What Next After 996 Turbo? - Page 3 - Porsche General - PistonHeads UK

Hi I'm looking for some suggestions, what to go for next. I currently have a very well sorted 996 Turbo Tip, lightly tuned (1bar boost, Kline exhaust) and I also have the paddle conversion to make the gear changes more interactive. Its a great car and I've really enjoyed the 5 years I've had it, but I think its time for a change. I want to go back to a manual and NA engine. I live in the NE Scotland so all our best roads are B roads along with lots of pot holes and poor surfaces. So this rules out anything too wide as I don't want to spend all my time slowing down for oncoming cars (not that theres that many). I'm happy to go for something older or newer and less power, I just want a car I'll have great fun enjoying driving and getting the most out of. (I do find my 996 turbo can be really fast and can't I exploit that full power very often, but does help with those overtakes). I also want something that can soak up the poor road conditions but still handle as when I go out I'm usually out for the full day, which rules out anything too firm (unless I change the suspension) So what to go for next ?. cheers Jer

I went from a 996 Turbo to GTR which was light and day an improvement in terms of power and handling. But the GTR doesn’t meet your requirements. Many more years later I now have a GR Yaris which does fit your requirements and is incredibly fun down B-roads. The GR reviews are good but it’s only when you drive one you’ll understand how fun it is Oh, and welcome to your first post. 5 years of lurking

I recently bought a mk4 MX5 as a fun car to leave stationed at my place in the Highlands. It's a fantastic little package and well suited to the roads up here. I also have an R8 which I drive up here sometimes. The suspension is plenty compliant enough, and there's decent ground clearance, but width wise it's more at home on the A than the B roads - no issues with the likes of Bealach na Ba, but not quite so at home on something like the B869 to Drumbeg and Lochinver.

I have a manual 2007 997 Turbo and a 2019 Mk4 MX5. Pains me to admit it, but the MX is more fun given potholes, cyclists, speed limits, boy racers, traffic etc

RPM Techik CSR'ed 996 Mk1 or 2 C2 manual (with special attention paid to suspension) or the same to a 997.1 or 2 C2 S. If the 996 or the Gen 1 997, a full Hartech engine rebuild is key to addressing the bore-scoring, D-chunking and IMS bearing issues. Mk1 or 2 996 GT3 with factory fresh stock suspension (or some decent aftermarket coilovers, custom built (ie valved AND sprung specifically for road use)

Alpine A110S worth considering, all the power you need for the road and impeccable handling.

Owned a 996T for 4 1/2 years and then had a 981 Cayman S for 6 years. It's the 981 I miss most (also owned a 964 and 996C2). The power on the turbo (standard) was lovely but the 981 did everything I needed. It was better for long tours all round, with the exception of lacking torque in comparison, most noticed on alpine climbs. A Cayman R, 981/718 S/GTS are well worth considering.

Give a Lotus Evora 400 a try. Wonderful things..Great performance and noise, one of the best chassis anywhere and importantly a really great set up that soaks up bumps well..Easy to live with too..

A rear wheel drive V8 F-type is another fun alternative. I had a couple of V8S, the cab version after the 996 Turbo. I’m sure the 4 wheel drive versions would be fun too but it has to be the V8 for the noise

^^^^ Are you sure that residual values of the Evora 400 have fared badly? I'd love to know where I could buy a heavily depreciated one.

TVR Tuscan is a good 996T contemporary. I’ve owned a Tuscan for 10 years and I’m borrowing a mates 996X50 atm. The 996 is clearly a better car in every way, be under no illusion, but the TVR is a very different beast to pedal and really fun. Very different, but also similar. Get one setup for comfort and they’re pussycats . (Ish)

On a B road a well sorted Mk3 Rs200 Clio cup is an absolute weapon, great fun in any weather conditions. Meets a lot of your criteria for not too much money. I love using mine through the winter months. Edited by kevs 172 on Tuesday 26th December 12:28

