swiftrx8

Well, I must say that I absolutely loved my RX8. I have a feeling in a couple of years I'll pick another one up. I just recently bought an 03 Porsche Carrera 4. Couldn't afford to keep the 8 as well so the guy is coming today to take it away. Enjoyed this board, there's a ton of really informed people on here, and the rotary community in general is a pretty cool group (I've owned several RX7s over the years). Just time for me to move on. Hopefully I can build a RX8 for track use one day, they are such a fun car to drive. Good luck to everyone and their 8's, I will truly miss mine.

SideOfBacon

April Fools!

kersh4w

iTrader: (3)

lol, but he actually did this. quite a nice upgrade.

delhi

fantastic. the carrera is a nice upgrade to the 8. But the Cayman S is better if you want a similar balance dynamics.

LionZoo

Dibs on parts!

kersh4w

iTrader: (3)

he sold the car. as in, the entire car, as-is.

JRichter

Worthy replacement. You can stay... and post some pics of your 911.

Detrich

isn't the cost of owning a porsche much higher than the 8?

kersh4w

iTrader: (3)

isnt the prestige of owning a porsche much higher than the 8?

swiftrx8

Yeah I test drove the Cayman S, I was very impressed. I was initially going to wait until they came down into the $30Ks but got a sweet deal on the 911 so had to jump on it. I wrote a short review on the Cayman S and said it was the best car for the money. I still think under $20K, an RX8 is the only option. Although I still love 3rd gens but they form an addiction to $$$ turbo parts.

I'll get some pics up soon, I don't have a digital camera and I broke my girlfriends down in FL. Probably this weekend, figured I'd stop by my parents to let them know "I've arrived' haha

swiftrx8

Once I test drove a Porsche I knew I had to get myself in a position to buy one. They are amazing cars. I'd recommend them to anyone able/willing to make an upgrade. I'll probably pick up another 8 down the road. I just don't have much use to have one right now. Can't quite afford to keep the 8 as my "beater." One day!

swiftrx8

Isn't the cost of owning a RX8 higher than a Honda? Haha, it's worth it in my opinion!

swiftrx8

To anyone interested:

It's an
03 Carrera 4
Turbo Front Bumper
GT3 Side Skirts and Rear
GT3 Seats
3rd Radiator Upgrade
Bilstein PSS9 Suspension Kit
H&R Sway Bars
19” Champion Forged Monolite RS97 Wheels
And a few more goodies...

Razz1

Bye Swift

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

damn, at least you got a hell of a replacement! (unlike the guys who sell their 8's and buy SUV's, hondas, etc)

Gish

Do you mind me asking how much?

delhi

996s are perhaps one of the most unloved model line of the Carrera series. So resale value aren't as good as the typical Carrera. Only the troubled 964s have a less than stellar warm reception. The reason being is that the 996 looked too much like the Boxster from the front. It was also a difficult follow-up to the highly successful and last of the air-cooled "coke-bottled" 993.
But mechanically they are sound. Interior seems at least to me similar to the newer well-received 997 (cus Porsche went back to the 993 look). They make wonderful DD Porsche. C4s have a wider body I believe so they look very attractive.
I would so hit a used 996 C2S but the thought of out-of-warranty repairs scared me into an RX-8.

TopGear8

iTrader: (3)

Great upgrade man, I want some pics ASAP!

liam

Very true.

Not too long ago before I bought my RX8, I was shopping for a 996. A friend who owns a tuner shop got a 2002 Carrera 4S for real cheap. He encourage me to get one as well. Since I didn't know much about "P" car, I started to do some research on this "prestigious" sports car, including joining the Renntech, Rennlist, and Pelican forum. I came to the same conclusion as delhi.

If you search carefully you can get an early 996, as low as in the teens. For 2003-2004, I've seen low as 30k. And there is a reason why these are so cheap, including the infamous Rear Main Seal problem. Keep in mind, if RMS becomes pronounced, you'll have to replace the motor. And the motor is very expensive, ~10k. This is what the Porsche enthusiast magazine, Excellence (Sept 07) has to say about this issue:

It goes on state that if there's a leak, you need to replace the seals quick. Moreover, in some cases, it might be more preferable to get a "high" mileage one because it means RMS might not be an issue. Conclusion? Bad design on the 996. Why? Because Porsche correct this design issue on the 997. The first year 997 are much more desireable and costly than the last year 996. In a year or two when I can afford a late model Porsche, it will be a 997. However, to the OP, good luck.

N rider89

then you can do a rotary swap into it

liam

I don't want to rain of the OP's parade, but even Consumer Report got the wind of the 996 issues. On their "Best and Worst Used Car" category, they recommend getting used Porsche 911 except for the year 2003. It's ironic that CR doesn't realize that earlier 99-00 had more issues than the 03.

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/artic...umentid=435706

Again, I am planning to get a Porsche, or an Elise, in the near future. So I have nothing against the manufacturer. I actually like the 996 styling as well, except for the headlight which it shares with the Boxster. Personally, when I'm shopping for a Porsche, I feel much more comfortable spending a little more than picking up a "bargain." In other words, when you're dealing with high $s "prestigious" car such as Porsche, you need to be that much more diligent in researching about it before taking a dip.

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

lol !

I see lots of april fooooools

Dont try to copy my tricks, I got almost everybody last year MuhahaAHAHAHHAAHA !

volk

Hopefully you can struggle through with your Porsche. If it doesnt fulfill your needs, you are always welcome back here.

swiftrx8

Yeah I've done a ton of research on rennlist.org and 6speedonline.com

They are prone to some issues, and aren't the absolute greatest car on earth but they are an incredible design. Incredible to drive. The interior is very plain for my tastes but who the hell cares. If I could afford a 997 GT3 I'd buy that but until then I'm pretty happy with the C4. I really like the C4S but they are almost as much as a Turbo model.

I'm fortunate enough that the car I bought has a practically new engine (not rebuilt) because the original had a RMS issue. They are isolated incidents just like issues with the RX8.

I'll keep you guys updated and get some pics soon. I realize the cost of ownership will be higher. My main concern was the engine, because engine repair on a Porsche is $$$$. But relatively oil is oil and tires are tires. I can afford any odd issue that pops up. Hopefully in a year or so I can look at supercharging it. They have 2 great kits (EVOMS and TPC), both putting out about 400 whp which would be awfully fun. Plus they run around 5lbs of boost making it fairly safe to keep the stock compression without reliability worry. For now I will just enjoy it, probably throw an intake on to give it a little heart. I'm most likely picking up a 99 Honda Prelude this evening to have as my beater. I wish I could have afforded to keep the RX8 but it would have stretched me to an uncomfortable financial position.

swiftrx8

Oh yeah go with the 02+, you get a 3.6L refined engine with 20 more hp and the front end doesn't look like a boxster. I still love the look of the 99-01, I think they keep that classic Porsche look.

The Lotus Elise is bad ***, but I'm 6'1 180lbs, a little big for the car, plus it's just such a pure track car. Also in my opinion it doesn't have the same curb appeal. Very fun car to drive, my buddy has one. When you're talking about a Porsche or a Lotus, I don't think you can go wrong.

And hell yeah, the only way I'd sell my RX8 was if I was making a big upgrade. I'd never sell out and toy with the idea of a sedan, suv, or minivan. Then again, I don't have kids to worry about yet. The 911 has "back seats" good enough hahah