vbb

I currently own a 997.2 C2. Not unhappy with the car, but am always looking for something more. Short list given the price range I'm willing to commit to a car that will see about 4K-5K miles a year includes a 997.1 Turbo and a 997.2 GTS if I decide to stay NA. For some reason I started looking at 996 Turbos and after some searching, youtube vids and conversations with a few Porsche friends, I've added the 996TT to the list.

While I know quite a bit about the 997, I haven't learned as much about the 996. The catch here is that I would not be afraid to modify the 996 for more power, so rather oddly, I'm looking for already modded 996TTs, or clean examples that I intend to modify later. Not trying to build a race car, but a good 500hp would be the sweet spot, and from what I'm reading, reliably tuning a 996TT, especially one with the X50 Powerkit up to 500hp isn't crazy. Whatever my next P car is will be the one I intend to keep for the long haul, so I'm sort of thinking it'll be time to get what I really want, and not worry about depreciation or resale values (hence me not being afraid of modifications).

There's plenty to read on this forum, but I am soliciting opinions from those of you that may have previously owned or currently own 997s of any type (NA or TT) to get some of your thoughts regarding the two. Admittedly, I do like the look of the 997 more, especially comparing non-turbo to non-turbo... but done right the 996TT can be a beautiful car. Here's a quick example of what I'd want the exterior of mine to look like and a pic of my current car as well.

What I consider to be a perfect (looking) 996 build:


My car:

BauerR

500hp is easy to get, even on non-x50 car. Everything else about the two are just subjective information.

Here is a link to some visual changes I've made to my 996
https://rennlist.com/forums/996-turb...anges-pix.html

FRUNKenstein

vbb - Sounds like a great quest. You should find plenty of 996TTs on the market already modded correctly up to 500 hp. Frankly there's no need to limit yourself to an X50 to get that kind of power as the non-X50 cars are easily capable of producing 500 hp with a mild tune. Obviously, the big hp cars are the ones that you should be wary of as they probably were flogged pretty hard at some point.

I have no first hand experience with the 997 models, so no help there. But, we all know why people like the looks of the 997 over the 996. But, step back and take a deep breath for a moment, then look at the two pics you posted. Do you really think the plain round headlights are more interesting than the headlight units on the 996TT? Fast forward to 20 years from now - do you think posterity will covet more those round 997 headlights that are just like all the other models or the 996TT headlights with the unique design that were only produced for 5 model years? The 996 series got a bad rep right off the bat for having the same headlights as the Boxster. That rep carried over all the way to the 996TT, but I think you'll find those headlights grow on you. Frankly, I love the look of the Mk I aerokit cars as I think the Boxster (aka GT1) headlights look "just right" on it and the round headlights would not have.

Keep us posted on your search. If you'd like feedback on a specific car you are considering, just post it up here. Good luck with your search!

vbb

It is more than just the headlights on the 997 that I prefer. It's also the body lines, particularly from the doors back. That said, I believe that the 996 TT has great lines as well, when compared to the non-turbo versions, which is why I can confidently include it on my wishlist. I have found some stunning examples of the 996tt with proper modifications that just look beautiful.

So, I understand that a good search will tell me what I need to know, but what are some of the most popular modifications to non X50 equipped cars that get them to a reliable 500 horse? Are we just talking exhaust system and ECU tuning? I've already learned something, in that I don't need to be searching for an X50 model exclusively to get where I'm trying to go, which of course opens up my search considerably.

FRUNKenstein

Maybe Kevin from UMW can chime in here. He is widely considered a leading expert on exactly that topic.

I have an X50 car with a Revo tune installed by the original owner (I am the 3rd owner). The car came with a device (looks like a TV remote) that plugs into the OBD port to change the tune from stock (450 hp) to Level 1, 2 or 3. Level 3 supposedly produces 650 hp (on 100 octane gas). The 2nd owner (who I bought from) said it was set on stock when he got it and he never changed it. I haven't felt the need to do that either - 450 hp has sufficed for me to date.

If you are going to put a mild tune on the car, there are a few mods you'll want to make, but nothing crazy. Based on the for sale ads that I saw when searching for mine, I'd say about half of these cars already have some sort of tune and many of those are quality work. Just do your due diligence on the mods done to each specific car. For example, the "Agency Power" brand does not have a good rep with many people and may signify shortcuts were taken. Some mods seem to be more for show. For example, silicone boost hoses (normally made in a bright color) - the plain ol' black OEM hoses are equal if not better. The silicone "f" hose is better than stock, however as the stock "f" hose tends to split.

geetee

If you are talking crank HP (not wheel HP) k16 regular turbo is at 415 crank HP. Any quality 1.0 bar ECU tune and any aftermarket exhaust puts you at over 500 crank HP easily. Many many more upgrades are available to easily go over that also.
X50 K24 turbos are 450 crank HP and just a ECU tune will put you over 500 crank HP easily.
There's many "cheap" turbo upgrades available so I would limit yourself on a x50 car.

