Yes, I believe this is true, much like the '73 RS, which didn't gain fame until after the millennium.

It's probably a good time to by if you can find the right one. Prices continue to slowly rise, but not like the aircooled cars have shot up.

Which, by the way, your Targa would be the one to get if I were looking for a late '80s Carrera.

 

Agree with the sentiments above. Very, very different cars. 7.1 turbo has a very different power delivery and in a straight line it is (and will fee) faster (in terms of acceleration) vs. a stock 996.2 gt3. GT3 does virtually everything else "better" however (i.e., turning stopping, etc...). With that said the 7.1 tt is much more "livable" in my experience. It feels much heavier and the awd gives a very different driving experience. My buddy has a lightly modded 997.1tt and it was still slightly faster than my 3.9l car, but only by about a half car length by the time we reached criminal speeds (which I felt good about and shocked him). 7.1tt is a fine car and I enjoy them immensely when I'm behind the wheel...but it just depends on what experience you are really after.

 

The 997tt is a good road trip car with tons of power and comfort that can have some fun on twisty roads, but is better suited to gulping down large swaths of banked highways at speed.

The 996 GT3 is a drivers car for sure, fantastic on those back road afternoons or early mornings. Truth be told I have only enjoyed driving 996 GT3's on back mountain roads with lots of grins. The 997 GT3 felt like a nice place in between the 6-3 and the 997tt.

 

What I've liked about the '87 Targa that I have (as compared with the '09 C2S that I had previously) - lighter weight, more nimble, more connected. The 997.2 was a great car, but felt less connected and more sedate to me.

The thing about a turbocharged car that I am always turned off by is turbo lag. I don't yet know if it would bother me when driving a 997.1 turbo. (On many turbo cars that I've driven, the lag issue is more pronounced when the ambient temperature rises. It's the lack of immediacy that I don't like. Perhaps I might find that the 997.1 turbo is fine when driving it under cooler temperature circumstances - but very different when the weather turns hotter...)

The (eventual) high rate of acceleration with a turbo is not of real importance to me. A nimble, lighter, quicker feeling car is what I am after.

 

Running the sway bars all the way soft will make the 996 GT3 more compliant but the handling will suffer. A set of Ohlins really gives the car the refinement it deserves, but does not sacrifice the feel that makes these cars so amazing. All four corners of the car talk to you at all times. Much more communicative than the 997 platform. The biggest issue with this car in a city environment is the lack of engine performance below 5000 rpm. Cup final drive makes them more usable and fun on the street and also faster on the track. Great cars but can be frustrating if you don’t have the opportunity to regularly ring its neck. I will never be without one again.

 

Good information - thanks.

I've seen the prices for the Ohlins R&T in the $3,200 to $3,500 range (US). What would be a reasonable estimate for installation time? Are there any other factors that would need to be taken into consideration in doing the switchover?

Thanks.

 

Might want to budget another $800 for upper mounts.

 

I did the install myself and paid $200 for the alignment. Don't know about your car, but the Ohlins R&T setup cost about $2800 for my GT3.

Installing it isn't all that hard (at least on my car). The instructions are clear enough. Took me less than a day.

Now, while you are in there you might want to think about replacing other suspension parts that might be worn such as control arms and upper mounts. I would ask about for what aftermarket components are suitable. Obviously, this will increase costs.

As far as an estimate for installation, I would guess close to $1,000 with alignment. Find a shop that knows these cars and ask them for a ballpark figure.

 

If only there was a model that shared the GT3 chassis and transmission but had turbo power...

 

[QUOTE=Ironman88;18656627
The (eventual) high rate of acceleration with a turbo is not of real importance to me. A nimble, lighter, quicker feeling car is what I am after.[/QUOTE]

This comparison may or may not assist you, but before that, I’ll just comment that I have a ROW JDM 996.1 GT3, and the way I feel about it can be described as “where has this car been all my life?” It feels like the car I was meant to drive, it’s a special special car, the GT3. I have a few 996s and it’s a totally different beast. Now onto the comparison.
last fall I did the Porsche Driving Experience Master Level. At this stage, you get to drive the cars with the hot sauce, so 911 turbos and GT3s. The only difference is they were both 992s. But the difference between them is exactly the same that I hear people describing of the 996 turbo vs. GT3. GT3 is much more LOUD, raw and connected, it fairly dances to the tune you want to play, at any speed. Whereas the turbo seems objectively quicker accelerating, especially at speeds over 100mph! It’s also more GT styles for eating up hundreds of highway miles with ease. They’re both obvs newer lines, but I think the comparison is consistent.
Your quoted paragraph above tells me that you’re a GT3 type.
Good luck, it’s a good choice to be grappling with.

 

I seem to remember the more apple to apples comparison of the 996 GT3 and Turbo where the 0-60mph and top speed were identical.

 

I could see that for a k16 6TT, but meant a GT2...

 

Ahhh, yes. The GT2; the Turbo GT3. Now I get your point!

 

Totally different cars. If not for the track than Turbo is the way to go. It is refined, tons of torque and has luxury features not to mention the 997 platform is improved / reformed.
Don't let people tell you the 996.2 GT3 is a road friendly car because that is nonsense. Yes, on a smooth road it is magnificent, but it is not suited for a daily driver.

 

Ah ha! So daily driving my GT3 is what I have been doing wrong for the last 144,000 miles! I didn't know that.

Rodney is right about bad roads. It sucks, but that's what the Cayenne and Macan are for, which still kind of sucks. What seems to suck even more are some of the other drivers.