996tt - better in winter - awesome family car! - Page 1 - 911/Carrera GT - PistonHeads UK

hi folks, Unashamed 'i love my car' note here! 18 months ago (with 1st child on the way) the mrs and i 'had to' (well sold in me!) swap the 987s for something with 4 seats - a 911! yes my lovely wife agreed! It came down to a 993 or 996tt, and we picked the 996t (not as pretty or soulful as the 993, but easier and safer for the mrs to drive, better family car, and the only car I've ever owned that can deliver a 'black run on the slopes' level of exhilaration after a spin!) Point 1 - family car usage. Its an awesome family car! The maxi cosy was perfect until 12 months, and the besafe (front facer) is perfect now he's older. the fit is superb! Also the 'quinny zap' pram fits easily in the front. Theres plenty of room for all the kids kit and three soft bags (me, mum, littlun) to go away on a big trip. Point 2 - wet weather usage This was the prompt for this note. Its the only car I've owned that i actually enjoy driving a lot more in the slimy wet wintery roads! The sensation of 'nibbling' at the road, slipping a little in bends, and accelerating hard is just so good- it feels so exciting yet still safe. Awesome! if in the process of choosing but in doubt - do it! Cheers! James

No idea about point 1 but agree with point 2 all day long. The 996T has impressed me most on wet days on country roads, astounding at how well it holds the road

Agree. Point to point on a wet day the 996 turbo is the best car I've owned or driven. The grip, feel and pace is inspiring.

Hi there A nice positive post OP. I wanted to ask what type of car seat you have (front facing BESAFE you mention)??? We need one for our boy and are struggling a bit. Thanks

this one - http://www.besafe.com/en/car-seat-products/toddler... - we went to the baby centre and the (very helpful) lady was super sceptical, but rapidly conceded that it was 'an excellent fit' and 'made for the car' (nb you have to remove the seat cushion from the 911) Have to agree - its super comfy, reclines to 3 levels so jnr can nod if needed, and the mrs (5ft 8) has enough legroom in the front. Good times! James

Thank you for the prompt reply. I will have a look now.

Agreed great car just ruined by the front end.What were they thinking.Shame.

can't argue with that - damn those headlights! although i have to say that side and rear aspects, and even the front in the dark (with round headlights illuminated) nets out well for me. I just make sure to always park nose first! my dream is to have a 964/993 for looking at, and to keep the 996tt for blasting around all seasons. Quite a long way to go on the savings plan for that to happen though!!!

Always good to read. A 996 Turbo would have been my car of choice. Alas budget said 996.2 Carrera 4. Saved the link for the child seat. May come in handy late next year / early 2016.

ghamer said: Agreed great car just ruined by the front end.What were they thinking.Shame. I'm driving so couldn't care what others think of the front end!

Is the torque split the same as the Carrera 4? I.e 5% rising to 40% through the front? I believe I read (Chris Harris possibly) that the 997 feels more like it's a 4wd car.

How much Liberty can you take in the wet in one of these? I've got two rear wheel drive cars which you can forget it in the wet, never driven a 4 wheel drive car of any sorts so interested to know the wet grip levels of something like the 996/997 turbo.

i always drive with the traction control on, and with that in mind i can nail the throttle in 2nd or 3rd out of any corner and it just grips and goes with a very pleasing nibble/wiggle sensation. Sometimes you can feel the power go to the front and 'grab' the road, before then it switches to the rear and thumps you out of the bend. its very impressive!

Yep, best school run car I've had. Agree that the lights look best in the dark too, with just the oval illuminated! I am surprised someone hasnt developed a replacement aftermarket light unit for 996, that confines everything (indicators, fogs) within that nice oval shape, and leaves the rest of the unit body coloured in metal. ..Yes you can get stick on masks but they look just that - stuck on.

I saw a wrap on a black 996.2 the other day (somewhere online, I'll try to find it later) that left only the oval main headlight showing. The car would have looked much better like that. I'm not sure why Porsche didn't move away from it for the Turbo or 996.2. Perhaps they had already decided that was for the next generation and wanted to make sure that would look different enough?

997.2 will probably be my next car in a year or two. Will just need my wife to sit in it with my daughter behind her to make sure they both fit comfortably. The wife is 5 foot 7 and my daughter will be 3. Stu

Denno B said: How much Liberty can you take in the wet in one of these? I've got two rear wheel drive cars which you can forget it in the wet, never driven a 4 wheel drive car of any sorts so interested to know the wet grip levels of something like the 996/997 turbo. How much Liberty can you take in the wet in one of these? A lot more than you think. Because the weight is rear-biased, it is quite hard to spin up the tyres on a non-turbo 996 in any medium to high speed corners. Therefore, TC is a little redundant. Turbo'ed 996 will spin up its tyres when the turbos spool up though. Then you are only left with over-speed entering a bend, with no throttle or worse still with the brakes on, and the rear comes round - PSM will correct that but don't take too much liberty as I find the 996 generation of the PSM to be a little slow - I had to have 1/2 a corrective lock on a few occasions before the PSM straightened up the car. The way to drive these in wet is to ensure you are slow enough on the approach of a bend that you are on a slight positive BEFORE you start to turn the steering wheel.