Meeyatch1

Good evening ladies and gents! I was having a discussion with some car friends of mine, and we cannot get over how it seems that you can buy a 2002 996TT with 30k miles for LESS or comparable money to a 1996 993TT with 60k miles. Is there some sort of mechanical nightmare or gremlins that the 996TT has that makes people stay away from it? I tried to search for past topics on this, but did not find what I was looking for, and wanted to ask people familiar with the 996TT so my information is accurate. Unless this car is a nightmare to own, it seems like one heck of a bargain.

ltc

Dr W's goal of 100K cars/year has lead to a bit of an overproduction of modern Porsches, and the 996TT was not immune.
Produced in higher numbers than 993TT's and less desireable than 993TT's (air cooled vs water cooled, more of a GT car than the 993TT, etc...)

You can't argue with the market. The 993C2S and 993Turbo S seem to be the most desireable.

BTW, it's not just TT's, you can buy a 996C4 or a 996 Targa for much less than their 993 counterparts. Forget the 996 and Boxster, they've become the Hondas of the Porsche lineup.

ltc

And BTW, no , there's nothing wrong with them. They have the M64 GT1 derived dry sump engine; a true classic piece of Porsche engineering and history (unlike the Carrera/Boxster M96 with a wet sump and RMS issues).

Forum member T2 has over 150K miles of year round New England driving on his with no issues. Pretty damned realiable supercar.

964C4

Although 993TT's are more desirable, I find most of the prices ridiculous !

If it's a 993TT S even worser... They are priced about $ 140,000.00 with low miles

fdss

You also have to throw into the equation that the 993tt was the last air cooled turbo car.

John D II

Not to me (more desirable) and I owned two of them.

Dock

What would happen if 996 Turbo owners stopped selling their cars for such relatively low prices?

TT Surgeon

The 993tt is a classic, hand built, last of it's kind. Even the most hard ridden still closes it's doors with a click. The 996tt's were just overproduced and dumbed down to market to the masses. Also don't forget porsche was almost bankrupt in '98, they only sold 4500 cars, they had to steamline. As much as a mundane car the 996 is compared to a 993, it and it;s boxster/ceyenne cousins saved the company....but at the expense of handbuilt quality.

John D II

I have to say - I don't get the quality thing with the 993. I had more problems in 3,000-20,000 miles with my 993's (I had 3 - 2 turbos and a 993 cab) than in 5 years and 80,000 highly modded miles in my 996TT. Not to mention the 996 does everything better, except look classic - which is a non issue with me. I loved my 993's when I had them, but don't miss them at all. I miss my 3.2 Carrera Targa and '72 911T more than the 993.

jcb-memphis

Ditto. I think the "hand built" think is a bunch of marketing BS on cars...I would rather fly hurtling down the road at over 100 in a machine built by robots than humans if the robots had been set up and q/a'ed by the humans...less chance of error. The 996 and boxster are products of Toyota input into Porsche...pure and simple. Financial, repairable, and reliable....not just financial. Guys, rube goldberg design is not always better. It is more emotionally satisfying to think a "German uber machanic" put your car together, but they have free beer on the line at the Porsche factory.....come one, the 996 is a great car. Once people in 993tt's see the cost of repairs go up.....


I am allowed to say this. I had a 993 and loved it to death. But, when I get in one now it has one "vibe" for me...old. Like an old VW.

Now, the m96 engine.....another story....

JB

Stummel

sure, and there is Oktoberfest the whole year round in their factory canteen

whyb2nd

I don't agree with old VW but the car felt dated although the 996tt had a numb driving feel compared. I sold mine 16 months ago and I'm looking to purchase one again, their nostalgic, fun and beautiful looking automobiles.

930chas

Right now on autotrader.com, there are 61 -- 993tts available for sale. Using a 2 year run of 996tts, there are 185- - 2001-2002s available. Rarity can dictate price, much like how the '94 965 can sell for such a premium.

I personally spent the past year or so debating between the 996tt and the 993tt. I ended up with the 993tt, and do not regret the decision one bit. It reminds me of my 930, it is very visceral and alive. Now don't get me wrong, I would love to have a 996tt as a daily driver. It would keep a smile on my face Monday through Friday, but the 993tt would make me throw back my head and laugh with sheer delight every Saturday and Sunday.

rafiki

I started out looking to buy a 993tt.

My research and limited drive experience led me to the conclusion that the 993tt was a great car.When I drove a 996tt, I immediatelly decided to buy that instead.

At that time, in Australia(18 months ago), the 996tt were about $30,000 more expensive than the 993tt.They are almost the same price now, but the 993tt S commands a healthy premium.

The price differential between the 993tt and the 996tt is not a reflection of build quality, reliability or performance differences.It's mostly to do with the much lower build numbers of the 993tt which complicate discussions regarding relative desirability and value of both species.

You should buy one or the other based on looks, visceral appeal, budget and retained value considerations if you must. Either way, you will die a happy man.

For me, the 996tt is the " best buy" used sports car in the world.
That they are currently cheaper than the 993tt is a bonus for prospective buyers.

gobble

I hated the 996 when it came out. In my mind the 993 was always the last real Porsche built. I remember touring the factory in 1999 thinking Porsche was making a huge mistake with the 996. I've always wanted a 993tt and didn't like the 996tt the first time I saw it.

All that being said, when I decided this summer that I could afford a turbo I decided I would be a fool to buy a 10 year old 993tt when the 996tt was clearly a better and more modern car.