What's gone WRONG with my Porsche 911!?!
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- Опубликовано: 26 сен 2024
- Three years ago I bought a Porsche 911 996 3.4 Carrera 2 1999. I did loads of research on the 996 and in this video I will tell you what to look out for and which versions of the 996 are the 'safest' to buy. Also I reveal what has gone wrong with mine so far. What are the biggest risks and which modifications I think are worth doing to make it a better car to drive. If you are thinking about buying a Porsche 911 996 you will find this video very useful. It could save you thousands in repair bills.
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Mat in real life is actually Mat in geek mode constantly.
My car was built on 1of 98 vin 00116. I absolutely love it. Daily driver. Zero problems. Bone stock. 110000 Miles.
I was obsessed with Porsche in the early 2000s. So much so that my Dad took me to the Porsche shop on my 12th birthday. We were a bunch of poor council scum in there lmao. But this lady had just purchased a new Porsche and it had the exact same interior as yours. Same colour and everything. She let me ride in the passenger seat while she drove it around to the front of the building. Only thing I hate about new porsche's is they changed the front lights design back to circular. I prefer the light design on your car.
I've always hated that they went back to the 'beetle' headlights after this. The 996 generation has always been my favourite
@@big_bicep_bill7594 i also agree that the 996 headlights look really good, but the regular 911 is just so legendary my god its all so nice
No angry people in the car park?!
Not this time.
Oh yeah, the last time an old hag
Blood Carver yeah last time that woman was funny.
I was thinking the same thing haha
@@MatWatsonCars Matt please do an in depth review of the mercedes Benz X class please I request you on carwow
Do a “living with a 996” video? Take it to supermarket, gym, motorway journey, wash it etc.
It's easy to live with. So would be boring
Golf
Mat Watson Cars you say that...but we’d all watch it and would like to see more about you and how you use the car. A lot of your followers like your reviews but most importantly you too. You’re the car friend we wish we all had 😂😂😂
waclosh VW Polo
Is it scary to drive on WET ROADS? No stability control and soooooo much rear overhang with heavy engine back there. Tailhappy? WAGS TAIL EASILY😄
Hi Mat, love the 996 it's so underrated, my dad has a fastlift 996 Carrera and it went bang a couple of months back and has just had a whole engine rebuild, it now runs lovely and will probably go on for another 100K+ miles.
Love the videos. 🙏👍
Mat..your the best out there...simple...and no atrocious music...hat off to you....deserve it all mate!
0:40 - Does it have Android Auto and is it better than BMW's iDrive?
He says that mercedes mbux is better than I drive becuase it has android auto 😂
Why would it have that at 19 year old probably Idk
-TJ- the MOST important thing is rewinding satellite radio though
Nope but i think it has a Motorola radio :)
Joe Owen r/woooooooosh
Honesty, especially in the modern world and double especially on RUclips, is something to be cherished. This married with knowledge and passion makes for a really good video. Well played Mat. My oldest friend bought a first gen Boxster (220 bhp) last year. He’s tidied it up in terms of all the essentials but no more than that. What a lovely, analogue car it is to drive. It talks to you all the time and sings above 5000. It makes a lovely “whoahhhh” sound about 4500 rpm. No, not fast by modern standards but it’s much more deep-chested than you’d think and you have to DRIVE it. It’s so interactive and, certainly in the south east of the UK, fast enough. I live in London so haven’t owned a car in years. Driving it made me miss my old Citroen AX GT, all 800kgs of it. Those were the days when a service transformed your car. Carrying a passenger transformed it too, but not in a good way, power to weight wise.
thanks
Great vid to watch to brighten up my Sunday morning with a hangover.
I love that you are the same cool guy in the official carwow videos and your own ones.
I Germany we have a guy called Qualmedie. Very funny in his own RUclips videos, trash in his TV show...
Glad to hear your "bearings" are okay mate 😂 Another great video, only you can pull that interior off 😉👊
Watched Matt on Carwow for a few years, just stumbled across this. Nice to see a motor journalist who actually knows stuff about their car, rather than just “yeah, I’ve got this really fast car”.
Subscribed 👍
I've enjoyed every second of the video, it's very informative and honest! All the IMS stories on the internet are based on fear from the customer side and sales figures from the business side...
Glad my 996 has none of the described engine issues :)
BTW, my 996 has the optional "M030 Sport Suspension", that's just superb for daily driving. It's firm enough but not too stiff for driving through city centers.
I’m glad I never watched videos like this before I bought mine - would have scared the life out of me!
