Every journey in my 911 is an exciting event

[gerlewis]

I wanted to post to share the joy, and I know this is preaching to the choir, but these cars are awesome!

Whether I’m driving to work, going to buy milk, dropping my daughter off at an after school activity, or any other trip, I love every journey in the 911.

The seating position, engine note, the feel of twisting along our coastal B roads, changing gears and hearing the engine singing, the way the car looks, the engine note, the power, the tactile buttons and switches, the engine note! Then theres the heritage, the great online communities, the timeless designs. And did I mention the sonorous engine note?

It makes me feel the way my 205 gti did when I was 20, and the way my R33 GTS did when I was 25. I’m in my 40s now, and it somehow manages to capture the same feeling as when I was younger.

It is great to live in a time where these can still be enjoyed on the open road, and a privilege to be able to drive one.

Saying all that, I have not had a big bill yet. Perhaps I will hate the thing when it bites me in the wallet!

As spring approaches enjoy your weekend blasts one-and-all. Let's celebrate these amazing machines.

[Hoofy]

Which variation do you have?

I tend to agree. I know others say their 996 Turbo was boring but compared to my dailies (Mercedes C Class, Audi TT Mk1 - which is pretty decent as a driver's car) it's several levels above. It certainly feels like an event to get in it.

My is currently in the garage and I'm using mine for shopping trips and getting stuck in rush hour traffic. It makes everything seem more interesting and enjoyable.

[ATM]

Pics of mine below from late 2018 before I started using it as a Daily until Covid stopped all that.

It's 26 years old now or almost that. At the time it was 21 or 22. So just driving around in a car which is over 20 years has it charms. Then you have the added charm of driving round in a 21 or 22 year old Porsche and its a 911 too. So yes it made me feel good. Most people know a Porsche when they see one. And most people can see its an old Porsche too - especially if it's dirty and unloved looking. I used to get some great looks from people in new Porsches especially stuff like Cayennes. Like we were in some sort of Club. Even though I do not consider myself the member of any Club with 25 year old 911 and brand new Cayenne. Some days I would just be driving and not conscious of the difference of my car from almost all,others on the road. But then someone would start talking to me at a petrol station or just smile and out their thumb up as I drove past them. So until you have spent time driving around in a 25 year old 911 every day, commuting, popping to the shops, going to the gym at 6am or whatever it is then you might not really be able to understand this but hopefully I've made my point.

[RESSE]

gerlewis said:

I wanted to post to share the joy, and I know this is preaching to the choir, but these cars are awesome!

Whether I’m driving to work, going to buy milk, dropping my daughter off at an after school activity, or any other trip, I love every journey in the 911.

The seating position, engine note, the feel of twisting along our coastal B roads, changing gears and hearing the engine singing, the way the car looks, the engine note, the power, the tactile buttons and switches, the engine note! Then theres the heritage, the great online communities, the timeless designs. And did I mention the sonorous engine note?

It makes me feel the way my 205 gti did when I was 20, and the way my R33 GTS did when I was 25. I’m in my 40s now, and it somehow manages to capture the same feeling as when I was younger.

It is great to live in a time where these can still be enjoyed on the open road, and a privilege to be able to drive one.

Saying all that, I have not had a big bill yet. Perhaps I will hate the thing when it bites me in the wallet!

As spring approaches enjoy your weekend blasts one-and-all. Let's celebrate these amazing machines.

I am new to 996 ownership (purchased my first 996 in November 2023) and your comments are bang on .

These are great cars and I have driven my C2 more in the 3 months of having it than my previous cars over the last 4-5 years, and of the 60 cars I have owned during my driving years this is my favourite.

Any excuse for a drive to mid-Wales/Church Stretton/Lake Bala etc in the early mornings is motoring pleasure.

20 years old in March 2024:

[ATM]

RESSE said:

Any excuse for a drive to mid-Wales/Church Stretton/Lake Bala etc in the early mornings is motoring pleasure.

Confession time

I didn't do much fun driving when I was using mine as a Daily Driver. Partly because I'd moved to a more inner City location from a much more rural location. The rural location was surrounded by fun roads on all sides and i was basically spoiled. I probably have to drive over 30 minutes now to find fun roads and they're not as fun as those rural roads I was used to.

[gerlewis]

Hoofy said:

Which variation do you have?

I tend to agree. I know others say their 996 Turbo was boring but compared to my dailies (Mercedes C Class, Audi TT Mk1 - which is pretty decent as a driver's car) it's several levels above. It certainly feels like an event to get in it.

My is currently in the garage and I'm using mine for shopping trips and getting stuck in rush hour traffic. It makes everything seem more interesting and enjoyable.

I have had a 991.1 Carrera for the last 6 months.
Around 4 years ago I had a 987.1 Cayman
And about 10 years ago I had a 996 Carrera, which was my first 911.

