LowOrbit

The interior upgrade on the 997 is significant and makes it the way to go IMHO. Yes, the 996T is fast, but unless you really use that acceleration on a regular basis, the 997 is a better overall car.

jrbmwenthusiast

1esquire, you have a tough choice, you lucky devil!!

Talk about persnickety! Swajames, I guess it?s true that Porsche owners don?t accepts substitutes. Subjectivity is the rule of the day here.

How much slower is the 996 turbo compared to 997 turbo? Zero to sixty in 4.2 compared to 3.7? Ohh, I forgot about that Porsche automatic Tiptronic transmission that launches the car in 3.2! Now that is significant, if you?re comparing the 996 turbo to the 997 turbo ?not the 997 Carrera S at 0 to 60 in 4.8 seconds.

I agree that you have to be at the right camera angles to distinguish the differences in bodywork. All 911s look alike, to most non-Porsche owners. But once you buy a Porsche, you?re in a different club where subtle differences become important. To me, the headlights are similar. To some they?re obviously different.

Regarding the replacement for the 997, I saw a spy shot of a 998. Was it one of the flat 6 replacements or the new turbo? Neither? I?m confused. Or maybe the designation is a secret only known to registered Porschephiles.

Comedic intent aside, there?s always a grain of truth in Clarkson?s commentary. A few minutes ago (I?m watching BBC reruns) he called the GT2 a dog!!! Then, when the Stig proved it was faster on the track than the Lamborghini Gallardo, he was compelled to set the result on fire rather than posting it. Now of course, the GT2 is in no way a dog, but compared to the basic turbo, the rear wheel drive GT2 is a bit** to drive! (Exception: really good drivers need not worry) Although you shouldn?t take every opinion expressed on TopGear and Fifth Gear as gospel truth, I rank their opinions higher than those expressed in most auto magazines (Road and Track, Car and Driver etc.) where advertising dollars may prompt some reviewers to pull punches.

Once again, good luck. I find the discussion of the subtle differences interesting.

swajames

If you look at the summary of test results here you'll find the Carrera S typically posts low 4 seconds for the 0-60. The best magazine result was a very over-optimistic 3.9 (Road and Track, March 2005) but most typically range from 4.1 to 4.3/4.4 so these are pretty reliable. The list I posted is mainly pre 2006/7 tests. For a later comparison, in the April 2008 Road and Track the 911 S posted 4.10 for the 0-60. The list does include test results for all 996/997 variants other than the GT2 and you'll find the 996 Turbo times to be closer to the 997S than the 997 Turbo (which is massively quicker than both).

Agree on Clarkson, I remember that GT2 review, it was pretty funny. Mind you, he did like the 997 Turbo when he reviewed it a season or two back. Legend has it that he doesn't like Porsche's, but much of that is so he can have a dig at Hammond who is of course something of a Porschphile!

As for the new model designation, magazines have indeed been using 998 on the spy shots, and it would of course be the logical progression, but internally at Porsche the replacement is the 991. Makes no sense to me either, I'd have gone with 998 too!

e6t

i wouldnt want to pay to fix the turbo. the engine will fail.

get the 997.

vincentkpham

+1 for 997.