Seriously though - good content as ever Mat.
My thoughts - I agree, earlier models better (mine also 3.4). And in reality if you’re driving a 20 year old car with ten of thousands of miles on the clock it’s unlikely you’re going to have problems with things like the IMS bearing - will have happened already if it was going to happen. But ultimately these are 20 years old and classic cars now - you’re either brave or have deep pockets if you want to use one as a daily driver.
This review is exactly what I have been looking for. All real world UK advice, even down the exhaust and how to get a better sound out of her. I'm looking to grab one of these in the next couple of months as an upgrade from my E46 BMW. Thanks again!
Love the mods you done! The only thing i'd change is the solid engine mounts to medium polly but what a great car
Mat, there I was thinking you were a casual salesman. You know your stuff, thank you for an insightful video
Dude that exhaust note!! 😍
The sound is awesome!!!
My father got a 996 and i really love the sound! It is such an awesome note on the inside
love the pure car chat. Sometimes feel car wow is now so mainstream and clickbaity that it misses what was so great about car buyer. This was just perfect and what i love about you as a car journalist
that bypass valve made it sound like a 3 cylinder, still sounds cool.
Sounds fucking awesome a 3 cylinder would never sound that good a 3 cylinder would sound like a chevy aveo with open headers
Thanks Mat. The 911 has always been one of my favorite cars of all times and with your video I feel more confident on what year to purchase. Here in the states, as I’m sure there, price fluctuation can be big for the 996. Like you said, it all comes down to how well it was serviced and taken care of by the previous owner. Now if I can only find one like yours with all the mods you did. Thanks again.
The good ol' stories about the IMS bearing... Just replaced it on my 996 after about 170,000 km and the old bearing was, well, like new. Anyways... like your videos, Mat.
I've owned a manual 996 sans sunroof since 2003 and it is a wonderful and hugely underrated car that sounds epic. Used daily. A new clutch and spark plugs at 40,000 miles but otherwise run without fault. I love the 996.
Mat you're a bloody legend. Happy new year! I've been looking for a 993, more expensive but the look is to die for!
Probably the best looking generation in my opinion
@@stichupman No doubt!
And to pay for
Literally sounds like you have a hole in the exhaust lol
Most 911s do sound like the exhaust is broke
When you put that crossover pipe you literally do have a hole in the exhaust 🤦🏻♂️
Haha yeah I was thinking the same. Sounds like crap.
he pretty much does
Thats just how flat 6s sound. My 911SC sounded broken right after the engine was rebuilt. Its just how they are.
Yoo, welcome back and happy new year to all!!!
u too!
Love your no nonsense reviews and straight to the point.
As you drive an array of newer cars it’s great to hear you champion the old analogue car where you have put your own money into ownership.
I’m also a 996 owner and love these cars.
Mat, great to watch and very informative.
I'm bloody glad I've got a quick modern Mercedes. I've had a couple of classic motorbikes in my time and I know I’m not a tinkerer. You seem to be a man at ease with under the bonnet, behind the wheel and in front of the camera. Keep it up - it’s great to watch.
I'm still not buying a Porsche 🤓🤓🤓
Your Mercedes is quick and modern. It also will be dropping like a stone in value, making running costs on this 911 seem small change. And about as unconnected to the driving experience as this is connected. I know what I’d rather have, but that’s what choice is all about. Enjoy yours :)
Phenomenal cars and my ‘99 has been a joy to own. I love seeing more 996 content.
Comment number 911.
"..and now, we are going to have drag race!"
To fix the look of the Handbrake console area, take it out and rub off the coating. Clean it so no grease or dirt remain, then spray it with plastic coat. Most posh cars had this makes plastic feel soft touch. Yours looks like the dark grey colour as was my M6. Works a treat makes it look like new. Enjoy
I'd get that horribly wrong.
@@MatWatsonCars that's what I thought. light coats and it's easy to peal off if you f¥¥¥ it up, needs about 4 light coats hang it from say a washing line (dont let the wife see) or string in garage. Also if you rub all the coating off you have a back handbrake area which ain't to bad anyway nothing to loose. To rub it off its friction a cloth your hand and maybe a little hit soap water so you on Have to scratch it back. The new coat just sprays on light coats give it 45mins to dry then same amount again it works and like a say it peals off if you screw up, that's what is on there. Trust me it worth it . Even just rubbing the old off will make it look better. BMW 1 series suffer the same on the window switches. Do it and see trust me. Enjoy
Thanks for the knowledge Mat, I’m shopping and this really helped me...👌🏼
I went from a 98 model to a 2002, one thing I really didn't notice any difference to was the throttle, felt more or less the same. The engine tho feels much stronger. Anyway I think we have much of the same philosophy when it comes to how we want our car Mat, nice video. And you made me long for spring even harder...
