[Deserion]

Under the skin, the 986s and 987s are rather close to being identical (engine change in the refresh cars being a major caveat). Granted that's a generalization.

I have both in my driveway at the moment (roof repairs to my mom's '06). The exhaust is simplified which makes the clutch bleed a breeze from underneath - it also sounds better in stock form. The reshaping of the roof to permit a larger side window makes ingress/egress a touch smoother, interior room is improved.

My personal thought on the biggest drawback is the interior, only as the soft-touch paint is worse than in the 986 and a more brittle plastic was used (especially on the door panels).