996 Bad rap
 

With the recent changes in the market, I've become interested in the 996. Why do they seem to have become the latest "red headed step child" of the Porsche lineage?

Have you read any of the posts around the 996?

They were initially maligned because they were the beginning of the water cooled cars plus they were ugly (IMO). I had an issue with them because Porsche cheaped out and used the same headlights and other items as the Boxster.

The biggest real issue is that the engines tend to self destruct due to bearing failure if I recall and they weren't designed to be repaired so, if you have an issue, you'll just be buying a new engine.

They have a lot against them these days:

The model before and after the 996 look a lot nicer (according to the average person).
There were some serious quality problems on the first couple years. Rear main seal leak is one that I am aware of.
The 996 looks a lot like a Boxster (especially true for the ragtop). This was always an issue but now that the Boxster has fallen to $10k level, it drags the 996 right with it.
The oiling system is crappy.

The turbo retained the old oiling system. So did the GT3. Both those cars are still holding their value okay. This is telling us something (aside that they were $$$ to start with).

The 996 will not be the new 964. It will be the new 928. You will be able to pick them up in 5 years for 10k or less.

George

The issue is one of supply and demand. There are simply too many 996s out there, and you should be able to find a pretty decent car for under $20,000 in the current environment. Will these be $10k cars in 5 years? Maybe. But I still think they represent a tremendous performance value for the $$.

While some of the comments above may have some truth to them, I can give you my thoughts as a current 996 owner. The cost of a factory warrantied replacement 996 engine is not much different (and may actually be less) than a complete rebuild by a competent shop. With respect to RMS failures, I think these have been overblown. I have an early 996 (a European delivery car that was delivered to the original owner in April 1998), which I have owned since 2001 and driven approximately 50,000 miles. The car has never had an RMS problem, and has required fairly routine maintenance. The cooling system has been prone to a few leaks (notably the water tank, which has been replaced 2 times, and a few odd plastic fittings that have cracked and required replacement). Otherwise, the car has been utterly reliable. Do they look like Boxsters? I suppose so, as 1999-2001 996s have most of the same sheet metal as Boxsters from the A-pillar forward, but this is mitigated somewhat by the changes made in 2002.

Lest one think that I am single-minded in my praise of the 996, I should also point out that I currently own a 993 and a 964 (and I'm in the market for an early car-preferably a 72E coupe if anyone has one to sell), and think that from an aesthetic standpoint the 993 is perhaps the most beautiful Porsche ever made. But from a performance, driveability and value perspective, I think the 996 is hard to beat today.