Um...sorry to disagree, but the 996 is one of the most successful (and abundant) race cars of all time, and you can catch one pretty much any time you turn on Speedvision.

I love my car too, but a proper 911 would spank an S2000 for 24 straight hours if it had to.

 

The fact is that the 996 line is so diverse that you need to say more than just "996 vs s2000"

A 996 C4 cab like the one I had would probably be close or a little slower on most tracks than an S2000, from what I recall of both.

A 996 GT3 would tear an S2000 up 5 ways to sunday anywhere, anytime, on any track.

 

[QUOTE=neuronbob,Jul 18 2008, 09:10 AM]At the OP:

 

This thread is funny.

996 Porsches will always be Porsches. Many purists don't like them as much but I think the 996 was designed to please a wider audience. They may not be as distinct in character as previous gen Porsches but they are still Porsches nonetheless. They are only better or worse than others based on an individual's needs or wants from a Porsche.

I don't think they should be compared to S2000s either. Boxters and Caymans are much better comparisons don't you guys think?

 

So we saying the usual Porsche "purist" had his head so far up is own ar$e that he even snobs a 996? I find that hard to believe, but hey, if true, the price of progress.

I agree with Tsuchiya - bad comparison - Boxster is the more reasonable choice.

Malakas - great looking car/colour

 

Great write up.

I dont daily my S so I dont think about it having a harsh ride or anything like that. My EG civic that I daily has a really rough suspension so when I hop into the S its a comfortable ride

 

Yes exactly, I don't know why people are getting upset with me - its plain facts. I can tell nobody has attended any porsche events or spent any time with the 911 guys.

Seriously the 996's face (boxter) and its softer feel makes it a car they don't care or desire for. If you think about it - going from the 993 then to the 996s it was a huge let down for the purists. Most porsche purists love jumping into old - no computer, no power steering, no turbo porsches for the pure experience. These are the afficianados. One of the paramount things for porsche guys was the dash and the speedometer...'the look' charged drastically in 996 turning the car more into a luxury car than a race car.

Also these porsche purists don't accept cars like the 944 as porsches or a person who truly loves porsche - I know its crazy, they have their fan boi's and purists too...almost like the guys who swear that ap2s are junk and for the real experience you need an ap1.

996 vs s2000 is a joke, i'm not trying to compare them at all.

 

The 6Speed thread (and this one, for that matter) was not intended to be a "S2000 versus 996" debate. I agree, they are not the same type of car. It was however, to be a discussion (mostly) of the differences between them. It only came up because a lot of 996 guys/girls on the forums had come from S2000s. Being such a different car, I think it is interesting to hear people muse about the differences.

Again, it is not assumed people moving to a 996 have "upgraded" to a better, faster car. That would make the discussion more of a competition. The nearest P-car competitor to the s2000 is clearly the Boxster (S, even) which is a pretty fantastic car as well.

To me: the 996 is much more of a GT than a true sports car. My car has tons of "Lexus-like" features that I didn't really need or want (14 speaker Bose, memory power seats, automatic a/c...etc). However, as a DD, or for longer cruises those features are nice. It also is much larger of a car. People who ride with me now (after being poured into the S) always remark how much room a 911 has. The handling is totally different (esp the AWD widebody cars). The power is also different... MUCH more torque. However, a 996 and a F22C (in VTEC) prob feel about the same.

About the snobbery: people who see Porsches as status symbols will always find / perpetuate rifts between models and brands. People who just love sports cars, see them as awesome machines.

If you think 911 drivers hate on 944 people read this (posted in the 996 forum)... http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/show...ad.php?t=442637.

 

^^Just curious, why you went with a C4S living in Houston, TX? I'm close to Austin and had the same (in 997 variant) and the AWD was reassuring when it rained almost everyday last summer!

 

r u talking about modified 996's? (if u r then that is completely irrelevant) r u talking about turbo's? proper 996? im just talking about a stock 996 compared to a stock s2k, on the track im sure they are not so spread apart as you say they are