bdbx18

I use my car strictly as a daily 40 miles one-way commuter with strict freeways in the am and some 40% of the return trip in nice canyon roads. Currently, my head is hurting on whether I will regret trading in my very nice smg/nav/19 '03 m3 for a 01-03 tip tt. These are my current thoughts:

- Most of the tts I saw don't have nav and I've read that the earlier Porsche navs are cd-based that basically suck. Still, better than nothing. I have navs on many previous cars and love them not for directions but for the map displays, shortcuts, explorations e.g.
- The tts don't have a tape player nor a aux input. So I'm unsure how I can hook up my mp3 aside from the crapper radio transmitter route. My mp3 of d/l talkradio shows are my lifesaver on the slow-as-molasses 405 freeway.
- I gotta go with a tiptronic; yeah because of my non-stick-shift-driving wife and chances are good, I have to exchange cars more frequently since a tt will definitely fit less stuff from Home Depot on my way home than does my m3. Good thing is the tip will likely be smoother but the bad thing is I really like the manual mode of the smg. I've read the tip starts off in 2nd gear but would it hold a gear and not up or downshift ever in manual mode? The part that bugs me and I forget where I read this is that it goes back to auto mode in 8 secs which will not be good carving canyons where one needs to hold a gear.
- Since I'm using this as a daily commuter and mostly no weekends since that chore is the family bus, would the tt and its 964-based engine be reliable enough for the task. I have .005 problems with my m3 and replacing it with something more fragile will not be a good thing. I expect my annual mileage to be 20k.
- Lastly, a very clean '02, 17k, tip, bose is locally available in the low 80s but that seems awfully costly IMO at this time. Not the right color, no nav but appears very clean. Overpriced? Any issues to purchasing an out-of-state car if I widen my search?

Thanks a bunch.

RobynC

I would say that price is a bit high. I just purchased an 01 with 8500 miles for less than 82k.(Super-ultra clean, aerokit, every single thing leather, almost every option available!)

I wish I could help you with the stereo questions, but the systems just, for lack of a better term, suck! I've ripped every single one of my Pcar stereos out and gone aftermarket, even with Nav.

The reliability of the 964 platform is something I think you can count on.

Shark

The value cars are the '01s. I just paid $69k for 6 speed with 22.5k miles, aftermarket stereo & Nav, Full CF pkg, and lots of options.

1AS

The nav system is better in densely populated areas where Porsche has bought more info from navtec. The further from the beaten path, the worse it gets. In Chicago it's fine. 40 miles from downtown, it's not. But you should check with a person nearer to you to find out how it will function in your area. The 996 board could probably help there.
Considering the rate at which you accumulate miles, you uniquely would be better off with a higher mileage car. There is no point paying for a low miles car when it will be higher miles in 6 months. Dealer certified, however, would be valuable to you.
If you are willing to learn how to use a tip, it will work well for you. The more aggreessive you are, the more aggressive it is.
Lastly, if you keep the car long enough, any difference in sales price will be amortized over time, so a rock-bottom deal is not essential for you. At 50,000 miles, you may come to the conclusion that you are best off driving to 100K, as the value of your car will have dropped more substantially to a buyer than to the current owner. (It will be worth more to you than any other buyer). That is generally my approach. AS

BuddyG

First get an Alpine DVD Nav solves that problem.

Next the tt motor is based on the GT1 racing engine and is fine up to around 600 hp problem solved.

Lastly I don't know much about the tips but Sharky just ran a 10.6 in the qtr with one so they can't be all bad!

RobynC

I second that on the Alpine, having put this in two of my cars I was very pleased with it. However, I have found the Eclipse to be better. I love the touch screen and the maps are much better.

cgeorgan

Hi all,

I too just purchased an '02 Turbo w/21k miles, $83k. Got the dealer to put new tires on; in addition, the clutch/flywheel went out very early (it was bad to start) and had the dealer replace it at no cost to myself.

Anyways, trying to get a feel for how to drive it. I've read, in various publications, that the old air-cooled type engines ran best when you changed gears above 3k RPM, and ran the engine between 3k-4k RPM. My question is: Is this how the turbo's engine should run? I know it's not the same engine as the typical 996, having been derived from the Le Mans water cooled engine, but the dynamics seem similar.

Thanks ahead of time!

bdbx18

Wow, that's certainly a different perspective. I figure I'll get one with as low as miles as possible since (a) there are lotsa of low miles cars available and (b) I'll be piling on the miles myself. If the cost savings were substantial and the car is in superb cond., it would make good sense. But then again, assuming I can get a good deal on a 30k mile 996tt, I'll end up with >100k+ miles in 3 years and I haven't read about anyone with that many miles on one here or other forums. Thus my question on durability, overhaul needs, turbo maintenance requirements e.g.

Also, I intend to use the tip mostly in manual mode but can I run through the canyons in say 3rd gear all day? Or will it downshift or upshift for me eventually? I've read that it goes back to auto mode in 8 secs.

Thanks.

Pierre

It's not a tip, but mine has an intersting mileage: now over 219'000 km.
https://rennlist.com/forums/996-turbo-forum/222023-went-for-a-new-clutch.html
http://www.911turbo.com/feature/2003-12/index.php

Greetings
--Pierre