One of the greatest features of the 911 - it is still a 911; from the headlights and large front air-ducts to the sloped roof. Nothing says, "I'm still a 911" more then that. It's iconic. Every other manufacturer has a "makeover" at some point. Porsche? Nope. Albeit a few changes here and there, they are still using a tried and true formula and sticking with what works.
Meanwhile you've got all these other performance cars going with "retro" styling as they realize their "new and different" approach backfired horrendously.
tommywreck honestly if they pulled a Toyota and made the 911 look vastly different from its original model, no one would like it, no matter how good it looked. Because a 911 is a 911. Still though surely they can’t get much more perfect out of them than they already have, with them always being about the same size and shape.
@tommywreck Fancy words for uninspired and outdated design . It looks nice but its still the same language and 0 effort put in it , it still looks like a beetle (same designer but still) . You have this in one end of the bar and at the other end you have something life Alfa Romeo which redefines beauty , sportiness and memorability with each model that they make , they put other sports cars (911 included) to shame for not trying to be more beautiful and to try and better themselves .
thats whats so fascinating about porsche: its basically the same looking car for 100 years now because ferdinand porsches philosophy was: every child should recognize a porsche on the street and be able to draw it on paper! plain and simple
that's why I like Porsche. A 911 is a 911, and should look like one. You can always make new models and give them a different look, but a newer version of an existing model should resemble it's predecessors.
I think you forgot about Morgan. They have three different versions that look identical. The 4/4, Plus 4, and plus 8. They haven't changed the styling in 80 years.
A 911 is a 911 you don't need to change the shape. You don't need to go in for any of this fashion crap, it's a beautiful, elegant, and functional design.
It's for people who simply love the driving experience and don't want what some people call a "douchebag" car, with crazy space ship lines and loud exhausts. I respect porsche
Jeremy's intro on this episode is another proof as to why the current top gear series is suffering.. no one has that level of savy sarcasm that's factual and makes one laugh while enjoying the show like he made you do.
I guess the 911 is one of the most recognisable cars in the world. You can take the Porsche badges off it and I'd still tell you that's a 911. Looks alone tell you what the car is, who makes it and so on. Also, was Clarkson in any way unwell when he filmed that? He seemed to like a 911, other than the GT3...
Don't agree with Clarksson on the interior... the 997 is quite radically different in the interior. No more plastic that rattles around and instead leather, and lots of it. The cup holders on the 997 is the best of any car I've ever seen or driven.
Oh god, I love that thing. A good friend of mine has exactly that model, Carrera S in yellow, but he just let me drive at townspeed. Wasn't too impressed back then but when you see what you can do with these things I have to have one by myself.
this was better than the newer episodes where they only were reviewing $500,000 super cars and taking trips around the world. I can actually afford a porsche, and this review is helpful in that regard.
Interesting that Jeremy mentioned ‘so well planted that they won’t be making a four wheel drive version’. That may have been correct in 2004 but the 997.1 did come in a 4s variant; but what was the benefit in doing so?
I watched this episode live on tv as a teenager feeling in love with that car, guess what... I drive it now at age of 21, thought I'd never own it being a dreamcar... damn haha
My favorite part about my 997.1 is when you move it a short distance to wash, etc... then start it up again after that short drive and it smokes so much it kills all the mosquitos.
He was really taking the piss with this review. Even a casual observer could tell the 997 and 996 apart from the front. The headlights are very different. The interiors don't share much similarities either.
Yes the headlights are different from the previous model, but that's because they've reverted to being circular like they've been since the VW Beetle! Jeremy is right to mock the 911 for this (in typical Top Gear entertainment-first style), but he knows it's a good car that gives its fans what they want.
hahaha you've got to be joking...a "casual observer" could certainly confuse the two...the first thing I noticed was the door handles, but overall the "redesign" is hardly revolutionary, wouldn't you say?
Damn... If the Top Gear cinematographers are shooting, the 996 (on which this review begins) is a perfectly fine-looking specimen-even next to the 997.
Keeping new models close in looks to the previous ones is smart. Nothing worse than buying a car for 100k and within a few years it looks like an older model.
