Some general questions about purchasing a 996 C

[SpeedLives]

currently i have an old, boring 2000 bmw 328i slushbox. it's about time to move into something newer & better. i was thinking about an e46 m3, but then a mechanic friend got me interested in 996 c2's, also. he's worked on just about every car, exotic and common, and says that porsches are very reliable(which i know of, seeing as how porsche is always at or near the top in jd power rankings).

i would like to get a 996 c2(preferably with the x-51 package, the extra power would be nice. don't wanna regret not getting it in the first place) 6 speed, because, well, it's a porsche, and insurance would be cheaper on it compared to the m3 as well; this was the case for another friend who went from a '03 m3 to a '03 996tt- his insurance went down by a nice amount. just curious, would anyone here pick an e46 m3 over a carrera 2\4? if so, why?

my questions are;

1) how reliable are 996s? i believe i remember reading that '02 and newer were 'less problematic' compared to the '99-'01, is this true? specifically talking about the carrera. i've searched around, and have seen that one SCARY problem is the IMS\RMS issues- which seems like MANY have had to buy a new engine, because porsche won't acknowledge it. but then, i also saw the thread with jim pashas article on how reliable the 996\986 engines are. so what's the deal with this? i'm confused...

2) searching on the forums, would i be correct to assume that working on these cars yourself is not that difficult if you've got the right tools and are mechanically inclined?

3) are there any other differences on a 996 carrera 4 and c2 besides all-wheel drive vs. rwd?? what does the x-51 package add to get more power, exactly? can you add more power to it later on with ease if you can't find one with the x-51 package? how much hp are we talking here, in both the carrera with and without x-51?

:thankyou: in advance!

[GranburyChuck]

currently i have an old, boring 2000 bmw 328i slushbox. it's about time to move into something newer & better. i was thinking about an e46 m3, but then a mechanic friend got me interested in 996 c2's, also. he's worked on just about every car, exotic and common, and says that porsches are very reliable(which i know of, seeing as how porsche is always at or near the top in jd power rankings).

i would like to get a 996 c2(preferably with the x-51 package, the extra power would be nice. don't wanna regret not getting it in the first place) 6 speed, because, well, it's a porsche, and insurance would be cheaper on it compared to the m3 as well; this was the case for another friend who went from a '03 m3 to a '03 996tt- his insurance went down by a nice amount. just curious, would anyone here pick an e46 m3 over a carrera 2\4? if so, why?

my questions are;

1) how reliable are 996s? i believe i remember reading that '02 and newer were 'less problematic' compared to the '99-'01, is this true? specifically talking about the carrera. i've searched around, and have seen that one SCARY problem is the IMS\RMS issues- which seems like MANY have had to buy a new engine, because porsche won't acknowledge it. but then, i also saw the thread with jim pashas article on how reliable the 996\986 engines are. so what's the deal with this? i'm confused...

2) searching on the forums, would i be correct to assume that working on these cars yourself is not that difficult if you've got the right tools and are mechanically inclined?

3) are there any other differences on a 996 carrera 4 and c2 besides all-wheel drive vs. rwd?? what does the x-51 package add to get more power, exactly? can you add more power to it later on with ease if you can't find one with the x-51 package? how much hp are we talking here, in both the carrera with and without x-51?

:thankyou: in advance!

