87turbo911

I was wondering. Here's the setup that I don't know how many fall into:

You're thinking about getting a new-to-you Porsche for which the intent is mostly casual moderate length (mostly local) drives plus the occasional longer drive (1-1.5 hours) to visit friends (say 70% highway). Included with that is, maybe, up to 2 or 3 DEs per year (currently in Green) dependent on budget and time. If opportunities present themselves and you get past the feeling of intimidation due to fear of getting lost on the course or otherwise making a fool of yourself, perhaps a few AutoXs as well.

Now- if you were in a position where you could choose between buying a 2001 996TT or a 2006 non-S 997 (prices close to equal), which would you say is the better choice?

Martin S.

Note if you are more specific in your post's title, you'll get more feedback. I am having insomnia, so I am reading lots of posts....

"choose between buying a 2001 996TT or a 2006 non-S 997 (prices close to equal),"

The 996 TT motor is built on the GT1 block with dry sump. In theory it can run just fine upside down since the oil isn't slopping around in the crankcase. The 997 is "semi-dry sump", a BS marketing term. The 911 motor problems are probably history with 991....I still am not certain if it is dry sump.

The 996 TT is a dream...most feel it is one of the best cars available out there. It is a as comfortable as a couch, but take it to the track, look out!!!! My neighbor bought one recently; we can't pry the grin off his face.

stuttgart46

^^^^^
This is good advice. IMHO, the 996T is the best "bargain" Porsche you can get right now.

87turbo911

Good point. I'll have to see if/how I can change title. I figured it out.

d15b7

my experience with turbo cars (non porsches) has been that boost is addicting; amazing what a little forced induction can do to wake up a motor! BUT --- be prepared for MUCH higher maintenance costs over the long haul. turbos make lots of heat; plastics and hoses and just about everything else under the engine bay hood will degrade faster. there are vacuum lines running all over the place, and control systems in place to handle the turbos that are complicated. fluid change intervals are much shorter.

just FYI -- turbos require much more care and feeding! (but as I said, boost is addicting!)

Todd
ReidSpeed

PasPar2

if you are worried about IMS, get the turbo.

67King

If you can leave the thing alone, and it is mostly a street car, I'd get the turbo. If you can't leave it alone, then beware that the boost **** is like a cocaine feed button to a lab rat. And the consequences can be just as dire. If I were doing it over again, I'd prefer the reliability of a non-Turbo for a race car. But street car-wise, in the last 10 years, my turbos outnumber my NA cars 8:4.

That said, what I'd really suggest you do, assuming you think you'll keep doing it, is get two cars - a driver and a dedicated track car. A dual purpose car is one gigantic compromise, and to make it do one thing well, it'll be pretty horrible at the other thing. If you have $X to spend, look at less expensive cars.

docwyte

I'd get the 996tt. Best bang for the buck Porsche out there right now. Very quick stock, can be made extremely fast for little dough and they're reliable.

A friend has been driving one for several years now, his is mildly modded with just a chip and it's worlds more reliable than the stage 3 Audi S4 it replaced...

jdistefa

boost baby, boost

996tt is the porsche bargain right now

Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

Excellent advice here.

996TT hands down, for no other reason but durability. I would not even consider the N/A 996 or 997 due to engine & transmission issues.

GuyIncognito

996tt with the front drivetrain removed

wanna911

996 TT,

You can call me biased.

Mark Dreyer

996 TT. I sold my 996 Carrera to buy my 996TT, and sadly for the buyer I heard the engine grenaded on him a few weeks later.

wjk_glynn

A comment and a couple of things to consider...

1) When I last looked (~1 yr ago), the 997.1S was in the same price range as a 996TT in similar condition (age difference aside) - i.e. mid $40Ks for cars with 40K-ish miles.

2) Have you driven both?

3) Do you keep you cars for long periods (i.e. 10+ years)?

4) When you compare and contrast, is that stock vs. stock or is tuneability a significant factor?

5) If you get a 996TT, can you avoid the crack habit of modding the motor?


The reason I ask is that I drove the following within 1-week of each other:

* A friend's very nice stock '06 997.1S w/42K miles on it
* Stock '01 996TT w/48K miles on a local reputable lot - also in excellent condition

And I came away more impressed with the 997.1S.

That was a genuine surprise to me as everything I read said the 996TT would be the winner. Somehow (to me) the 997.1S felt 'quicker', more 'agile', more 'alive'. The 996TT felt softer by comparison in such areas as throttle and suspension response -- by quite a long way.

Now by any objective measure, the 996TT is faster accelerating than the 997.1S - no question. The 996TT has loads of grunt and it certainly pinned my head against the headrest. Here's some objective data: http://www.weissach.net/996-997_RoadTestSummary.html

At that time, the '06 997.1S and '01 996TT are roughly the same money (in the mid-$40K range). But based on my test drives of those two particular cars, I think I'd take the 997S.

I wasn't expecting that...

Now I will say that if I was getting a 997.1S, I'd look for an early one where you can still do the LN upgrade to the IMS bearing. Otherwise, I'd always have that issue in the back of my mind and it wouldn't be a long term keeper.

So that's my opinion (and it's only an opinion) on stock vs. stock and the assumption that you can get a 997.1S for the same money as a 996TT.

Definitely drive both before you make any decisions.

Karl.

PS: Modded vs. modded is a whole other story...

MUSSBERGER

Spend just a little more on a later 996tt and you get a much better quality interior.