Derek H.

For the past 3 months I have been see-sawing between finding a late '80's Carrera and buying a new Audi 225 hp TT. I was severely torn between the practical/year round and low maint. nature of the new TT vs the more fair weather nature and, I expected, more emotionally involving 911.
After much study on this and other forums I came to the (now) obvious conclusion that the only way to settle this was a test drive. The Audi was no problem but there isn't much 911 selection where I live in Ontario. Finally took an '83 Cabrio out that had seen better days - stubborn transmission, grabby clutch. I was fairly disappointed in the car and was down to the Audi dealer the next day picking out colours and options.
However the feel of the one corner I had pushed that cabrio during the test drive kept coming back to haunt me. I couldn't shake it!! I had to give the 911 a fairer trial. Off to Toronto for a couple of test drives of an '87 and an '88 coupe. Aaaahhh. When the tach hit 4,000 the decision was made instantly. Last week I picked up my '88 black coupe with 60,000 miles. It has checked out to be in great shape and I am so happy I didn't sign on the dotted line at the Audi Dealership! The TT is beautifully designed, well made and sophisticated with it's quattro, ABS, traction control, turbo engine etc. But the Porsche just grabs you. End of story.
Thanks to Rennlist for providing a great forum.

Paco Anton

Derek,

Let me add my story. Last year I got a promotion and got my pick of a company car. Since I already own a family sedan (Lexus IS200), I chose an Audi TT and gave the Lexus to my wife.

After less than one year I just HAD to buy a Porsche. So I bought my 83 SC and gave the TT to my wife. Although the TT is more refined I have not regretted the decision (and even if I did the wife is not giving the TT back).

Last week I took my father (BMW guy) for a ride in the P-car and he asked why I insisted on driving a 20 year old car. I just smiled...

The ride on the SC is rough. No A/C (this is sunny Spain), no power steering, lots of noise, no central locking,..., and NO SUBSTITUTE.

<img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

Derek H.

Similar story really. My wife drives our 328i "family" sedan. Given the choice, I now reach for the Porsche keys. I'll bet there are some great roads around Madrid.

Derek

turbocarrera.

Derek, you think your P-car selection is low in Ontario?.. try Saskatchewan.

I always wanted a Porsche but never even bothered looking cause I thought they were way over my budget and I hadnt seen one in the flesh in years - so they had kind of slipped from my mind.

So I drove as many so-called sports cars as I could. Vettes, mustangs, supras, rx-7's, M3's etc,. I was very close to buying the M3 when lo and behold, a guy in a 3.2 coupe pulled into the dealer to drop off his wife to get their bimmer. I was completely freaked out and told the salesguy I would have to think about it.
That evening I scoured most of Canada looking for 911's and found none where I live. Very sad. So I went to Calgary to look and I found quite a few. I loved everthing about them instantly and completely forgot about all the other "sports-cars" I had driven.

To make a short story long, I had decided on a blue '84 coupe with 50K miles on it when a guards-red 930 came onto the lot. The jig was up and I was looking for a turbo now. A few months later I found my '77.

A close friend bought a new SVT Cobra and always asked me if I'd like to try it out. After asking me for the umpteenth time I told him to try my 930. He never asked me to try his again and he's looking for a 930 as we speak.

You can have all the cute little design features that new cars have, all the power and handling, all the status they may give(laff), but they don't give you the feeling of a 911 - and it's all about how the car makes you feel.

swbsam

over the past 35 years I have had a few sports cars mustangs,austin healeys,triumhps,MG's, and of course porsches. four and a half years ago BMW showed the M roadster for the first time at the L.A. auto show all the M-cars were in estoril blue that year at the show ( I'm a sucker for blue) anyway when it was delivered in may of 98 I thought hay this is great a car that reminds me of my austin healeys but much faster,tighter and newer. it has great power and breaking but it just didn't handle or feel like a 911. two years ago I started to redo my 67S and I knew I wanted another porsche to drive while the 67 was being redone so I looked around and found an 84 turbo look well in the two years I've had it I've put over 20,000 miles on it driveing it on the weekends. in the four and a half years I've had the M roadster it only has 6,000 miles on it. I like the M its a nice car. but I love driving my porsche and you know.......the other people I've meet that are into 911s seem to feel the same way.

Rick Lee

Derek, test driving an '83 911 and then an '87 and '88 makes a world of difference because of the G50 transmission and hydraulic clutch in the '87-'89 Carreras. I drove an Audi TT for the first time last week and, while it's a decent car, it does not at all tug at my heartstrings the way my 911 does. I don't even fit too well in the TT, I can't hear the engine and it's just too refined for me. Women don't always understand why I love my noisy, bumpy 911. But it's just a whole different world from newer cars.

Peter Kelly

If you are considering spending the same ammount of money on either a new tt or a 911, you can definitely get a cherry 87-89 carrera or even a 964 for the same money you would spend on a tt. Hell, you might even be able to get into a 993.

Even the 87-89 carrera is a much better car than the one you test drove. I have an 89, and my friend has a tt, and I would not trade him for anything!

Dan in Pasadena

Greetings from a lowly 944 NA owner. Still haven't found my own 911, but I'm patiently looking.

My girlfriend has a new 225HP tt. Wonderful car. A little "peaky" when the turbo spools up fully at about 3500 rpm but a great car nonetheless. But I like driving my 944 better. Obviously it is a LOT slower...and it does not get anywhere near the same level of attention on the road. But somehow it doesn't really feel that much slower and there is just a lot more "feel" to my old Porsche than the tt. There's a reason they use the tag line, "There is no substitute".

Christian K

Peter Kelly,

Just out of curiousity, as a Carrera -84 owner, have you raced your friend with the Audi TT? If yes, how does 'our' cars do compared to the Audi?

Christian

84 ROW Carrera
96 MB 200T (family car)

slomarsh

Congrats!! You picked a good car. Now count the bucks you saved already then consider the resale values of each after, say 5 years. No contest the 911 wins!