Good question and interested to hear people’s thoughts. I quite want to try something non-Porsche and while the Alpine and Lotus get good reviews, I have friends who have had both and they’ve been riddled with issues and poor dealer service. Residuals have also fallen through the floor and the dealers won’t buy cars back for stock or take as a p/x. Would be good to hear how you find them from a practical perspective, it’s almost a given they will be good to drive. Edited by blackmamba on Tuesday 26th December 12:47

blackmamba said: Good question and interested to hear people’s thoughts. I quite want to try something non-Porsche and while the Alpine and Lotus get good reviews, I have friends who have had both and they’ve been riddled with issues and poor dealer service. Residuals have also fallen through the floor and the dealers won’t buy cars back for stock or take as a p/x. Would be good to hear how you find them from a practical perspective, it’s almost a given they will be good to drive. Edited by blackmamba on Tuesday 26th December 12:47 Firstly, residuals of everything have taken a bath recently, up until this problem the market for Alpine's has been reasonably solid but I have no knowledge of the Lotus market but always believed those to be strong residually based on the low numbers. My car, albeit I've only owned it 7 months, has had no issues in my 7k miles, a recent 2.5k Euro trip included and two good friends own them and also have has no issues, one of these is an early 2018 car too. My local dealer gave me a good cash price to buy in a few weeks back but since the market's taken a dive, may rescind this offer and refuse to bid at the moment, but understandable in the middle of winter and interest rates where they are. On a practical point, the interior is lacking in storage bins etc which can be a pain, but luggage space is better than expected with two boots and easily accomodates squishy travel bags. Genuinely comfortable over long distances as a recent Euro trip demonstrated, 160'sh on the Autobahn so plenty quick and 35mpg all day. Downsides are the auto box, nothing wrong with it but I'd much rather have a manual version, exhaust note ain't great but bearable. I also have a McLaren 600, but highly rate the Alpine, as a better, more usable alternative on UK roads and not too fast either.

Thanks for all the great suggestions, plenty to think about. I never thought much about a hot hatch, I'm sure the GR Yaris or Clio would be great tools for those B-roads and give most sports cars a run for their money. The Alpine does look good but they have a turbo engine and PDK, I do want to go for NA and manual. I did think about the Lotus Evora 400 and the R8 and would be up their on my list, also the F-type, however they are all quite wide, over 1.9m. (not sure if thats with mirrors in or out ?). One thing I forgot to mention, I have a double garage, but it has two single doors just to make getting in and out challenging. I suppose I am familiar with the 996 and the similar 997 and as suggested by Slippydiff if I could get hold of one with a full Hartech engine rebuild (or one needing a rebuild) and some properly sorted suspension I could have an ideal car. I must admit I've also been looking at the 996 GT3 and wondering if they are worth the money, would they give the ultimate driving fix - I'm sure they're perfect for a Sunday blast, but would they be a bit too much if your out all day or away for a weekend up in the Highlands ?. An obvious choice would be a Cayman and they do seem to fit the bill as well, although I do hear a lot about the tall 2nd gear, great gearbox but your in 2nd most of the time ? - is that what its like in the real world ?. (then you go down the which model, 981 Cayman S/GTS, GT4 or the newer GTS-4.0 )

Jer Cameron said: An obvious choice would be a Cayman and they do seem to fit the bill as well, although I do hear a lot about the tall 2nd gear, great gearbox but your in 2nd most of the time ? - is that what its like in the real world ?. (then you go down the which model, 981 Cayman S/GTS, GT4 or the newer GTS-4.0 ) Here's your answer....

Also Hedgeman and James44 like their Mk4 MX5's, showing up their more expensive stable mates at times, its just I'm not sure they would feel that special to me when I was out and about in one - this would be my only fun car. Then at the lower end of the Cayman scale there's also the Cayman 987.2. I do like my Porsche but my next car doesn't have to be one, its just seems they have a few more options that are on the smaller size (unlike the newer 991/992). AM Vantage ?. Help....

Good video, looks like all the Caymans are pretty good.

