Thanks for all of the replies.

The Cars.com link is interesting, I had been doing all of my shopping on Ebay, prices are considerably lower on Cars.com and probably more reflective of what the cars will sell for.

Maybe I can afford more than I thought.....?

I know the 996TT is the "bang for the buck" car as far as performance, but I'm thinking it's starting to look a little dated and in a few years I'll wish I had the newer headlight style / interior. Same goes for the 996GT3.

I will have to look into the IMS deal, I was familiar with the RMS issues but not IMS. Search is in order.

Electronics package is not that big of a deal for me, I don't care about navigation, etc. just want to DRIVE the car and listen to some tunes!

SO right now leaning towards a 997.1 C2S. Would be nice if I could find a 997.2 C2S....maybe there will be more of these cars on the market come January.

Why the concern with the m96/m97 motors? Have there been serious reliability issues? The car is not going to be tracked regularly, just driven spiritedly!

Thanks again for the replies.

 

definitely buy '09+ car with 9a1 motor if you can.

concerns on m96/m97 is a long long list. they may last long enough or may not, and unpredictability of issues is a big PITA. read up lnengineering web site and planet 9 forums where cayman owners complain. 996 forums have a lot of info too.
search this stuff up or simply find a good shop in your area and speak to mechanics, they will give you a good picture of why gt3 engines do cost as they do. if m97 would be good porsche would not spend a ton of money to develop 9a1 motor.

 

The 996 TT is now a classic P car. Despite the egg yolk headlinghts it has some beautiful classic lines and the performance, the bang for your buck, is definitely there. EVO magazine had a great write up last year on this car as a used model.

 

I was looking at 997.1 and 997.2 cars. For that money I could have had a very nice 996 Turbo and had a lot of "tire money" left over.

However, I wanted a naturally aspirated car. I went with a 997.2 primarily for the 9A1 engine with DFI. Since the 9A1 engine does not have an intermediate shaft, there will be no IMS issues. Also, the PASM suspension was further improved on the 997.2 and the Nav system was simplified and touch screen was added. All in all, it was a major jump in technology, especially since it was a mid model face lift.

 

IMO the 996 headlights just kill the looks of that car. To my eye the 997 looks far better.
I am also a N/A fan as opposed to the turbo feel.

In the end both are great cars, each has tradeoffs.

 

my plan - drive a 997.1S for a couple of years and see what happens to 997tt prices. love the power on the 996tt but not enough to ignore the interior.

 

I can't see the 996 Turbo as ever a "classic car" because it's so unpopular with many Porsche enthusiasts. Try to get something that is a bit more current if you can swing it. With the photos of the 991 Carrera out now you can see that Porsche is moving back to round headlights and away from the 996 look entirely. Any 997 will look considerably newer than any version of the 996. For the money, a 996 C4S is a much nicer looking car. As a long time Porsche guy, I can tell you that the "turbo" is not necessarily at the top of the heap. Because the 996 Turbo can be bought today for relatively little money--don't be tempted. You can to judge what is more important to you--looks or performance. For plain performance a turbo has plenty of HP to spare, but keep in mind that the latest version of 997 cars has the power of early 996 Turbos but does it without the complexity of a turbo.