Ritter v4.0

If you really want to learn IMO you want a lower hp/2wd momentum car- something before you hop into a GT3 or TT. A na 996 could be this car but there are many others.

If you really want a TT you could convert to 2wd and have a separate map to remove +100 ponies.
Just add the power back as your skills improve. TT motor is a much more robust platform than the na 996. That said, na motors are cheap ; )

FWIW at the few DE's I attend in the SE, most of the cars I see banged up are GT3s, GT2s and TTs.

racer

The TT and GT3 motors are NOT based on the M96 motor and hence, they don't simply explode. iirc, and someone will correct me, they are a "splt case" design, similar to 993 or GT1 motor.

GTgears

That's correct. Up until this year, the turbo shared the same crankcase with the GT3, a design that dates back to the GT1.

boss351

I have loved tracking my Turbo and it is my daily driver. Some not totally cheap mods made the Turbo a much improved track car without compromising it for the street. Having said that though I recently lived out a childhood dream and bought a Caterham, ok it would suck as a daily driver but the fun factor of it at the track has banished my Turbo track pads, track wheels and track tyres to the depths of my garage where they are growing cobwebs! And it is freaking fast too, different style of driving, low running costs and make nearly all the high-hp guys wonder what the heck is going on when I wont shake off from their mirrors (except on long straights of course), let me by, goodbye!

I am with the guys here saying having a second car for the track is ideal (there is a weight lifted off your shoulders about damaging your dual duty car etc), and a Miata or S2000 or similar would be a great occaisional use or active use track toy. On the other hand, I don't think you'd regret the move to a Turbo in the slightest. Solid car, massive power and will keep up with most of the Jones (read GT3's) with a mediocre list of upgrades at the track (sways, pads, R-compounds, exhaust/tune).

Edit: Just wanted to add, a talented racer I had as an instructor once put 40000 track miles on his 996TT without a single reliability issue before moving on to GT3's and Ferraris and the like..