Porsche 3.2 vs Porsche 996 - Which Would You Choose? (Part 2)

Packing 90bhp less, the 3.2 is evidently not going to be as fast as its infinitely more advanced descendant in the 996. But what the 3.2 lacks, for some buyers it compensates for in terms of driver involvement. Once on the move, the steering lightens and reveals all the feel and precision characteristic of a company that began by building road cars for competition. The ride is firm and a significant amount of road noise is transmitted to the cabin to join the whine from the transaxle and that omnipresent flat six. 30 years ago, devotees adored it, but for critics the unrefined 911 was already an anachronism. Driving a 3.2 today, the 911 gradually takes you over with its sports car charm of another era. The engine offers little torque below 3,000rpm and really only starts to come alive above 4,000rpm, at which point it roars to the redline with that spine-tingling flat six howl. This is where you are always changing gear, enjoying the rhythm of the long-throw gear change and the various aural accompaniments - including wind noise at higher speed. It’s part of the fun here. A well set-up 3.2 like our 89,000-mile example corners phenomenally on a dry road; the chassis shows none of the tendency to lift off over steer that plagued the early 911, yet the 3.2 still demands the driver to get the best out if it.

Porsche 3.2

On the topic of usability, the 996 was the first 911 to be entirely suited to daily use. Highly responsive, the 996 otherwise provides a refined, almost cosseting ride. With a proper climate control system, this 911 is usable in extremes of temperature and readily returns 28mpg in mixed use. Annual service costs with an independent will be friendly, though maintaining the 996 ‘proactively’ will see expenditure barring major work of over $1,500 for a mileage of, say, 8,000.

On the other hand, few owners will want to use their 3.2s all year. Though galvanised, these are old cars with a couple of crucial rust nests, namely the bottom of the B pillars and the front wings. The cockpit is also prone to misting up in the wet - a fault of all the air-cooled 911s. But once the roads are clear of salt and gravel and the sky is clear, the 3.2 represents an inspiring way to start the day. 25-28mpg is the norm. Independents will charge around $450 for a service, but annual expenditure will vary depending on its condition and whether other remedial work is required.

Porsche 996

By 2002, Porsche had five years’ experience building the water-cooled engine, and the faults that afflicted the earlier 3.4 liter version were much reduced in their incidence. At any given time, there are literally hundreds of996s for sale. In our chosen price bracket, the 82,000 miles of the featured car is normal, though a full service history is essential. Obviously, purchasing from a dealer is going to cost more than a private sale, and if contemplating the latter a survey from a Porsche specialist is recommended. We think specialist resellers are a better bet than the general trade: a company like RPM Technik, which is selling the two 911s illustrated, will not only service its Porsches before sale, but in the case of the 996 it will upgrade the IMS bearing to the much heavier-duty LN item, thereby removing the main weakness of the M96 engine. In other respects, water-cooled Porsches are reliable, as are their electronics systems. No 996 should ever exhibit any significant corrosion: if one does, suspect sub-standard accident repairs.

The flat six in the 3.2 is usually referred to as bulletproof, and with regular oil changes and correct use - ie no history of short trips - hitting near to 200,000 miles can be achieved. Considering that 85,000 3.2s were built and around ten per cent came to the UK, there appear to be comparatively few on sale, and these are most often private sales. The same caveats apply here. A 3.2 for our notional $22,500 will not be a Concours example, but it should not need major work, though no doubt the keen owner will find plenty to do. Good 3.2s have been appreciating in value for several years. For a 6,000 mile/annual service, independents charge around $450 + VAT. Thanks to its relative simplicity, mechanically the 3.2 costs less than even the 964 and 993 to maintain.

3.2 vs 996

So which entry-level 911 here is best? If you are new to Porsches and under 40, the 996 is probably for you. On the other hand, a surprising number of 3.2s are bought by people who own or have owned water-cooled 911s. The 3.2 is seen as the antidote to today’s bland motoring experience. It demands an old-fashioned level of engagement from the driver, and provides fun at relatively mundane speeds.

In a perfect world, your garage would have a 996 to drive every day and a 3.2 for weekends and fine weather. A common denominator, however, is that they can make the journey as important as the destination. No matter your budget, that’s the great thing about the Porsche 911 at large.