I have a question for those with experience in this arena. I've recently been exposed to Porsches and have decided the time to pick one up may be right. The 996 TT fits my price range and I've narrowed it down to options and colors I would prefer, while running those searches I've discovered the 996 GT2 which is a remarkable looking car outfitted the way I've been looking for 996TT (but with RWD). As I've read about the model I've come to understand this car is a race car in street trim minus the checks and balances that may keep me out of a ditch ala the standard 996TT AWD.
My question naturally is just how crazy is this car to drive? I'd be picking it up as a third car/summer cruiser, truthfully I'm not much for tracking events I just like super clean, fast street cars! I have plenty of experience driving fast AWD Audis, and modified FWD cars as well. I've driven plenty of turbo cars in various trim levels from faster spooling units to laggy bigger units. I have NOT put any miles behind the wheel of a turbo Porsche.
My big draws to the GT2 are:
Exclusivity
Horsepower/Torque
Exterior Styling
Lack of sunroof
PCCB Brakes
A car that doesn't require additional go fast mods, one thats dialed in right from the factory
My drawbacks:
Price
PCCB Brakes (2002)
RWD intimidation factor
Lack of rear seats (I have two young enthusiats as well)
Realizing that most of my above draws to the GT2 could be duplicated on a standard 996TT I'm not one for "cloning" or aftermarket bumpers and I really like that GT2 front bumper as well as the rear spoiler, which could be done correctly of course with factory parts but at $$$$ cost and the "cloning" factor.
My favorite 996TTs are the X50 cars w/sport seats, PCCB brakes, carbon packages, (the '05 Turbo S as well) I just missed a '04 X50 w/sports seats and red stiching (no PCCB) had I caught that car I probably would have bought it.
Instinct steers me toward starting off with the X50 and maybe upgrading to the GT2 or a 997 TT later, but is this a false sense of fear of the GT2s street manners?
Thanks for the input-

 

I'm not sure all would agree the GT2 is 'A car that doesn't require additional go fast mods, one thats dialed in right from the factory'...

wheels, flash, exhaust, suspension... all seem to be required to get them dialed in. (I suppose the wheels are personal preference.)

It is undeniable that no amount of money will turn a 996TT or a 996TTX50 into a real "wear the letters proudly" GT2. So a GT2 on the VIN plate will always have that 'exclusivity leg up' on the other.

That 04X50 you missed would have been sweet... but I'm biased.

A

PS I'd say it might boil down to which deal comes along first...

 

You are , for the most part, pretty much spot on. Based upon what you have said you would definately be happier w/ the GT2 in the long run. Unmodified, and if you respect her, one shouldn't make a widow out of your wife.

There is a nice lightly modded red one in the for sale section for $88K...offer 85.

There is also a steal of a TT for 65K...it has the 40K Sledghammer package w/ zero miles on it.

 

Get what u like, nothing to fear at all.......except rear tire life.....


Really, not to worry at all....drive a 930 with 500 hp and the GT2 is a pussycat.

 

I'd get a Turbo if I were you. You have no experience with RWD cars at all, and the GT2 is a bit of a beast to start out on. If you are mature enough to truly take it easy and slowly push farther and farther as you gain control, go for it, though. (I'm not) They don't call the car "The Widowmaker" for no reason. Like anything, if you're safe about it, you'll be OK. Most guys I know think they're better drivers than they are, though.

 

Respect the GT2 BUT it is not a widow maker . Change the rear toe adj arms get a proper alignment and enjoy.

Peter

 

I say get the best car you can afford. No matter what you do to a turbo, it will never say 'GT2' in the back. The satisfaction of owning a car of its exclusivity is worth the price difference imo.

 

I'm not sure you can even truly compare the cars, yes, both 996 but the GT2 is going to cost you close to double that of a turbo so based on price, you are comparing like $45Kish to like 85Kish?? That brings in a whole other group of cars into the mix you could be looking at as well. With everything you have said about your concerns, I would go with a TT for now...

 

IMO the way to go is with the GT2. It is more exclusive and will definitely hold its value better in the long run. Just be a mature driver and learn your limits gradually.

 

GT2 if it's going to be a low mileage car. You are going to regret putting tons of miles on a GT2 from a resale prespective.

 

Just to address your "negative" concerns about the car:

after reading all the horrifying stories about how dangerous the Gt2 is, you will find that the gt2 is surprisingly easy to drive given the LSD - although I have experience driving very powerful cars with no traction control and rearwheel drive. That being said, the gt2 is much more dangerous than a TT, given the awd system and PSM.

The gt2 is much more raw and definitely more rewarding in stock form, however a TT with time, $, and effort can be built to perform just as well as a gt2. It will hold its value much better and potentially increase in value as time goes on - remember, the US gt2 was one of the smalled production cars porsche ever built (less than half the number of the CGTs produced!).

As far as rear seats go, the rear seats in the turbo are a complete joke - the pads literally velcro in. If you absolutely NEED rear seats, you might want look into if the gt2 frame retains the anchor locations and you might be able to retrofit in a set of seatbelts.

Finally, in regards to the PCCB, they are extremely rare, but early build 02s can be ordered with non-ceramic, standard cast iron brakes. I have seen others retrofit in the non-ceramics for street cars. You would have to speak to a gt2 expert to see if you could have special ordered the iron brakes for the 03-05 cars, but as i said, the early 02s allowed for that. I personally prefer the iron brakes for a number of reasons that I will not get into on this thread. The topic of performance/cost of iron vs. ceramic for a street car (read: "street car") has been argued time and again and is really personal preference - If you dont have firsthand knowledge of both, I suggest speaking to someone that does.

Whether you go with a gt2 or a TT, you cant go wrong!!!

 

It is a myth that the GT2 and the TT are basically the same cars. There are hundreds of small and not so small differences. For example, the claim that the RWD conversion is costless and easy, not true if you do it right (you will need an expensive LSD for starters). Remember, the TT was engineered to be awd.

 

To clear up 1 myth about the LSD if your GT2 has more than 3,000 miles the OEM LSD is probably not working. However the options of rebuilding the stock LSD to Cup Car specs, get a Guards LSD or my preference an OSgiken is not all that expensive in the scheme of things. A bad LSD is most noticeable under hard braking from high speed when the back end starts to wiggle back and forth

Park the PCCBs if you track and go to steel rotors.

Peter

 

Mine has just passed 40.000 miles, and the LSD is still working properly.. But I know many have rebuild them!

 

We just thoroughly checked my LSD and it is working fine at 16K. The Guard is about 4K w/ install, yes?