Thought I would provide the following from an 911 vs. NSX thread on NSXprime.
These are the kind of discussions we should focus on, where legitimate points of view are expressed in a calm, rational and respectful manner.
NSX owners in that thread, including myself, have things like this to say about the competition, including the E46 M3:
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You could easily be shopping for a mid eighties 911. Nice cars. I have owned 9 Porsches. It all depends what you want to drive. So long as you have service history on either and factor that into your decission, you should be OK. Two completely different cars IMO.
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Drive several examples of both. There is no objective 'right' answer to this question. If you love the 911, it is a legitmate choice over an NSX.
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I would choose the car you like more. They are very different cars. Best of luck.
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I love both cars and will probably own another 911. But honestly, the only thing I miss about the 911 is the rear drop seats. When down they are great for luggage or a dog.
Both are great to drive: drive them both and buy what you like. If you if you go P-car do your homework. Some models demand more attention than others.
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This is really subjective. personally, I think the 996 is superior to the 993 in every measurable way and it will out perform and out handle it without fail.
I think what's attached to the 993 is a lot of nostalgia since it is the last air-cooled 911 and the 996 shares the Boxster nose.
Before I bought the 996 I test drove a few 993s and, as a non-Porsche neutral guy, I saw no appeal at all in the 993.
The 996, on the other hand, I find every bit as driveable and civil as my 03 NSX was and, while totally different in character, feels equally capable.
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Eep! We're really far apart on this one. Personally, I don't find any BMW to be numb at all (blasting around LA in an SMG E46 M3 is one of the best times Ive ever had in a sports car), but the 996 Im driving now is loads and loads more visceral than the 330xi I owned last year. And I think the 80s 911s are such a massive challenge to drive (the difficulty of them made them a legend among "true enthusiasts" (masochists)), that I dont think they can be remotely compared to the NSX which is ALWAYS "criticized" as being "too easy" for a super car. When the critics say that, i think they're specifically thinking of cars like the old 911 that are "not easy". As for the 996, it doesnt feel any less visceral to me than the NSX did, although the character of the car is really very, very different.
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My comparison to the earlier 911 is the overall feeling of connection to the road. You can feel what the car is doing compared to the road condition. The newer 911s (996) feel much less connected as compared to the NSX and I think that they are much more like my M3, the car simply feels heavy for lack of a better term. It could be that my M3 is more of an anomaly since it has 19 wheels with larger than stock width. They handle well but I guess I simply don't feel as comfortable pushing them. This has been echoed by a friend of mine who is an instructor for both the Porsche and BMW clubs. I have never had my Porsche on the track (Cabriolet) but I have driven other 911s on the track. The 911 wasn't difficult to drive on the track, you simply had to avoid certain bad habits and this is the "legend." Currently, the much touted GT3 is reportedly similar to the 911s of the past (Haven't driven the GT3 so going by reports only). You're right, the NSX is easy to drive in comparison to many "supercars" but my supercar experience is limited to earlier Ferraris (308 and Testarossa), a Diablo VT, Lotus Esprit and various Porsches. The NSX transmission shifts like it reads your mind and the throws are perfect. The steering is precise and feels quick. The gearing in the 6 speed is extremely well mated to the characteristics of the engine. But more importantly, I feel more connected to the road and the car. I'm sure that some of the instructors in the group could comment more eloquently but to me, it feels right. I have that sensation of feeling right (differently but still feels right) with earlier 911s which I never experienced with the 996 series or the E46 M3. The earlier M3 to me feels better than the current iteration. This is just my simple and inexperienced opinion.
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I guess its highly subjective and extremely subtle. Having driven NSX's for years now (98 and 03), I really dont feel such a big difference going to the 996. Don't get me wrong, the characteristics are totally different, but personally, I dont perceive the NSX being more "connected" somehow.
For what its worth, I've had a fair amount of seat time in the M3 and I didnt find that it felt heavy or disconnected either.
This is definitely one of those highly personal issues, I think, that is just going to be different for everyone (casual and professional drivers included).
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Thought I'd add my 2 cents here as I own an NSX, but also 2 Porsche 911's (an '87 Turbo Look Cabriolet and a '95 911 Coupe).
First off, for the $30,000 you have to spend, you could buy a nice, moderate mileage early ('91-'93) NSX. On the Porsche side, for the $30,000, I would recommend either an '87 to '89 911 Turbo Look Coupe with the G50 transmission or a mid to higher mileage '95 911. I would stay away from the '90-94 models. The Turbo Look (M491 optioned) cars had the look and suspension and brakes of the Turbo, without the Turbo engine, and they are pretty rare, but worth the effort to locate. The '95 is a better, more modern car vs. the '87 to '89, and most Porsche purists consider the G50 transmissioned '87 to '89 911 and the 993's ('95 to '98) the best Porsches ever made.
The NSX is the easier car to drive fast, looks much more exotic, and is a bit cheaper to maintain. I love my Porsches a whole lot, but will probably never sell the NSX unless I upgrade to a '97 and newer model.
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think it depends on what you really need & like. In my case, I like NSX's look much better than Porsche. However, I do like 996-Turbo's performence which is damn fast.
NSX & 996 are both great cars. I think there is no need to compare these super cars.
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![[:(!]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_angry.gif "Angry [:(!]"){kind=icon}