I sold the 996 as my new business took a wobble, and I got financially spooked so wanted to free up some cash. I loved that car and do miss it. It was seal grey and had the fried egg headlights with the partially visible orange bulb at the bottom. I loved the way it looked.

It's great to be back in a 911.

[RDMcG]

Great to see the cars enjoyed. I was a very long term BMW fan,mainly M cars and had no interest in Porsches . Then I went to the Nürburgring and got a ride in GT3 (a 996) as I recall .

That was that.

I am not one of those people who think the Porsche is the greatest car as we are all different but for me they have delivered endless thrills and adventures . Cannot see myself without one at this stage.

[Hoofy]

gerlewis said:

Hoofy said:

Which variation do you have?

I tend to agree. I know others say their 996 Turbo was boring but compared to my dailies (Mercedes C Class, Audi TT Mk1 - which is pretty decent as a driver's car) it's several levels above. It certainly feels like an event to get in it.

My is currently in the garage and I'm using mine for shopping trips and getting stuck in rush hour traffic. It makes everything seem more interesting and enjoyable.

I have had a 991.1 Carrera for the last 6 months.
Around 4 years ago I had a 987.1 Cayman
And about 10 years ago I had a 996 Carrera, which was my first 911.

I sold the 996 as my new business took a wobble, and I got financially spooked so wanted to free up some cash. I loved that car and do miss it. It was seal grey and had the fried egg headlights with the partially visible orange bulb at the bottom. I loved the way it looked.

It's great to be back in a 911.

So, 991.1, 987.1 or 996.1?

[Hoofy]

RDMcG said:

Great to see the cars enjoyed. I was a very long term BMW fan,mainly M cars and had no interest in Porsches . Then I went to the Nürburgring and got a ride in GT3 (a 996) as I recall .

That was that.

I am not one of those people who think the Porsche is the greatest car as we are all different but for me they have delivered endless thrills and adventures . Cannot see myself without one at this stage.

Yeah, there are obviously better cars but for me it's hard to move out of a 996 Turbo. I do fancy a Gallardo mainly for the sound and to experience it but is it (current prices) 2.5x better?

[RDMcG]

Hoofy said:

Yeah, there are obviously better cars but for me it's hard to move out of a 996 Turbo. I do fancy a Gallardo mainly for the sound and to experience it but is it (current prices) 2.5x better?

Where I live in Canada the most popular car that people move to from Porsche is McLaren.
I am fine with Porsche, familiar with their various quirks and basically too old to change at this stage...

[Davyt]

996 C4S 20 years ago, was my daily and had it over 2 years, nice car but not particularly special, my Mitsubishi EVO’s and even my e46 M3 were a more engaging drive, was also better back then with only approx 7 models to choose from rather than a ridiculous 20? Like there is now,,

[Hoofy]

RDMcG said:

Hoofy said:

Yeah, there are obviously better cars but for me it's hard to move out of a 996 Turbo. I do fancy a Gallardo mainly for the sound and to experience it but is it (current prices) 2.5x better?

Where I live in Canada the most popular car that people move to from Porsche is McLaren.
I am fine with Porsche, familiar with their various quirks and basically too old to change at this stage...

Ignoring the impracticality of the doors (I like to park in normal car parks!), one issue with McLarens is that I've seen engine rebuild bills and that scares me on a £70k car. I have in my mind that a rebuild of £20k is acceptable whether that's a DB9 (due to the V12 tick), a Gallardo (due to cat sucking) or a 996 (the IMS bearing going crunch). I think the bill that I saw for a 12c rebuild was £50k including ancilliary bits. I think it would be easier to sell a dead McLaren to Mat Armstrong for £30k and be done with it.

[Davyt]

Circa £30K for a McLaren engine with ancilarries, the bill for exchanging will be steep from a Mc dealer if paying yourself,,

[Hoofy]

Davyt said:

Circa £30K for a McLaren engine with ancilarries, the bill for exchanging will be steep from a Mc dealer if paying yourself,,

I can't remember the details. Shoulda downloaded it as it was in an Autotrader ad. Total bill was over £40k, nearer to £50k.

[Davyt]

Hoofy said:

I can't remember the details. Shoulda downloaded it as it was in an Autotrader ad. Total bill was over £40k, nearer to £50k.

I speaka from experience £28K + vat, was only last year, done on warranty ..

[Hoofy]

Davyt said:

Hoofy said:

I can't remember the details. Shoulda downloaded it as it was in an Autotrader ad. Total bill was over £40k, nearer to £50k.

I speaka from experience £28K + vat, was only last year, done on warranty ..

Ah right, sadly for me, I'd be going for an older out-of-warranty car.

[simonsti]

I took a 2024 Cayman T around Wales last week whilst my Macan was being serviced,
although it was a good car it wasn't a patch on my 996 TT for enjoyment and thrills.

[Hoofy]

simonsti said:

I took a 2024 Cayman T around Wales last week whilst my Macan was being serviced,
although it was a good car it wasn't a patch on my 996 TT for enjoyment and thrills.