Jer Cameron said: Thanks for all the great suggestions, plenty to think about. I never thought much about a hot hatch, I'm sure the GR Yaris or Clio would be great tools for those B-roads and give most sports cars a run for their money. The Alpine does look good but they have a turbo engine and PDK, I do want to go for NA and manual. I did think about the Lotus Evora 400 and the R8 and would be up their on my list, also the F-type, however they are all quite wide, over 1.9m. (not sure if thats with mirrors in or out ?). One thing I forgot to mention, I have a double garage, but it has two single doors just to make getting in and out challenging. I suppose I am familiar with the 996 and the similar 997 and as suggested by Slippydiff if I could get hold of one with a full Hartech engine rebuild (or one needing a rebuild) and some properly sorted suspension I could have an ideal car. I must admit I've also been looking at the 996 GT3 and wondering if they are worth the money, would they give the ultimate driving fix - I'm sure they're perfect for a Sunday blast, but would they be a bit too much if your out all day or away for a weekend up in the Highlands ?. An obvious choice would be a Cayman and they do seem to fit the bill as well, although I do hear a lot about the tall 2nd gear, great gearbox but your in 2nd most of the time ? - is that what its like in the real world ?. (then you go down the which model, 981 Cayman S/GTS, GT4 or the newer GTS-4.0 ) No bad choices really, I also have a 996 GT3 but most of the time a grab the Clio keys these days. On a B road they are just so good it’s almost ridiculous. Also you can use all of the gears and all of the performance. Enjoy whatever you choose. Cheers

Get a Lotus.

Jer Cameron said: Good video, looks like all the Caymans are pretty good. this has got your name on it https://finder.porsche.com/gb/en-GB/details/porsch...

Jer Cameron said: Also Hedgeman and James44 like their Mk4 MX5's, showing up their more expensive stable mates at times, its just I'm not sure they would feel that special to me when I was out and about in one - this would be my only fun car. Then at the lower end of the Cayman scale there's also the Cayman 987.2. I do like my Porsche but my next car doesn't have to be one, its just seems they have a few more options that are on the smaller size (unlike the newer 991/992). AM Vantage ?. Help.... I think "special" comes in a number of different guises. With the MX5, there's a pleasure from the engineering simplicity, the great handling, the compact dimensions, the tight cockpit, the challenge of making good progress in something that's brisk rather than fast. But...then engine compared to the Porsche flat-6 lacks character, the cabin is functional rather than opulent, in terms of straight line performance it's no hot rod. So overall I see where you are coming from if it's your only special car. A 718 GTS 4.0 in either Cayman or Boxster guise would seem quite hard to beat overall.

A Cayman R, 981 GTS or a 987 Spyder, all for below £50k with low miles and at the moment, there’s that red R & a white 987 Spyder at OPC’s with 2yr warranties. The white Spyder at Swindon is my old car btw. Great size for narrower roads, brilliant ride / handling, very practical with two boots (even the Spyder is a great tourer). The 3.4 is a superb flat 6 engine, makes a great sound and is actually bordering on laugh out loud in the GTS with PSE. They’re all relatively lightweight in today’s world, quick enough and certainly entertaining! If not one of those, I’d be tempted by an F Type S with the supercharged V6, or an Evora. An Elise might be a bit too much for all year round fun (and I say that as an S1 owner)… Or, a very good 997.2 manual 3.6 with PASM & PSE, if you can find one.

Jer Cameron said: Also Hedgeman and James44 like their Mk4 MX5's, showing up their more expensive stable mates at times, its just I'm not sure they would feel that special to me when I was out and about in one - this would be my only fun car. Then at the lower end of the Cayman scale there's also the Cayman 987.2. I do like my Porsche but my next car doesn't have to be one, its just seems they have a few more options that are on the smaller size (unlike the newer 991/992). AM Vantage ?. Help.... I think a manual V12 Vantage or a manual DBS a really good shout in terms of something that also feels special and an occasion every time you take it out. If you do not mind auto I think a Mac 650s and 570s (with warranty) both incredible value too. GT4 , Cayman R , Boxster Spyder all amazing drives etc and I love them but after a turbo may not feel that special. You need to take a few sportscars for a drive in the New Year. For me after a turbo I'd probably go for a Mac but I'd defo want to try the Astons before deciding. V12 Vantage in particular looks a really special car. Or completely left field try an Alpine.

