Just thinking, 308 vs. 996

"1. Keeping the 308, getting her a 325 next year and then me a 355 in two years."


Here's your winner. Pick up an older Honda/Toyota/Subaru/Saab/Lexus for a daily. Or get a half-ton domestic pickup, they're cheap and everyone could use a truck in the family.

 

This is quite funny! I have been toying with the same idea. The Porsche is a wonderful machine..extremly reliable, and very well built. These are cars you can drive everyday, and you can drive them hard. I'm looking into a Carrea4S..because of the fact of winter. I have customers that drive the 4's all winter long and swear they are by far the best winter car they have ever owned.

The Ferrari is a very nice car and I do own a 308 also..but the P-car is just so much more usable. The other thing also, is they don't attract the same amount of attention that the Ferrari does. So leaving it in a parking lot won't cause an alser. The P-car will also trounce most productions Ferrrari's in performance as well. But in the end, its not a Ferrari.

 

i have extensive personal and friend experience with p cars...be careful with the earily 996s, they are good buys for the money but they did have problems...esp watch out for rear main seal problems,which can be found on inspection by a p car mechanic....some of the older 996s i have driven were a little loose in the steering and shifter..the 02 and above had a stiffer chassis and more hp and slightly better shifting...many p car fans like the older 993s better....the new 997s is the ticket but its also 85k!!!!..bang for the buck , the boxster s is the best buy, esp used....a lot of fun , some say more fun to drive than a 911...i would get a boxster s used, which is also a drop top, and then get the 355 later....

 

Let me throw in my two cents a a previous owner of 4 or 5 Porsches but never a Ferrari.

I think it's all going to depend what your looking for. I used to sell Porsches for a living and have actually driven a handful of F-cars with the top being a 348.

Performance wise, 355vs996 would be a tough call. I would think that the edge in speed and performance woud go the the Ferrari, with the edge in hadling going to the Porsche. I could be wrong on this as I've never seen one of those comparisons side by side.

For me a Porsche is a nice refined German sports car, balancing performance, style, and comfort whereas the Ferrari is a bold, in your face car, sacrificing the finer things for a race car like driving experiece.

As far as shock value goes, IMHO, the ferrari will draw more looks, questions, admiration then the Porsche. Park them side by side and you'll see. Also, you'll never be able to get any resale on a Boxster, there are just two many of them out there and you will take a major loss....trust me on this one. A 996 will be a little better expecially if you get something like a C4S.

Finally and in summation, A Porsche is the girl next door you would take home to meet mom and marry; a Ferrari is a girl, that is built for one thing, to be the hot blond supermodel, dressed in red, on the street and a freak in the bed.......any questions?

 

Whoa. I just sold my BMW 325 (daily driver) and M-B SLK, looked at a pristine 2001 996 cabrio (10,000 miles on the clock) and passed on it after a test drive.

For the record, my daily driver is a Jeep Liberty that I can park anywhere, fill up with stuff, feed cheap gas and get serviced anywhere. It already got bumped from behind while I was on the 405 in LA, is having some minor bodywork done, and I kind of shrugged it off. It frees me up to get something less practical, with a prancing horse on the back.

I'm looking for a 328GTS now to have something exciting and exotic that doesn't have to be an everyday driver. I like having a weekend car that has all the special looks and sounds of a Ferrari. It's OK if it needs to warm up a bit, and won't beat a lot of recent Japanese cars. As long as it sounds right, has a top that comes off and looks great, it's filling my needs.

The 996, IMO, is one of the more portly renditions of the 911. The interior is full of hard plastic and design elements that already look dated. Yes, it's easy to drive around to pick up the dry cleaning and drop of videos at Blockbuster, and it's way faster than a 308. But it's much less fun than my friend's Boxster S, less practical than my BMW 3 was, and far less interesting than a Ferrari. I'm not saying they're bad cars -- prices are falling so you'll get a deal on one, they still have the Porsche crest on the hood, they're fast and people think you paid a fortune for it. But 996's will not hold their value like a 308, or a Porsche 993. In fact, nice 993's are already worth a bit more than nice early 996's.

The 993 might be a better transition for you from the 308. Find one with lower miles. Few mechanical gremlins, more of a direct mechanical feel (air cooled), much better resale. Arguably much better looking, and has a lot of the German character that Porschephiles appreciate. The 996 has a lot of the effortless engineering of Toyota/Lexus, albeit with much better performance.

I really liked my BMW coupe. They're expensive to maintain (leaving Ferrari's out of the comparison...), but a blast to drive, carry 4 people with stuff, and very nice looking.

