Ugliest 911 ever?
Discussion
LordHaveMurci said:
g7jhp said:
Both the 996.1 & 996.2 have aged well I'm my eyes.
996.1
996.2
I'm probably biased as I have a 996.1 but looking at those two pics I genuinely prefer the look of the .1 996.1
996.2
Prefer either over the 993, now to hide from the Porsche equivalent of the KKK, they'll be along to string me up any moment now...
I'm with you LHM.
monthefish said:
LordHaveMurci said:
g7jhp said:
Both the 996.1 & 996.2 have aged well I'm my eyes.
996.1
996.2
I'm probably biased as I have a 996.1 but looking at those two pics I genuinely prefer the look of the .1 996.1
996.2
Prefer either over the 993, now to hide from the Porsche equivalent of the KKK, they'll be along to string me up any moment now...
I'm with you LHM.
Save for the Turbo and GT2 (i.e. wide body cars), for me the worst looking factory iteration of the 911 is the 996. And that's before you open the door and see the inside!
It's funny, i agree that a boggo narrow 993 also looks a bit rubbish. Conversely, a widebody S model without the wings is probably my favourite 911 ever! The hips and stance maketh the car.
For me the 997 will be the classic of the future. A very pretty thing, and will be looked back on as the last of the 'proper' 911s.
It's funny, i agree that a boggo narrow 993 also looks a bit rubbish. Conversely, a widebody S model without the wings is probably my favourite 911 ever! The hips and stance maketh the car.
For me the 997 will be the classic of the future. A very pretty thing, and will be looked back on as the last of the 'proper' 911s.
Sifly said:
I agree completely, there is an element of purity in the 996 that is seen in the early long nose 911's. We all thought the 996 was boring and bland when it arrived following on from the 993 with all its lumps, bumps curves and spoilers etc. But in reality, Porsche had taken the new car back to basics, and the clean lines of the 996 have actually aged really gracefully.
Agree. It's been slow decline since the 996, the 991 is a squashed pig.The 993 was also a huge disappointment after the 964 plastic bumper cars, looks like a 964 swallowed a balloon
Legacywr said:
The worst type of blingy posers nonsense. Awful.mollytherocker said:
Legacywr said:
The worst type of blingy posers nonsense. Awful.David Hype said:
V8KSN said:
Extreemmmoooo... 
It might well be that I need a Labrador pretty soon too, but the stock 996.1 (not the 996.2) coupe shape is really growing on me. I think it is a classic piece of 90s design with very clean lines. I have even caught myself out going through the classifieds to check out manual C2 coupes recently but it really is difficult to find clean and unmolested examples
Eleven said:
mollytherocker said:
Legacywr said:
The worst type of blingy posers nonsense. Awful.
http://www.paul-stephens.com/PS-Clubsport/car6247
YUK
http://www.paul-stephens.com/PS-Classic-Touring-Se...
Double YUK on the price!
YUK
http://www.paul-stephens.com/PS-Classic-Touring-Se...
Double YUK on the price!
Edited by Scooty100 on Saturday 22 November 19:52
Like many my vote goes to the standard 996, bland and blobby, aged badly especially with amber lights (by contrast C4S and GT2 look great, and turbo also looks pretty good front vents aside)
Flatnoses are pretty awful especially in cab form
I also think the 3.2/930 narrow bodies look awfully unbalanced with a turbo rear spoiler
Flatnoses are pretty awful especially in cab form
I also think the 3.2/930 narrow bodies look awfully unbalanced with a turbo rear spoiler
Edited by Adam B on Sunday 30th November 23:14
mollytherocker said:
Legacywr said:
The worst type of blingy posers nonsense. Awful."1st Owner Al Sheikh, Abdul Mohsin, (Son of King Fahd)"
quelle surprise!
I'm always amused at some of the rhetoric that gets repeated about the 996 within elements of the Porsche 'community' to the extent that it becomes an accepted truism amongst the chattering classes.
Looks are ultimately subjective. But there are some facts to consider. And one stands out above all. Sales of the 996 were effectively double that of it's predecessor. In other words, the 996 was an immediate success aesthetically and functionally in the sports car market. Performance wise it was much lauded on its release. Which shouldn't be a surprise. It was a much more modern machine than any 911 that had gone before which can be ascertained from objective metrics. One of the greatest step forwards was the power to weight ratio and game changing torque curve. It's performance capability remained on par with sports until very recently. A Carrera 3.4 can get to 60mph in 4.6 seconds which is still bloody fast. the advances in power over the last decade have been hampered by increases in legislation and that greatest of enemies, weight. The 996 represents a sweet spot in evolution.