I love the 996 for it’s engine sound grunt and drive with the rear end design so gorgeous only let down was the fried egg lights and the interior but the more better 997 is the one I would go for in n my manual of course guards red or speed yellow or perhaps a classic black in 4S variant 😎
If you’re still watching this in 2020 (soon to be 2021 in a few days) well thank you my are amazing. Just like the 997CS still is today.. in 2021. I’m having trouble choosing between financing a 2015 981 Cayman S.. or this.?! Any thoughts , or experienced would be greatly appreciated thank you.
ladies and gentlemen, it is the year 2150, and the Porsche 911 STILL LOOKS THE SAME. I swear to GOD every time someone mentions there's a new 911 I simply groan cuz i know NOTHING has changed except the color maybe, rest is minor tweaks here and there. make no mistake I have NOTHING AGAINST the engineering/performance of Porsche 911, I just hate it when they say there's a new 911 and my reaction is the same as Jeremy's @ 2:05
Oh Jeremy... anyone who knows anything about Porsche knows the 997 is very different from the 996. Different front headlights & aerodynamics, different interior setup & integration, different outside dimensions (wider, different roof rake, etc). Yeah, it still looks like a 911, but what did you expect with the new model, a Pagani Zonda?
Good point John. If you want 2 million worth of bespoke power you pay it. Cars like the 911, F Type etc delever real exciting supercar drives at prices which are if not affordable then at least imaginable. What do people want?
YEY!! FULL SCREEN!! I love Porsche. I hated the ugly headlights of the old one. I have a uncle with a 73' 911 SC taga that I got to ride in as a kid. The Porsche 911 is like a fine wine it just gets better with age. Thanks.
When I saw this for the first time, I knew that I was meant to have a 997. It’s because in the background you can hear a cover of Hymn to the fallen, by John Williams, the main theme of Saving private Ryan, which I consider to be my favorite song of all time. I listen to it at least a couple of times a week. It’s also my favorite car of all time. And now, I finally have the money to buy one🙏
Funny how, apart from the headlamps, the two 911s looks exactly the same. Don't get me wrong LOL, I love 911s, they are the finest examples of precision German engineering, but seeing those two side by side and someone telling me that they're the same would definitely make me laugh a little.
Love the exhaust note, from the silver 996, when Clarkson reverses...
The last non turbocharged 😍
@@superphonixlp4152 the last Carrera without a turbo was the 991. They only switched to turbocharging on the 991.2 a few years ago.
@@theodor12 Exactly.
True...
Sounds like my Dad’s 2007 Nissan Murano
I remember watching this top gear on a Sunday back in 2004, it's like, as if it was made yesterday
YUSKHAN more likely to be 2005
@@danhall5761 Series 5, Episode 1 - 24 October, 2004.
Suddenly your comment is 5 years old
Cool .
Yeah i remember the Sunday episodes too....wake up...recover....breakfast and Top Gear.
One of the greatest features of the 911 - it is still a 911; from the headlights and large front air-ducts to the sloped roof. Nothing says, "I'm still a 911" more then that. It's iconic. Every other manufacturer has a "makeover" at some point. Porsche? Nope. Albeit a few changes here and there, they are still using a tried and true formula and sticking with what works.
Meanwhile you've got all these other performance cars going with "retro" styling as they realize their "new and different" approach backfired horrendously.
tommywreck honestly if they pulled a Toyota and made the 911 look vastly different from its original model, no one would like it, no matter how good it looked. Because a 911 is a 911. Still though surely they can’t get much more perfect out of them than they already have, with them always being about the same size and shape.
A 911 is truly the perfect sports car. But dammit is the Cayman giving it a run for its money. 👏🏼
It looks NOTHING LIKE the original car.
Any more than a ford falcon looked the same.
@tommywreck Fancy words for uninspired and outdated design . It looks nice but its still the same language and 0 effort put in it , it still looks like a beetle (same designer but still) . You have this in one end of the bar and at the other end you have something life Alfa Romeo which redefines beauty , sportiness and memorability with each model that they make , they put other sports cars (911 included) to shame for not trying to be more beautiful and to try and better themselves .
thats whats so fascinating about porsche:
its basically the same looking car for 100 years now
because ferdinand porsches philosophy was:
every child should recognize a porsche on the street and be able to draw it on paper!
plain and simple
it's hard to improve on near perfection ;)
that's why I like Porsche. A 911 is a 911, and should look like one. You can always make new models and give them a different look, but a newer version of an existing model should resemble it's predecessors.
lovely vehicle.
I think you forgot about Morgan. They have three different versions that look identical. The 4/4, Plus 4, and plus 8. They haven't changed the styling in 80 years.
Providing that child had never seen the word 'beauty' in a dictionary, of course....
The 2005 911 Carrera S, is to me as perfect as a Porsche could be.
Those headlights do so much!