I have owned both a 2000 328i coupe slushbox (sport package) and currently own a 2000 996 C2 Tiptronic. Both were(are) used as daily drivers. I will give you my experience briefly. Both the BMW and my Porsche have been mostly reliable. Both cars were purchased with high miles ~ 70k. I kept the BMW until about 110k. The 996 has about 105k. I work(ed) as much as I could considering that they were both daily drivers and couldn't afford to be without one for very long. I added some Eibach springs to the 328 and didn't like it (too rough for daily commute). I removed the lowered Eibach's that came on my 996 for the same reason. My personal belief is that the BMW is a better all around car. I could fit 4 in it mostly comfortably and had a reasonable size trunk. I could get 28 mpg on the BMW. I get about 23 mpg on the Porsche. People that have ridden in both cars prefer the BMW (most comfortable but still providing a sporting edge). I have a friend with an M3 which he has let me drive (SMG). Excellent car, BMW really knows how to appeal to a broad market. However, I have owned my 996 for about 1.5 years. Almost the longest of any car I have ever had. Even the BMW I got tired of within about a year. I don't seem to be growing tired of the 996. I am usually the only person in my car so it just matters to me how it feels. Yes it is a little rough and if I go to lunch with a group I usually get them to drive. But on the roads I drive going home it is a blast. Really appeals to my senses. Plus, I'm a little narcissistic and like the attention (mostly). Everyone thinks you have to be racing when your in the car so be prepared for some attention you don't want. Could be the bright red car with the aero GT3 package I guess. I haven't had any RMS issues but that may be due to the Tiptronic tranny. I have read that the manual is more harsh and could lead to issues. Don't know for sure. Also, I can't respond as to the differences in performance for X51. When I got my 996 it was a good deal for me so I had to take whatever options were on it. However, even with my Tiptronic and base engine it is still way faster than the BMW. Get a PPI. I had one done and maybe that is why I haven't had too many issues. Still in the 1.5 years I have owned it I have spent probably $5000 fixing and improving it. Some of that work I did myself. Some I had to get a shop to do because of lack of time and even some tools. Be prepared to be spending some money.

[LJPete]

I'll try to help out a bit.

1) for the most part the 996 is a very reliable car. That being said, the engines do have some weak spots and there is potential for issues. Those issues are the rear mains seal leaking, which is not a big deal, just have it replaced when you get your clutch changed. On the deeper end of the scale the IMS (Intermediate Main shaft) can fail which results in a catastrophic failure of the motor and finally, on the earlier MK I cars they have some cylinder wall issues that can fail. The occurrences of these issues is a closely guarded secret by Porsche AG and no one really knows how often these things pop up. Don't be deterred from a car with a motor replacement as these cars tend to have new motors from Porsche with the latest update parts in them. I wouldn't walk away from a car with an original motor but having a fresh one is a nice plus in my book. For the most part, it seems that engine failure is a minority of the cars but it does happen so you may want to educate yourself to what your alternatives if it happens. Thankfully, there are now new options for sourcing rebuilt (arguably stronger) motors than ordering a replacement from Porsche but this information is just hitting the forums now. There is much anecdotal information that says a car that's driven tends to have less issues.

2) Working on the 996 is not any more difficult than another car. The only caveat is that much of the motor is not assessable by the rear deck lid but from the underside of the car.

3) Differences in the C4 and C2 aside from the obvious 4wd is the weight difference between the 2 cars and balance. The C4 is a bit heavier and will push more at the limit. The C2 feels lighter and more nimble and is easier to drive with the throttle.

3b) X51 adds a new intake manifold, heads, headers (IIRC) and upgraded oiling system. It's rather an expensive option but I can't speak to the value of it as I've never driven a car with X51. The standard 996 motor offers quite a bit of power already.

3c) You can add on some bolt-ons that will provide an increased performance but will it equal the X51? Probably not but the X51 was around a 10k option IIRC. I'm more in a position to recommend learning how to drive the 996 as it is a challenging car where the BMW is a very forgiving car. The 996 requires finesse and sensitivity to drive it effectively. Your money is better spend in driving schools if you want to go fast. The MK I engines seem to respond better to bolt-ons but you can add more performance (straight-line) with an intake, plenum and exhaust. That will make your car a bit more punchy and slightly quicker. Again, is it worth the money? debatable. I'd go for suspension and schools before adding other items.

3d) The X51 is pretty much maxed and I haven't read of anyone extracting more NA power out of them but I could be wrong on this. Of course there are supercharger options for both motors but those are quite pricey as well. At that point, you might as well go for the turbo.

For background information, I picked a 99 996 MK I even with the higher risk associated with the 3.4 because of the following reasons. MK I Aero kits to me are the best looking of the 996 narrow body (subjective), they tend to be the lightest cars of the bunch and finally, they were offered with a LSD and defeat able traction control vs the PSM that was offered on later cars. These cannot be turned off and will try to fix you if you in the most in opportune times (when you are trying to rotate the car). LSD was only offered in the 99 and the 04 40th anniversary edition cars.

I came from an E36 BMW and have driven virtually all generations of the 3 series including M3's in autocross so I have a penchant/passion for BMWs as well. The 911 is a whole different ball game entirely in terms of experience and driving dynamics of a rear engine car.

Hope this helps,

Pete

Edited November 19, 2008 by LJPete