HBdirtbag

My dad has a 997s that I've probably put 5,000 miles on. I'd take the 996 turbo all day long. He liked my turbo so much he ordered a '17 turbo s.

BioBanker

I read what you are looking to get out of the car, both performance wise and other characteristics. and my guess is that you'll have a very tough time finding a car that suits you better than a 996 turbo.

I too prefer the look of 997 turbos, as well as their interior, but I can't find any other thing I prefer about those. Everything else, including the financial items, 996TT wins IMO.

And if you're like me, you'll probably find 500ish hp sufficient. My car has dynod at 650whp plus three times but I drive it on the lowest setting (1.0bar) 100% of the time for the last many years.

You should find tons of awesomely modded cars avail. It'll be a fun search.

vbb

Thanks for all the replies so far. I plan to keep this thread alive as I go through my search. I know that it is early, but I already feel a sense of excitement about searching for a 996 TT because I know what's available given my budget. At over $80,000, 997.2 turbos are out of the range of what I would want to spend on a toy, plus the wife would have none of it anyway. As mentioned earlier, the 997.1 TT models (with the preferred Metzger engine over the .2 anyway) are starting to sit in my range, but do not leave me a lot left over for any personalization/customization, plus I do not have as wide of a choice. A lot of those are still going for well north of $75,000 anyway, so the ones that are closer to my price range are kind of a take what you can get level. The 997.2 GTS is intriguing, but they are also very hard to find because so few of them were made and are for sale. Plus, not that the horsepower is inadequate, but there really isn't much you can do on the aftermarket side to tinker with an NA Porsche at least power-wise.

After a quick search, there seem to be several 996TTs that are at a nice range, several with lowish mileage and well cared for. Though admittedly I still like the 997 better, a lower mileage 996 that has been kept nice and regularly maintained is more attractive to me than a high-mileage 997 that's been ragged out and need of a major schedule service (people always seem to trade or sell them right before one of the more expensive service items). Having a little extra coin to do some modifications is also attractive to me because I don't think I've ever had a sports car that I haven't tinkered with at least a little bit. I just need to get more educated about the 996 TT because admittedly I haven't looked this direction very much.

And for the guy who asked a little earlier, 500 crank horsepower I'm sure would be plenty adequate. It isn't a specific number I'm trying to hit, so much as a benchmark for what I consider a real supercar level of power. Something under 3000 pounds that is putting out over 400 to the wheels is going to feel pretty darn fast no matter what you are used to driving.

Atrox

Have you driven a 996 tt yet? You may be pleasantly surprised at just what a stock w/tune can do.

TT Surgeon

Car to get is the 996 turbo s.

vbb

I haven't. I've driven a 997.1 TT manual, but not a 996. Since I know what 480hp feels like on that car, that's what has me looking for about 500 out of the 996.

T10Chris

Had a 997.2 C4 that I sold a couple of years ago. For the thrill and enjoyment of driving, the 996TT is on a different planet. For comforts and features, the 997.2 is on a different planet.

I'm not saying that you cannot add many of the features (ie- bluetooth connection) to the 996, but I've found that I do not want to add it. In the world of sports cars today where everything is electronic, connected and controlled, the 996TT combines just the right mix of technology with focus on driving attitude to me. I wanted to update the interior with in-dash iPad or something similar, but part of me even enjoys the simplicity of the single DIN radio with no navi...

I don't really miss my 997. I don't think you will either.

vbb

Exactly the kind of review I was looking for. My sports car is just that...a pure driving enjoyment sports car. I do not mind giving up Creature Comforts for more performance. Seems I'm on the right track...

vbb

I've found an '01 with under 30k miles not too far from me. The good is that it looks to be really clean, and has low mileage. The bad is that it has had 5 previous owners. The last owner put less than 9k miles on it in the 2.5 years he had it. Maintenance history is pretty spotty based on what has been reported on the Carfax report as well. On paper this car appears to be something that previous owners bought and let sit in a garage somewhere, hardly driving it and maybe not doing all the services based on time (since they were not reaching the mileage). Is it too risky? Garage queens look good on paper, and I like the low mileage, but the 5 owners and no meticulous service history sort of worries me.