“What a gadget what a tool…..you’ll look” 😂😂 gotta love Clarkson
Just got my 997.1. Its my daily driver and every time I sit in it gives me a smile. Beautiful understated joy.
how's it holding on?
same
6 years with my 997S... doubled the miles .. best car I’ve ever owned (and I had an na2 NSX
Now 11 years with my 997s and I had a na2 nsx as well 🎉 😂
for everyone wondering the song between 4:30 and 6:30 is called happy ever after by ian brown
Merci,danke schon
5:46 gives me chills every time
apparently you know how to drive a 911 ; P
A 911's sound is truly unique, especially if you hear it for real.
Nah I prefer to hear it for fake ya fool
Many do "fool" evidenced by buying turbo, cabin enhanced sound from all post 997.2.
You know its gonna be a good car when he lists all the negatives first.
I love that the design wasn't very different between the two. I like how they had a nice simple style and kept on w/it.
Jeremy is amazing his commentary is what makes this show great!
MrFreeeeeedom no
I want to see Clarkson's face after he sticks his head out of the new Turbo S cabrio. 0-60 in 2.6 face-rearranging seconds.
TheDriver458 racing car is much much much faster than911
But 911 small like 2seat racing car
Ugly as racing car
Like small dick
no, just the coupe, the cabriolet is slower as it is heavier
You mean 4.5 seconds?. A porsche 918 goes to 60 in 2.8 seconds,
Stig's Turkish Cousin 2.6 is 918 and turbo s is 2.87
The 991.2 turbo s coupe dies it in 2.5
Clarkson was good! He made car reviews really authentic and interesting! The car is beautiful.
The 997 is raw, noisy but fantastic. A real head turner.
A 911 is a 911 you don't need to change the shape. You don't need to go in for any of this fashion crap, it's a beautiful, elegant, and functional design.
It's for people who simply love the driving experience and don't want what some people call a "douchebag" car, with crazy space ship lines and loud exhausts. I respect porsche
@@lance254 yup, show up in a gt2rs and people wouldnt even know what it is, i drive a 997 and gets less attention than a riced out toyota.
I never liked the headlights of the older one.
The 996 headlights are awful
mikeynaziri I agree 100% 🤮
I like the old headlights more
@@kauaidiver2 Yup, or worse...996 headlights look more like Scrooge McDuck with his glasses/ Lol//. Google it.
Nobody did
"-and I slide gracefully into my wifes driving position" - had me in tears
Jeremy's intro on this episode is another proof as to why the current top gear series is suffering.. no one has that level of savy sarcasm that's factual and makes one laugh while enjoying the show like he made you do.
Still waiting for the 997 to drop down in price...
DawidCantDrift it has
@@tmr_media6927 997.1 have gotten real cheap. Nice 997.2 still over 50k which is still pretty damn cheap for what it is.
Better pick them up now. I just got mine a couple weeks ago. Prices are going up now ;-)
mrktplayer prices will go lower when this inflated economy is done within the next 5 years.. Fuck a 997 turbo will be 50K soonZ
Still waiting...
This was recorded almost 15 years ago. The 911 turbos these days can get 0-60 in 2.5-3 secs.
but are just about as fun to drive as sitting in my grandmas living room as she knits you a new hat
I bet you didn't even drive or ride in one you halfwit.
@@leviwrigley5260 dang you don't really know anything about cars, do you?
Who's talking about turbos anyways ...
Keep in mind the 997 turbo from 2007 does 0-60 in 3.4 seconds which is still pretty fast.
I guess the 911 is one of the most recognisable cars in the world. You can take the Porsche badges off it and I'd still tell you that's a 911. Looks alone tell you what the car is, who makes it and so on.
Also, was Clarkson in any way unwell when he filmed that? He seemed to like a 911, other than the GT3...
if you took the badges off it could be a ruf...so no
Jalan Hart RUFs and Gemballa's and all those tuner Porsches have different bodykits and wheels. It's pretty easy to tell the difference.
Sometimes people do mistake them for beetles
No,
If one Ferrari take off its badge
We all will know it’s a Ferrari
Same as Lamborghini
RR
even BMW
@@SuperEmlo Don't forget the Mustang. Ford started hiding its emblems because the car is so recognizable, they were redundant.
It's 2021 and that Porsche is still a really good looking car.
Don't agree with Clarksson on the interior... the 997 is quite radically different in the interior. No more plastic that rattles around and instead leather, and lots of it. The cup holders on the 997 is the best of any car I've ever seen or driven.
This was filmed 10 years ago as you can tell by the date on the on-board computer of the Cayman S.
23/09/2004 :O
Ha! saw that too :P
I was only 6 😂
I was 7
54 plate is 2004 yes.
Probably the best generation of 911s
The 997.1 Carrera S will forever be one of the most beautiful 911's. Something about those wheels
lol its the wheels...my thoughts exactly ,them wheels are just gorgeous
BBS LOBSTER😍😍😍
I drove one yesterday and it is magnificent.