Really? I would have guessed the opposite. Ignoring power/acceleration, what is it about the 996 TT that beats the Cayman T?

[FrancisA]

gerlewis said:

I have had a 991.1 Carrera for the last 6 months.
Around 4 years ago I had a 987.1 Cayman
And about 10 years ago I had a 996 Carrera, which was my first 911.

I sold the 996 as my new business took a wobble, and I got financially spooked so wanted to free up some cash. I loved that car and do miss it. It was seal grey and had the fried egg headlights with the partially visible orange bulb at the bottom. I loved the way it looked.

It's great to be back in a 911.

I bought my first Porsche in October 2023 - a 991.1 C2S with 9K on the clock. Never planned to buy a Porsche. I have been a Merc man all the way since I was 23 when I bought my first car - Mercedes 200 W123 with 95K on the clock (and the odometer was not working). Never missed a beat so went Merc all the way.

I had 2 SLs - 500 and a 63. Last August on a sunny day with the hood down and my son in the car with me the SL caught fire from an electrical short circuit under the dash. There is no record I can find on the web of this happening to any other SL owner. Mercedes Germany said they did not keep spare dashboards as they could not envisage any reason why someone would have to replace theirs. Insurance sorted it out for 10K. When the car was returned I drove straight to Porsche and picked up my Porsche.

What is great? The drive is the next level. The SL63 is no slouch and has decent handling but I feel like I have gone from League 1 to the top 4 of the premiership driving the Porsche. The handling, the noise and what will surprise most is the comfort. I can say hand on heart the Porsche is a better car for comfort than my SL was. The build quality of the interior is bomb proof. The SLs have their act together in terms of interior but I have to say the build quality of the Porsche in the 991 is much better. The 992 even more so.

What is not great? - OPC holding you by the balls and squeezing hard when it comes to servicing because you want to protect that warranty. And when they squeeze they look you in the eyes and kiss you deeply. Honestly the costs of the OPC vs an Indy is infuriating. And I am taking about established respected Indies who probably know more about the cars than the OPCs.
Another thing is why do you ever need to rebuild an engine? I have never heard of a Merc engine being rebuilt. I was gunning for the AMG GT before detouring to Porsche. That engine is renowned and solid. Likewise the gear box.

Edited by FrancisA on Tuesday 20th February 00:24

Edited by FrancisA on Tuesday 20th February 00:24

[ATM]

Hoofy said:

Really? I would have guessed the opposite. Ignoring power/acceleration, what is it about the 996 TT that beats the Cayman T?

The more modern Porsches are more civilised, smoother and refined. The older cars are not. If you're pottering along at 30 mph in a 981 it will feel quite normal. In a 996 / 986 you will feel the car chitter chattering.

The steering is a big part of this. A 981 steering wheel will just do as it's told but compared to a 996 it's steering wheel will be giving you lots of little tit bits, little movements back and forth and various sensations. It's not violent or aggressive it's just like the difference between, what's a good example, imagine walking on a carpet floor bare foot and then with socks on. It's a subtle difference but you can feel it. I believe the steering has improved on the newer models since the 981 but it won't be as communicative as a 9x6. Which is regarded by some as one of the best power steering systems ever produced.

It's not just the steering. It's the suspension, sound proofing, cabin materials and everything. The newer cars are getting more and more refined and this gradually detaches you from the fizz and hum of the older cars. Now I will admit my 996 is far from standard so I have no idea what a standard one feels like. But I do now have a standard 986 which gives me a great feeling when I drive it and is so very different to my 981 which is also standard.

The brake pedal is another great example. On the 9x6 cars if you are used to modern cars it feels rock hard by comparison. If I drive my 996 for a week and then the 981 the brake pedal on the 981 feels squidgy and numb. The car still stops obviously but the pedal doesn't try to talk to You. After a day or two it starts to feel normal then you jump in the 996 again and think oh yeah I remember now the brake pedal is rock hard.

It's difficult to point to some exact specific details even though I have tried. You really need to drive them back to back then you will get it.

Nerdy bit.....

The problem is finding good 996 cars to try is getting harder and harder because they're getting old and as they get old all the stuff which made them great deteriorates and makes them average at best. People often talk about how a full suspension refresh on a 996 is like night and day before and after. But it's not just this.

The clutch and gear change is a good example. If you want to experience a nice example it needs to have a fresh clutch which is obvious but is often overlooked because an older clutch will still work fine. If you want to get super nerdy you can also refresh the whole fluid based system which transmits your foot movements to the clutch. Then the gear shift mechanism can develop slop in the pivot points below the lever so it gets sloppy. The cables which transmit these shifts to the box can stiffen with age and move less freely. These might sound like they're not important but it all adds up.

A really good 996 - I prefer the earlier gen 1 996 to the gen 2 - to Me - is just a nice thing. And yeah I might have come across a bit like a nerd here but I think you need to own your nerdyness if you want to appreciate the mostly unloved 996.