997
Two distinct phases sharing a chassis code. They take different parts — pick the one you actually have.
- Years
- 2005–2012
- Phases
- 2
- Spec blocks
- 23
- Power
- 325–620 hp
The 997 was sold in two phases that differ enough to be treated as separate cars — different engines in most cases, and different service parts in all of them. Choosing the wrong half is how people end up ordering a bulb that does not fit.
-
997.1
2005–2009Round headlights and a proper interior, still carrying the M97 engine and everything that comes with it.
10 trims 325–530 hp 7 known issues -
997.2
2009–2012Direct injection, no intermediate shaft, PDK. The same body around a fundamentally different car.
13 trims 345–620 hp 6 known issues
About the 997
The 997 is the 996 with its two great sins forgiven. The headlights are round again, the interior is made of materials that belong in a car costing this much, and the chassis gained variable-ratio steering and, optionally, adaptive dampers. Mechanically the early cars are an evolution rather than a revolution — the M97 is a bored-out M96, and it inherited the family failure modes along with the extra displacement.
The 2009 facelift is the more important line in the sand than the model name suggests. Direct injection brought the 9A1 engine, which has no intermediate shaft at all, and with it the PDK dual-clutch gearbox replaced the Tiptronic. A 2009 Carrera is a fundamentally lower-risk car than a 2008 one, and the market has understood that for years.
The practical consequence: shop the 997 by year before you shop it by trim. A 997.2 asks you to inspect a car. A 997.1 asks you to inspect an engine.