Hi Guys,
So I'm in the market and it seems that I can get a 2003-2004 996tt (cab or coupe) for roughly the same price as a 2007 targa 4. We're basically talking in the $40-45K range. Now, I love the look of the 997 targa, but I am also a performance and value stickler. Some questions:
1) Which car will be more fun to drive?
2) Which car will hold its value more over the next 5 years.
3) Assuming good maintenance history on both, which car will give me more maintenance trouble?

Thanks in advance.

 

996 Turbo
996 Turbo
996 Turbo (probably but each individual car will see different results)

 

beyond maybe a gt3rs, the only non turbo 911 i would consider if i were in your position would be a 991s and thats "new" car money. but i think once you've driven the c4 against the 996t you'll agree that there is little comparison to be made between them in terms of sheer get up n go... don't get me wrong, a 997 targa would be ok... but not fast like turbo.

 

The non turbo cars are slow. If your into cruising and rowing a gearbox then a C4 will be fine. If your into power and like a hard pull you'll never be happy with the regular cars. I blew the doors off a 997 c2 yesterday, all I could think was "dude, you bought the wrong car"

The turbo cars have legendary reliability. Only a very small few common problems all which are well documented here. Even newer cars (997) still suffer from RMS and IMS issues which are huge dollar fixes.

While I do enjoy the looks of the 997 it's only slightly better with a hugely slower motor. Performance mods will never close that gap either. My car is just chipped / tuned and I make 420 whp. That's better than an NA car with a $10k supercharger on it.

 

My neighbor has a 2009 C4S with PDK, I have a 2003 Turbo. We both drove them back to back. Granted, the 2009 C4S is not the same as your 2007 comparison. But, overwhelmingly the biggest difference was the boost (kick in the ****) feeling of the Turbo. There is really nothing like it. Other minor points were the interior 'newness' of the 2009 vs 2003 and the feeling of rawness / sportiness of the 996 Turbo vs the more refined and linear feeling of the 2009. With that said, each buyer has their own goals. I wanted a sports car feel, he wanted a more comfy commuter car. Both achieve their goals. Also, the feeling of a turbo car may not be everyone's cup of tea. You have to answer for yourself what you want out of your ride. In retrospect, I would really be happy with either - the Turbo is what I want for right now though. Try them both.
Also the engine of the Turbo is a different platform (better) than the 2007 C4S.

 

IMHO 996TT is the easy decision. But if you go to the 997 board they might feel differently

 

ok lets start off my addressing the "platform" comments.

i am a past 996 turbo owner and can definitely say the 997 carrera is a much better platform over the 996. geometry feel is better in stock form and is more complaint over bumpy roads. in actual fact its pretty hard to loose traction in the twisties with the 997.

all that aside lets get down to why i love 996 turbos.. you cannot beat this car in terms of rivals for the same amount of money. do a simple alignment and good tires and you have a extremely capable car.

the downside of the turbo is simple.. its weight.. my car was pretty hard to get my its neck neck of the track on a basic setup. the rear would want to wander and the car would pitch and almost want to rotate under hard turn in braking.

i will say in manual.. the pairing of the metzger and transmission in the turbo is pure sex.. my 997 does not have even 30% as much of a race feel and heel toe's are not as sharp...

after living with my 997 i am very fond of the updated features and how light the car is.. it makes for a lot of fun in the twisties.. but its a momentum car.. the turbo would literally give me shivers when i drove it fast.. you cant really get that from the 997 carrera s unless you are driving very fast in the bends.

my new logic is that weight is everything.. my next car will not be a turbo its going to be a GT2 being a boost fan..

Bottom line.. 996 turbo has race car roots.. 997 carrera s is a wastered down vechicle but has great potential for modding and track use for cheap rather than spending 80k on a 997 gt3

you need to spend close to 15k to make a 996 turbo track worthy.. and ditch a lot of weight.. the 997 just need an aggressive alignment, brake fluid and ss lines and you are set.

