As a fellow transaxle lover that has also recently enjoyed the 50/50 handling of them in the snow (especially the Rothmans 924), it's difficult to see that a 996 would be any better unless it's the C4...
It's all down to personal taste on colour schemes and trim but there seems to be a lot of choice out there
The miles are adding up on my daily driver Boxster so I'm also looking at the 996's as a replacement.... I would be very happy with a soft top or coupe whether in manual or auto.
I understand some of the issues such as IMS can be blown out of proportion when reading some reports and views but good servicing seems to help reduce any potential issues.
The club meets will be invaluable to chat to existing 996 owners and look over their cars as well.
If you're local, the Cheshire and Staffs region meets at 8pm on Tuesday next week at the Kilton Inn near Mere, Knutsford if you fancy calling in to say hello

would be great to see you!