iotapi322

I've owned my 2002 996TT for 3 years now, I've tracked it at Road Atlanta and AMP. Recently I found myself with an extra Saturday out in San Jose, so I used the opportunity to use Turo to rent a guys 2008 Convertible 911 Carrera PDK ( 997.2 with the Direct Injection engine) to drive from San Jose down to Monterey then down to Big Sur. A 200 mile round trip basically, so I got highway miles, stop and go traffic miles and cruising miles all under my belt.

I am so glad I did it, the drive was breathtaking and I actually learned a lot about my 996TT as well. First I would say if you get a chance to drive down to Big Sur you will not regret it, just coming around the bend and seeing the mountains on one side and the blue Pacific on the other just makes you feel excited about driving again, just waiting to see what the next bend has in store for you.

What was interesting from a Porsche perspective was how similar and dissimilar the 996TT was from the 997.2. Here is a list in no particular order:

• The dashboard screen with the white led's (dated by 2018 standards) does look really nice, I wish we had that in our 996... Watching the pressure change on the Tire Pressure System was actually interesting to me. (I'm an engineer).
• The door handles on the inside felt cheap and plasticy compared to the metal handles in the 996.
• The PDK is the best automatic transmission I've ever driven. It is Einstein compared to the retard, i'm sorry, the mentally handicapped 2008 BMW 535i transmission I have in my daily driver.
• The gas mileage in the 997.2 was hilariously better than the 996TT. Normally I will get around 14 mpg in the 996TT, I only used one tank of gas in the 997.2 for ~ 240 miles. ( Yes I get on the 996TT more, but still )
• It goes without saying the 996TT is way faster, but that wasn't what this trip was for, this was just cruising.
• PDK sport mode is the perfect mode for cruising, the normal mode is just highway gear 7 and makes the car feel lumbering and heavy.
• The exhaust sound of the flat six is so beautiful, in the 996TT it's muffled by the turbos.
• The brake calibers are not painted and don't look nice at all compared to the painted 996TT brake calipers, it's noticeable.
• 997.2 cup holders. Way better.
• Most interesting thing was the handling, the 997.2 felt VERY planted, on the highway it felt extremely stable, through the turns it was flat and very well composed. My 996TT must have something wrong somewhere, because when I got home and drove it on the highway I could tell the difference immediately. My 996Tt is very twitchy on the highway, you move the steering wheel at all and it darts. At Road Atlanta at 120mph it does NOT feel stable at all. There is no strange tire wear, but I will take my 996TT in to get the alignment at least checked.
  
  
  
  Bixby Creek into the Pacific
  
  997.2 w/ PDK
  
  Bixby Creek Bridge
  

"02996ttx50

i miss it up there. nice to see hwy 1 open again.

Dock

Yes.

Road King

yeah, it's been open for a few months, I'm sure the timing has something to do with getting it open prior to the Pebble Beach Concourse.

I didn't realize 997.2 was out in '08, I thought it was 2009 or 10. Regardless, nice review. Get your alignment checked for sure.

Rambler_13

iotapi322

I'll get the alignment checked at the local tire shop first. That seems the most reasonable and cost effective thing to do first. After that, well then I think I'll take it to a race shop. These guys are slightly near me and seem to have a decent website towards performance setups. http://www.goldcrestmotorsports.com/

Carlo_Carrera

According to Porsche USA 997.2 first year is 2009. If this 997.2 really is a 2008 maybe it was imported from Europe?

iotapi322

I might be wrong about it being a '2008', just going by what the owner said. It definitely had the LED front running lights, and the PDK transmission ( it was written on the shifter). My quick google searching shows that the 997.2 is the first year to have the PDK.

Rambler_13

iotapi322

manimal

Nice! Car should feel much better when you get her back.

Thanks for the impressions. Sounds like a 2009 if it's a .2 w/ PDK.

Dock

I take my 996 Turbo to Butler Tire (the one in Marietta) for tires and alignments. They are really good.

This is the shop that works on my Turbo, but you shouldn't need them for alignments. Butler Tire is the place to go for tires and alignments.

T Kono

• "997.2 cup holders. Way better." Funny.

911 Rod

Better than holding the cup between your legs? No way!

Dock

Better than just not drinking in the car?