I'm in the market for a 996tt (2001 or 2002). I currently own a 2005 Audi A4 1.8t. I want to hear more about your experiences with this car. How big of a smile does it put on your face? Any cons? Cost of repairs? If anyone also uses Newport Beach Porsche and knows how their service is, I'd appreciate that also. Any information would be much appreciated. Thanks so much

 

I have a normal 996, and find it the best daily driver and commuter car I have ever owned. The normal "911" has been criticised for "being less involving" of the driver than many Porsche fanatics would like, but that is a big reason I like it: its just a really really good car with perfect balance and enough of everything that doesn't make you work to hard to enjoy it.So far (20K miles) it has been utterly perfectly reliable and the reputation is that if you take care of them they last like stone.Mine eats tires (and I do not drive it that aggressively) and routine maintenance about two times as expensive as for a normal car such as a stock 'vette.

I'd drive a tt before deciding though. It's intended to be a far different animal: definitely more involving. Maintenance costs are higher, engineering margins in it are a bit less so good service is more important, and my impression from experience is that some (not all, but some) owners neglect maintenance orabuse them, which could be a disaster.

Also, make sure what you want and why you are buying it. The tt is a great car, and if you are seriously looking at it for that reason and like the type of car it is, it should give good satsifaction and you will love it, and nothing else would do as well.
But people buy cars for many reasons, so I advice being honest with yourself.It will get attention, and has a bit of serious class, but if image is important (it is to all of us even if we don't admit it) you might think about its image. Around here the tt become a bit of a "he's trying to impress us" cliche' -- the Aston Martin V8 or Maserati coupe seem to be the classy cars in that price range, or if one has less money, a supercharged XKR.
Also realize that if you want to drive "the fastest car around" the tt will give you bragging rights with the uninitiated but not with gearheads. While a 996 or 997 tt is very fast for a stock factory car (mid 11 quarter mile), itsno faster (maybe a little bit slower in fact, although not by much) than a new LS7 or the latest upgraded factory Viper. Worse, in terms of acceleration, itwill get its head handed to it on a platter by any number of modified cars cruising any American town on Friday or Saturday night: although I know two tt owners in my area, I know more than a dozen young "kids" with modified Mustangs and Camaros that will do the quarter mile in the low elevens (beating even a 997tt), and they love nothing more than teasing and embarrassing tt owners. And then there are the rarerAmerican tuner cars,whose owners spent about what a tt costs new on a vette or viper and tuner mods -- where I live there is a Lingenfelter tt 7-liter 'vette, a Callaway C5S, as Hennessey Viper, and my vette all about as fast -- any of them will put about fifteen car lengths on a stock 997tt in the quarter mile and brake and handle essentially as well. And yes, for the record, you can play the modification game with a Porsche, and there are tuner tts (RUF certainly) that are just as fast as anything else you can buy, but if you have that kind of money you are not shopping for a tt and you should care less about maintenance costs.

 

I agree that the 996 makes a great daily driver. As long as it's well maintained it'll prove to be quite a reliable vehicle. In my opinion these cars are the ultimate combination of around town driveability and super performance...which by the way includes both off-the-line times and superb handling. Certainly cars like mustangs can be made to go fast straight ahead, but they are no match for the responsiveness of the Porsche in a variety of handling conditions. Most certainly the new Corvette Z06 is an awesome car in its own right and is probably the best performance-value package for the price on this planet. While I personally love the Corvettes, I can't get past the fact that most of the people I see driving these cars are only a few years away from the nearest nursing home. I remember being at a car show not long ago and was looking at a Viper when I was struck by a comment that a few teenage boys were having. They said, "This is a car for old men going through a mid-life crisis." I was taken back a bit by this, since I'm middle aged and like the car! Perhaps, the Viper is though of in the same light??

Even though most automakers have been closing the gap on Porsche from a performance standpoint, I don't believe that the overall quality of the parts, materials, and engineering details are. Porsches are also unique in that that continue to maintain an aura that appeals to both young and old audiences. Park a standard 996 next to the new Corvette and ask any adult or kid which they would rather own, or which is the "better" car. The Porsche would be picked by a large margin.

Anyway, in my experience the 996TT is a tremendous driving machine. I agree that it's not as "automatic" to handle as the non-turbo, but still it is a very easy car to drive anywhere around town and even as a daily driver. My old 1971 Pinto was a lot tougher than this! I'd say that if you are prepared to leap, take a test drive first. Be prepared to keep it serviced according to the required guidelines, keep the oil checked (it likes to drink a quart every 800-1500 miles or so), and expect to go through tires. I personally think the expense is worth the enjoyment of ownership.

Good luck with your decision.

 

Hi,

I drive a 2001 996TT as a daily driver, the car does round trips to drop-off, pickup at the train station, through to spirited sprints through local gorges and mountains. Whilst I have an E46 M3 in the garage as well, the 996TT is in a league of it's own. If you want you can peddle along real sensibly [economically as well] or you can drive it in the boost zone. You'll never wipe the grin off your face and the acceleration never ceases to amaze. So far I have found no bad habits.

Could rave on but shoot with the questions and I'll try to answer.

Scott

 

I would have found the following advice useful before purchasing a TT:Take at least afew test drives,spend thetime to look at different examples, read up on forums such as these, talk to some Porsche specialists in person near you (not necessarily porsche dealers, but guys who work on porsches)... and ifafter all this (say 2-3 months)you still have to have one, you'll definitely be better placed to find the rightturbo for you.It is worth investing the time, and the prices are only dropping, not rising, while you are conducting your "research."

Buying a high-endsports car is a very personal choice, and the only way to make sure it puts a smile on your face is if it is the car YOU want, not the one someone else convinces you to buy.

It is always easy to pull the trigger on this car because they are such a bargain by now, they make great daily drivers, and are basically an automotive icon... but patience will be rewarded, so try to resist the impulse purchase. Especially in california, you'll have plenty of cars from which to choose.