Browsing the classifieds over Xmas and came across this Alpine. Lovely. https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/15839316

IMI A said: I think a manual V12 Vantage or a manual DBS a really good shout in terms of something that also feels special and an occasion every time you take it out. If you do not mind auto I think a Mac 650s and 570s (with warranty) both incredible value too. GT4 , Cayman R , Boxster Spyder all amazing drives etc and I love them but after a turbo may not feel that special. You need to take a few sportscars for a drive in the New Year. For me after a turbo I'd probably go for a Mac but I'd defo want to try the Astons before deciding. V12 Vantage in particular looks a really special car. Or completely left field try an Alpine. I'm not sure the Astons or McLarens are a great match for Scottish B roads.

981 GT4 owner here . I would suggest a Lotus Elise for the most fun. If you have never owned one you are missing out - zero running costs, zero depreciation , pretty reliable. There really isn’t anything as much fun down a b road and at legal speeds. There are light, small and with the best steering in the world. An Evora 400 is also a brilliant drive and better sound track but not bigger really than a cayman variant but not as much fun as an Elise just more easy to live with/take the Mrs. I have an Elise and I take that in preference for a Sunday morning drive over GT4.

julian987R said: Jer Cameron said: Good video, looks like all the Caymans are pretty good. this has got your name on it https://finder.porsche.com/gb/en-GB/details/porsch... Thats a really good looking Cayman R, only thing is I'm after a manual box. I didn't think they were going for that much. I suppose they are limited numbers.

Hedgeman said: I'm not sure the Astons or McLarens are a great match for Scottish B roads. I just checked and the McLarens are wide,1.93m, the AM is 1.865m, I think my 996 turbo is 1.828

MrVert said: A Cayman R, 981 GTS or a 987 Spyder, all for below £50k with low miles and at the moment, there’s that red R & a white 987 Spyder at OPC’s with 2yr warranties. The white Spyder at Swindon is my old car btw. Great size for narrower roads, brilliant ride / handling, very practical with two boots (even the Spyder is a great tourer). The 3.4 is a superb flat 6 engine, makes a great sound and is actually bordering on laugh out loud in the GTS with PSE. They’re all relatively lightweight in today’s world, quick enough and certainly entertaining! If not one of those, I’d be tempted by an F Type S with the supercharged V6, or an Evora. An Elise might be a bit too much for all year round fun (and I say that as an S1 owner)… Or, a very good 997.2 manual 3.6 with PASM & PSE, if you can find one. I did think about the Evora and F-type, both great looking and the F-type sound would be fantastic, but again to wide to be enjoyable on narrow roads. Sorry I Just looked up the Evora and its only slightly wider than my 996 @ 1.845m, (I'd read somewhere it was 1.9m) Edited by Jer Cameron on Wednesday 27th December 19:51

[quote=MrVert]A Cayman R, 981 GTS or a 987 Spyder, all for below £50k with low miles and at the moment, there’s that red R & a white 987 Spyder at OPC’s with 2yr warranties. The white Spyder at Swindon is my old car btw. Great size for narrower roads, brilliant ride / handling, very practical with two boots (even the Spyder is a great tourer). The 3.4 is a superb flat 6 engine, makes a great sound and is actually bordering on laugh out loud in the GTS with PSE. They’re all relatively lightweight in today’s world, quick enough and certainly entertaining! If not one of those, I’d be tempted by an F Type S with the supercharged V6, or an Evora. An Elise might be a bit too much for all year round fun (and I say that as an S1 owner)… Or, a very good 997.2 manual 3.6 with PASM & PSE, if you can find one. MrVert, just wondering why you sold your Spider - what did you go for next ?