I'd second the advice above, get something inexpensive as daily driver, then consider the 308 in terms of much fun you have with it. I haven't driven a 308, but the 328 and 996 are just completely different cars. If you're really leaving the Ferrari fold, the 993 is just much more sporting than the 996.

My .02.

Jon

 

That was a long post - sorry 'bout that.

 

I had a lot of small minor issues with mine, but I had a 97. If I was going to get one again I would at least wait to get a 99 or better year. In 99 they went from 2.5 to 2.7L engines and in 2000 they introduced the S.

The boxster and 996 share abour 40% of their undercarrage from the front to the A pilliars. If you get an S it's even more; about 45% because they start using more 911 suspension and brake components. I think 02 or 03 was the frist year for the glass rear window which is a nicer option then the plastic.

All in all, good cars, but the natorious problem with these cars is the rear main seal. Make sure before you buy any boxster that this issue has been taken care of. There are enough of these cars that you can buy them Porsche certified with a nice warranty. If you need help finding a nice one, PM me with what you're looking for and I let you know of some options as I still have many of my car connections.

 

No interest in a 993? Generally speaking, it seems most folks feel the 993 is a superior vehicle. Although, the 996 does have more creature comforts for a daily driver.

 

I also like the looks alot more with the 993

 

I sold my 308 to buy a VW-Porsche 914.

My answer to your conundrum is obvious.

 

The 993 was seen as the last "real" 911's by some, being the last air cooled model. That's it's only claim to fame. The 996 is superior in every measurable metric to the older car. There may be some truth to the resale argument in the US, but I haven't seen any evidence of it, personally. In Aust the 996 has held it's values well, considering the introduction of the new model, just as the 993 did before it.

 

sounds to me like the magical attraction you used to feel for your 308
is now fading away just because of a ride in that "new" car
but I can't blame you. I've had that same feeling several times before
we tend to get tired of the mystique and go for the careless excitement of new toys
it is a rule that the first time you drive a car usually it turns into a blast
but then when it becomes your property it evolves into something predictable and boring
I'm sure you'll be sorry if part ways with the 308.

 

Well if I was in your position I would sell the 308, and buy a Boxster S and the BMW, this will give you something fun for now and make the 355 even more exciting and fun in 2 years.

 

A couple of months ago I was browsing at The Collection (Local Fcar/Porsche dealer) and ran into a buddy that was trading in his 2002 Boxster S automatic (yellow on black) for a measly $23K. The car was dealer serviced and had 32k miles on it. I thought it was a bargain at that price. Unfoutunately, I just dont get excited about Boxsters.

I have driven a 2001 996 and found its performance to be impressive. I also feel the interior is not up to par. I much preffer the older 993s interior. I still find the 1999 996 to be a bargain.....I see them regularly for sale in the mid 30k range.

If you are buying a 3 series BMW keep in mind that the new model will be here in a couple of months.

 

John, quite a dilemma. As much as I love ferrari's, I have to say, every time i get in my boxster it just seems so simple, so much fun and so much more under the radar that it is refreshing. If you want more fun(speed) you can add a 996 engine like I did, major upgrades, incl susp and brakes, leaves you with an awesome handling car that can easily be a daily driver and will beat an elise around the track, and match a M5 down the straights(at least until about 110). The boxster will not stir your soul like a Ferrari but will be great fun until the 355 comes in. It truly is one of the best handling cars I have driven and puts the same big smile on my face, although the reasons are a bit different.

 

I have owned a 99' 996 and an 02' turbo and both were great cars. They are nothing like an F-car, everything seems so much smoother ah yes... refined. They make great daily drivers but obviously doesn't get your pulse going like a 360 spider. I don't think you would go wrong with a Porsche.

 

I think you need them all, a daily driver, a fast fun and a Ferrari.
I think the Japaness is the best for daily driver. Reliable, cheap to maintain, parts and service is everywhere. Get a Honda Accord, trade it in when the new model comes out. Park it any where, who cares. And when you got a Ferrari, any Ferrari, driving an Accord will not effect your image one bit.
A fast fun car--- a Porsche is great all around. fast, tough, easy to modify and upgrade. Or a Lotus Elise is also a nice one to consider.

BUT for whatever you decide....NEVER let go the Ferrari 308. Even you get the 355.. never let go the 308 still. I see many Ferrari owner move up be sell their 308 and cry later on... Especilly letting go the 308 for a Porsche??? nononono..... trust me there are a lot of magical things in this slow, outdated 308 that the 996 have non.....

 

Tell your wife to buy her own BMW, theres a start.