997 C2S or 996 Turbo....for my money.....

[robbosliding]

Anyone want to input on this one, I am nearing the end of my relationship with my 2002 arctis silver 996 C4S at 27000 miles. I am in a bit of a dilema as to buy a 996 turbo or a newer 997 C2S for the same money (I can't afford the 997 turbo but don't tell anyone that...) I'd like a low mileage car in top nick as mine is and I'm bearing in mind the value in a few years time, opinions would be appreciated.

 

[davidcross]

the interior of the 997 is miles better and u can probably buy a lower mileage 997s for the same money for the same price of a turbo. ive added a few factory extras to my 997s and its great and i personally wouldnt swap it for a 996 turbo. that said, i am thinking of switching into a fezza

 

[Terry]

I suggest you drive both of them before you make any decision, they are quite different in feel. The 996 turbo is very quick but personally I prefer the immediate response of the naturally aspirated engine in the 997 S. In my opinion the 997 is easier to live with on a daily basis - the ride with PASM is more compliant without losing anything in the way of handling and the interior and build quality is much better. Having said all of that you may be blown away by the performance of the turbo! Terry

 

[garyw]

For the drive and the interior the 997 wins hands down.. the looks are prefferable on the 997 to [] However the Turbo whether 997 or as per your inquiry the 996 is something to behold and can be very addicive.. I'd have to say you need to drive both and see which appeals the more to you... looking at the mileage you've done the 996 may be the one - however beware as after it became the supercar bargain last year a lot of the good ones went.. garyw

 

[circleace]

I was facing the same dilemma prior to buying my 997C2S. Drove both and yes, the 996T is a great car but feels dated compared to the 997 plus I use it everyday and had to think of the costs involved also. Yes, drive both and see how you feel, but for me the 997 wins easily..

 

[okellyt]

Drive both, buy the one you prefer Simples[8D]

 

[paulmichele]

I went through a similar thought process and ended up with a 997 C2S. For me the decision was mainly about the relative newness and quality of the 997 in looks as well as lower expected running costs, which I am sure would be higher on the Turbo ... but that's probably retrospective rationalisation! [] I also tried to take into account long-term values but it's a guess; the Turbo would probably hold its value a little better but then when the 998 gets introduced, all 996s will drop back to being three cars old. Pure guesswork, tho! Whatever you pick, enjoy!

 

[grover]

The 2s is a well sorted out car, I had one for two years and it was trouble free and had a great sound. 997 turbos are now however much cheaper as I know, I am trying to sell mine so don't discount that either, the ownership cost for me over two years has been £35k plus so a bargain now. Mine is a 57 plate black on black tip model with loads of extras Good luck

 

[garyw]

Doug Its not just Porsche that have issues with coil packs... and in some circumstances the Porsche ones are cheaper than some other manufacturers!! We do have an issue that the rear wheels spray water onot the two rear packs from what I understand.. garyw

 

[garyw]

[] If my car ever sounds like a Talbot Alpine, then I'd be worried I can still remember being able to hear them coming down the road at 100yards......ticking away [] those were the days... There was an article in EVO a while back on about the classic sounds of certain cars... garyw

 

[sawood12]

This is a dilemma I hope to be going through in a couple of years time so I will be interested to read what your decision is. Though I haven't driven a 997C2S I have driven a 996 C2S and been a passenger in a 996 turbo and i'm afraid, as un-biased as I am trying to be I anticipate the sheer exhilaration of the 996 turbo will win hands down. No doubt the purists will tell you it doesn't have the delicate 'feel' of a 2wd car, well that may be true on the odd occasion it visits a track, but I suspect it wont be an issue for me (and probably most fi they are really really honest with themselves) where the car would spend 99% of its time - on the road. The 996 turbo is not exactly lacking in the feel department. As for 'laggy' turbocharged cars - well think of it this way - an N/A car just has infinate turbo lag - I know for a fact that a 996 turbo is no slouch for the very very short time it is off boost, and when the boost comes on it is like being on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise when going to warp factor 5 (I imagine) - it is almost 997C2S perfomance off boost, and being caterpulted off a Medeivel siege machine when the boost comes in. Anyway there is a foolproof solution for turbolag if it really bothers you. It is called a gear stick. You need to adapt your driving style for a turbocharged car. I never found turbo lag to be an issue in the 944 turbo unless I was in a really really lazy mood - and I mean so lazy even breathing seemed like an effort, and the turbo lag in 944 turbo's is measured in Aeons and not seconds. And in fact I found the lag made me a better driver as I had to constantly anticipate and plan ahead and I developed a very deft right foot to control the surge of power when it did come in. But like they say, best to extensively drive both, these things are pretty personal to the lucky person with the dilemma. Good Luck!