Jer Cameron said: I did think about the Evora and F-type, both great looking and the F-type sound would be fantastic, but again to wide to be enjoyable on narrow roads. Mk1 or 2 996 GT3 ticks the sufficiently narrow box, and depending on how hardy you are, is certainly liveable in non-stop for a couple of days if you need to get somewhere, but ultimately a Gen 1 or 2 997 S would be more liveable in, though not as tactile and engaging. A Mk2 996 C2 with a Hartech 3.9 and some carefully chosen suspension mods would tick plenty of boxes, granted it's not in the Elise league for T & E or indeed steering feel, but would be a pleasant step up (from those perspectives, over your Turbo) The 996 GT3, both Mk1 and 2 are wonderous things, but the window of opportunity to really use their stonking N/A engines are possibly more limited (even up in Scotland) compared with the low down shove your Turbo is capable of providing, but when you do get the opportunity to do so, the rewards are huge The last time I was up in Scotland was over 7 years ago, and I was shocked by the state of the roads, if they've not improved, you'll be wanting some reassuring expensive dampers that have been set up with compliance in mind. Remember too that all 996 GT3's come with limited underbody protection when it comes to underseal etc, and your roads are liberally covered in road salt if what I read on PH is to be believed ?

bosshog said: 981 GT4 owner here . I would suggest a Lotus Elise for the most fun. If you have never owned one you are missing out - zero running costs, zero depreciation , pretty reliable. There really isn’t anything as much fun down a b road and at legal speeds. There are light, small and with the best steering in the world. An Evora 400 is also a brilliant drive and better sound track but not bigger really than a cayman variant but not as much fun as an Elise just more easy to live with/take the Mrs. I have an Elise and I take that in preference for a Sunday morning drive over GT4. Bosshog how would you rate the GT4 compared to the Evora ?. Did you go from the Evora to the GT4 ?

[quote=Slippydiff] Mk1 or 2 996 GT3 ticks the sufficiently narrow box, and depending on how hardy you are, is certainly liveable in non-stop for a couple of days if you need to get somewhere, but ultimately a Gen 1 or 2 997 S would be more liveable in, though not as tactile and engaging. A Mk2 996 C2 with a Hartech 3.9 and some carefully chosen suspension mods would tick plenty of boxes, granted it's not in the Elise league for T & E or indeed steering feel, but would be a pleasant step up (from those perspectives, over your Turbo) The 996 GT3, both Mk1 and 2 are wonderous things, but the window of opportunity to really use their stonking N/A engines are possibly more limited (even up in Scotland) compared with the low down shove your Turbo is capable of providing, but when you do get the opportunity to do so, the rewards are huge The last time I was up in Scotland was over 7 years ago, and I was shocked by the state of the roads, if they've not improved, you'll be wanting some reassuring expensive dampers that have been set up with compliance in mind. Remember too that all 996 GT3's come with limited underbody protection when it comes to underseal etc, and your roads are liberally covered in road salt if what I read on PH is to be believed ? I like the thought of having a 996 GT3 but as you said to get the best out of them you really need to be going for it and we are limited nowadays when and where we can get away with it. No improvement in our roads and yes theres plenty of slat on our roads, I think I'd be worried all the time about corrosion, these are also +20yr old cars and rust is starting to become an issue on some.

Have you considered a Caterham? 360R or 420R would be perfect B road cars, manual and pure driving. Only downside would be limited to non-rainy days.

Hedgeman said: I think "special" comes in a number of different guises. With the MX5, there's a pleasure from the engineering simplicity, the great handling, the compact dimensions, the tight cockpit, the challenge of making good progress in something that's brisk rather than fast. But...then engine compared to the Porsche flat-6 lacks character, the cabin is functional rather than opulent, in terms of straight line performance it's no hot rod. So overall I see where you are coming from if it's your only special car. A 718 GTS 4.0 in either Cayman or Boxster guise would seem quite hard to beat overall. Solving the lack of punch / engine inspiration aspect : https://www.rocketeercars.com/

Chris Harris was waxing HUGELY lyrical about the Toyota GR86 in the Christmas Podcast as a definite amazing drivers car, especially once breathed on Or the M2 Lichfield 30.47s https://youtu.be/G6T1R3NLwEM?si=drxDk4jXkP98IXfH

Given width seems to be a critical decision making factor the GR is 1.805m wide with a great manual drive train, built by hand to a homologation specification. Unlikely to be repeated. Ever.

