M5 thinking of a 996
Discussion
Okay guys...
I need help / advise..
I currently own a M5 on a 02 plate in Carbon Black and the car is fully loaded, and I absolutely love it..Though there is just one problem like my previous cars, i have found it really difficult keeping a car for more than one year...I think i just get bored!!!
My wife recently had a baby and the M5 i though was a perfect family super car...though yes indeed it is...it has SAT Nav, fully voice activated phone kit and not to mention the 400Horses under the bonnet...
I have owned a 2.5L Boxster in the past, though it was just not my cup of tea...as iv always wanted a 911 would love a Turbo (one day) at present my budget is little over20k for which i can get a 996.
Now should i do it?
Questions..Questions...Questions..
Baby requirements:
The 996 has 2x2 seats, and hearing that people can sit in the back...i would assume a baby seat can fit in the rear...though the baby does not sit in my car much as we have other cars in the house that if needed can be used..
Speed Requirements:
Being a 3.2L i wouldn’t expect this car to be as quick as the M5, though speed does matter as its not all about looks...though the the car being lighter i would think its quick..the question is just how quick? (my x Boxster 2.5L dreadfully slow)
Perfomance / Mods:
What is the 996 like in standard forum? (Power wise and how it delivers it? also how well it handles?)
What tuning options are available for the 996 and at what rough costs? What performance gains can be expected?
What extra options did the car have? (eg SAT Nav, uprated sound system etc...)
Appreciate any help...
I have an E39 M5 with 108k up already, among other cars and I think a wheezy old 300 BHP 3.4 996 will dissapoint you. For £20k you will end up in a 98 or 99 at best with 80,000 miles at least. The early cars were a bit bare on spec.
I cannot think of a £20k Porsche that will easily fill the space that the M5 will leave.
You would also be wise not to modify a c100,000 mile 3.4 996 but if you do use £100 per additional BHP. So for 30 BHP count on £3k etc
Cheers
Allan
I cannot think of a £20k Porsche that will easily fill the space that the M5 will leave.
You would also be wise not to modify a c100,000 mile 3.4 996 but if you do use £100 per additional BHP. So for 30 BHP count on £3k etc
Cheers
Allan
Edited by weltmeister on Wednesday 16th May 22:15
welcome to the fold
the 996 was first built with a 3.4 litre 300bhp engine
the 2.5 boxsters were slow and the 996 will feel much faster, although how it will compare against your m5 i do not know. iirc the performance for the 3.4 was 0-60 in 5.1 seconds and about 173 top speed. quick enough!!
baby seats will fit front and back and the car can be a great mode of family transport
spec is variable. the early 996's were fairly spartan unless specd well. there are lots out there and you should find something you like, although avoid the sat nav as its shite (pcm1) although bose is good
good luck!
the 996 was first built with a 3.4 litre 300bhp engine
the 2.5 boxsters were slow and the 996 will feel much faster, although how it will compare against your m5 i do not know. iirc the performance for the 3.4 was 0-60 in 5.1 seconds and about 173 top speed. quick enough!!
baby seats will fit front and back and the car can be a great mode of family transport
spec is variable. the early 996's were fairly spartan unless specd well. there are lots out there and you should find something you like, although avoid the sat nav as its shite (pcm1) although bose is good
good luck!
Well... I love the M5..though don’t think i have ever driven it with the traction control on otherwise all the fun is lost (same does not apply to driving in the rain though)
GT3 – I think the brakes are superb on the M5...though what tyres is your brother in law running on the M5?
So the 996 is like the Boxster is expensive to tune...
0-60 in 5.1 seconds I think is fairly quick...
I can see where you are all coming from but i guess this is the problem...where to go after a M5.. 996 is good but yes I will notice the speed difference though saying that its not about the 0 – 60mph,it the overall power delivery throughout the rev range..
I guess i should maybe go see one at a dealer and test drive it to see how it feels.
I traded in my M5 - same spec as yours with a 52 plate and 90k miles (55k my own) - my new 997S is not much quicker if you drive it on the motorways - it is staggeringly quicker on the twisties in the dry if you want to push it - much less weight and all of it **seemingly** in the right place.
I would query the putting of a baby in the back though - it's fine for my golf clubs (tour size bag), but it has no feet and it certainly has no other stuff to go with it which cannot be folded - my trolley lives at the golf club.
If you buy a 996 this is what you should expect as a significant improvement in both senses of the expression - a change in direction - M5 still a car I look for though.........esp the E39....
I would query the putting of a baby in the back though - it's fine for my golf clubs (tour size bag), but it has no feet and it certainly has no other stuff to go with it which cannot be folded - my trolley lives at the golf club.