I do miss my turbo a lot and i felt really connected to the car when i drove it.. we were like one.. im sure there are a few memebers here who get what i am talking about.. i have not yet established that yet with my 997.. only had the car a month

My only other gripe with the 996tt is that they are getting old and parts really start to fail.. dont ask me how i know

Mike

 

I agree 100% with every comment as I have driven Porkas car, except one.

"the downside of the turbo is simple.. its weight.. my car was pretty hard to get my its neck neck of the track on a basic setup. the rear would want to wander and the car would pitch and almost want to rotate under hard turn in braking."


Under very hard braking. The 997 still has that. I experienced it in your car at the top of 4th gear getting on the brakes hard before going into that left hand sweeper.

The turbo on a diet which is my car , and the way it is setup is PURE SEX. Unless you are dedicated to getting the weight down and doing suspension mods avoid the Turbo and go GT2. If you want and only care straight line 996 T. the 997 C2s is a VERY nice car. VERY capable in stock form over a 996 T in terms of handling. Do the proper driver/ suspension / weight mods to a 996T and you have a winner. stock for stock in handling 997 c2s > 996 T.

 

Yeah, if you're judging a car on everyday comfort and interior the 997 is an obvious choice.

I love my 996T but I have considered a 997GT3 or 997Turbo as replacement. But for now I'm enjoying the 996.

 

I have driven a 997 T and it was a let down. I'm glad I'm not the only one. There is a journalist on Rennlist whom him and I share the same opinion on this.

The 997 T is not worth the upgrade in $ imo for the purpose of a drivers car. In terms of looks and interior sure, but NOT in handling or feel. Again IMO. The 997 C2s feels VERY different then the 997 T.

 

i completely agree f1 re 996t vs 997t and the whole turbo vs n/a a no brainer for those of us that have turbo's. though, i'm sure seinfeld has 50 of them in every variation all for reasons i would like to come to know, but may never. so, at the end of the day, a 997 variant can't be bad!.. it's just not a turbo.

to your point, about 997's, i've driven about five 997t's and have yet to find the reason to trade up other than i'd have a fresher car and that hasn't been enough to make me do it. though i'm certain a 997.2 turbo w/ pdk would change all of that. plus i beat the sh*t out of my car and if it were newer, it would bug me and i wouldn't have as much fun worrying about parts which in the 996 platform is cheaper by about a buck. but not really lol.

OP. if you're gonna drive it, get the tt. if you're going to stare at it lovingly from your table at an outdoor cafe, get the 997 targa.

 

It all comes down to why you're buying it I think. If you're buying a C4, I'm GUESSING that track duty isn't your #1 goal, which admitedly is probably a weak point of the older platform 996.

If you want newer/prettier, you can't argue with the 997.

If you want to build a drag/TX Mile car, get the 996.

If you want a daily? I think it depends what your daily drive looks like. Mine involves significantly more straightaways then turns so I LOVE the 996. 95% of people have no idea it's an older porsche, so the pose factor is plenty high. Those who do know it's older go "oh, but it's a Turbo". So I don't think you can lose by picking the 996. Only porschephiles care about those headlights honestly.

Just drive both and the answer will be abundantly clear I suspect. They are totally different animals. Plus don't forget, for a grand, you have another 85hp waiting on the turbo!

 

I drove a 2010 997S before I bought the turbo. I loved the car; sounds good, looks good, nice interior, etc. However, if you love power, you just can't go NA because you will want more. So, I bought a 996TT instead even though I think both exterior and interior don't look as good as the 997. Some suspension and wheels and it will be just fine though

 

Awesome points. I am curious to know other's point of view. I really think the 996TT is a huge value for the car it is. I think it's hard to beat. I love mine so much I've thought about buying a lower priced high-mileage version to have as a daily commuter. Why not right? They're just awesome cars.

 

Can you expand on your thoughts regarding the 997TT being a letdown? - I'm very curious to know. I've thought at some point of upgrading from my car, but for me it would be a 997.1 GT2 instead of a turbo. Just curious to know why you feel that way about the 997TT as I've never actually driven one.

Chris.