Porsche 911 C4S (996): PH Carpool
This PHer changes his car every year but this one's staying - must be good then!
Car: 2004 Porsche 911 (996) C4S
Owned since: May 2015
Previously owned: 2001 Audi S3, 1999 Audi S4 Avant, 2000 Audi RS4 Avant, 2006 Audi RS4 Avant, Porsche 911 (996) C2 Cabriolet, Porsche 911 (996) C4S, Porsche 911 (997) C4S, VW Mk7 Golf R, Audi TT RS Roadster
Andrew's old and much missed C4S
"Back in 2003 I remember seeing a 996 C4S on the M40 and with that red reflector it looked like it had just landed from outer space. Fast forward eight years and they had depreciated by £50,000 so at £20,000 were great value. When a friend lost his licence and his came up for sale, my first 911 - a 996 C2 Cabriolet which I'd had for six months - was quickly discarded and I enjoyed a year and 10,000 miles with the C4S. I still sold it for a profit as well! I don't keep cars for over a year so swapped it for a 997 C4S which had a more modern interior but seemed to lose a bit of the 996's character; a year later I bought my second 996 C4S (currently hovering at just under 40,000 miles), this time in very rare Carmona Red (a colour only available for the 2004 model year) with a Savannah interior, a marmite 996 if ever there was one! I loved it the moment I saw the photos and still do seven months later. The 996 interior isn't the best quality in the world and in black can look a bit 'Mk3 Golf', but the light coloured interior looks more expensive and creates a very soothing environment in the cabin. The 996 navigation system hasn't aged well so I was glad to forgo it in favour or the heated seats, park assist and cruise control of this example. And in the absence of a cabriolet roof, which I still like but is anathema on a 911, the sunroof was a nice compromise."
Rare spec, but Andrew loves it
"There is a wealth of information out there for Porsche owners, primarily from US internet forums. It's easy to get put off the 996 Carrera models due to the poor reputation of the M96 engine but look more deeply and you realise that you'd be unlucky to have an engine failure if you look after your car, attending to coolant leaks promptly and driving it with a degree of mechanical sympathy; sadly that's not often the case with Porsche drivers."
Things I love:
"The 911's unique characteristics are well documented: the constantly fidgeting steering wheel, the perfect control weights, the way it tightens its line with a smidgen more throttle; all these idiosyncrasies slowly but surely get under your skin, and create a sense of occasion no fast Audi short of an R8 has any chance of matching. I also love the wide body looks of the C4S; from every angle it just looks sensational, the red reflector which makes it look even wider, the 993 C4S aping side profile and the aggressive frontal aspect thanks to the 996 Turbo front bumper."
Things I hate:
"There's not a lot to hate apart from the fear of being struck by the engine fairy... But if that does happen I will calmly pick up the phone and speak to Hartech in Bolton who will rebuild it for a fraction of the cost of a new engine and take steps to prevent it failing again."
Wide body really appealed
"This is not an expensive car to own or run. The biggest cost of motoring is depreciation but the 996 C4S quashes that with a good few years of zero losses or more recently positive appreciation in value. It's a light car so fuel consumption is similar to that of a Mk5 Golf GTI with 30mpg+ possible and high speed cruising across Europe returning figures in the high 20s. Road tax is reasonable too at under £300, over £200 cheaper than for most 997s. I always expect to do some work on a 996, usually cooling system or air conditioning related but a previous owner spent a pretty penny at JZM so thus far mine has been fine. The low mileage of my car meant that the tyres, while still having plenty of tread, were quite old and a new set of N rated Michelins for just £600 transformed the way it drove. The only other cost was replacement of a brake caliper due to a sheared bleed nipple; each caliper has two nipples so I consider myself lucky to have got away with just one!"
Well what's a Euro road trip without a Reims stop?
"After three months of ownership, I pointed the 996's nose south towards Italy for a week in the Italian Lakes and it was a great companion. It was rock steady during a torrential storm near Dijon and it zipped up the Simplon Pass with aplomb. We filled the front boot with soft bags and a used the seat belts to secure a medium size Samsonite in place once the rear seat backs were folded down. The rear seat bases are just held in place by Velcro so are easy to whip out for more room and to avoid any damage. This left us plenty of room to bring back a few bottles of Limoncello!"
What next?
"I have no intentions to sell this car, which is unusual for me but I let my first one go and missed it so don't want to repeat that mistake! Sometimes I think a Gen 2 997 would be a wise move but at £35,000 for what is basically the same car apart from a more reliable engine it's hard to justify. Short of a Sport Classic, there isn't a normally aspirated model that has a Turbo inspired attitude."
Search for 996 Porsche 911s in the classifieds!
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I think the the seating position in the 997 is better you can get steering wheel at chest level and the extra power in the S models is nice but all in I prefer the mix of retro styling and modern performance in the 996. I in fact much prefer the interior of my 996 over the 997s I've been in they tend to look worn out easier I think and wont age well at all where as the 996 is old fashioned and that's fine with me! I particularly like the font type on the speedo dials, odd thing to like but its pure retro cool.
Good Car pool story, but then I am quite biased.
IceBoy
I do love the 4S and it would have been my model of choice. 12 months earlier and it would have been within my price range. That said my narrow body C4 is still great, even with a spoiler. I'm another who has no intention to sell. Not least because it just had a £12k visit to Hartech!
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