What year Porsche 911 to avoid? Porsche fans and maniacs have asked this question a hundred times.

Porsche 911, the two-door 2+2 high-performance sports car has a rear-mounted flat-six engine coupled with versatile self-governing suspension. It has since 1964 been among the top sports car brands. 

These sports cars have been advancing every single year with newer specs and functions. In the Porsche 911 car models line, none has ever left the world agitated in disappointment, like the Porsche 911 type 966.

The 966 designation cars were manufactured from 1997 to 2006, and Porsche lovers have never cherished these sports cars simply because of their ignoble engines and unattractive headlamps. So what year Porsche 911 to avoid? Let’s find out.

What Made Porsche 911, 966 So Different?

The Porsche 966 designation introduced a new era of water-cooled engines, replacing the more powerful and reliable air-cooled engines in the previous models. The engine which had intermediate shaft bearing issues and rear main seal leaks coupled with cylinder cracking was a throw. 

Though cheap, Porsche lovers never got to adore these cars because they didn’t match their performance and quality demands.

Porsche 966 had more adjustable Bilstein dampers, sports seats, and superior exhaust. Yes, people hated the 966, but some say they loved that it was faster, lighter, and had a compact and airy design. With its manual gearbox and awesome steering, it delivered an incredible driving experience.

What Exactly Was Porsche 966?

For those who may not truly know what the 966 generation was, it was a 911 sports car generation manufactured between 1997 and 2006. The vehicle had notable adjustments, which weren’t common in the previous generations. The first change in this vehicle model was the engine that changed from air-cooled to water-cooled version.

The headlights were modified, getting freshly fried eggs to look, something that made most Porsche lovers nickname the car 966 generation sports car “fried egg”.  The look on 966 generations Porsche was entirely different from the previous generation.

What Year Porsche 911 to Avoid – Why Do Porsche Fans Hate the 966 Cars?

When new revamps are made on new car gens, whether the engine, exterior, or interior, fans are either overwhelmed by happiness or dissatisfaction, depending on the positive impact of the upgrades.

While new car upgrades bring about more advanced functions and features, the 966 911 model didn’t entirely bring about the positives. The water-cooled engine was a total failure, and the components failed more times than they worked reliably, something which made the model quite unreliable.

The fresh looks puzzled Porsche lovers, as well. That’s because the adjustments were quite challenging to adapt and many Porsche lovers weren’t ready to make such lifestyle adjustments.

Doesn’t have character

The 966 models lacked character, according to most Porsche fans. Its new exterior styling changes were entirely different from Porsche’s tradition and culture. So many Porsche fans disregarded this model as a waste because it not only lacked character but didn’t have the best of exterior looks. 

The looks didn’t emphasize the brand’s value and supremacy. It just swept the tradition and culture of Porsche down the drain.

Ugly headlights

The most indisputable reason so many Porsche fans couldn’t stand the 966 models was because of the headlights. With the fried egg shape, the headlights couldn’t speak anything more than shame for the 966 models. 

Yes, the previous models had been using more beautiful circular headlights that gave the Porsche 911 car model a name and tradition. Instead of emphasizing the unique looks and design of the previous 911 Porsche generations, the 966 model replaced the beautiful orange light circular headlights with irregularly shaped totally unattractive options.

Undesirable interior

Most Porsche fans also complained that the Porsche 966 model has an outdated interior. The fans were unsatisfied that the interior changed little with some saying that the 993 models shared almost the same interior features and design as the 966 models.

Many fans called the Porsche 966 interior an undesirably antique car. Car interior technology back then was quite traditional, but according to many fans, they expected something better than what was offered to them. 

While the Porsche 966 technology was quite better compared to cars produced the same year, the interior was totally outdated, when compared to what Porsche had offered in the previous years. That’s another common reason most Porsche fans were never wowed by the 966 911 car model.

Unreliable IMS

The unreliable intermediate shaft also known as IMS also triggered the hate towards the Porsche 911 966 model. According to 966 car model owners, the IMS fails any time with no warning, which is quite risky to the riders. The flawed IMS design can fail unexpectedly and if not repaired on time, it could lead to an engine explosion.

The top cars with superior performance have a factory-malfunction, something which wasn’t found on the Porsche 966 brand.

So Was the 911, 966 Badge Deserved?

Some say the 911, 966 label was deserved while others say it wasn’t. It’s just a personal decision to decide whether the label was deserved. There were many outdated features in this model, including the fried egg-shaped headlights that fans found unfavorable. The shaft bearings were as well quite outdated and didn’t guarantee safety to the users as they expected.

On a lighter note, the Porsche had a water cooling engine model and some advanced features, which made it great. Some Porsche fans actually said the 966 model was the best and most advanced model ever manufactured by Porsche, while others said it was a miss.

What Year Porsche 911 to Avoid – Conclusion

What Year Porsche 911 to Avoid? Porsche 911 966 model wasn’t the end of Porsche. Yes, it was a miss, and fans weren’t wowed, but Porsche accepted their mistake and moved on to spruce up and improve the models that followed. 

The water-cooled engine has, however, not been changed. The newer models are getting redesigned interiors and exteriors with the 992, 911 generation being the top preferred car choice today.

The 992 model remains the most luxurious and quite expensive 911 car model that features incredibly advanced features and functions. In conclusion, while the 966 generations were hated and despised, it left a landmark in Porsche’s history, which will remain for years.