LooseMarble

have some mixed feelings.

I posted a while back about beginning a search for a car that I have lusted after for 15 or 16 years. I got a chance to go and drive my first example yesterday and while the sexiness of the shape and sound of the air cooled flat 6 with a aftermarket exhaust was awesome I was not quite as blown away overall as I had hoped.

This is the car I drove. I will say that I was very impressed and pleased with the propietor of this business. He had knowledge and passion and was patient and very in tune with my needs to get to know the car and he knew how to be helpful but not sales-ey if that makes any sense. He had some other impressive hardware in his garage but that is another story.



The car is supposed to be an Autothority stage III car so I was expecting blistering acceleration but to be honest I was not blown away. There were many things that I liked about this car but I'm wondering if my expectations are mis-set regarding performance. I know it is an older car but this is not just any 1996 car. It was about the fastest car on the road at that time if I remember correctly.

The car had some kind of aftermarket electronic module with an LCD screen on the center console which I presume is some kind of boost controller or something to do with the Autothority tuning. When I drove it I saw only 0.8 bar on the factory gauge display which I believe is a stock boost level. The car sounded great and ran smoothly and idled well and didn't exhibit any signs of being tuned to the hilt. I wonder if it is in a lowered tuning profile or something. The dealer (who has the vehicle on consignment) could not answer any detailed questions about the tuning. We didn't dare start pushing buttons and turning ***** on this module without knowing what we were doing.

The car was far from cosmetically perfect which I am fine with as I am not buying for collector's purposes. The chin plastic was beat up really well from parking over curbs or whatever. I would have to fix that as it would make me crazy but the minor imperfections are not a concern.

So my feeling now is that I really need to drive another one to be sure I am really in the market for a 993TT. I was hoping to be a bit more blown away but maybe this car was not making the power it should.

My perspective may be kind of warped. I built a 4,200 pound station wagon with 450 awd wheel horsepower at 2.0 bar. It seems like my Audi would out pull this 911 in a straight line. That doesn't seem right so either the car wasn't full strength or it was so good that it was faster than I thought it was. I am not implying that straight line pulls are the reason I am getting this car but during a brief road test this is one on the only things about the car that could be fully explored. Corning and braking are area really going to have to be fully explored later on a track.

I'm certain that I am not ready to make an offer on this one. I will have to see if I can drive another one somehow to learn a bit more and be in a better position to make a good decision.

ca993twin

The factory digital boost gauge cannot record anything higher than .8 Bar.

You should try driving another, perhaps stock 993TT to see if this Autothority example is poorly built or maintained.

solomonschris

Loose Marble,

Why are you still shown as a user? I offered to have you pm me. I live in southern Md. and have a bone stock, low mile 993tt that is not for sale. Pm me. We can work something out. I also have an A6 Audi wagon and you can show me how to make it more fun.

Knight

It sounds like your Audi is very well tuned, assuming you must have some serious torque in that car too. It's possible your Audi could give a factory TT some good competition in a straight line run.

Coming from 300+ hp range cars, 987s, E46 M3 etc I can say I was blown away at the turbo power when I first drove one. Even now when I floor it the power surges is amazing.

allegretto

everyone should drive what they like, so no problem there

On an M3 chat-line (my DD is an E93) there was a guy saying he wanted an M3 but he was underwhelmed since it didn't turn 1/4's as quick as his 700 ft-lb diesel pick up.

Having had some very very fast/quick cars in the past it seems strange now to worry about whether a street car can turn 11's. Buy any Porsche and instead of braking laws and endangering yourself and others, spend some $$$$ on track days and lessons. You'll have more fun, be a safer and better driver in all situations. And, if you are as most, you will lose the questionable habit of driving dangerously on the street

To the OP, I'm not singling you out, just telling the truth.

Turbodan

Sounds like that example which you drove is not performing correctly as you will feel the surge while accelating. Good luck witht he search. There are some great examples out there and some not so great. Be sure to do PPI before you buy.

hal m

Not sure what it would take to "blow you away". I just drove a Ferrari F430 and it was quick and made great sounds, but when I compared it with my lightly tweaked 993TT, it did not seem much faster or exciting. 0-60 at around 4 seconds is FAST, no matter what.

Its not going to be like a superbike so maybe you need to recalibrate

LooseMarble

Well I'm going to get a ride with solomonschris on Wednesday which is very generous of him to offer. Turns out we have more in common than an interest in 993TTs. Its a small world.

I hope you all don't feel that I am being negative about the 993TT overall. I am more pondering the question of relativity. The example I drove is supposedly a Stage III with claimed 580hp and I don't feel like it was blistering. If that really was 580hp than I think I would be disappointed in 400hp. This just doesn't seem possible.

I've been contemplating calling Autothority to discuss it but I think I will take my ride with Chris first and put another data point in my log.

http://www.autothority.com/products....e=stageupgrade

hal m

I understand now. 580hp is a lot for these engines without a bunch of internal work and maybe a 3.8 conversion. Just new turbos and software probably is not going to do it, so I am cynical of these claims.

Please report back after driving SolomonChris's car

allegretto

solomonschris is a good man!

580 in this car should be able to snap your neck in just about any gear if on-boost. Heck, mine's stock and if I downshift to get it up to about 5000 it's pretty impressive. Not as impressive as the 700+ I had in an EVO, but still fast enough to run afoul of Physics or Speed Laws

Bradford

Where is Toby when you need him ? If it had 580HP you would know it

DALLWA

Hey Hal,

I remember going through the same "issue". In my mind "0-60 in 3.7 secs" should peel the skin off my face. First time I got on it coming from a 993 C2, I was thrilled, but the skin was still on my face. So, it left me wanting more.

I sold the car, and about a month later, I wanted one back. It's addicting that rush, small or big. I just bought my next 993TT and its on a truck heading here now.

hal m

There must be a line on the power/weight graph where your face is distorted by the acceleration. I recently watched a video of Chris Harris at the Ring in an Ariel Atom V8. That seemed to do it!

Quadcammer

I know how you feel. Its a quick car for sure, but its not ***** to the wall fast.

ScottMellor

Autothority.

Let's just say they would not be on my top 100 list for tuners.