Don Plumley said:
I disagree with this. I think all "real" German cars are silver. This is (was) the standard racing livery I believe.

Am I wrong here?

Jeb
'79 930

PS My vote for the new car is silver - never goes out of style always looks good

I would suggest to order from the factory dealer in Stuttgart, take delivery, drive it in Germany, then ship to the US.

Porsche Zentrum Stuttgart
Phone : (07 11) 9 11 - 68 36
Fax : ( 07 11) 9 11 - 62 62

Contact : Gerd Schunk or Bernd Oergel

email : bernd.oergel@porsche.de


good luck!

Go pick the car up at the factory. DO NOT get a black interior. Living in the desert your interior will turn into a oven. I know this for a fact. I like tan with a silver or red exterior. Check out this months Exellence for the low down on the GPS system. I think it is a waste. I might drive to an unfamiliar location once a year and a map works just fine. I would also get the larger wheels and optional exhaust. Don't rice it out with all the gaudy wood this or carbon that.

<i>"I think all "real" German cars are silver. This is (was) the standard racing livery I believe. "</i>

Actually, white is the "national" racing color of Germany. This dates way back to the 20's/30's - before the days of sponsors! In 1934 Mercedes-Benz introduced their new Grand Prix cars at the Nurburgring. They were 1 kilo over the 750KG weight limit! With everything designed on the absolute limit for lightness, the only thing to be removed was the beautiful white paint and body filler from the hand-beaten aluminum panels. So it was stripped and then a very thin coat of aluminum paint applied! Hence the 'Silver Arrows'. It seems that silver became the unoffical racing color of Germany from that weekend forward.

So maybe your wife should order one sans paint? Every kilo counts on those runs to the grocery store. ;) -- Curt

Man, you guys are PMSsing..

I have never been one for tips, or cabs, or targa for that matter - but I look at it this way: They are the least loved, earliest scrapped and provide extra parts for the rest of us in the future. They keep Porsche AG fat and happy and making money - and idependent. Look at poor Lamborgini and Maserati. Who owns what classic European marqe this week...

We hate to admit it fellas, but the new 911 (what the company calls it) is lighter, more powerful, a lower center of gravity, more rigid, better aerodynamics...

As for a new 911, I would say pick a nice color besides silver - or find a custom color you like and run with that. A young Lady from Philly was at Watkins Glenn a few weeks ago with a RUF prepped 996 in a Saab green. Man was she fast and looked good..

Early 911s had some classic colors, and the funky '70 greens, orange and yellows are a great inspiration!

Good luck

Im thinking that young lady is Ross Perots grand-daughter. She has a newe RUF everyt years or so and drive the wheels off it

zip, you might be gone, but here's some background:

Porsche attracts purists, always has. 356 guys didn't like the 911, 911 guys didn't like the 'middle 911' (the 911's with the bellows on the sides of the bumpers), and most air-cooled 911 guys don't like the 996. Every time the car gets heavier & more luxurious, the purists get bummed out.

So, if you want a 996 with all the options, you will end up with one of the best cars made today, anywhere in the world. But... you won't really be part of the religion, which is what this board is mostly about. If you get a thick skin and promise to use the car like a Porsche, and not treat it like a Lexus, I think most members will welcome you.

Good luck, get the car you want-

Saffs - you change your rag yet? Man I really thought from what I have learned here that the 993 was the last air cooled 911 model. Saffs you have always been nice to me, dont jump on me until your sure you know what I mean. I WAS DEAD SERIOUS. And I still believe this to be true.

Read the tiltle of the thread - PLEAS HELP US CONFIGURE OUR NEW 2003 911!!!!!!!!



Is the 996 a 911?

Is the 993 a 911?

WTF!!!!!!!:mad:

Brian,

Go here:

http://www2.us.porsche.com/english/911/default.htm

I think it is pretty clear what Porsche calls the car. 996 is an internal designation that those "in the know" use to refer to the car (but you don't have to be very in the know to know it). Similarly, 993 and 964 were internal designations. They are all 911s.

Now if the purists want to argue about what constitutes a *real* 911, that is something else.

The marketing department still considers it a 911. From their home page:

Perhaps Martha Stewart would be the better consultant? ;)

Thanks Nostatic.

Guess that clears it up. Why do they attach another set of numbers to the 911? I suppose it might stand for a change in the model. It looks like they started doing this with the 964. I dont see thet point in it really. If its a 911 so be it! Who am I to say. But please give me a break i'm still learning myself.