 

[okellyt]

Scott Some good points. However the 997 C2S is a big step up in performance over the 996 C2S. So the gap to the 996TT in straight line speed is not as much as you would think. With the updated interior (much, much better) and options its qute appealing. To give a comparison, the PASM equipped 997 C2S posted the same time round the nurbergring as the 996 GT3 MK3. A lot of this is down to the new suspension and handling as the car weighs 25kg more than the 996GT3 and was 30hp down. The 0-100 times are interesting C2S 997 0-100 in 10.7s, 996TT 0-100 in 10.0s. So under full tilt and in the right rev range the difference is a fluffed gear change. Where the 996TT wins is in gear grunt and in gear acceleration times, it will be quicker in the real world and the 4WD gives extra security in the corners for an average driver. The brakes on the 997 C2S are the same as the 996 TT. So all I am saying is its much closer than it initally look and its a very good question. For the normally aspirated 2wd feel junkie or the Turbo junkie its an easy decision for the rest of us who like both, it would be hard to call. I am not sure which way I'd go. I would be keen to know the final decsion and the reasons thay swayed it........

 

[sawood12]

Thanks for that insight there, I hadn't realised that the 997 was such an improvement over the 996. I know that on-paper performance figures are a very poor indicator of how a car really performs but I hadn't appreciated form the paper stats that there was such an improvement. That certainly is food for thought! How is the engine in the 997 holding up in terms of reliability compared with the 996? I don't subscribe to the idea the 996 engine problems were as bad as many would have us believe - the age old issue of hearing about almost every bad example massively swaying the impression people get of the true situation, but Stories of RMS leakages and engine failures do seem to be quite rare.

 

[THX911]

ORIGINAL: sawood12 How is the engine in the 997 holding up in terms of reliability compared with the 996? I don't subscribe to the idea the 996 engine problems were as bad as many would have us believe - the age old issue of hearing about almost every bad example massively swaying the impression people get of the true situation, but Stories of RMS leakages and engine failures do seem to be quite rare.

RMS is still a design 'feature' in 997s; 997 Gen II is where things change.

 

[garyw]

Yes, it still seems to be occuring, although many done at no cost and covered under the warranty scheme. Totally agree with the out of proprtion things... The members area survey shows the amount of owners that have had the RMS issue in comparison to other issues. garyw

 

[robbosliding]

Still deliberating on this dilema but on a negative side I suffered the RMS a few thousand miles ago but was saved the expence by a willing dealer to put things right (911 Sport at Horncastle). I will post a seperate thread with this bolt on question, when searching on the car locator on the Official Porsche site there are no 996 Turbos as they are now too old for the dealers to contemplate having on the forecourt which is a shame I think.....so where has a good source of 996 turbo's to choose from?

 

[kenwardc]

Hi there, Robbo I've replied to your message in another thread but wanted to say here that, all "finesse" arguments aside, the 996 Turbo I've just bought has completely blown me away. I've never driven the 997 Turbo so have nothing to compare my car to but, she drives beautifully at 30 MPH and 40 MPH around town and, a few days ago on the M6 toll road, I tickled her a bit and within a few seconds we were at 130 and still pushing hard in the back... Absolutely amazing car. I would never have thought it would be so docile at low speed but it is. However, when 'nudged' it's a delight. Cheers Chris

 

[robbosliding]

Thanks to all for the input. Decisions decisions. I have flown in the face of all I have asked and for now have decided to keep my C4S. For no other reasons than I know my car is in tip top condition and to keep it will cost me a fraction of what a new car would cost me. I wasn't going to get a car with the same mileage for less than another 30-40K in the long run. So for for now I'm keeping my mint 27,000 mile C4S. Of course my heart may overtake my head when I see something shiney.......