OK, I need some help. Within the next year I am going to purchase my first 911. Now comes the hard part. . . Which One??!! One of the things that is a big deal to me is stock exhaust tone. Does a 02-03' 911TT have a better stock exhaust tone than a 997 s? Please let me know!
Thanks

 

Due to the design, a naturally aspirated will always have a better exhaust sound than a turbo. An europipe on a turbo, sounds pretty good though.

 

IF you plan on doing mods to go faster in a straight line.....996TT BUT if you are happy with 355 hp,IMO 997 S.....the look of both exterior and interior of the 997 S is much better!
As far as stock exhaust sound....not sure!


Good-luck,


Stacy

 

Haven't owned a TT, but i am very satisfied with the exhaust note of my C2S. Added an aftermarket CAI and it got even better...especially WOT. Really depends on what your expectation is of the car. Plus, if you do choose the 997, you can always get more ponies through ECU tune / reprogram.

Truth be told? You can't really go wrong with either car. Buy what you like the best. And when you do, welcome to the club.

Good luck.

 

Thanks everyone for the feedback! I've always wanted a 911 and have been thinking about the pros and cons of the 996 TT and the 997s. Overall the 997 looks amazing! But theres just something about being an owner of a TT. I guess once I test drive both I'll know for sure. Based on the youtube videos I've seen the 997s with sport chrono sounds like a heavier tone, which is want I want!

 

And the horsepower rating depends on which 997 you buy. From 2009 onward, the 997 is designated as '.2' and the S delivers 385 hp. The 'base' Carrera in those years is roughly comparable to the earlier model (997.1) S with 345 horsepower. That's slightly lower, but the new engine has a flatter torque curve that makes the driving experience very similar to the earlier S. (Or so I'm told. We only tested the new S and bought that one.)

As for exhaust note, the naturally aspirated models always have a less muffled sound because the turbochargers aren't in line with the exhaust flow. Some people like one better, some the other. In both cases, the stock sound opens up with driving.

Gary

 

The sport chrono itself won't modify the sound, but if it is linked to the optional Porsche sport exhaust (PSE) you will notice a difference.

 

The 997 definitely sounds better than the TT model. I've listened to bothbside by side and the TT sounds like much of the exhaust has been muted, where as the 997 sounds amazing especially at WOT. I have a 09 C4S btw

 

It depends on a couple of things:
1. What high performance cars have you previously owned?
2. Does the 996TT have the X50 package or not?

There's no comparison between a Turbo 911 and the NA models. The Turbo already has the same suspension as a 911S or better, and more power. If you really want a high performance car, then go for a Turbo, preferably an X50 model. I have a college buddy that I got into Porsches and he owns a 997 C2S and he considers my 996 X50 to be a monster compared to his car.

 

Why not think about the new GTS? This car comes with the sport exhaust which is operated from a switch inside the car. Car sounds great,,,

 

If a new GTS is within your budget I'd go that route as opposed to a 996 turbo and never look back.

 

I think it comes down to personal preference though. For example I haven't heard a better sound from 911 than a 997 Turbo with the 9ff adjustable exhaust system. Don't get me wrong, I love the sound of my 997.1 with PSE but hearing that 9ff exhaust made my pants shrink a little. I hear it's about $7000 for the system though, but when I upgrade tons 997.2 TT I will be getting it for sure, well worth it IMO.

Also with the Turbo you get that sweet turbo spool sound.

 

Teflon- I currently own a 2007 BMW 335i, stock exhaust tone is very nice and I am overall very satisfied with this vehicle. After my wedding next year I am going to purchase a 911. Power is a factor but not the make all break all, it all comes down to personal driving experience, styling, exhaust tone(which I know I can modfify). So, with that said I am leaning more toward the 997 s. I have seen and looked at the GTS, which is out of my price range. I am looking to spend no more than $50k USD. I love hearing the comments. Anyone with a 996TT want to comment?
Satisfied with:
1) comfort
2) reliability
3) interior
Again, I have only seen pictures and videos of both the 997s and 996TT and am still not sure on a final decision. Again, once I test drive both I feel I'll know within seconds.

 

Well as a guy that's driven both a 996TT back to back with a 997S, and having a buddy that was on the opposite end of that, the 996TT is way more of a car than the 997S. His car has a nicer interior, but there's no comparison in power.

I've also done some driving of the 335 and it's a very fast car. It's leagues below a 911 though in every aspect other than the interior. I actually bought another STI instead of the 335 or an M3 sedan because while the Beamer is a great car, for the money, my STI Limited still has leather, heated seats, sunroof, an amazing gearbox, awesome suspension, and a motor that I can easily tune for another 70hp/tq for cheap money (and maintain reliability). Of course I live at 8000' on a switchback mountain road so I need the AWD of the Subaru, which is way better than the BMW AWD system. If I lived at lower altitudes, I'd probably have an M5.

Here's the key thing:
Try and find somewhere to drive the 996TT and the 997S back to back. That'll show you right away the differences.

 

I had a 996 tt and a 997 C2S. I would opt for the turbo. The engine is dry sump and bullet proof. As said above, the turbo is so much faster- esp with exhaust and flash.

Comparing reliability, the two cars are probably equal. The interior of the turbo is a little nicer, since it's all leather, but the 997 inside styling and stereo are better.

Just have to figure out what's important to you.

Good luck!