993/996/997 Turbo and Cayman Weights and Dimension
Since I own a 993 Turbo (TT) and 996 Turbo (TSCab), and I am planning to get a 997 Turbo variant, I am interested in comparison of the cars across the generations. I dug out the factory-reported weights (in pounds/kgms) and dimensions-including wheelbases (in inches/millimeters) of the cars, and for contrast, collected the numbers for the Cayman. I assume (and hope) all numbers are accurate. 
Vehicle-Curb Weight-Wheelbase-Length-Width-Height:
993 TT-3307/1503-89.4/2271-167.8/4262-70.7/1796-51.8/1316
996 TT-3395/1543-92.5/2350-174.6/4435-72.0/1829-51.0/1295
997 TT-3494/1588-95.5/2426-175.6/4460-72.9/1852-51.2/1300
Cayman-2954/1343-95.1/2416-172.1/4371-70.9/1801-51.4/1306
First, to state the obvious, the 911 Turbo has gotten larger by every dimension from the 993 to the 996 to the 997 (except the 996 became slightly shorter than the 993-but even the 997 is a shave taller than the 996). We easily recognize this when we compare the cars placed next to each other for photographs and showing. Clearly, as human beings have grown larger, their appetite () or demand for larger cars has paralleled this increase and Porsche marketing and engineering faithfully have responded to this demand. Sure, there will (or at least could be) the reply that the cars are now more refined and more comfortable and, it will be emphasized, safer and more "stable" in these increased sizes, and I won't argue with that-except to mention that refinement, comfort, safety and stability aren't the reasons I go for the 911 Turbo-heck, I would instead be shopping for a Bentley. 
One interesting point I notice with the above data is that my 993TT is, back seats and all, compared to the 2-seater Cayman, shorter (with a shorter wheelbase), thinner, but slightly taller, as well as heavier-mainly due to the AWD in the former and RWD in the latter, but also, no doubt, related to Porsche's advances in weight-saving materials than the Cayman.
This post is not intended to criticize this growth spurt in the 911 Turbo, although readers can probably infer that I would prefer a reversal of this trend. Perhaps one possible outcome of the development of the Panamera, and subsequently the introduction of a true Porsche GT car (a front-engined/two-door model based on the Panamera platform to compete with cars such as the 599 and that Bentley I referred to above), would be a re-focus of the 911 Turbo to a more "hardened" sports car, closer to the GT2 variant, but kept as an AWD/daily driver? 
Comments, guys?
Vehicle-Curb Weight-Wheelbase-Length-Width-Height:
993 TT-3307/1503-89.4/2271-167.8/4262-70.7/1796-51.8/1316
996 TT-3395/1543-92.5/2350-174.6/4435-72.0/1829-51.0/1295
997 TT-3494/1588-95.5/2426-175.6/4460-72.9/1852-51.2/1300
Cayman-2954/1343-95.1/2416-172.1/4371-70.9/1801-51.4/1306
First, to state the obvious, the 911 Turbo has gotten larger by every dimension from the 993 to the 996 to the 997 (except the 996 became slightly shorter than the 993-but even the 997 is a shave taller than the 996). We easily recognize this when we compare the cars placed next to each other for photographs and showing. Clearly, as human beings have grown larger, their appetite (
) or demand for larger cars has paralleled this increase and Porsche marketing and engineering faithfully have responded to this demand. Sure, there will (or at least could be) the reply that the cars are now more refined and more comfortable and, it will be emphasized, safer and more "stable" in these increased sizes, and I won't argue with that-except to mention that refinement, comfort, safety and stability aren't the reasons I go for the 911 Turbo-heck, I would instead be shopping for a Bentley. One interesting point I notice with the above data is that my 993TT is, back seats and all, compared to the 2-seater Cayman, shorter (with a shorter wheelbase), thinner, but slightly taller, as well as heavier-mainly due to the AWD in the former and RWD in the latter, but also, no doubt, related to Porsche's advances in weight-saving materials than the Cayman.
This post is not intended to criticize this growth spurt in the 911 Turbo, although readers can probably infer that I would prefer a reversal of this trend.
Perhaps one possible outcome of the development of the Panamera, and subsequently the introduction of a true Porsche GT car (a front-engined/two-door model based on the Panamera platform to compete with cars such as the 599 and that Bentley I referred to above), would be a re-focus of the 911 Turbo to a more "hardened" sports car, closer to the GT2 variant, but kept as an AWD/daily driver? Comments, guys?
!!!Irrespective of the subject at hand. 
