I'm sorry, but to me the 997 really is "only" a facelift of the current 996. Don't be fooled by the new model-number, by bigger wheels and nice tech mods. At the end of the day, it'll still be a 996 with different fenders, bumpers, cockpit, mirrors and door handles... but as the first 997-look-bodykits for the 996 will prove, the 997 is too heavily based on the 996. It's a change like e.g. from the 911 SC up to the 964 or from 964 to 993. It's an evolution of an existing model... not a _new_ model like we know it from 99% of all other car manufacturers.

When e.g. Mercedes-Benz announces a new SL model or a new E-Class... then you can be sure that 99% of all parts will be new on that new model. This is BY FAR not true for the "new" 911 model (997)...