Oh god, I love that thing. A good friend of mine has exactly that model, Carrera S in yellow, but he just let me drive at townspeed. Wasn't too impressed back then but when you see what you can do with these things I have to have one by myself.
this was better than the newer episodes where they only were reviewing $500,000 super cars and taking trips around the world. I can actually afford a porsche, and this review is helpful in that regard.
ftghb ...So because you cant afford a more expensive car means this reviwe is better?...
4:57 I love that background music
Pure... Porsche-ography hahahahahaha
It's 2019 and I still miss Jeremy crapping on 911's.
"...of course they won't be your friends anymore..." :D
The one and only Jezza
I like the looks of 996. Porsche has always been my favorite car since I played NFS: Porsche 2000. Hopefully I'll get myself a 911 in the future.
Oldie but goldie
potato 50% insult 50% compliment
Interesting that Jeremy mentioned ‘so well planted that they won’t be making a four wheel drive version’. That may have been correct in 2004 but the 997.1 did come in a 4s variant; but what was the benefit in doing so?
Strictly to appeal to the masses- there is a RUclips episode devoted to this fact with regards to “all wheel drive”
This was the very first Top Gear piece I ever saw. Been watching it since.
I watched this episode live on tv as a teenager feeling in love with that car, guess what... I drive it now at age of 21, thought I'd never own it being a dreamcar... damn haha
Go back to draynor you old fuck.
How wer u a teenager in 2005 and ur only 21 now?? Lol
My favorite part about my 997.1 is when you move it a short distance to wash, etc... then start it up again after that short drive and it smokes so much it kills all the mosquitos.
He was really taking the piss with this review. Even a casual observer could tell the 997 and 996 apart from the front. The headlights are very different. The interiors don't share much similarities either.
since when is jeremy not taking the piss? :)
To be fair, he gave the 911 the driver's car credentials it deserves
It's the same shit.
Yes the headlights are different from the previous model, but that's because they've reverted to being circular like they've been since the VW Beetle! Jeremy is right to mock the 911 for this (in typical Top Gear entertainment-first style), but he knows it's a good car that gives its fans what they want.
hahaha you've got to be joking...a "casual observer" could certainly confuse the two...the first thing I noticed was the door handles, but overall the "redesign" is hardly revolutionary, wouldn't you say?
Top Gear have obviously still not discovered 720p or 1080p... But I won't hate, love the show too much
Lucien Lizerot Well it was filmed about 15 years ago..
They used way too much vignette on the old Top Gears 😂😂😂
lol so true
Man, this era of Top Gear was great.
what's the Song when he presses the sport button?
Wow 20 seconds faster arround the ring compared to the 996? Thats ALOT
The very first Top Gear video I ever saw back in 2005. Enough to stay hooked 👍
And then Jeremy would go on to do one of my favorite segments of all time, the 911 Turbo All-Wheel Drive
Damn... If the Top Gear cinematographers are shooting, the 996 (on which this review begins) is a perfectly fine-looking specimen-even next to the 997.
Music from saving private ryan???
Jeremy Clarkson is a living legend!
This is also a Top Gear review of the old school.
I wish the three come back to hosting Top Gear, and only then I will watch it.
Watch their new show, The Grand Tour
Classic Jeremy. Unbiased,but crisp and to the point. Like the m5 presentation much better.
interior design by deja vu. lol
clarkson is really funny... but this is so untrue, the 997 interior is so much better looking and better built than 996
what is the name of the song palyed at 5:00 to 6:30
Ian Brown - Happy Ever After
thx man
finally after 10 years of searching it’s in my music library
also a part of "Ian Brown - One Way Ticket to Paradise"
the only car review guy that matters plus michtt nd captain sloww
Funny how you can never find one in yellow in the UK. My favorite colour for the 997 Gen 1 and 2.
best car ever
Keeping new models close in looks to the previous ones is smart. Nothing worse than buying a car for 100k and within a few years it looks like an older model.
This car is nice and all, but I think you should have a G-Wiz appreciation week. That car doesn't get it's rightful respect.
how about a "Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust" appreciation week?
Passed a G-Wiz yesterday! First time I've seen one up in the North East of England. Nearly died with laughter!
I really miss the Jeremy Clarkson top gear days.
I have a 911 carrera 2 and I like it. :)
***** aaand its gone
***** What, your Carrera 2? lol
Braskypants1 Yeah, sold it. Going to import a 997 from Germany now.