Bypassers : Dude it's just a normal 996 911 Carrera 😏
After hearing the exhaust note : Man that's one amazing 996 911 Carrera 😃😃😀
Great video! Love your videos about your 996. The tiptronic isn't actually awful. Maybe not as fun as the manual, but in Manual mode it is still great and also the gearbox is more reliable. I have a 98 C2 Tiptronic in the exact same colour combination (blue/savannah) and I love it! No modification except removing the resonator in the airbox and blocking the bypass to increase the sound.
You have done everything I would have done if I owned that car. It sounds like it’s almost perfect now.
so you are the one of people who ruin their cars and spend money to do it. vibrations ruin everything!
@@StefanKrunic It's a weekend car, not a daily driver. The extra vibrations are a good thing.
you are right - it's awesome to drive when I get the chance.
I've owned a '99 996 C2 manual 6 w/ Euro suspension. They are a great value and a blast to drive on short, mid or road trips. 75mph in top 2nd gear!! Thanks for sharing all the info.
That exhaust noise. Oh my heart!
Nice review Mat, thanks a lot! The sound of your exhaust is brilliant! I love it. Another thing is that the looks is great like this, true Porsche design, very clean.
I know what’s wrong. There’s no engine underneath the bonnet!
Lols
Syed Aydin Syed Halim no it’s mid engines
Could turn it into a BiMoto xD
@@Crazy254_ Is it now..
Here I was thinking it was rear engine, learn something everyday I guess :p
@@afrog2666 It is rear engine. All the 911s since the 80s are rear, not mid. Boxsters and caymans are mid which does change the handling and the feel through weight distribution.
That is the first time someone has said something useful about Quaife and Wavetrac diffs, as well as the difference between the brands.
Sir, I thank you very much.
A Porsche with an average speed of 17 mph is like a dog who's been in a cage it's entire life
👍 good analogy
Matt, glad I found your personal channel. I just wanted to say thanks for making cool videos. ALSO yesterday I drove my friends 17 gt4 (which has titanium exhaust, fancy low swirl intake, 3d printed header by bbi and a gt3 throttle body (all which work to bring up the torque curve)). It felt like I was driving a rocket with gears. At the end of the drive I was shouting “Oh yeah! This is DEFINITELY worth 40k more than my M2!”. tldr; I want a Porsche now.
Mat Watson has “scored balls”. Sounds painful that mate😜😂😂😂
Seriously though, great video, very informative 👍🏻
Matt at Renworks is an absolute gent I booked my mates gt3 in for a ppi which was carried out around filming on fvthe Car Wow shoot.
Matt was kind enough to give me the time of day to discuss my 996 woes. Will be booking mine in soon to
Matt Watson deffo need more 996 content
What I love about the exhaust is that it doesn't pop and bang like a broken 2 stroke
I had an early 996 back the late naughties. Had a problem that Porsche couldn’t fix, took it to Ridgeway Porsche - an amazing independent garage near Reading, and they identified a valve lifter issue in 5 minutes and fixed it in 2 days (engine drop out as on right side of the engine 😡). Great drive tho, really enjoyed it, and reasonably comfortable in the back for adults
I know /exactly/ where you were driving somehow! the A40 from Oxford to Stockenchurch -- nicest piece of road around there... I often left the M40 to take that 'hill climb' road..
Yes, I recognised it to too, best going uphill but going down is fun too.
I love the mods you've done to this Porsche. Just shows you are a true petrolhead and that you exactly know what your doing with it.
Happy New Year, Mat!
And happy New y to this beautiful place called Mat Watson’s Club!
Thanks for the info on bearings. I’m so happy my 996 is a ‘98 one now.
I drive it every other day, works like a clock.
what are your last four digits ? Mine is 0116.Built 1/98. Daily driver,zero problems.Aux air blower is a little noisy on cold days and the gear box is a little stiff until she warms up. Love Love Love my car.
@@timatteberry3382 7287, comes with LSD :). My gear linkage needs a service to get rid of the notchiness. Going for short shift too. I like the car but the gearbox ratio is a pain, it's soooo long, the car would be so much more fun to drive with a shorter one. In the Alps when you exit a hairpin you've got to use 1st gear if you want a swift exit.
