Talk me into (or out of) a 996 Turbo -> 997 Turbo upgrade
 

I really am enjoying my current 996 Turbo, but I still occasionally get the itch for something new, and occasionally see something tempting
I have an opportunity to pick up a 997 Turbo at a fairly decent price. My delta cost would be ~$10-13K, plus another few grand in sales tax burn.

Here's the specifics:

Current:
2001 996 Turbo Coupe

• Arctic silver over black
• Manual.
• 61K miles.
• Mostly stock, cobb tune, a few minor (and reversible) cosmetic mods
• Very well, sorted, cosmetically A, you have to look pretty hard to find a blemish inside or out.
• Extensive service history, multiple owners.
• Projected ask price mid-upper forties?

Possible:
2007 997 Turbo Coupe

• Polar Silver over black
• Manual.
• 55K miles
• 100% stock, never touched mechanically by anyone but the Porsche dealer.
• Perfect mechanical condition, One owner. fully dealer serviced, full records.
• Cosmetically an A, with the exception of 4-5 clustered paint chips on passenger door, likely from a door opening into it.
• Projected purchase price under $60K. Plus sales tax, plus transport.

I know the 996 turbo platform much better than the 997 platform... Obviously both Mezgers, cosmetic and interior differences are obvious, I believe the AWD system was significantly upgraded with the 997 AWD platform? I've hear some reports of drivers preferring the 996T rawness... Any thoughts or opinions?

Obviously a personal preference, and purely from a cosmetic standpoint, I was never a fan of the 996 design. I would do that swap in a heartbeat.

Under 60k for a mint mid mile 997tt likely wont happen unless something is up.

The cars are not that different but in my opinion the 7tt looks better, is a bit more cspqble, and is a bit more refined.

I think your price delta will be bigger and its not worth it if you like your 6tt

Id look for one with fewer miles.

I'm no market expert either but from everything I've been reading/hearing, agree your dollar delta may be higher. A clean "no stories" '07 6MT under $60K seems like it would've been swooped-up in a heartbeat, and you hear of 996TT's going as low as mid/upper-thirties. I doubt many folks on this particular forum will try to talk you out of it, though, if the numbers work for you. The 997 is a fantastic platform and great-looking design.

Agree that "under $60k" might be hard to finagle if the seller knows the market, especially on such a clean car with one owner.

The 997 looks better but I have to admit that I get a bit more of a thrill sometimes when I see a 996 Turbo out and about. They're just getting old enough where it feels a bit more like a cool old enthusiast's car, and for whatever reason I see fewer of them than 7TTs.

I picked up a 7tt to add to the 6tt. The interior is much nicer from a standpoint of doing lots of miles in it. Very quiet and refined, however it does seem to be lacking a little more of the feed back that the 996 has from steering/weight shift most likely due to the PASM suspension which is great for road trips. Mine is stock other than a DSC box at the moment and the 996 has suspension/brakes/power adders.

The first thing I noticed was that it feels smaller when driving for some reason, not sure why. Perhaps it is the lightness of the steering/throttle but it feels more along the lines of my Audi TT in size rather than the 996 that feels closer to my old 540i. The PASM suspension is one of the most favorite parts along with the better all wheel drive system which on slick/icy surfaces drives much better.

Attachment 1351562

Two weeks ago did a 400+ mile afternoon road trip up into VT to grab some beer and found it perfectly at home trucking along at 85mph. The larger fuel tank is also very nice! Does take down miles just like the old E39 540i did, but with more power and better handling for those curvy sections.
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That being said I have had a couple people offer to buy the 996 but I am not willing to part with it, when it comes to early morning blasts with pure raw power and lack of computers it is hard to beat. The power delivery is much more raw as is the connection with it telling you every single thing that is going on on the road surface. The VNT's in the 997 make the motor feel much happier to chug along at lower speeds where the K16's in the 996 want to be run all the way out all the time.

Having had both I tend to agree that the 997TT is definitely a better looking car inside and out. My 996TT was modded a bit for track use and, to me, felt much more raw and connected than my 997TT. Perhaps if I did the same mods the 997T would get there but the shifter is not as "bolt action" and the car is overall a bit more refined and quiet. If that is what you are looking for go 997TT all day long. If you are looking for a rawer experience and a little easier to mod then go 996TT. But with all that being said you can get a much lower mileage 996TT in the mid $40's. I would not buy either with over 50k miles at those prices.

Thanks for all the feedback...

I'm doing some due-dilligence on the 997 Turbo. Nice car, some real positives, a few glitches.

One of the hassles of buying out-of-town cars is differing perspectives and opinions on condition, even with a PPI on the car, and ultimately really wanting my own eyes on it to make a final decision.

The headlights............... I just want to shoot the designer every time I see the 996 headlights! Aside, from that not much difference to be honest, but god damn, I hate those headlights.

While I think the 997 Turbo has some styling improvements, I honestly I think the 996 turboheadlights are aging quite well and I don't mind at all having another homage element from the GT1 on it...

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...647839f782.jpg

Yup. People said that about the 914... And the 911SC... And the 964... And the 996... And the 718...

But sometimes the people are wrong. e.g.; https://www.classicandsportsfinance....turbo-and-gt2/