If you buy a 996 this is what you should expect as a significant improvement in both senses of the expression - a change in direction - M5 still a car I look for though.........esp the E39....
997S is 355 bhp - 996 a little less I think.
What really make the difference is (and I know that this sounds cliche'd) how it puts that power down. You can be flat through so many corners you had to lift for in many other brand of car.
400bhp in my old M5 felt slower (but not much) due to weight. Round corners however it was (and is) incomparable.
Sorry ...... engine size is 3.8 on the S
What really make the difference is (and I know that this sounds cliche'd) how it puts that power down. You can be flat through so many corners you had to lift for in many other brand of car.
400bhp in my old M5 felt slower (but not much) due to weight. Round corners however it was (and is) incomparable.
Sorry ...... engine size is 3.8 on the S
Edited by chumley-warner on Thursday 17th May 01:27
I tried a 2004 C4S when I was changing my E39 M5 and sure it felt a little more nimble but it was hopelessly slow compared with the stonking V8.
Even though the M5 is a bit barge like, with the exception of mid corner drive when it got a bit tail happy especially in the rain, that big car was still really capable of being hussled around far quicker than one would think.
For me the ordinary 3.6 911 was a major disappointment (plus made a dreadful racket with the "sports" exhaust) so I bought a turbo instead. Even that didn't immediately feel massively quicker until I'd got used to working the engine right when it probably had the edge. Frankly with 20k to spend I'd have the V8 every time without even thinking twice.
SM
Even though the M5 is a bit barge like, with the exception of mid corner drive when it got a bit tail happy especially in the rain, that big car was still really capable of being hussled around far quicker than one would think.
For me the ordinary 3.6 911 was a major disappointment (plus made a dreadful racket with the "sports" exhaust) so I bought a turbo instead. Even that didn't immediately feel massively quicker until I'd got used to working the engine right when it probably had the edge. Frankly with 20k to spend I'd have the V8 every time without even thinking twice.
SM
Keep the M5 and add a few choice mods 
The e39 M5 is a hard act to follow for the money IMO, even in standard form the chassis and stonking V8 are an easy match for an early 996 Carrera.
I had my M5 for over two years and in that time added many modifications to get it how I wanted it. Bilstein PSS9 Kit and uprtated ARB's totally transform the handling, Supersprint Headers, Race Cats and full Tubi Cat-Back System also released a few extra horses and made the Beast sound like a V8 should IMO, Active Autowerk CAI and Front Brake Cooling was also another great upgrade to add a few more bhp, and the icing on the cake to bring the Beast to a halt was a BBK with 12Pot Calipers
, these were a massive improvement over the single floating piston design BMW implemented. I believe the new owner has the car featured in next months Performance BMW Magazine if you need to know any more.
The Porsche is a great car but you will need to spend considerably more money IMO to get a newer model to rival the allround ability of the e39 M5.
Good luck in your decision.
C.
The e39 M5 is a hard act to follow for the money IMO, even in standard form the chassis and stonking V8 are an easy match for an early 996 Carrera.
I had my M5 for over two years and in that time added many modifications to get it how I wanted it. Bilstein PSS9 Kit and uprtated ARB's totally transform the handling, Supersprint Headers, Race Cats and full Tubi Cat-Back System also released a few extra horses and made the Beast sound like a V8 should IMO, Active Autowerk CAI and Front Brake Cooling was also another great upgrade to add a few more bhp, and the icing on the cake to bring the Beast to a halt was a BBK with 12Pot Calipers
, these were a massive improvement over the single floating piston design BMW implemented. I believe the new owner has the car featured in next months Performance BMW Magazine if you need to know any more. The Porsche is a great car but you will need to spend considerably more money IMO to get a newer model to rival the allround ability of the e39 M5.
Good luck in your decision.
C.
Does anybody have details of how safe the rear seats in a 996 are for a child? I've been interested in buying one on a couple of occasions but the lack of info on this has always put me off. Had a 944t and a 968 some years ago and felt the seatbacks were so close to the kids heads that the inertia belts wouldn't pull the up in time if the worst ever happened.
I can get all 3 kids in mine (6, 6 and 9). A bit of a pain in the arse but I do it fairly regularly!
gareth h said:
Does anybody have details of how safe the rear seats in a 996 are for a child? I've been interested in buying one on a couple of occasions but the lack of info on this has always put me off. Had a 944t and a 968 some years ago and felt the seatbacks were so close to the kids heads that the inertia belts wouldn't pull the up in time if the worst ever happened.
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