***** And I got it now :]
+8x5t3e7s4r6y Respect :D
this is the first episode of top gear I've ever watched
What year is this yellow Porsche?? It doesn't mention in the video.
Jeremy is right but the Carrera s has not fried eggs on its front, this adds like 100k of value to the car
Funny, nobody complained about the “fried eggs” on the GT1 race car- I love mine! Feck the purists.
does anyone know the name of the song during the review?
thanks in advance☺
I love the 996 for it’s engine sound grunt and drive with the rear end design so gorgeous only let down was the fried egg lights and the interior but the more better 997 is the one I would go for in n my manual of course guards red or speed yellow or perhaps a classic black in 4S variant 😎
If you’re still watching this in 2020 (soon to be 2021 in a few days) well thank you my are amazing. Just like the 997CS still is today.. in 2021. I’m having trouble choosing between financing a 2015 981 Cayman S.. or this.?! Any thoughts , or experienced would be greatly appreciated thank you.
The first TopGear segment I ever watched back in 2005.
ladies and gentlemen, it is the year 2150, and the Porsche 911 STILL LOOKS THE SAME. I swear to GOD every time someone mentions there's a new 911 I simply groan cuz i know NOTHING has changed except the color maybe, rest is minor tweaks here and there. make no mistake I have NOTHING AGAINST the engineering/performance of Porsche 911, I just hate it when they say there's a new 911 and my reaction is the same as Jeremy's @ 2:05
0:55 people that think the 996 didn’t sound. Not sure what you are talking about. It sounds great.
Oh gawd, dat denim jacket. haven't seen one of those in a while.
Oh Jeremy... anyone who knows anything about Porsche knows the 997 is very different from the 996. Different front headlights & aerodynamics, different interior setup & integration, different outside dimensions (wider, different roof rake, etc). Yeah, it still looks like a 911, but what did you expect with the new model, a Pagani Zonda?
Good point John. If you want 2 million worth of bespoke power you pay it. Cars like the 911, F Type etc delever real exciting supercar drives at prices which are if not affordable then at least imaginable. What do people want?
I love old top gear and I love this car
I see Jeremy has been growing horizontally 😂
*horizontaly tall*
The seat number buttons don't work while driving. Oh well... it's Top Gear
Say what you like but this video was very instrumental in me getting a Gen 2. Too bad I couldn't find a speed yellow one 😊
top gear you spelt "Porsche' wrong in the description!!
***** test the Nissan 370z
*spelled
They spelled HQ wrong too. Should be spelled with an L.
haha
Noah Laughlin no?
Anyone have the music in this?
YEY!! FULL SCREEN!! I love Porsche. I hated the ugly headlights of the old one. I have a uncle with a 73' 911 SC taga that I got to ride in as a kid. The Porsche 911 is like a fine wine it just gets better with age. Thanks.
Which year is the newer one?
At 5:52 the music sounds like Jeremy just hit a 5-year old girl lol
The song is by Van Hunt it's called "Seconds of Pleasure"
Nick Lowe had a Band back in the 80’s called Rockpile that had an album called ‘Seconds of Pleasure’
When I saw this for the first time, I knew that I was meant to have a 997.
It’s because in the background you can hear a cover of Hymn to the fallen, by John Williams, the main theme of Saving private Ryan, which I consider to be my favorite song of all time. I listen to it at least a couple of times a week. It’s also my favorite car of all time.
And now, I finally have the money to buy one🙏
Lobster claw wheels are so iconic 🦞, 997 looks so much better than 996
whats the name of the background music?
Well in the 997.2 , Porsche added a Sport Plus which made the car DANGEROUS
It now 2020 and the silver one still looks way more modern. May as well chuck a plastic wing on the back and blast The Bangles on the stereo.
please does sombody know the backgroud music on 5:28
ruclips.net/video/2SoqVh6czcE/видео.html&start_radio=1
what's the song called that's played on 7:00 ?
Lol "came in this morning and got the wrong one"
Smile! Sweet! Sister! Sadistic! Surprise! Service! 4:20
I drive the 991 c2s and I'm happy haha
Best intro ever Clarkson u de man 😁😁😄😂
What is Jeremy saying after he said about mid life crisis? (sorry my English is bad, but i really understand...)
Yammie Noob surely knows about yellow Porsches!
Jeremy Clarkson is one funny ass dude!!!
Funny how, apart from the headlamps, the two 911s looks exactly the same. Don't get me wrong LOL, I love 911s, they are the finest examples of precision German engineering, but seeing those two side by side and someone telling me that they're the same would definitely make me laugh a little.
ZeroStriker426 headlamps, taillamps, drl's, wheel arches, grille, etc etc.