faiz

Long time enthusiast here who is about to purchase their 1st p-car.

Having owned a bi-turbo audi s4 and tuning it to over 500 hp I would start off my saying that the ONLY model i would consider are the turbo models. There is nothing more enjoyable than the torque rush from a turbo car.

I have read all the threads about the 996 being a very reliable and well made vehicle. I plan to use my car as a daily driver with the odd/occasional track day (? 1-2 days a year if that).

Since this vehicle will be my daily driver I want to get into something that wont be too harsh to drive daily and be reasonable to maintain. The 996TT that i have driven have been modded and seemed perfect for a daily driver. The 997TT however seems to be a bit more on the luxury side especially when it comes to the interior bells and whistles and the ride in general (at least thats the impression i have been given)

What it comes down to me then is this - is the 997TT any more or less reliable than the 996TT mechanically (and i ask this in light of the fact i will be packing on the miles). Furthermore is there REALLY a big difference in appointment/comfort/luxury/bells and whistles comparing the 996TT vs 997TT?

I know asking this question in this subforum may yield some biased answers but i reckon there are probably people here who considered/are considering a 997TT.

I was hoping to get some insight from the wealth of knowledge here regarding the pro's and con's of this decision.

by my own account i would state

996TT

pros - well priced, proven reliability, cheaper to service as parts are more readily available, a bit more "raw" feeling when driving (ie not as muted as the 997), less electronic gadgetry to worry about going south

cons - not the prettiest car in the 911 heritage, what type of value will a high mileage, over produced 911 hold years from now (esp if u pick up a car that's already 8-10 years old)

997TT

pros - looks, creature comforts (eg nav/hands free), a bit more on the luxury side

cons - some would say not as "Pure" a driving experience as the 996,
? higher operating costs,
? more electrical gizmos that can go south later on


again your opinions/experiences would be most appreciated.

jcb-memphis

Rule: buy the newest car you can afford.

For me, it was the 996TT when I bought....

PPI!!!!!!!

search here and on 6speedonline....


Good luck!

jimq

I would go for the newer car. Dont get me wrong I really like the 996TT

Wachuko

I would go for the newer car you can afford. 997TT clicks all the right boxes for me (interior, imho, is better than the 996TT's). But really, can't go wrong with either one.

So again, go for the 997TT.

JG 996T

If $$ is no object, 997T.

I haven't heard of any major mechanical problems for the 997 - search this forum and you'll see that there are a few issues that will pop-up with 996T. Hydraulics for rear wing to name one.

As always, due diligence pre-purchase regardless of which model you choose.

Remember, shopping is half the fun

pewter82

996TT, less $$ and same experience (power and traction, looks). Looks like decent used 997TT are in the 70-85K, the 996TT are in the high 30-low50K. Bank the 20-40K and enjoy yourself !

jason

OCNYPORSCHE

Easy choice 997TT, but only if you can afford it. A 996TT is tough to beat at the current prices.

DesignerGenes

I have a 2005 996 Turbo S (S = luxuried up, with 29 more HP and PCCBs). Love the car! As with all things Porsche, buy the newest you can afford. I do hear the 997 feels more luxurious and its suspension is more 'tractable' on regular pavement. I definitely prefer the instrument cluster in the 997.

If money is no object, buy a new 2011 Turbo S -- the fastest production car to 60 mph ever built by Porsche (3.1 seconds). It even beats the new GT2 RS to 60 (3.4). You're stuck with the PDK transmission in the 2011 Turbo S.

SimonK

996TT. As you said, more of a drivers car. Toss 10K in it, it will blow 997TT. Bank the rest of money.

faiz

thx for the opinions - keep 'em coming

to be honest - banking the 15-20k difference is why i am even having this discussion. To save that much and have 90% of the feel of the 997 is very hard to pass up on. plus i reckon maintenance will be cheaper.

i also need to set some dough aside for a winter beater. i think i need to go TD a 997 but as it stands i am leaning heavy towards a 996


just as an fyi i had INITIALLY also included the gt-r on my list of potentials, but with their $1800 full fluids service every 1700 miles if u track the car, 5K brake jobs, and the fact it is a black box when it comes to repair costs make the 996 look like relative peanuts to maintain and repair.

SimonK

I wouldn’t go as far as mentioning peanuts and 996TT in the same sentence.

DesignerGenes

A point about your GT-R's "5k brake jobs." I was at the Dealership getting my 30,000 mile service (They know I track the car.), and they mentioned they had another customer who also tracks his Turbo with PCCBs, "and he burned them out completely in a few months."

Porsche Dealer gets 10k to rebuild PCCBs. But ... I know a shop in the Salt Lake valley that'll do it for only 8k.

John D II

I love my 996TT, but would go with a 997TT if I had the choice, primarily due to the substantial power gains with minimal modding. A simple flash and exhaust on a 997TT creates a real rocket. Also, it's newer and will have less maintenance issues.

LVDell

I went through the same thing. My local dealer showed me a 997 that was really nice and similar to mine (color, options, etc) but it was "only" 20K more. The problem is that I didn't want to commit any more money that I budgeted to buy my current one. Especially for a weekend car. Once you start doing the "well if I only spend 20K more I can get that" you start rationalizing a new custom order for 150K!

My 996 brings me an incredible amount of joy every time I get behind the wheel. I never have looked at the interior and thought "damn, I wish I got the 997". Frankly, I can't remember every doing anything other than listening to the engine/turbos and watching the road feeling goosebumps at the same time.

Being able to afford the newest model doesn't mean you have to buy it when the 996 Turbo is a great bargain for what you get. I paid right about 1/2 of what the original owner paid

Now I have money for mods. Oh wait a sec, I decided, no mods

deepblue

If you plan on modding, go with the 996tt, you will invalidate whatever warranty you might have anyway. Otherwise like most people have said here, get the most recent car you can afford.