[Peterfrans]

The 996 is indeed a great car. I went through the same decision process. On the one hand an aircooled Porsche is a very desirable car, but it is not very practical for everyday use and in many cases lacking modern safety features that I start to find indispensable in*today’s heavy traffic (obviously applies more to a longhood then a 993). The 996 looks and feels as a much more modern car and I discovered that I use it so much more often than the old Targa I had. Still, after owning one for two years now, there really are a number of drawbacks that could have influenced my buying decision:
- Suffered from engine damage at 50k miles after either the tensioner or IMS failed leading to a hefty bill for the rebuild. There is a lot of scaremongering going on, but it does happen.
- The 996 was my first car that caused serious back-pain due to bad seats ( I am 6’4’’) and seating position. Solved that by mounting 997 sport seats that are brilliant .
- Several little annoyances about build quality. Switch gear is flimsy to say the least and not comparable to a BMW of the same vintage. I had to replace several items.
- Audio options are limited, certainly on the later models with fibre optics. Not easy (or cheap) to integrate bluetooth connectivity. From look and feel a generation behind several of its competitors .
- Trunk space is quite small (I have a C4S), the aircooler had a much more usable trunk.

Good luck with your decision