 07 997 Carrera S, I agree 100%. I've found that most guys who knock the new cars have never driven one. To them I say, get some wheel time in one before you declare them to be soulless. You will then see the light. However, I do prefer the aircooled variety.

[ShakinJoe]

Nippy

Look what you started! The grass is not greener on the other side, just a bit smoother.

Just make more money and get both!

[Flieger]

The only modern road-going Porsches on my wish list are the Cayman R/Boxster Spyder and the GT3RS (make it a 4.0 while you are at it).