Not too long ago, I published a lengthy story about how I bought my first Porsche, and indeed my first 911, thus fulfilling a lifelong dream. In that story (), I also spent some time talking about how the most important part of searching for a 996 is knowing which 996 you want. There are a lot of choices.

Thankfully, FCP Euro created an extremely helpful breakdown of the 996 911 models and their pros and cons regarding engines, transmissions, suspensions, brakes and even the interior.

FCP is also if you know the car you’re looking at has some issues and you want to be well informed when it comes time to negotiate price based on those flaws. If a car you’re looking at needs (like mine does) a new air/oil separator, you’ll know just how much that job sucks and can haggle accordingly.

At around 16 minutes long, this FCP Buyer’s Guide is a great primer if you’re starting your search and you don’t yet have exactly which 996 you want set in stone.