I took today and spent it driving cars. A Bentley Continental GT, a Flying Spur, a Maserati Gran Turismo, a ZR1 (not driven despite shameless begging), and a 911 Turbo.

My frame of reference for the Turbo is an '08 Z06 with an intake, PSCs, a good alignment and no other mods except a big scratch from an unfortunate washing incident.

Some things I liked were the attractive interior which looks just like a 987s. That surprised me a little, but its a nice interior. I liked how the car felt very planted and secure in reasonably spirited driving, its better than the Corvette in this regard. I loved the motor! I've spent very little time driving turbocharged cars and I loved it. I was struck by how wide the powerband was, how much low end torque was there as long as you were on boost, and I found the lag to be enjoyable and not annoying. The sensation of the car coming on boost was great fun. The clutch/shifter were fine. The sound of the turbos at full howl was awesome.

The car was alot closer to the Z06 in acceleration than I thought it would be. It gets your heart pumping and scares passengers. And 1st gear in the Turbo is of course less work and more fun than 1st in the Z06 due to AWD. And it was phenomenal looking. I'm not sure what it was, but this one looked a bit sharper than even the other Turbos on the lot. Maybe not quite as sharp as the GT3 they had, though.

Some things I didn't like about it were quite a bit of noise at freeway speeds. Tire howl, the turbos (so fun when driving for sport, might get pretty tiring over time). I'm not 100% happy with the seats in any of the Porsche's that I've ever been in, too narrow at the hips and I never feel all the way settled into them.

Overall I just loved it, and I almost bought it. But I decided to spend some time tomorrow trying to make sure that I was getting the right price in this wild market. Later in the day, I wound up wondering if the Bentley would be more fun. The Turbo was priced somewhat high I think, and the Bentley is at a great price.

Just a couple of questions. Would it be foolish not to test drive a GT3 (the dealer had one for less than the Turbo) before buying a Porsche? And whats the best resource for estimating what to pay for a 997tt? Ebay deals that closed, perhaps?

thanks as always

 

One other thing I was a bit bummed about was the smell. The car little smell. I was in a Boxster RS60 a while ago with that awesome red interior and it had a really rich leather smell. I missed that in the Turbo.

But man what an awesome car.

 

We need more info, ie: what year, miles etc, cant give you any advice without that

 

BGT compared to a 997 TT is like an apple to a grape.
When I want to be driven I'll take a roller or the back seat of an A8. When I want to drive its the Pcar.
I think Bently's are great cars....for my grandparents
Its a sports car, its going to make noise and you are supposed to hear turbos, tires and exhaust notes. You could buy a lexus if you want to hear your wife

 

before i purchased my turbo, took delivery one week ago, i looked at all those cars, plus the amg cl 63. all great cars, but once i drove the turbo, that was it. i use to own an 02 Z06 which was very loud. i find the turbo quiet. i know the new Z's are much better. i plan on putting an exhaust on my turbo and ecu flash. the p car is a true sports car. i am no means an expert, but i find the turbo to be the ultimate daily driver race car. good luck.

 

Oops, that would help.

2007 with ceramic brakes 2 tone interior and various other options totalling $144k for $110k. 3900 miles

2008 with some options totalling $137k for $122k. 2000 miles

Based on a browsing of ebay motors, those prices aren't on the low end of what the 997tt goes for these days. An 07 with 10,000 imles is 95k!

Does the 997 wear miles well? No rattles? No magic mile barrier where prices suddenly plummet?

 

that is darn funny

 

Thanks for the input. I drove the Turbo first and the CGT later in the day, and after the drive in the Bentley I was thinking alot more about the CGT. But today I keep thinking about that Turbo and I'll probably wind up with one, which will be awesome.

One definite advantage of a Turbo over a Z06 is that I live up north where snow is here. Would it be in poor taste to drive a Turbo around in the winter? I'd just do it anyway even if it was.

 

Well i live in So CaL My old Z didn't do rain well, let alone snow. the turbo is all wheel drive, but quite low to the ground. the bentey is great, but the turbo is a totally different car. do you want a great cruiser with power or a true sports car which will eat it's lunch?

 

Sure is