LooseMarble

Just registered myself for rennlist but have been shopping around the web for a 993TT which would be my first Porsche. I have much to learn about the Porsche world but I have owned, serviced, modified, and tracked other European cars. My current car is a highly modified Audi station wagon which is fun but the 993TT was something that caught my attention back in the mid 90s when was in the military in Germany. Basically this lust has been brewing for 17 years and I have decided that I need to start my mid-life crisis so to hell with the family sports car, I want the Porsche that I have been thinking about for all these years.

Here are the problems:

1. 993 Turbos are expen$ive! Unlike 17 years ago I have myself in a financial position that I can put together the cash for one but DAMN you need wheelbarrows of money for a 993TT. I could swing it but you can't help but look at what you can get for the same money in a 996 or even 997. Are the prices going out of whack because the 993TT is more of a collectors item at this point? I don't want a collector car. I will drive and track the car and although I will have another vehicle I would like to use it year round.

2. They say that you should never meet your heroes. I have yet to test drive anything and I'm actually nervous about doing so. What if it just feels old and dated and just doesn't live up to my expectations. Am I guaranteed to be blow away with this quintessential Porsche or might I come away disappointed and have to ruin a perfectly good fantasy about the perfect sports car for me.

I just thought I would chime in and may lurk and ask questions during my search and perhaps one day soon I'll be a new owner posting about my car.

I'm in Maryland by the way. I wonder if anyone else is local with a 993TT?

Quadcammer

1. Yes, they are expensive, and thats cause they are desirable and fairly rare in the US. The 996TT and 997 are great cars in their own right.

2. Perhaps. I was a bit disappointed with my TT. Coming from a much faster car and car that was crude as hell but had a hell of a lot of stick, I expected a bit more performance from the car. That said, over the past 2 and a half years, I've come to terms with the performance and am generally happy with the car.

Driving a bone stock 993TT may cause you to be a bit let down. With some aftermarket suspension stuff, good tires, and some exhaust, I think you'll be pleased.

Then again, if you don't drive one first, then how will you know?

My advice:

Drive as many of these things as you can. Drive a 965, a 993TT, a 996TT and a 997TT. You may decide the 993 is a bit anachronistic for you and prefer the more refined watercooled cars. Without driving them extensively, you will wonder what if.

good luck

LooseMarble

So what car was this?

I'm coming (at this point) from a 4,200 pound wagon with 450 AWD wheel HP. On the street it is a monster in so many ways but fully refined as well. It has lots of pull but it is a giant pig of a car compared to a proper sports car especially for track use.

Overdraft

Check my signature, I love my Porsches. Even had Hartge tuned M3 and M5, Audi RS4 and S8, Overfinch Range Rover....and yes...993tt is my favourite car - and a much more satisfying sportscar than my 997 TT PDK - and I think it it the most beautiful body Porsche ever made. It is a nice balance between old school sports car, and practical civility. It will always be current, rare and desireable. You will never regret the purchase of a 993tt and if for whatever reason you choose to move on from the car in a year or two , (or three)..you will have effectively driven it for peanuts. No other car that I know of can check every box....and despite Quadcammer's caution, I find the car extremely satisfying from a performance perspective...not merely adequate, but entirely satisfying. My opinion.

allegretto

Yes. I think Porsche got it "just right"

Quadcammer

Heavily modified mustang cobra. In short, 700rwhp, 275/315 tires fr/r, fully modified suspension, 3400lbs.

Its all relative and personal. Some people think a stock 993TT is blindingly fast, and the guy with the 700bhp modified 996TT thinks its boringly slow.

You just have to drive it to find out.

parsonii

life is short .... you have to meet your heros. the car won't disappoint

UserA

Unless you have owned/driven some serious contenders, a stock 993TT will make you poop your pants.

No HTwo O

LooseMarble:

Welcome to Rennlist!
Thank you for your years of service and bravery.
You deserve a 993 Turbo.

Bergamasco

If you are looking to put in a significant amount of track time with your car you must realize that there are a lot of choices out there for that purpose and several that will give you better bank for the buck than a 993TT. I suggest that you hang out at your local track for awhile and drive a few cars there first before making your choice.

LooseMarble

I am not a track junkie as I have too many hobbies and too many other responsibilities (kids and such) to spend too much time at the track. I'm lucky if I do 2 to 4 two day events a year. I also like the concept of learning high performance driving in a car I actually drive on the street rather than a track only machine. I am not interested in buying a trailer and all the trappings that start to occur when you go to a track only car. I hope the 993TT can stand up to a few events a year. And I don't expect to "win" any HPDEs in the car either.

But you see, your comments bring me right back to the original dilemma. Can I (or should I) buy a 993TT and actually drive it regularly, and put my dog in it, put the kids in it, and take it to the track, and park it in the sun at work, and etc. etc. I don't want a trophy that sits in the garage where I just rub it with microfiber once in a while.

I'm really torn.

solomonschris

So Loose,

Robert Collins gave you a terrific and thoughtful description of the appeal of a 993. You will get different opinions about just about everything here. Quadcammer pooh poohs the notion that these cars can't be criticized, but his 4500 posts to this site are a clear indication of where his heart is. Others have no truck with any criticism of the cars. They are all correct. I'm reminded of a line from "One flew over the cuckoo's nest", " It's all true, every bit of it, even if it didn't happen".
Any comparison of a 993 with a 997 or 991 will have the 993 coming up short in every category save one. The newer cars are safer with airbags everywhere except in you mouth. They get better gas mileage, have better brakes, better headlights, much more powerful,
better air conditioning, concert hall quality stereo systems, variable
valve timing, modern electronic controls for engine and chassis and a
21st century dashboard with GPS, Bluetooth and a bunch of stuff I
don't understand, but you probably shouldn't be doing it while
driving. The one category where the new cars fall short is "Fun To
Drive".....the entire, 100% reason to have a sports car to begin
with. So you really do need to take Quad's advice and drive these
different cars. You may not love the 993 like we do.

Two final comments. I am hardly alone on this site to have owned a 993 and other 911's before buying a 997, in my case a new 997 C2S
in 09' only to sell the car and buy another 993. (remember fun to
drive). The other point is that this site is a real community with
some REAL characters. There is never complete agreement, but there
is always support. There is not a question that you could possibly ask that wouldn't get at least 3 knowledgeable guys chiming in with just the info you need. So, good luck with getting some guys to let you drive their turbos to see if you would like to be a buyer.......Chris

LooseMarble

So I need to find someone nearby that can perhaps educate me in the passion that is the 993TT. Maybe let me sit in it and see that simple dashboard, smell the 15+ years of age, hear and feel that no water motor. Maybe at least get a quick spin riding shotgun? Hmmm... How far down in Southern Maryland are you? PAX maybe? Waldorf? La Plata? My business is in Tracys Landing near Deale.

LooseMarble

uhhhhh, nevermind this question. I just noticed your username. I'm in Solomons periodically for work and once in a while for fun (usually by boat.)

solomonschris

Pm me. We can work something out.......Chris