SO.. In short - I'm looking into purchasing a 996TT. Will be my first porsche, and first "high end car". A friend of mine has a 996TT, and he's almost talking me out of buying one. Was telling me he spent around 5k on fixing stuff right after he bought it (he bought it last year). Kind of scared me a little! So members, and fellow enthusiasts, talk me into it. Why should I buy a 996TT? I know these cars are pretty reliable, as long as general maintenance is covered..I've always loved Porsche, and always wanted one. I'm kind of torn though, do I spend the money on a 10+ year old car that's expensive to own, or just buy something new...

 

If you can pay cash with money left over for maintenance yes. Also you will want a good car with maintenance records= cheaper in the long run. If your on the fence buy something newer in your budget.

 

Uhm yes, really worth it. When you buy a car like this you expect it's going to cost money in maintenance, however there is a lot of stuff you can do yourself with a simple set of tools.

But the price category that you are looking on you cannot compare this car to anything else. Plus the car will retain value, where as most others cara will continue to depreciate.

 

These cars were $130K and more, new. Maintenance and repair costs don't change much over the life of the car, so can seem disproportionate when the market value is $40K.

Having said that, I don't know of any alternative that will give you so much joy for so little money.

 

It's going to cost you to maintain it. Rarely does the car that is for sale have all the issues resolved. Tires, suspension alignment, plugs, coilpacks, coolant leaks (radiators> 3 of them $$$) or waterpump failing, to intake leaks AND then the clutch, slave, rear wing hydraulics, new battery and alternator. $5K is used up quickly...

 

^yes

 

I guess my main fear is some kind of catastrophic failure. I love the look of it. Only thing I will be changing is the seats, and steering wheel. (interior wise). Throw some HRE's on it, and call it a day exterior.

 

That's 10k right there besides as Kevin noted the unknown. If you can swing it financially the 996t is hard to beat=go for it.

 

I'd be coming from a Golf R. The seats I already have, so that's a bonus.. Wonder how it stacks up stock to my Golf.. (might seem like a silly question but the Golf makes around 320 AWHP)

 

Sorry no comparison. Haven't you driven your friends car? You can get 550-600 easy with tune/exhaust add ons etc.

 

If i thought there was comparison, I wouldn't be making the switch . I plan to do intake/tune/exhaust on it. The golf is fun, and done nicely. 3 piece HRE's lots of euro parts etc, but time for the dream car, the 911 turbo. I think the 996 is the best bang for your buck performance car there is.

 

I'm searching as well. I've turned down (some probably good cars) because I've been a stickler for maintenance docs and have been borderline neurotic in terms of what I'll accept. That said…my last 911, a 2003 996 C2 w/ PSE, I was the same way.

 

Drive it. These cars (cars in general I suppose) aren't just a list of specs and numbers. You're paying a huge premium for the experience. How does the thing react to bumps? Does the seating position give you confidence to drive way too fast? How organic does the wheel, the clutch, the dash, the shift-lever...etc feel?

On paper, these cars aren't that quick nowadays. But it's still a Porsche and it's the intangibles that set it apart and allow no substitute.

My list was E92 M3, mk6 Golf R and this, and you can guess which I chose. Any car can be made fast. Not any car can be made special.

That's enough hyperbole for one day.

 

In my experience, it's about what sort of ownership experience you want. Some people want hassle free, some people don't mind tinkering or having this or that fixed. You get a lot of bang for your buck in terms of performance and engineering (120k car new) but there are trade offs.

Do you want a turn key car that just runs, no issues, no hassle, something that if you have an issue with you can bring to the dealer and have fixed at no charge. Nothing wrong with that, but the newest 996 Turbos are 10 years old now. You will have issues, you will make multiple trips to the shop. You could buy a car tomorrow that's been serviced regularly and you can get a PPI and then have a failure on the ride home.

You can mitigate your risk by finding a documented car and having a PPI done but it doesn't guarantee anything. I've bought several well maintained, well documented cars with PPIs and then had to spend money right out of the gate.

In terms of catastrophic failure, the odds are low, and at the end of the day, anything can be fixed just takes $.

 

I'd never try to talk you into it. I know almost nothing about you, your tastes, or your financial situation.