Yes, unless its hideous in person, the 991 (998) will be my first 911. Factory ordered, of course

 

I agree and think there is little chance of the 997 being the last "great" of an era in the way the 993 or the longhood '73 is. The only thing i can see being so in regards to the 997 is if the last iteration of the Metzger Engine turns out to be in the 997 models. Otherwise it looks like despite growing larger in size Porsche is striving for a decrease in weight which can only make future 911's better than today's so long as at least some version retains a naturally-aspirated non-hybrid engine.

 

What % of each trans. is sold in Europe and the USA ? I heard that Porsche feels they'll be selling only pdk's in 5 years. A saleman recently was at a training seminar and the group was surveyed afterward : PDK or 6-speed. The trainees were split but the instructors all selected the pdk.

I pick up my new c4s tomorrow (w/ pdk, trade is c4 man.). It's a efficiency and speed issue. There are still guys who love 3 speed column shifters and 2 speed autos; they drive old Nova's and Dodges but who's checking the details ?

 

I sold my 993tt in anticipation of a 996 which was touted as great before it arrived and had a deposit on a 996tt . I cancelled all of it --at first and had no Porsche for a year.

Now --despite the 993 legenday status there were some things in the 996 which the 993 lacked --
1) More Hp.
2) Four year 50K warranty and the 993 was only 2 year unlimited mileage.
3) more creature comfort .. actually a predecessor to the 997's nicer interior (mostly because the 996 interior was criticized).
4) it aws lighter and faster . So was the turbo.

Yep . it was ugly , lacked the air cooled sound. the traditional 5 dials and offset pedals , and most of all it lacked the build quality of the 993 ..

But it was progress because sometimes a step back is actually a step forward .

That's why .. even to this day . I consider buying a 993 again .In fact even Porsche took a step back with traditional styling in the 997 .

Every future car is the next step .. even if were not sucessful . I don't feel Porsche will end a multi decade production of an Icon with a failure though. That's why i look forward to the future .. it offers the prospect of anything .. that fuels speculation and offers hope.

 

Respectfully, I don't know if I agree with the use of the 964 in the example. True, Porsche changed the 964 dramatically from the 3.2, but the "rift" as you've described had more to do with the C4 and Porsche's application of AWD. The C2 that came out after the initial introduction was much more in line with the original 911 gene (heck it even looked the same)....but by then, the 90's recession was in full swing. There weren't too many people who could justify the upgrade. Perhaps this could be the analogy for the 991?

 

The facelifted 3's have been a constant temptation for me, but I'm sticking w/ my plan an waiting for the the next gen car. I check the forums every other month or so looking for details but, so far, to no avail Porche's been getting some pretty stiff competition from the likes of Audi and Nissan, so I'm interested to see what they bring to the table w/ the next gen car. Personally, for a road car, I care much less about which car is faster around the N-ring and more about the driving expereince which Porsche owns hands-down. But there's a lot of folks out there that care about the numbers in the magazine so I don't think Porsche can ignore that and I'd happily talke my cake and eat it too if Porche delivers hands-down in both

 

I like all Porsche's but lets call a spade a spade..

The 964 and 996 are red headed step children of the newer generation 911's. Both are fantastic cars and better performers than the previous generation yet neither the 964 or the 996 are very loved by Porschefiles. Due to their lack of popularity, they are both fantastic buys in todays economy.

And the fact remains that there are pre-964 owners that never upgraded to the 964 just like there are "air cooled/hand built" fans that never sold their 993 to step into a 996. The divide between the 993 and later generations is big but its also fresh in our minds.

Jason

 

I think that holding off for the next gen is a great idea. If you were to get the 3RS then you'd have 3 or maybe 2 from the same generation. Nothing wrong with that but waiting a bit could make it just a bit more fun since the rumours are that it will be pretty darn wonderful.

 

Where there is competition there is evolution, and the goal posts move forward. Having now a new goal, Porsche will move towards that new standard and a new generation of sports cars will follow it.

We can all strive towards that new dream of 911 status; it gets us up to work hard in our productive lives and so, can only be a good thing (in moderation, of course). I can't wait... I'm still young and can still own many more 911s in my life

 

I've had 11 Porsches in my 40 years of driving. The last 911 before the 997 was a '74. The 997 like you say is significantly heavier (and a lot more HP). The 997 is an order of magnitude better (though there is no excuse for smoke on startup with today's engineering). In between those two cars were 5 Corvettes ending with an '05 C6. The C6 is a great car but it's still a beast. It lacks refinement even though it's 400 HP and lighter than the 997. I'm confident the next 911 Porsche will continue to be the pure sensual experience it has always been.

ChuckJ

 

We've asked for many of these changes that add the weight and change the dimensions. They are stereo, gps, a/c, safety items such as door guards, anti-lock brakes, safety glass and airbags as well as and increased storage space. Even the engine and drivelines are heavier (but may well last 200k miles). The engineers respond to the customers and we then line up.

I can't drive the lighter and great GT-3; the small rear seat of the 911 is essential or I wouldn't have the pcar. Nor would the aggressive suspension maintain my personal relationships either. Numerous pcar items keep my interest not just the history. Thank G_d for aluminum !

They'll figure out how to push the envelop and I'll still be chasing the next step . . .

 

the new car will be out for about a yr before my new car cycle is up. If I love it I jump on it, if not i might just have to try a carrera GT, and get a cheap car for a DD LOL

 

I can see they are going to add a few more ponies to both DFI engine
Maybe 20bhp or so just to shave 1/10th or so from 0-60
I just can't see how they can improve the performance to compete with rivals from AMG and M division without forced induction to meet stricter emission!

I don't think I will trade in my car as I think the 991 C2S will be no faster than the current C2S with X51 option. However, if they inc. the current car engine to 4litre or add a light pressure turbo, I will definitely empty my wallet for it unless they mess up the styling like 993-->996

 

Let me know when you guys get rid of your 997s...

 

Should we expect to see this car coming up in about a year or so? Is anything about the timeline confirmed?