Oh just snapped timing chains for you double row guys then! For us single row guys at least there’s a cure for IMS. No cure for snapping timing chains yet.
I swear I watched this a few days ago
Lols
Me too... Wtff???
Not just u. It was taken down not long after it was uploaded. I finished watching it before it was removed. Now it's back again.
paul j Glad you said that as I thought I saw the thumbnail while Xmas drunk then couldn’t find the video later, while Xmas drunk. And then today here it is. Your post returned my sanity. Ish.
@@pydoeswhatever has it been re edited? I mean was something removed from the video? It will be interesting to find out why Mat took the video down
great video again, thanks Matt. Best comment :”cars like this will not be built again”. So true!Love my 996.2 C2 manual. Done the essentials: IMS, RMS, flywheel, water pump (clutch had been done just befor I bought it), and also fitted new suspension (H&R blue/B8Sports), which transformed the handling and stance. Great stablemate added recently: Z4 M Coupe. Even more analogue and raw, and yes, cars like these will never be built again. Also have 20V ur quattro and JDM ITR DC2. Best of all worlds! Love to see you review the Z4M Coupe....and the urq and DC2 have been a far better investment than property. The M Coupe will be also. You can’t drive property!!
1:42 Get It Redone In Leather Or Soft Alcantara!❤️
I have now owned my 997.1 C2S. Bore scoped good. Original IMS lol no issues. Did 2 oil tests and that was the end of my concern. Other than front strut mounts, engine mounts and failed catalytic convertor, smooth sailing. Instead of replacing the cat with porsche part $$$$$ i upgraded semi solid engine mount, x pipe 200cel cats. Upgraded to fister exhaust and DSC suspension controller....90k miles and she is rocking.
I love that exhaust note
Oh my lord that sound i love it!
I put 18" wheels (from 16") on one of my cars, the difference in performance was astonishing, LOOKED amazing, drove crap!
So true. Sod the looks
My 17" rims looks good and performs good mostly because of the better grip on the back from the 245's
@@MatWatsonCars Wheel spacers might help the stance and handling
Very cool video! I learned most of what you marked to look out for when I first started shopping for a Porsche 20 year ago. The IMS and a few other items are what made me switch to the 996 Turbo, and I'm glad I did. I love all of the 996 911's, but my tuned X50 is something I'll drive until I can't.
On the move that exhaust sounds epic. 👍
I have a 2001 996 C4 as my daily (a lambo LP560-4 Spyder as my fun car). Biggest failure on mine was micro fractures in 2 cylinders causing coolant loss, ended up with a £6k repair bill and fitted the ceramic IMS bearing, low temp thermostat + some other failure proofing while the engine was out. Also fitted a set of coilovers and they are bloody hard and you do feel every lump and bump on the road. My best mod was a double DIN head unit conversion with an Xtrons 7" android unit. integrated google maps is superb. Also well worth getting the I960 ICarsoft Obd2 Reader for about £70.
Wow that Sound is really amazing nice
A lovely car you got there, Mat! Only thing I don't like is the modified exhaust-sound. For me, it sounds quite awful, tbh.
PCW exhaust is great. Had it done on my RS3 and will do in whatever car I get next.
I bought my 99 996 C4 off eBay for £8k. It already had the gundo hack, BC Racing coilovers, expensive engine rebuild including uprated IMS and cylinder rings to prevent d-chunking and a new cylinder head. Sadly, the other cylinder head cracked and that was a £3800 fix. But now it’s mechanically awesome, even if it’s looking a bit untidy after 135,000 miles. My aircon doesn’t work, my indicator switch is broken and the heater control screen is unreadable but I still love it and drive it as my daily.
15:25 I live about 2 mins from there it was weird to see it in a vid
I love my 2002 996 convertible. The engine is superb in response and performance. And the sound is great, even without alteration. I made the opposite choices from yours: as this car became my daily driver, I made sure the suspensions were soft enough (but not sloppy) and I chose the Pirelli P0s for the same reason. I was tempted but Michelins Pilot sport 4S but found them to rigid for my typical drive. I bought this car with 93K miles on it. I am close to 107K miles and never had a big problem. I replaced the clutch and the infotainment system to have Apple CarPlay and a bluetooth phone capability. But that's about it! Love this car. I know I'll sell it someday and it will break my heart.
Your exhaust makes it sound like you have piston slap. Especially on start up.
