Hey everyone,

What are your thoughts on 997.1tt vs 991 C2/C4?

I've gotten some thoughts on the 991 side, but I'm curious to hear thoughts here on the 997.1tt forum. The 991 interior (larger interior vs 911) and ride (more luxurious) seems to be the main differences I noticed. Not to mention the 991 is $30-40k more....

Any potential reliability issues I should be aware of the 997.1tt? I heard the coolant pipe leakage is something to be mindful of. How about general ride comfort? Performance difference?

Any regrets getting the 997.1tt? Thanks!

 

What features and functionality are most important to you? Are you planning to drive daily with a long commute? How much seat time have you had in both? If you parked these side by side, which do you favor at first glance?

The turbo is a solid platform in all areas. You'll find some CPO and if not you can simply add a warranty if you desire. The 991 is a great car too and comes with the updated design.

For me the turbo is an easy decision over the 991 C2/C4, as I prefer the lines of the 997 turbo and the endless power/torque. I don't drive mine everyday, not because it's not capable, rather it's always been my weekend/sunny day fun car. Five years later still no regrets and always love taking it out. Toughest part is finding fun places to drive.

You can't go wrong either way. In my mind they are so different you just need to figure out what's most important to you. Good luck!

 

Both great cars, one has a racing engine, one doesn't.

 

-Power and planted (ie. non jittery) ride are important to me, as well as general comfort for daily drives and the occasional weekend trip
-Planning for it to be my daily driver. I have a short commute, but I like to also take weekend trips with the wife and my 7 year old kid
-Have had a few test drives in 996/997.1tt/997.2 Carrera/997.1 Carrera; had 1 test drive in 991 Carrera/991 Cab
-Appearance a toss up from the front and side; I would give a slight edge for the rear to the 991

 

I looked at and drove the 991S before I decided on my 997.1 Turbo.

The big wins for the 991 are more comfortable ride, more advanced interior, and more front end bite.

The big wins for the 997 were a more traditional 911 feel, the mighty mezger engine, and waaaaaaayyy more power.

I really like the 991, but for me the 997 Turbo won out. I can't say there is a right choice since for someone else the 991 would get the nod.

In the end it all comes down to what you personally are looking for.

 

Based on your response it sounds to me as if you may favor the newer 991, which will have the more comfortable ride and modern features.

Great thing about Porsche is they have a model to suite everyone. I opted for the turbo because:
-Something about the wide body, front fascia, side intake vents, rear wing, intercooler vents in the rear, etc…IMO, the car stands out from the standard 911 and it's the model I grew up lusting for
-Standard full leather interior and fit/finish you would expect for +125k car
-AWD turbo with 480hp & ~500lbs torque…there are plenty of high hp cars these days, IMO what has always made the turbo special is the engineering behind the #s. The synergy of AWD and turbo is amazing

Take your time and do some research. Why don't you go to the dealer and talk to their master techs. See what they tell you about the models your considering.

 

For me, the major deciding factor between the 997.1tt, 997.2tt, and the 991 was the fact that the 997.1tt has the Mezger race bred engine and the 997.2tt and 991 have the new "consumer grade engine".
I don't intend to begin any controversy here. All Porsches are great cars in their own right. For my purposes, the ability of the engine to readily accept mods for increased performance was prime.

 

I actually had a similar choice to make. I looked at and drove a brand new all white 7mt 991 C2. I absolutely loved the interior on the 991, I'm a big guy (6'2, 275lbs) and I fit like a glove. The ride was fantastic, the sunroof was awesome, stereo was phenomenal, loved all the buttons on the center console (sports, sports plus, exhaust etc) and absolutely loved the 7mt. I liked the car so much that it actually opened my mind to Porsches, before that I was staunchly anti-Pcar.

Drawbacks: The car is slow as hell and kind of boring. Slow is a relative term but for all the nice engine noise and great shifter feel.....the car didn't really move anywhere. I was running it pretty high in the RPMs in every gear and it just didn't have the power I needed. The looks are really great but the car was expensive and I know myself enough to know that as much as I drive and go for cruises/fun-runs/highway runs, the lack of power would soon leave me bored and wanting more. And there's not really much you can do for a lot of power. The car itself was was very nicely put together but it lacked the fun factor. Why would I pay over $100k for a boring car when I could get one that does things similarly well for a LOT less money??

I ended up getting a 997.1 a few months later and although I don't like the interior nearly as much, the power and torque the engine makes, the acceleration, I knew it would keep my attention. And if I found myself getting bored I could modify it to my liking.

Really, either are good choices. It truly comes down to driving style and personal preference. Good luck!

 

When you drive a 991 it feels like you are pulling an anchor compered to the Turbo, the car is slow, slow, slow.

 

Actually if you are looking at a new 991 you are going to pay well over 115k which is 997.2TTS range right now and the 997.2TTS is a beast compared to a 991.

 

Base 991 is under powered and lacks torque. At a minimum you have to consider the S, and the 4S if you want the sexy wide body (IMO wide body is a must as a Porsche enthusiast!). But the 4S has the extra weight of the all wheel drive system without any more power than the C2S.

In any case others have summarized it well. The 991 will make an excellent daily commuter with a more compliant "ride". But the 997.1 turbo is your car if you want power, classic styling, endless torque, wide body, easily modded, mezger engine, all wheel dive and did I already mention torque!!

 

Valid points. Now that you mention it, I do recall that the 991 made great engine/exhaust noise, but low/mid end torque was a bit lacking; I think I the nice sounding sports exhaust with the windows down and sunroof open on that sunny day made up the fun factor.

991 is over $100k which I'm hesitant to spend. And the 991 Turbo is $180k, with the Turbo S a jaw dropping $190k-$200k.

I guess the solution is to finda 997tt to test drive around; the only 997.1tt I was able to test drive had the plain automatic, and that transmission did nothing for me. I do recall the 996tt w/6MT I test drove was an adrenaline rush

 

LOL, I bet this is the only place the 991 is called "slow and boring".

For my preferences and budget the main contender was a new Cayman S vs. used 997.1 Turbo. As a long-time 914 fan, lightweight mid-engined cars appeal to me even when underpowered, but in this scenario the Turbo's torque prevailed. Not taking that huge new-car depreciation hit sure helped too.