Sayajin

Okay guys, due to various circumstances, I am back in the market for a Porsche. To give a quick background, I am coming from a Champion Motors Built 997.1 Turbo with their Full VTG kit and just about everything upgraded with the exception of motor internals. Full Race Suspension, Race Seats, Roll Bar, Exhaust, ect and all of the other supporting components as well. I am a track junkie that essentially built a race car that I can drive on the street.

Well as I have to replace my current vehicle I am in a bit of a decision predicament. It is roughly the same (or close) money for me to buy a 991 Turbo stock or to buy another 997 Turbo and spend the money to fully build it..

My initial thought is that i would much rather have a fully built race car than a stock vehicle, however I also realize that it is possible that the new 991 is such a far superior platform that it justifies buying one stock, and then gradually doing upgrades over time. As mentioned above, I am a track junkie that does 2-3 events every almost every month during the season with various organizations. I do also drive my car on the street very often (keeping in mind "streetable" for me is much harsher than most would find acceptable). Honestly when reading on the new 991, I am unsure as to if it really is a far superior platform. Don't get me wrong, stock to stock it's a no brainer, however does a slightly modify 991 turbo outperform a fully built 997 turbo?

I know that there are some of you who either own both or have experienced driving both on the track so I figured this would be a good place to come to get input. Long story short, for my vehicle use of heavy track with moderate street, is the 991 turbo platform with minor upgrades a superior platform to be a better buy/vehicle than a fully built 997 turbo platform? I would probably upgrade the 991 slowly and over time, but no where near as much as I would a 997 out of the gate.

What are your guys thoughts? Thanks!


-Sayajin

9LVN_TT

If I had this choice I would go with the 991 turbo. Leave it stock....

Once you start modifying especially to the level you are describing above, things can go side ways.

The new 991 is very nice...enjoy and good luck with whatever you decide.

atcbi5

991 all the way! Although it looks like a 996 from the side air intake perspective

nuclearfishin

I agree with 9LVN, there's lots that can/will go wrong with a 997 built to the max and then run hard and frequently on the track. My initial thought is why don't you start with a stock gt3? While not your typical dd, it should be no worse than the 997 with all the suspension replaced. I don't want to open a can of worms here, but there's also the question of DFI vs. Mezger. Which side do you fall on?

nuclearfishin

Haha, I thought the same thing when I first saw it. Why the 996 air intake?

atcbi5

Just odd looking, it does not match the car. I guess if I got one free I could learn to live with it :-)

Sayajin

Thanks for the input guys. Couple of things, I am one of those guys who care nothing about appearance on a car. I don't mind color, interior color, ect. Im one of those rare performance junkies. Also, keep in mind the question is not should I modify the car, I had a fully built 997.1 turbo already. The question is how much of a better platform is the 991 over the 997 and does it justify going stock over fully built. I would definitely build the 991 as well over time, simply as it has a much higher starting point, it would be significantly slower. Also, I don't care about the street ability (or lack there of), what i consider as "daily drivable" is much harsher then most guys would.

In regards to the GT3, I am actually up in the air about that. I have limited experience driving a GT3, however my concern has always been would I enjoy driving it without the massive power delivery that the turbo provides? I know the GT3 is "faster" on the track, however I don't know if I could get used to the perceived lack of power when driving it on a daily basis. Or am I completely wrong and the GT3 is a damn fun car to drive on the street as well as the track?

Thoughts?

-Sayajin

parkerfe

When deciding between a 991TT or 997TT, I ended up going with a CPO 997.2TT-S for several reasons: it is as fast as the non-s 991TT; better looking exterior; better steering feel; less expensive; 19"wheels give you more tire choices; has already took its big depreciation hit; a better looking interior

shawsan

I have a 2012 Turbo S (997.2) and have felt the pull to get a 991 GT3 but not a 991 Turbo S. First, regarding the 991 Turbo S. It's faster on the 'Ring' due to rear wheel steering but no faster in 0-60 or quarter mile times (see my post summarizing test performance figures). Looks almost identical but costs $50K more than a solid 997.2 Turbo S. To help assure my 997.2 TS performs as well as a 991 Turbo S on the track, I'm simply installing anti-sway bars, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires (better wear, ride and performance than the Cup tires), drop links, and probably an ECU tune to complement the car's current Fabspeed headers, cat and exhaust (great sound improvement and some weight savings). And there's the enjoyment of incrementally introducing mods as well and experiencing their effect, rather than buying the 'all-done' product. With this said, I don't even think about a 991 Turbo S.

Not the same, however, regarding a 991 GT3. I'm a fan of dual clutch (and paddle shifters) and its got them; it's rear wheel steering corrects greatly for understeer; it's fast, and everyone who's tested one says it could well serve as a daily driver (which a TTS certainly is). And it's naturally aspirated, screams to 9000 rpms, and sounds great. Pricey and hard to get though since production has stopped. So, though I'm moding my TTS, I will have my eye on the GT3 mainly because I too am a track junkie (not as much as you) and have plenty of experience trying to outdo GT3s which is difficult.

Finally, there's a lot of respect for the 997 TTS and some like its looks more than a 991 TTS. And, relative to the GT3, one can open the roof, enjoy the sun, and carry around a few kids or a least one semi-horizontal adult in the back.

Whatever, good luck in your decision.

Rogor

Porsche 997 gt2 rs might do the trick for you?
Or don't you like that its is 2 wheel drive only?

Igooz

Sayajin, If you want a turbo car and you are going to track the car, you should buy a 2008/9 997GT2. I just sold my 08GT2 with cf buckets/PMS cage/schroth and bought a GT2RS to collect.

I have to say that the 7GT2 is the best deal out there, still depreciating for some reason, still a manual with the Mezger...Pure driving challenge and experience, no nannies, no PDK, no AWD, no RWS, ...

These days the GT2RS is twice the price of a 7GT2...not worth it for a track car.

(I have never driven a GT3/GT3RS...I think that if I were going to buy another car to track I would buy a NA versus a turbo for the linear power. )

phillipj

What a great problem to have..

GTRNICK

Fully built 997 turbo all day.

This vid is a from a friend of mine. He has hybrids on a stock motor vs a 991turbo with a remap.

br911

I use my 997.2 TT as a DD, and given that time is scarce for me, I always go for stock (no time to install them, or to deal with any issues related to additional maintenance). However, you might find, like I did the other day when I caught a ride in my friend's 991TTS, that the car feels a little bit too big from the inside. So I wonder how would I feel driving a 991 all over.

You know how a 997 feels, and perhaps you could try to drive a 991 TT and see how you feel about it. Nice problem to have, though.

PS - take a look at Randy Pobst's video of his ride in a 991TTS at Laguna Seca for the 2014 COTY from Motor Trend. The car is quite fast and performs quite well in that track. I believe you are looking for a 991 TT, but maybe if you want to go 991 stock and not miss the extra power of a tune in a 997, you might want to consider going a little further into TTS territory. GLWS.

German_Saint

You can't beat a Porsche factory cup car for the money or on a track. I'd also have a trailer with a Porsche parts dept in it with a Prevost H3 pulling it. This was the setup I ran into when I was working at P-dealer out of college.. minus the H3- it was a nice rv though.

I've also seen a gentleman turn a off the showroom 996TT into a fully built race car. Hurley Haywood was his instructor etc. $$$. Should have just got the above ^^ cup car.

imo .02 that's the route I would have gone.