It's a heck of trek down from your neck of the woods, but I tend to think it ticks all your boxes, with added bonus of an OE sports exhaust and PCCB's. If I was in the market (which I'm not) this car would be the most likely candidate for a 997.2 S. https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/16003963 Edited by Slippydiff on Wednesday 27th December 23:55

MrVert said: A Cayman R, 981 GTS or a 987 Spyder, all for below £50k with low miles and at the moment, there’s that red R & a white 987 Spyder at OPC’s with 2yr warranties. The white Spyder at Swindon is my old car btw. Great size for narrower roads, brilliant ride / handling, very practical with two boots (even the Spyder is a great tourer). The 3.4 is a superb flat 6 engine, makes a great sound and is actually bordering on laugh out loud in the GTS with PSE. They’re all relatively lightweight in today’s world, quick enough and certainly entertaining! If not one of those, I’d be tempted by an F Type S with the supercharged V6, or an Evora. An Elise might be a bit too much for all year round fun (and I say that as an S1 owner)… Or, a very good 997.2 manual 3.6 with PASM & PSE, if you can find one. I think people who've not owned / heard them don't realise quite how insanely loud they are at full chat (I've recorded 96db driveby at a track). This isn't another 981 GTS frothing (some people here think it's an over-hyped car), but it can be a genuine downside in some ways, as fast, quiet progress isn't really possible - the power is up top and if you're booting it in Sport/+ with PSE, everyone's going to know about it. I like mine, but try before you buy for sure. Edited by rawenghey on Thursday 28th December 10:47

Jer Cameron said: bosshog said: 981 GT4 owner here . I would suggest a Lotus Elise for the most fun. If you have never owned one you are missing out - zero running costs, zero depreciation , pretty reliable. There really isn’t anything as much fun down a b road and at legal speeds. There are light, small and with the best steering in the world. An Evora 400 is also a brilliant drive and better sound track but not bigger really than a cayman variant but not as much fun as an Elise just more easy to live with/take the Mrs. I have an Elise and I take that in preference for a Sunday morning drive over GT4. Bosshog how would you rate the GT4 compared to the Evora ?. Did you go from the Evora to the GT4 ? I had a couple of Evoras before - series 1 S and the 410 sport. They are great drivers cars . The steering and turn in is brilliant (better than the GT4). The S is very different to the the 4xx versions. I’d personally got for either the original NA or one of the 4xx ones depending on needs. The 4xx ergonomics are a bit better and the gear change and soundtrack as well. Doesn’t feel as premium as the ‘4 . There’s not much really between them all but a an overall package I prefer the 981 GT4. Not a fan of the 718 version myself. Performance is about the same. They are great cars for the money.

g7jhp said: Have you considered a Caterham? 360R or 420R would be perfect B road cars, manual and pure driving. Only downside would be limited to non-rainy days. Ha did I tell you I live in Scotland - no shortage of rain here, thats why everything is green

PushedDover said: Chris Harris was waxing HUGELY lyrical about the Toyota GR86 in the Christmas Podcast as a definite amazing drivers car, especially once breathed on Or the M2 Lichfield 30.47s https://youtu.be/G6T1R3NLwEM?si=drxDk4jXkP98IXfH I must admit I've not thought about the GR86 and so haven't seen any of the reviews etc, this will be something else I will definitely look into.

Slippydiff said: It's a heck of trek down from your neck of the woods, but I tend to think it ticks all your boxes, with added bonus of an OE sports exhaust and PCCB's. If I was in the market (which I'm not) this car would be the most likely candidate for a 997.2 S. https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/16003963 Edited by Slippydiff on Wednesday 27th December 23:55 Thats a nice car and would be ticking most boxes as well.

rawenghey said: I think people who've not owned / heard them don't realise quite how insanely loud they are at full chat (I've recorded 96db driveby at a track). This isn't another 981 GTS frothing (some people here think it's an over-hyped car), but it can be a genuine downside in some ways, as fast, quiet progress isn't really possible - the power is up top and if you're booting it in Sport/+ with PSE, everyone's going to know about it. I like mine, but try before you buy for sure. Edited by rawenghey on Thursday 28th December 10:47 I think I'd be ok with the engine noise at the higher revs (as long as its not too bad during normal cruising), it would add to the drama when making some fun progress. I did change the exhaust on my 996 Turbo as it was a bit dull, I went for a Kline exhaust which has a bit more character but not too loud.

