I've always had a thing for German cars. Starting with VW's and now more Audi/Porsche.

My past 3 vehicle purchases other than the turbo:
1994 VW Jetta 2.0 - bought it for $600 drove it/repaired it through college. solid 90 whp and ran it to 200k miles
2001 Audi S4 - job offer and signing bonus in hand I decided to get a car I always liked, first experience with a 6 cyl. twin-turbo. sold it after
2006 Audi A4 Avant - tried to convince myself I didn't need 450 hp and wanted the extra utility (still have this as my DD)

Then about 2 years ago I started getting the itch for a sportier car. Considered the new S4 and likely would be driving one now if it was available as an Avant in the US. Then I started looking at Caymans as a second car in the 20-30K range and then this car popped up, and I HAD to have it, so I went for it, even though it was about double the price range I had in mind for a toy. I'm so happy with my choice though. I don't think I would've been content with the lack of power in the Cayman after having daily driven a car with more power previously.

 

Lol. Nothings wrong it's just not as satisfying of an experience. The e30 M was a hand built solid car and the 996 tt feels like a tin can in comparison. Also the M3 just had a special feeling this car doesn't have. I can't quite nail down what it is, maybe just nostalgia. Also everyone now assumes I'm total D-bag when I step out of the car.

 

Ha ha. I guess experience is all relative...I came out of a very nicely and highly modified Z06 and I can say my experience switching to the 996TT (is exactly what you describe liking about the E30).

Also, try stepping out of a Corvette at a nice exotics-filled car meet. Talk about being labeled a D-Bag. I sometimes had young dot.com exotic driving millionaires look at me like I had pulled up in a Prius or something.

I'd say Porsche owners are more likely labeled as snobs (not douchebags)...and I'd rather be a snob than a doucebag. LOL

 

e30M3 is a wonderful car, but slow unless you wind it out and thrash it around. i'd take mine back in a second, but i doubt i'd buy another one at today's prices. you're a boy racer in the e30 and d-bag in the tt - tough choice. i guess i'd pass on the M3 due to lack of power compared to other options in the price range. maybe the tt will grow on you - you have to be enjoying the 192 to 415 hp bump!

 

Started with muscle cars, went to a Supra, to C5 Corvette Z06, went through a couple more Supras, went to M3, back to Corvette C6 Z06, to sport bikes, to luxury cars instead of sports cars, back to sports cars with 997.2 C4S PDK, sold that for a Cayenne Turbo and began looking for something fun to play with and make a track car; happened across a good deal on 996 Turbo, went to check it out thinking it would be beat up and an ideal candidate for tracking and it ended up being super clean for a good price so I picked it up and have been enjoying it ever since

 

Had a 951S 15 years and loved the boost, wanted something newer and safer to take my son on longer PCA trips/events. Found a great one an hour away...its just too nice to DE...oh well...maybe I'll add a gt3/4 for that

 

I've always wanted a 964 turbo it's always been the goal since I can remember. I didn't have the money a few years ago before prices went insane.

1. 68 beetle auto stick (this was my dads who got me into VWs and aircooled cars)
2. 65 beetle 2332cc German look (tried to turbo it didn't work out) it was a blast before I ruined it. Best sleeper ever.
3. 87 16v scirocco
4. 01 gti 1.8t neva loses
5. 98 GTI VR SC
6. 65 beetle 1835cc
7. 04 R32 250awhp/tq naturally aspirated
8. 98.5 Dakar M3 full Turner build 245rwhp
9. 02 996 turbo billet K16s and supporting mods

The e36, and R32 did everything well and we're both very balanced. The 996 just goes fast and is capable of serious things. The BMW was my "pre Porsche car" I knew I'd be in the market for a Porsche as my next car so I sold it and started looking at a TTRS which after driving e36 on AST coils was numb and boring. The TTRS is a fast car but not a Porsche. I started looking heavily at Carrera 4s and caymans when a fellow enthusiast who has a R8 and 40th 996 pointed me to the 996 turbo. A few weeks later I found my 996 02 white on black for a great price, it has a little history but only because it has a new motor in it, other than that it's a super clean body and interior. I hope to have the 996 until well a long time. I drive it once or twice a week and baby it mostly because I don't know its limits quite yet.
Shawn

 

1979 Golf GLS
1982 Golf GL
1988 Golf GTI 16v
1990 Toyota Celica GT4
1992 Lotus Elan
1990 Porsche 964 C4
2005 Porsche 997 C2S
2001 996TT

 

i'm somewhat surprised the 951 doesn't get a bit more love. i know it's not your prototypical porsche, but it's still a great (albeit needy) car! my 951 is currently a keeper and i'm considering even more money into it to make it even quicker. moving from a 951S to a 996tt seems to be about the most logical step i can think of.

 

i think the C4S and tt are the best looking of the 996s. is that your GR tt in your avatar? what interior color?

 

btdt!!
that all started with me in BMWs.
autoxing, DEs, FATTs, instructing, dualies, scca racing, bmwcca racing... good times!!

 

you're not alone lusting after the 965. the 965 is still one of the best looking 911s ever. last of the single - hold onto your *** - turbos.

e36 M3s are great cars. i remember buying parts from Will before Turner was even racing! I watched the progression of his company - along with UUC and rogue engineering. Rob Levinson is a good friend and i watched UUC grow from the concept of the BL/SS shifter.

sounds like you scored on the 996tt. white is a super desirable color on these cars and even better with the black interior. i'm jealous!

 

just spent an hour researching 911 prices and we are all as a group are insanely fortunate to have adopted this car relative to other offerings. especially given the dollar market value to performance ratio of this car. it's like some undiscovered vacation paradise..

i keep thinking that one day the world of car enthusiasts and their penchant for performance deals of the century will eventually "discover" this car and its monetary *value* will more closely approximate the reward we receive every time we get in 'em.

it just blows my mind to see 75k mile 993's going for $75K..and then our cars are lucky to pull in 50. this is my penultimate 911 and the last adrenaline booster i can ever imagine needing. all this for 30k?

astonishing.

 

i couldn't agree more. the 996tt has been a BARGAIN buy for years now. look at the turbos on either side of it and it's cheap. the 997s are still depreciating some, but i think the 996s have bottomed and more widespread appreciation for the cars is right around the corner. i watched the same thing happen with the 964 and specifically the RSA. for so many years, the 964 was the stepchild 911 - no one wanted one really. the RSA got no love. look at that market now! you can hardly find an RSA for under $100k with some miles and it was always considered 'nothing special'. i sold mine with 31k miles in perfect condition.

the 996 certainly has some things going against it - the exterior styling is controversial; the interior is, well, not porsche's best effort; and it is likely still down in value based on the whole 996 line. thing is, it's a metzger engine and that's all you need to know. if you can look past the interior - i actually like the exterior styling, although the hips could be more pronounced - this is tons of car for the money. There will be a point where all relative turbo prices will eventually bring the 996tt up too and it might not be affordable to some by then. i made the jump from a '05 997S to a 993C4S before that market really peaked. I knew it was time to jump ship on the 997 and get into a WB 993 while i could. i feel like this is a somewhat similar proposition. 996tts are not going to take off like the late air-cooleds did, but i think they'll get the value they deserve, like the 964s, in short order. this is by far the most affordable turbo right now and to me its a 'buy'.

 

1989 Nissan 240SX Fastback
2001 Acura RSX Base
2002 Subaru WRX
1985 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 (kept for 7 years and traded it in for the 996TT)
1997 Mercedes E320
2008 Honda Fit Sport
2001 Porsche 911 Turbo