Wow, what a great response and welcome. I love it that you all seem so willing to help fellow owners as well as the unwashed dreamy masses such as myself. First off, thanks for the answers, they kind of reaffirmed what I thought-that I would be happier with an older 996tt than with a spiffy new Cayman. Second, the 355 is a pretty car, but the maintenance costs and reliability are huge issues for me with a car like that. Thanks for the idea, though, because I had to go looking at Aston Martins after that. Still stuck on a 996tt, though. Rainey, I'm in Clarksville, TN, just down the road from you. I do a lot of work up in Lexington, so I pass by the roads to your place often. I'll have to drop by to see that pretty red beast of yours if I can work up the nerve (and the cash) to pull the trigger on a Porsche. Mikelly, beautiful car, I'll be contacting you.

Thanks again for the warm welcome.

 

996tt is hard to pass up. Great looks, tons of power and more with bolt ons, good reliability, and bang for the buck is unmatchable! We have a Clarksville just across the river in Indiana! Def give me a yell when you are near! You can take her out for a spin and seal the deal! :-)

 

Mikelly, couldn't PM you due to 6SO restrictions, but am very interested. Please PM me and we can talk.

Mike

 

All emails/PMs responded to.

Mike

 

Rainey, I appreciate the offer, but I'd hate to ruin your interior with my drool...

 

Mikelly,
Thanks, will respond.

 

Glad to hear you're going for a 911 - very sexy car

 

Nothing my 6yo daughter hasn't done! I have to vacuum cheetos crumbs out every once in a while! :-)

 

And I'll suggest a Cayman S. They can be had used for around $35k. Probably a few years newer as well.

You can't go wrong with either. I like the way the Cayman S handles corners, but I enjoyed the everyday power of the 996 TT (I only drove one for a month, 4 years ago).

 

I've heard good things about the Cayman, but just can't quite get into the styling of it. I've seen a few that I've liked, but not one that made me want to weep at the thought of owning it. The Cayman is probably a better deal and much more affordable for my bank roll, but I guess that I just feel like I'd be settling with it. Silly to feel like any Porsche would be SETTLING, but I'm just silly that way... Guess that means that I've answered my own question, huh? Thanks all.

 

Especially if "settling" makes you feel like what Clarkson says near the 7:00 mark of this video (you have to get past the British pronunciation)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppl4DFcRCPA

 

Excellent post, I watched it earlier before I'd even considered a Cayman, but I was glad to watch it again.

 

You're probably familiar with the Top Gear and Fifth Gear video review of the 996TT. Have you seen the Best Motoring reviews? Here an example -- they have a few other segments on the 996TT in case you're interested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryYc-...watch_response

 

I sold my mint boxster s that i bought off the showroom floor to buy an older TT. I never looked back. I loved my boxster, but the tt has mind boggling power. Its a whole new world driving a TT. I will never go back to a boxster (or cayman).
The price point on these cars favors the buyer especially considering what you get. 50 grand should get you a single owner, well cared for, low miles TT. you could also get one with considerable mods. Personally, I never buy vehicles that have any mods. I prefer to mod them myself.
I hope that helps your decision process..
scott

 

Go with the turbo. And a tip.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lv5jqTh8LI