ChemMan

Drove an aircooled 911 for years and years. Got to the point where I felt I always had a list of things that needed to be done to it. I wanted a Porsche I could drive that was more comfortable, felt safer with the kids in, and had more power. My 3.2 carrera had every ounce of horsepower I could squeeze out of it (emphasis on that I could-I am sure someone could do more) without opening up the engine.
I sold the 3.2 carrera right before the prices went up Bought a 996. Great porsche but the whole IMS thing was on my mind. Not all the time but I was aware of it. I really wanted a turbo- specifically a 930 slantnose. A friend of mine had picked one up. He let me drive it. I made him an offer. I wanted to hold on to it. Reminded him every year or so, I was still interested but once the prices started to rise, forget it.
Decided to sell the 996, started looking for a 996TT or 930. Saw the 996TT I bought and went for it no knowing another buddy of mine decided to sell his 930. He put up the ad and it sold in a day. I would have most likely bought his if I had known. Especially given we had worked on his Porsche together.
Still, I have been very pleased with my 996TT. It is everything I wanted. I am planning on holding on for it awhile....but I hear the call of an aircooled 911 again. It is just not loud enough for me to sell the toys I have to listen too much.

Jferrante

BMW started it - went from E46/e36s to E60 M5 then found my way into one. Actually ended up selling my first 996tt since I drove it too much (10k miles in 10 months) and didn't want to lose my shirt on it resale wise...regretted selling it and only took a year to get back in one. Now I have E30's and the latest 996tt and it is one I won't worry about driving the hell out of.

rsabeebe

great replies - very interesting to me to see how people got to this point of ownership. most have obviously owned several before the tt, but some have also made it their initial jump into porsche. common theme is reliable supercar, practicality and looks/performance. to me, that's what the 911 has over most other cars in it's segment. if i think of the cars i would consider, most of them are 2-seaters and you lose significant practicality. whether grocery shopping or going out with kids, those rear 'seats' come in handy. it really is a supercar you can use every day.

the gt2 would be a stretch and require the sale of 3 current cars, but damn what a car!! anything called the 'widow maker' has to be fun! the problem with a gt2 is that they are collectible at this point and you have to be careful how/why you use it and that kills half the fun. i do like to speculate on cars, i just enjoy it, but unless your filthy rich it's hard to do AND still enjoy the cars. the tt (and the x50) come in well below the gt2 and offer a large amount of what the gt2 does. i would love a gt2, but i'm probably not quite well-off enough - worried about value and condition and not fully enjoying the car. same fundamental issue as you'd have with a Ferrari, really.

the tt checks all the boxes, as someone said, and can be driven on a regular basis without the annoying aspects of something approaching or going beyond $100k. my big want right now is power and the tt shows strong here also - against the cars i'm considering. the 348 has 300hp, the 355 has 375hp, the 360 has 400hp, yet the tt comes in with 415 or 450. i'm also a fan of boost and it's the reason i'll be keeping my 951. it's amazing to me that my '86 951 feels like a much more modern car than my '87 Carrera. not always a bad thing, i love analog cars, but the Carrera just feels antiquated and slow compared to the 951. i love the Carrera, but i need something with considerably more power.

rsabeebe

i've also spent considerable time with BMWs - having owned 16. you can see a couple listed in my sig. i have no interest at all in modern BMWs, but the cars from the late 80s/early 90s were fantastic. i autox-d, instructed and raced (scca, bmwcca) in BMWs and had a blast with them. e30s are still some of my favorite cars and still one of the best all-around cars ever. the e36 M3 is what i used to call the 'swiss army knife' of cars - it did everything well and was a great overall package. it's sum was far greater than it's parts, to me. i'd love to have my LTW back!

dunkd

Bought a C4S and it was too slow

fpb111

1984 Trolling the back lots of some used car dealers looking for a Shelby Omni/Horizon. Found a 1969 911T and a 1970 911S. Bought the S, DD and tracked it for 11 years. Sold it and built a 1972 into a mostly track car. Used it for 17 years. Had to sell it due to poor health. Got a kidney transplant and bought a 2003 996 Cab, loved it. DD' it for 8 years.
Traded it on a 2004 X50 cab. Currently enjoying it.

cbracerx

Owned Porsches of all stripes for 25 years (911s/914/944/951s). Sold a 987S and was looking at the 997S. Didn't like what I found on the lower price end and when I looked at the higher end the 996TT started showing up. Always wanted one, so why not? Been very happy with that decision.

The story: https://rennlist.com/forums/996-turb...tt-apollo.html

Olemiss540

Hate is the word that comes to mind.... jealousy

Fishey

What drove me to purchase my 996TT? Its a good car.

How I arrived at the decision to buy a 996TT ... It would be a book so TLDR.. Experience as a Mechanic, Crew Chief and Childhood all lead me to this point.

highlander

I feel the same about my E36 M3/4. Boy do I miss that car...
http://gwl.rmsolo.org/M3-FS-pics/index.html

MotoJB

Had a very nicely modified Z06 and sold it to buy the 996tt...just decided to do something new...haven't regretted the decision.

FRUNKenstein

964 --> Mk 1 996 C4 Aero --> 996tt
Throw a 951 and a 928S4 in the middle (still have both of them). Plus a ton of other "fun" cars that I've only kept for a short time (I have a dealer's license, so easy for me to buy & sell). The Porsches are special, though, and the 911's are even more so. At present, my mindset is to keep the 996tt forever, but it wouldn't shock me if I change my mind in about 12 years (after I retire) and move to a newer model.

KC-CarGuy

Had a Boxster.
Discovered Driver Education events. Wanted to go faster.
Went to a PCA Club race. Saw lots of 944 Turbos going fast.
Sold Boxster.
Bought a 944 Turbo to DE / Race.
Problem, it was VERY nice. Couldn't bring myself to stripping it down.
Found great deal on 996 with aerokit.
Sold 944 Turbo to get a family car. :-(
Loved the new car features of the 996 (bun warmers) but missed the 944 Turbo's "woosh".
Sold the 996 and bought the 996 TTT.
I got my woosh back.
All is right in the universe.

88mmm

I used to lust after 911s growing up. I sold my e30 M3 about a little over a year ago to buy my 996 tt. I'm just starting to regret it.

FRUNKenstein

We're listening, 88mmm. Tell us what's wrong.