Late to the party and you're probably several brake pads in since you made this video but I use my 996 for fast road/track and I've tried standard, EBC yellow and Brembo HP2000 pads. The yellow stuff pads gave the pedal much more bite and feel over standard but they were actually worse than the original pads for fade resistance. The HP2000 pads feel a lot closer to standard pads, not so much bite from cold as EBC but they get better with temperature. Fade resistance and consistency of brake effort has been the best of the three for me. I'm very happy with them.
I have a 2.7 Boxster similar, I find I just leave well alone.apart from regular oil changes. I’ve had no problems at all.
All these potential engine problems should have been picked up by Porsche in development.
This was a reliable car like most Porsches, but with time cars just deteriorate.
This car is over 15 years old.
...or to take responsibility for known issue and mechanical malfunction, free of charge
@@dragospahontu Come on. The bore scoring is proper shocking design. They kept boring out the engine from a smaller 1, what do you expect? Shit design.
@@grovsey3656 true that
Fantastic video. First, I also own an older 911 (991.1S) and I'm interested in mods for my car as well. Most importantly, an actual car video that doesn't involve an endless explanation of the infotainment system. Thank you!
I swear I've seen this video before...
there was a mistake in it
Respect man. Good on ya
@@MatWatsonCars What was the mistake? :D
@n11 good luck with em child support bills
n11 his pullout game weak?
I think it's wise to put in softer (if not OEM) engine mounts if want to keep the IMS bearing happy and general engine health. But good to see there are no wear metals though!
Matt Watson is back on his personal channel... If you can put more of your mother on car reviews too. We need more frequent content on your channel because I think he's one of the best car reviewers on RUclips!!! 😃👍💯🚘🎄☃️
Thanks
Matt, you nailed it as to how that bypass in the can makes exhaust note sound incredible! As for the IMS issue I think you’re right but if you do feel inclined, there’s a system you can set up that will lubricate the bearing I am sure you know what I’m referring to. Love your content, I watch anytime I need a cheering up whilst learning something
Matt dont lie you was playing peekaboo in the sunviser mirror 😂
Anyone who couldn't afford a porsche should get an alfa gt crash bang wallop.
Matt - great you have kept the 996. Still have mine too. Good honest review & inspired me to go for a ‘softer’ setup. Love it that much bought a 2nd engine as a project too. That’s another story...
2 views and 4 likes and 0 dislikes , perfectly balanced like all things should be
Read up on how views/likes are recorded and processed. Theres also videos about why discrepancies occur.
IMPOSSIBILE
first day on youtube?
Mat, its a pleasure to watch your videos, thank you for your work! I wish you were there in Top Gear, with Chris... I hope they fire the producers and change the format though, because it simply doesn't work without the you know who!
German engineering is well over-hyped.
You think Porsche making this flat six for several decades has made them indestructible but NO, they just made it more complicated, more delicate and more expensive to maintain.
In the engineering parlance, it's called incremental improvements, and yes you can take them too far see Boeing 737-max. A lot of profit in those engines once development costs are paid for, that's why they do it.
@@coyote5735
The real master of incremental improvement is TOYOTA. They actually have a word for it; - *Kaizen* . And their incremental improvement actually makes their products very reliable unlike that of the Germans.
911s are just fun to drive and you captured that. I watched loads of helpful reviews like this before I bought one. Best driven on Sunday morning about 0600.
When you buy a car like this its just waiting for the day you get super high costs.
But its fun while it lasts
Yeah faulty bearings, poor pistons and gears gone wrong all at under 50k miles in many cars..I'd pass it on this one.
Sometimes under use can be just as detrimental as over use and 50k in 20 years means this car has spent more time parked in a garage than being driven
Loading now It can also mean city driving miles. Whereas Medium age high mileage cars can have been on the motorway mostly
@@HypnOlli Just buy one with more mileage.. Problem solved. ;)
The early 98-00, 996's are very reliable. A small percentage have problems and that small percentage has kept the price on these down.
With clean oil those engines are bulletproof. The dealer told me my engine was totaled( they wanted $15,000) but I drove it for more then 3 years after . One day the coolant tank blew up in traffic, had no choice but to drive while the car overheated to the max, rpms didn't function anymore; turned the car off in my driveway and it stayed on for several minutes. Next day, changed the oil, replaced the coolant tank and the engine was fine. Car was perfect. Only replaced ignition key , clutch, coils and plugs and coolant tank
Did you pay for any of the mods or say “hey im Mat Watson, youtube God” lol
K Uddin I was thinking this.
