I find the various opinions on the 996 market fascinating. There are clearly two camps, those that view the 996 as a (real) 911 and those that do not.
With that comes the supporting data for one's view, all of it correct but context must be applied.
Personally, I feel that the 996s will sit right on or slightly below an equivalent 993. The bottom arrives when the 993s hit bottom. That is yet to come imho. But, I think the 996s have stopped their freefall and have began to settle down. I think the 964s are a good predictor of future markets.
The 996 is a great car and in reality a decent 911 to boot. Yes they are complex and refined, but that is progress and a requirement of the industry. You could not get 320HP and 20MPG without those pesky computers.
Keep in mind that the 996 is the sign of the times. When they were new, you went into the dealer with your dot com money and bought a 70k 911 with 20k worth of interior bling. This equates to huge depreciation, as the next buyer is willing to pay exactly zero for your carbon fiber dash kit (sorry, I meant "technic package"
).
If something went wrong, you want a new one. Seriously, do we fix anything anymore? My sister-in-law throws away toaster ovens rather than clean them. You think she is the only one who thinks like this? A new car owner does not want to figure out who (re)builds the best 911 engines in their local market since the answer is obvious...Porsche does.
Porsche does things different these days and we as an enthusiast community can accept that and enjoy the wonderful new products they create or we can live in the dark ages and hope that Porsche becomes Morgan.
Would the Cayman be better air-cooled? Nobody ever criticizes Porsche for that.
My "bulletproof" SC had an 8k engine rebuild at 72k miles. Cracked case studs. If you read the book "Car," you will get some insight into the psychology of owner's complaints and perceptions. Think bandwagon mentality.