Any "most" desireable 996?

[numbnuts]

I was speaking with another P-car fanatic and he told me the 2002 996's are the most sought after cause they have the least problems. Any truth to that rumor?

[phillipj]

no

[numbnuts]

no

Care to elaborate on that?

[function12]

no

Care to elaborate on that?

I will. How many post do you see the say my _________ runs perfect. Not one problem ever.

All cars for the most part are trouble free. Are there some bad ones out there sure.

Most people come to these forums to look for help or ideas about solving problems. So you will see a lot more negetive post then positive. So you have to look at the whole picture. How many people bought said model car, how many of those people found this forum, how many of those people even have access to the internet.

I know this may not answer your question but you have to weight all of this when you do get an answer.

[714dre]

I'd say the 02 carreras may be more desirable than others because they

1- are a MKII

2- do not have the fiber optic sound system like later MKIIs. makes it easier to upgrade stereos

[Loren]

They are all pretty much the same to me.

[Richard Hamilton]

I assume you are considering buying one, and I agree with Loren - they are all about the same as far as reliability goes.

What you really need to decide is what model you want to drive, and more particularly how it drives. That's what's different.

IMHO a basic C2 is the purest Porsche driving experience in the range, and as the range progresses each model becomes heavier and slower until you get to the GT3. That's not to say they are worse to drive, it's just that they are different. C4 gives you the security of 4WD, and the C4S is reckoned to be the best looking 996. The GT3 is the rawest, and the Turbo is just plain explosive. They are all very different, and you need to look at and drive a few to see what's right for you.

[BruceP]

I was speaking with another P-car fanatic and he told me the 2002 996's are the most sought after cause they have the least problems. Any truth to that rumor?

I personally don't believe any 996 owner or car will beat the depreciation game, or that almost any 996 will be collectible. I think it will be a very long time before any of these cars, even the limited edition ones, are of the slightest interest to collectors (despite their interesting story). I think 996s are a bit like 944s in that they are destined to be underappreciated by the 'market', and thus will be all the more enjoyable for the people who drive them.

My .02 on a direct answer to your question: To me, the best 996s are either stripped down, light and simple C2s, or the TTs and GT3s.

[deckman]

2003's are the best. C2 2003's with manual transmission and PSE. Seal gray one's especially. Aks me what I drive :D

[Orient Express]

Yes 2002's are the most desirable (seriously) and best of breed compared to other 996 years because:

1. MkII chassis and engine

2. upgraded interior, and lighting

3. last year of old school analog radios which making upgrading or adding an iPod cheap and easy.

4. Cabriolets have glass rear windows.

As far as I can see there are no advantages to the later MkII cars, and the addition of the MOST bus for infotainment was a serious short coming because of its lack of widespread adoption in the industry, severely limiting your audio, navigation, and upgrading options.

Later MkII engines benefited from improvements in the RMS and IMS, but those improvements were also applied to earlier cars that had problems with these issues.

If you are considering a 996, get a 2002 MkII and make sure that the IMS/RMS seals have been upgraded to the latest versions.

[numbnuts]

Thanks gents, this is what I was looking for.

I'm considering a 996 C2. (Its the newest 911 I can afford) and am looking here for a lot of answers about them.

I go to pelican prts also but found this site to be more what i'm after.

Kudos to all that answer my newbie questions :)

[jgriffin56]

Oh such easy answers to such a complicated question. " the 02 C2 is the best, but make sure that the RMS and IMS has been changed out"...that makes no sense. A bad IMS will cost you a new engine ($13K)..... Get serious. What I say is that the 996 for you is what you want it to be. Live in snow area, then a C4 or C4S. Live in a nice weather area, then get a Cab. Want speed, then get a C2 coupe ( less weight than a C4 and Cab). Lots of freeway stop and go, then get a tiptronic. ALso only the later 996s came with the triptronic S with paddle shifters, which are much quicker than the old way of manually shifting the tiptronic using the floor shifter. Want the luxury model with everything, then get a 03 or 04 C4S Cab. It all comes down to what you want to drive. I ageee that there seems to no one model that has more problems than another. Some guys track their cars, then complain that the RMS, or the brakes fail, and the tires don't last, and their engines smoke. It all depends, again, on what you want out of the car!

[deanslist.us]

I like the 996 MKI because it is the lightest of the 996's. Everything else about them really is all the same, little more power and creature comfort in the later ones. I would like to move up to a basic 997 S soon, I like the feeling of the raw power and the PASM.

[Benjamin Choi]

i'd never get an mk1 996. mk2 only.

[rrspikemarty]

Factoid that may affect purchasing decision for some:

Model Year 2002 996 Mk II series total world production numbers:

Carrera Coupe 6249 built

Carrera Cab 6978

Carrera 4 Coupe 1722

Carrera 4 Cab 3870

Turbo 5908

GT-2 716

Targa 2630

Carrera 4S Coupe 4802

GT-3 Cup 138

Total Production 33013

MY 2003 production numbers:

Carrera Coupe 4987 built

Carrera Cab 4973

Carrera 4 Coupe 1147

Carrera 4 Cab 2930

GT-3 781

Turbo 4322

GT-2 233

Targa 1812

Carrera 4S Coupe 7388

GT-3 Cup 200

Carrera 4S Cab 451

Turbo Cab 308

GT-3RS 4

Total Production 29536

Based on these numbers, it may be that the 2002 GT-2 and GT-3 become very desirable; and the 2003 GT-2 and GT-3RS.

BTW, Does anyone know where i can find the corresponding numbers for cars made for US market only?

[BruceP]

I like the 996 MKI because it is the lightest of the 996's. Everything else about them really is all the same, little more power and creature comfort in the later ones. I would like to move up to a basic 997 S soon, I like the feeling of the raw power and the PASM.

I feel the same way you do about the Mk 1's lightness and simplicity. The 911 experience I was personally looking for was something almost as raw as an air cooled car, but mechanically modern and simpler to maintain. That's what I chose and tuned mine for, and why I love it for me. Porsche guys are always shocked and grinning when they drive it.

There is a lot to envy about the Mk2 996s, but I find the 'newer is better' reflex unhelpful sometimes, especially when the opinion is offered without specific reasons.

The earlier poster who said that the most desirable 996 is the one you desire the most, I think his answer was the correct one.

[deanslist.us]

Perhaps another valid point is whether you plan to do work on the car yourself or not. MKII 996 parts are significantly more expensive than MKI parts.

[Benjamin Choi]

Let me just say that I love the MK1 aerokit 996s. I love the headlight shape more so than on any other 911 ever made.

With that said, the headlight materials itself is totally dated v. the MK2 and 997 lights. If you look at the turn signal bulb area, the MK1 headlights use this old school diffused plastic material even in the gray lens unit (the ambers make it look like it's straight from the early 90s).

The headlights are such an instrumental part of the car... highly visual. Because of this, the MK1 996 lined up next to a 997 looks very old whereas the MK2 996 stands on its own given that the bigger, more aggressively styled headlights on the MK2 996 allows it to keep up with the newer 997 design. It's superior packaging/design.

I won't even go into the rest of the car. Bigger, stronger engine. Strengthened chassis. Improved aero. Better inerior plastics. Fresher front and rear bumper designs. Significant wins that makes the MK1 996 an absolute skip recommendation from me.