Personally I think its a corporate ploy to cox people into thinking they are buying an updated version of something it is not. The tradition as far as I can see with a 911 is its air cooled engine a feat yet to be paralleled by another auto maker. I dont have a problem with the liquid cooled cars, I had one. I still like the boxster nose, I think its classy in a Lexus kind of way. I just didnt have that awesome machine feeling behind the wheel.



Disclosure - This post is not meant to piss anyone off - I have read it several times, I walked away, came back reread it and now I am going to post it.:D

Boy, I never thought that this thread would take on a life of it's own. :D

Brian, I understand where you are coming from on this, and plenty of people would probably agree with you on "what's a real 911", but like turbodave said, Porsche owners have a rich history of hating the new model. Some of them long for the good old 40hp days. (1950). 911s have done nothing but change internally since they came out, (even the made-up name had to be changed from 901), Porsche is a company of intense engineers, not nostalgic people, thank god, they are constantly redesigning for improvement. All of their competition cars have been water-cooled for 30(?) years, it is simply better. It is a testament to their incredible engineering that they could ever make an air-cooled engine w/ performance and reliability. As HP reached a certain point, liquid cooling of the heads became a forgone conclusion, IMO. :cool:

I seem to recall also that one of the driving forces pushing to water cooled was the fact that the newer engine management systems required very strict operating temps and that's tougher to control in an air cooled engine. Not sure where I read that though...

I know I read somewhere one of the major problems with the air cooled engines, is the could no longer improve on hp and meet emmissons. I think this is why they went liquid, I am not positive anyone know for sure?

The excuse I heard for H20 was so they could get enough head cooling for 4 valve heads. What I can't figure out is why the decision to go to a dry sump in a car capable of generating high g force numbers?

Liquid cooling is more efficient, no doubt about it- that's why the GT1 racers had liquid cooled heads. Also, (from what I understand) liquid cooling allows the temperature to remain more constant- you can have the thermostat & fans come on at certain temperatures, but you can't easily control how much cooling an air-cooled engine gets. And, you need consistant temperature for emissions control.

Just don't take away my air-cooled motor.

As for the internal development numbers, Porsche has used them for all their projects since the 901 (the original name for the 911) started, probably earlier. Do these sound familiar: 901 gearbox, 915 gearbox, 986 (Boxster) etc? Marketing decides what to call the cars on the market. And no doubt, it is far easier to sell the world a 911 than to explain to them what a 996 is.

BTW, I saw a magazine spy shot of a 996-looking car, with an eight cylinder engine! You think they will have the balls to call that a 911, if it comes to market?!

Ok guy's first let me say that I appreciate each and every post to this thread.

Secondly, the brochure I have on the car from Porsche lists it as a 911. If it is a 996 great! doesn't make a difference to me, you all know what car we are getting.

Here is what we ended up configuring, the only thing we have left to firm up is the color which we have narrowed down to Guards Red, Zenith Blue, Cobalt Blue and we were considering the new Dark Teal but cannot even find a picture of that one.

2003 Carrera Cabriolet

Exterior Color? (Right now Zenith Blue with Blue cloth top)
Interior Savanna Beige Full Leather
Heated Seats (Yes it is Arizona but my wife needs this)
Power Seats
Tiptronic
Xenon Headlamps
Flared Rocker Panels
Carrera Rear Spoiler
Parking Assist (I am a gadgetholic :) )
PCM Infonavigation
Porsche Crest in Headrest
Lumbar support
Wind screen
6 Disc CD changer
Savanna Beige Mats
Aluminum Trim on Shift and Brake handle

We decided to do aftermarket wheels because we didn't like the choices that were available through Porsche for our car. We would appreciate suggestions on those if you guy's haven't tired of this thread.

Once again thanks for all the help this has been fun :D

Dave? Sure they'll call it a 911! After all, Elvis is still being promoted for bucks, and he "left the building" some time ago. Hope you made it to the "Hysterics" at PIR, and somehow snatched the parking pass I left with RLJ... ;) Heck, you didn't want to hook up with me & my car anyway...you see, I (horrors!) ran an old fashioned bra on the drive up there. Worse yet, I drove home with it on the car too! ;)

Gee, Zip...your new car just sounds peachy keen. I hope you both enjoy it.