lordsinclair

Hi all, I'm tearing my hair out trying to decide between a 993 and 997 and I need some help. I love the pure lines and understated subtlety and slightly more traditional approach the 993 offers, while thinking also that a more modern 997 is the more sensible way to go to avoid problems that come with a high mileage Porsche. Though maybe a 997 gen. 1 (which I'd be looking at) would need upgrading in a few years while somehow the 993 seems like the last Porsche I'd ever buy and would be worth the money in upgrades/maintenance. And performance/everyday drivability? How does the base Carrera differ from the 993 and the 997 Carrera S really?

Edgy01

Apples and oranges. The 993 with the air and oil cooled motor was the top Porsche -- in 1997. Today it is 2013. That's over 15 years. Porsche hasn't been sitting still with their engineering in that time. The 997 is a tremendously fine running machine with performance capabilities that far exceed anything they could imagine in 1997. Plus, the maintenance is minimal. It all depends upon what you need and want. Spend some time on both forums and read and figure out for yourself what is more important to you.

KeninBlaine

What Edgy said. I went through the same process for my first purchase 5 years ago, and went with a 997. I've never regretted it, but I still drool every time I see a nice 993.

USMC_DS1

I struggled with a similar conflict two years ago during my search for a 911. As this was my 1st p-car I was worried about the cost of maintenance on the older 993 so I ultimately went for a 997.1 S with 1.5 yrs of original warranty and 2 yrs of CPO. As it turns out... the cost of maintenance on my 1st p-car, the 997, has been minimal and the car is a thrill to drive. Of course, if I get an extra stall in the garage guess which car I'd like to pick up... a 993. BTW, as an investment the 993's keep going up in value.

Kika

They are two diffent animals, drive both and decide which one you prefer.

cairo94507

I had a '97 993 and liked it. I love our 997.2 4S.

FrankyV

I had a '97 993 purchased new and also a new 2008 997.1S and now have a a used 997.2S. All are great cars but a 997 will make me laugh out loud when I put the throttle to the floor, that never happened with the 993. 100 additional horsepower at about the same weight will do that.

Chris W. - '96 Targa

Depends on your intention for the car, in my opinion. If buying as a collector or as an investment, get the 993. If for daily (or regular) driver, get the 997.

I owned and daily drove a 993 Targa for 10 years - put 108,000 miles on it on top of the 22,000 it had when I bought it. I very much enjoyed the car the whole time, but at a total of 130,000 miles, I really started to get the bug for something newer. So, I bought the 997.1 S and sold the Targa for more than half what I'd paid for it. (I would have kept the Targa too, but my garage isn't that big.)

I haven't once regretted the decision. The 993 was a bit more "raw," but the 997 is a better driving car in every way. I do miss the targa top more than I expected I would, but still no regrets.

So far I've put 13,000 miles on the 997 since I got it last April, with no maintenance other than oil changes (which I do myself) and rear tires. For the 993, I averaged around $3,300/year for routine maintenance (including tires and oil changes).

Hope this helps...



-Chris

blake

+1. Well said and agree.

I'll add that BOTH would make a great weekend car. In that case, I would lean 993 for the heritage and investment potential (most cars depreciate, but the 993 is currently going UP in value).

-B

CamsPorsche

I'll give you my take as I've gone from 997 Carrera to 993 C4S and now looking for a 997.2 Carrera or S

The 997 Carrera was my first 911 and I loved its power, ease of use and everyday drive-ability. A few mates of mine had 993's and always pestered me to come over to their side and although I've always thought the 993 was the best looking of all 911 variants its no where near modern. The term raw is what the 993 is in terms of visceral sound and ride quality but boy is it gorgeous. I'll sound petty here but no cupholders did me in when I wanted to take it to work (yup I enjoy my morning jump) and the 993's do smell like air-cooled 911's as its part of the purity.

My preference is to have a nice car like the 911 to be my everyday car as life's way too short to keep one in the garage and in my case the 993 is considered a garage queen. I've since sold mine to an enthusiast who will keep it as such while I look for a 997.2 to beat on daily...nice dilemma to have!

lordsinclair

Thank you all for your input. It will be a daily driver and ultimately I think modern engineering may win, however if there's a second in the future then like a few of you the 993 will be an obvious choice. Guess I just have to choose....

CamsPorsche

ICECALM - go drive both and you'll get what I mean...

MessyMarvin

I thought about an Air Cooled Porsche, I had a really nice 1988 Carrera well before my 997.2 C2S and they are 2 totally different machines. I did not want the maintenance of the 993 and for me I wanted the vast improvements made over the years.

For a toy a 993 Turbo might be a different story.

Mine is not a toy, I drive it.

Mark Harris

There are only few areas of the US that I would consider a 993 as a daily driver and you live in one. But you will enjoy a 997. As many have stated the cost of ownership as a daily driver is much lower in a 997.

With that said, if my world closed in on me the 993 would be the last car to go. The look, the sound, the smell is timeless. 993 pricing will never go down. From garage queens to 100K cars the 993 pricing has held or increased during the last few years.

RudyP

I'd recommend both. They are very different but both great.

That said, if I had to get rid of one, I would let the 997 go. It is an amazing car, a better daily driver, faster and more comfortable but the 993 gives me a bigger smile (at least on public roads - the 997 is the better track car). Again, I'm back to suggesting both.