hello all, im a complete newbie when it comes to porsche because ive always been in the bmw scene...so i need a little help. I tried searching but couldnt come up with anything.

So in my local porsche dealer (porsche of roslyn) ny they have a 2003 996tt for sale and it has 15k miles on it and i remember reading somewhere that these "garage queens" can have issues from sitting around too much. do you think i should stay away from this deal? or maybe ask the dealer to replace certain parts to complete the transaction? what potential issues can i run into? they said porsche NA will not certify anything 8 years older and up so a warranty is out of the question for me.

also, ive never test driven the 911turbo but i was debating between a e92 m3 and the 911 turbo...this wont be my daily driver which do you think will be the better choice?

 

My advice is to take some time before jumping in. Reach out to any locals who have turbos and ask for a ride. Ask yourself what you are comfortable with - higher upfront cost and potentially lower maintenance costs or opposite? Think about your budget. Would you prefer to get a modded car or would you prefer to do mods yourself after purchase? How will you use the car - does interior / electronics / gizmos matter to you? Do you need back seats?
My friend has a 2011 M3 coupe - his impression of back to back driving that the M3 wins re:interior, electronics, comfort. But the 996TT is more raw and nothing can compare to the incredible boost feeling. So you'll have to decide what you are looking for.
IMO - good history and proven maintenance is more valuable than low mileage with many owners / or zero history. There are a handful of things that typically go wrong - I'd look for examples that have fixed the normal trouble spots.
Good luck!

 

well ive owned both m3 and gt-r...and before that a heavily modded 335i and i really missed the boost because of the low end power compared to the m3...my plan was to supercharge the m3 but that was gonna take some time since im on a budget....so im looking for a car thats going to be reliable because if something goes wrong with the car such as a tranny or a motor im not gonna be able to afford the fix...i would really like a modded 996tt thats been babied and maintained well... but havent been able to find anything right

 

That is a good amount of miles for the year so long as it has been steady miles not 14k in the first year and the rest since.

Great cars, lots of driving pleasure. If you want to mod or buy modded then know you are info more work / glitches. Even if it is just a tune you will have more issues.

911 over the BMW, the 911 is a sports car, even stock, the BMW is sporty touring car that needs to be modded to be sporty.

 

Do your research on Gen 1 PCCBs on that car... and DON'T trust the dealer for ANY info on the car. Do your own PPI.

They'll want top dollar, (asking $54?)...they know someone will pay a premium for low miles. Maybe if it doesnt sell by Sept they will start dealing....

 

I have owned many cars and driven more (including the ones you mentioned) and can assure you that a 996TT is one of the best, period. It is widely acclaimed, even to this day, as "the greatest supercar ever built." You can search the Internet and find many articles confirming. Having said that, you must love the car. They are extremely well built, fast and handle. I am a SUPER picky guy and looked for over a year before finding mine. I always look for a special car, something rare. In the Porsche world, this means special options, color and model. You must PPI your choice and look to the guys on the forum for assistance. There is something special about a Porsche Turbo that just makes you feel great when driving. I am sure many here can confirm that as well. Happy hunting

 

im sorry but what is ppi? and yes the dealer wants 52k minimum...that car has one accident history but it was just the front lip and they had pictures and work invoice to prove it...

 

and whats gen 1 pccb?

 

porsche ceramic brakes

 

so if they are generation 1 they are not good?

 

They weren't as durable as first advertised by Porsche. Problems with delaminating/cracking ceramic (IIRC) with the rotors. And, if you need to replace the rotors and want to keep PCCB's, you're looking at like an $8,000+ brake job. Or, some guys who started with PCCB's, swap in steel rotors later on if replacement is necessary - which is a cheaper option, but loses the benefits (obviously) of the ceramic composite rotors.

 

i've never known of anyone being sorry they picked up a porche turbo and based on the cars you've compared, i'd think the turbo wins in any category other than daily driver comfort. my last 2nd car was the 335i and while nothing beats that in my estimation as a DD, it still doesn't come close to a 996t in fun quotient. plus i drive the porsche every day now. no problems though every time you do fix something, porsche tax applies.

re: price and the low mileage of your example. it's worth 50K IF you must have a near showroom example, and the stuff that does tend to fail thru sitting or non use are more nuisance ( eg spoiler hyrdualics and clutch accumulators etc ) repairs than deal breakers. as everyone will tell you, have the car checked out ( elsewhere unless THEY CPO it ) and if you could get the porsche dealer to CPO ( must be less than 7(?) years from date of first reg? ) you'd find that'd pay for itself ( the extra 3k to cpo and warranty etc ) within the first year. guaranteed. meaning, yeah, stuff will go wrong, but not catastrophically or major items at that kind of low mileage.

i'd offer $50k if you're "sold" on that particular car, or better yet, find another for 10-15k less. it will run and for all intents and purposes, be the same car. but there really is no substitute ( sorry ha )

 

thank you all for your feedback....another thing thats making me lean more toward the 996tt is the community all of you are so mature and professional makes me want to leave the bmw community asap...lol

 

PPI is short hand for pre-purchase inspection. It is money wisely spent on determining the mechanical condition of your car. This forum has a lot of very knowledgeable people that are very generous with their time and willing to help. Take your time, ask questions and don't believe everything the dealer tells you.

 

So these mechanics would be able to Goto the dealer with me and look at the car for me?