I think I would have had the IMS bearing done when you had the gearbox rebuilt. As you had the flywheel and clutch replaced virtually all the labour would have been covered already as the IMS bearing would have been easily accessible once the fly wheel was off. I know the IMS bearing failure thing is a little overblown but it's still nice to have piece of mind.
Porsche's reliability has changed a lot isn't it
The 996 was the worst 911
One of the most informative and useful videos on the 996 I’ve seen. Thank you very much 👍
You have the Sally from Cars movie 😆
I thought so too when I got one of these, I have the exact same colour - turns out, 'Sally' was a 996 Mk 2 (slightly different headlights are the giveaway)
Shrike200 ohh 😮
So to summarize, regardless of what batch of 911 996 it is early, mid, late they all have respective issues. Just choose whatever is acceptable to your heart and pocket
That exhaust note sounds nice inside the car, from the outside it sounds like a lawnmower 😬
Dan Finnigan It reminds me a bit of a Subaru Impreza WRX, which sounds kinda like a lawnmower.
There’s a lot of misinformation out there about the 996 (Porsche specific magazines as guilty as anyone) but you’ve got your facts right Mat about the real technical details and actual risks involved with them - nice one!
They’re not that quick in a straight line compared to modern stuff (had an BMW M140i up my ass today) but the modern stuff doesn’t give you the same feel behind the wheel. Speed is meaningless without that.
Give it another decade and as long as there isn’t some horrendous large engine petrol tax by then they’ll defo be worth more than they are now. Nothing else like a flat six 911 👍
Love from Taiwan
Hi Mat, I have an early one just like yours and I agree on pretty much everything you say except for the brakes. The standard brakes are up to the job on this thing usually. So if you are sure your flexi hoses have been replaced (they should be, may as well go braided), then make sure you use the original spec discs and pads. Sebro discs and Textar pads are the OEM supplier so get those and save on Porsche tax and replace the fluid with ATE type 200. After that you should have very decent brakes. The often misunderstood thing about the braking on these is that they are very under assisted by design. This means you do need to press the pedal hard relative to other cars of the time, especially later cars! This is all to keep the braking control and feel in the pedal when you are threshold braking. You’ll appreciate the extra feel and control when on a track day, but when doing a gentle stop the perception is that you have to push the pedal harder and people often think it means bad brakes. If you do all the above and still think there is an issue I would have the calipers reburbished by someone like BiggRed and that should be an end to it. Failing all that, swap with me and compare in a CarWow style braking test! ;-)
the most reliable car turns out to be the least reliable and most expensive repairs...
+1 for the the Yokohama AD08r tyres. Got them on my type r and they are awesome. And way better in the cold/wet than they should be. Top vid 👍
I had 4 commercials during this 17 minute video. One every 4 minutes. Incredibly annoying
Alexander Lapajne That’s why you need RUclips Premium
download Mytube from MS store
Install Adblock Plus onto your web browser.
Thanks for the video learned a lot about what could go wrong with Porsche’s in general
So I will buy a LEXUS
And enjoy it for 20 yrs or more without any problems
Had a my99 almost the same spec, loads of things went wrong, almost monthly something trivial would break, the radiators and air con at the front rotted out, the coolant expansion tank expanded and blew coolant all over the place, the coolant cap also burst at a different time, the oil air separator diaphragm gave up, causing clouds of oily smoke, the rear brake balance pipe that goes up over the engine blew out leaving me with no brakes, it ate rear tyres 4000-6000 miles a time, the ignition barrel ate itself leaving me stranded unable to start the car, the light switch broke on the dash again leaving me stranded in the dark, the exhaust cans rotted out and needed replacing, the water pump gave out, the fuel pump gave out, again leaving me stranded, mine was an auto C2 no traction control no sunroof and the full electric seats and grey leather but other than that almost the same car, I never got around to modding it in 5 years (09-14) because was always spending out on dodgy, for all that I drove it 40k in 5 years and when it was going it was a great car, driving around the Scottish highlands three years running was a joy and thankfully the breakdowns were all close to home and also then near to a specialist I used for repair, the engine was never an issue, all the other stuff was
Tim Pavy I hated my 996 C4S ..similar experience to you and topped off with IMS failure ..low miles and full dealer history ..and oil regularly checked for contaminants ....
hmmmm they are scary cost wise... but nothing compared to depreciation
I thought over to buy a 996 or an m3 several years ago. After a while I bought instead a c32 amg and I am happy with the C in Summer (cheap to buy, repair it myself, low cost for spare parts) and could be driven fast ( now 247k km).