Ummmmmmm.....did you notice that the front of a 996 is the same as a Boxster? Did you notice that its liquid cooled? Did you notice it weighs as much as a tank?
"With these differences in mind, many "purists" consider the 996 to be an altogether different car, at least in spirit, than the Carreras that preceded it as opposed to being a development of the original."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_996