Jer Cameron said: g7jhp said: Have you considered a Caterham? 360R or 420R would be perfect B road cars, manual and pure driving. Only downside would be limited to non-rainy days. Ha did I tell you I live in Scotland - no shortage of rain here, thats why everything is green I did, but the high days would be very pure.

Jer Cameron said: MrVert said: A Cayman R, 981 GTS or a 987 Spyder, all for below £50k with low miles and at the moment, there’s that red R & a white 987 Spyder at OPC’s with 2yr warranties. The white Spyder at Swindon is my old car btw. Great size for narrower roads, brilliant ride / handling, very practical with two boots (even the Spyder is a great tourer). The 3.4 is a superb flat 6 engine, makes a great sound and is actually bordering on laugh out loud in the GTS with PSE. They’re all relatively lightweight in today’s world, quick enough and certainly entertaining! If not one of those, I’d be tempted by an F Type S with the supercharged V6, or an Evora. An Elise might be a bit too much for all year round fun (and I say that as an S1 owner)… Or, a very good 997.2 manual 3.6 with PASM & PSE, if you can find one. MrVert, just wondering why you sold your Spider - what did you go for next ? Had it for two years, really enjoyed it , but wanted something a little more cosseting so went for a Cayman GTS. Had a Boxster GTS before the Spyder, so knew the package well, but went for a Cayman this time for the added feeling of solidity. I’ve still got other cars incl an S1 Elise (track focused but road legal)for the more hard core fun, so it fits in with me well. Looked at another 911 or two, but now prefer the smaller size of the Cayman. Also very practical and the ride / handling are spot on. Great cat. Gratuitous photo

Jer Cameron said: Slippydiff said: It's a heck of trek down from your neck of the woods, but I tend to think it ticks all your boxes, with added bonus of an OE sports exhaust and PCCB's. If I was in the market (which I'm not) this car would be the most likely candidate for a 997.2 S. https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/16003963 Edited by Slippydiff on Wednesday 27th December 23:55 Thats a nice car and would be ticking most boxes as well. That’s a good find, the 3.6 is a sweet engine. One with PASM and PSE is quite rare. They take the miles well, had one the same (except for the ceramics and wheel style) and it was a brilliant do it all car. I’d be giving that serious consideration if in the market.

Jer Cameron said: PushedDover said: Chris Harris was waxing HUGELY lyrical about the Toyota GR86 in the Christmas Podcast as a definite amazing drivers car, especially once breathed on Or the M2 Lichfield 30.47s https://youtu.be/G6T1R3NLwEM?si=drxDk4jXkP98IXfH I must admit I've not thought about the GR86 and so haven't seen any of the reviews etc, this will be something else I will definitely look into. I’d also bet as reliable as F, and a quarter of the running costs of any Pork (I have experience of 7-10yr old Pork’s)) The GR86 Perhaps not car to melt your heart or throw the keys on the bar for bragging rights, but by all accounts a cross country sports car (No experience of one either !!)

ive had 2x 996 tt/s 1x 996 targa and a upto last month a 991.2 targa Also had a RS6, M5, Cat 7;s Scoobies, Aston, 2x E63 AMG etc. Love my cars. Just sold the 991 targa and got a GR Yaris - roads are really bad where I am loved the targa but ichy feet and all that and for fun the GR Yaris ticks the boxes - its mental fun. Love the small size although the rear track was as wide as the 991 believe it or not ! Its a smoking car. I would also suggest if you get the chance for a c7 RS6 or c8 RS6 they are immense fun as well but wide. so my recommendation would be a GR Yaris or RS6 (van optional) Edited by superlightr on Sunday 21st January 20:28 Edited by superlightr on Sunday 21st January 20:32 Edited by superlightr on Sunday 21st January 20:34