Back to the subjective area of aesthetics and the huge uplift in the popularity of the 911 with the arrival of the 996. only Porsche would know the real stats on consumer profile but it makes for an interesting question: who were the admirers and ultimately purchasers of the 996? We're all of them brand new entrants into the marque who had no particular affinity for air cooled 911's or was it, as is more likely, a mix of existing and new consumers? I suspect that many existing consumers happily chose the new model and an entirely new body of consumers who didn't like 964's or 993's entered 911 ownership. Plus, there were plenty of second hand 993's around when the 996 arrived.
Objectively, if the 993 was the most beautiful of all 911's and the 996 the ugliest, it would have struggled even to maintain its market. But no, it doubled its market. There are about 70k people on this planet ( assuming they're all still alive) who made the decision to buy a brand new 993 (marginally more than 964's). There are 175,000 people who were prepared to fork out for a brand new 996. And last I heard, Porsche weren't getting any commision on second hand sales.
So by all objective metrics, Porsches decision making with the evolution of the 911 has met with enormous success and acclaim (albeit not amongst a curious cabal of bearded ones). So when I see cliches like the unloved 911 or the ugly 911 I smile to myself. The evidence points to the exact opposite.
Where the market place sits right now in terms of pricing is an entirely different matter, driven by supply/demand (especially supply), cycles, fashions (there is a global surge in popularity of older 'heritage' elements right now across numerous product categories, reliability scaremongering, the development of the Internet, the surge in investor driven classic car values across many brands (air cooled 911's are not made anymore, they're finite, water cooled 911's are stilll being made, ergo, a different market). Humans are notorious for herd mentalities and their perspective altered. I've seen numerous research reports on products where for example a bottle design fails consumer testing, but as soon as a celebrity endorses that brand, suddenly consumers like the bottle all of a sudden even though it hasn't changed a bit).
Ultimately looks are subjective. To many, the 996 is a beautiful car either in the context of all 911s and/or in its own right. The ugliet Porsche to me the one that's been badly butchered by mods ( not saying there can't be great mods) or the ones that have been neglected, no matter what model.
Looks are ultimately subjective. But there are some facts to consider. And one stands out above all. Sales of the 996 were effectively double that of it's predecessor. In other words, the 996 was an immediate success aesthetically and functionally in the sports car market. Performance wise it was much lauded on its release. Which shouldn't be a surprise. It was a much more modern machine than any 911 that had gone before which can be ascertained from objective metrics. One of the greatest step forwards was the power to weight ratio and game changing torque curve. It's performance capability remained on par with sports until very recently. A Carrera 3.4 can get to 60mph in 4.6 seconds which is still bloody fast. the advances in power over the last decade have been hampered by increases in legislation and that greatest of enemies, weight. The 996 represents a sweet spot in evolution.
Back to the subjective area of aesthetics and the huge uplift in the popularity of the 911 with the arrival of the 996. only Porsche would know the real stats on consumer profile but it makes for an interesting question: who were the admirers and ultimately purchasers of the 996? We're all of them brand new entrants into the marque who had no particular affinity for air cooled 911's or was it, as is more likely, a mix of existing and new consumers? I suspect that many existing consumers happily chose the new model and an entirely new body of consumers who didn't like 964's or 993's entered 911 ownership. Plus, there were plenty of second hand 993's around when the 996 arrived.
Objectively, if the 993 was the most beautiful of all 911's and the 996 the ugliest, it would have struggled even to maintain its market. But no, it doubled its market. There are about 70k people on this planet ( assuming they're all still alive) who made the decision to buy a brand new 993 (marginally more than 964's). There are 175,000 people who were prepared to fork out for a brand new 996. And last I heard, Porsche weren't getting any commision on second hand sales.
So by all objective metrics, Porsches decision making with the evolution of the 911 has met with enormous success and acclaim (albeit not amongst a curious cabal of bearded ones). So when I see cliches like the unloved 911 or the ugly 911 I smile to myself. The evidence points to the exact opposite.
Where the market place sits right now in terms of pricing is an entirely different matter, driven by supply/demand (especially supply), cycles, fashions (there is a global surge in popularity of older 'heritage' elements right now across numerous product categories, reliability scaremongering, the development of the Internet, the surge in investor driven classic car values across many brands (air cooled 911's are not made anymore, they're finite, water cooled 911's are stilll being made, ergo, a different market). Humans are notorious for herd mentalities and their perspective altered. I've seen numerous research reports on products where for example a bottle design fails consumer testing, but as soon as a celebrity endorses that brand, suddenly consumers like the bottle all of a sudden even though it hasn't changed a bit).
Ultimately looks are subjective. To many, the 996 is a beautiful car either in the context of all 911s and/or in its own right. The ugliet Porsche to me the one that's been badly butchered by mods ( not saying there can't be great mods) or the ones that have been neglected, no matter what model.
Edited by Sine Metu on Saturday 29th November 22:04
Edited by Sine Metu on Saturday 29th November 22:09
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