The 996 has received a lot of attention lately. At first it was because issues with the IMS shaft and RMS seals had caused some catastrophic engine failures. Once this was resolved (and people realized the issue had been vastly overblown) the focus shifted instead to what great deals these cars can be. It is true that an early 996 can be found for as little as $15,000 but would you still buy one if it wasn't so cheap? The 997 looked far better although under the skin things were much the same. The facelifted post-2009 997.2 models finally resolved the IMS/RMS issues but those models are still pricey and haven't quite entered into the modern classic phase yet.