Is a turbo worth it? New member.

Hello everyone, I am driving a 540 hp turbocharged firebird trans am and am in the market for a 911. Do those of you that have driven both think that the Turbo 911 is worth the extra money? I am looking at an 01 turbo. My trans Am is a convertible so the other car I am considering is an 02 cab. I am trying to decide to give up the drop top for extra performance vs. getting a cab. and giving up the blistering 0 to 60 times that the turbo offers. Can't justify a new turbo cab by the way . Any opinions would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks, Kevin

If 0-60 is real important to you, I wouldn't get either personally, but for a total package, the Turbo is largely superior to a C2 cab in over all performance. So decide if you're buying for true all around performance, or fun of having a Porsche that is still a hell of a performer and the top down to boot. It's impossible to answer this because it's completely subjective, but I'd take a turbo. (surprise, I own one) I've owned 2 996 C2 coupes, and performance-wise there's no comparison. Having a cab is sure fun though. Good luck. It's a good "problem" to have.

drive the turbo on a windy road back to back with the c2--your decision will be easy--both are great cars but perhaps you'll appreciate the turbo more only after you own a c2 for a few years and appreciate the limits of a porshe vs an overpowered pony car-- i mean no disrespect. porsches are just so different than what you are used to

Performance wise, no question about it: Turbo all the way. That being said, I own a Cab, paid almost as much for it as a Turbo, and love it. I drive top down aslmost 80% of the time (even on the track) You cannot go wrong with either car.

If you are price concious you might want to look at the 02'+ C2 cab and add a supercharger onto it. That will get you to 470 hp. The 911 TT has the AWD and Stability management (which can be added to the C2), and the wide body.

I agree with Fanman, you can always get a 2002+ C2 or C4 Cab and install a supercharger. Possibly get an 04 Turbo Cab, comes with the best of both worlds in your case.

the cab is no slouch i have routinely kept up with or droped Vettes, Trans Am's, Z28, and Mustangs and if it gets at all twisty the muscle cars can forget it! I think you will be suprised by the overall porsche package!

Kevin: Your Firebird lies in the middle of two cars I drive: a 99 996, and a 66 Shelby GT-350 that I race. The Shelby has drum brakes in the rear and no power steering - getting into the 996 after a day of racing the Mustang is a great pleasure. That said, I have a GT-3 on order, and turned down a TT-X51 and bought non-turbo 996. For some reason, I would feel reluctant to modify a GT-3 or a TT, but I am gonna tinker with my 996 - supercharger, etc, and I will have as much or more horsepower eventually for half the cost of the TT. But if you want awesome out of the box performance, go for a GT-2. Steve 99 996 00 M5 76 930 (fs) 64 356C 66 GT-350

The Shelby, btw.

Uber...SWEEEEEEEET Shelby... I'm with Fanman....get a C4 cab, and supercharge it...then you get PSM and AWD and gobs or power.

Thanks for all the replies...These are really helpful. One other question to boot , have any of you compared the 911 with the maserti coupe? What did you think? THanks, Kevin

Maybe this is like adding gasoline to the fire but... have you thought about BMW M3's at all. My current dilema is 911 vs M3, I know they are fairly different cars but they both have their pluses and minuses.

Lots of people have gone M3 to 996... drive both and then compare...

Dekard: I have a 99 996 and an 00 M5. They both have only plusses - no minuses whatsover! steve

I have an '03 M3 and an '02 C4S. this is an age-old debate, but the cars are just so different. The 0-60 times are similar and the other numbers in auto magazine articles always show that the cars are very close in all performance categories. Driving the 2 cars shows they are completely different. Considering they perform similarly, I'd say they are just 2 different ways of doing the same thing. Both handle great. The M3 is more confidence-inspiring since the rear-engine of the 996 takes some getting used to. The Porsche simply feels more like a true sports car, and it is. The M3 is just so much more comfortable though. I love both cars but for different reasons. I'm just babbling here...but if you have some specific questions, email me. You can't go wrong...

i have driven the new maserati coupe--it is incomparable to the turbo or c2 and has most of the service drawbacks of a ferrari. the 2002 model has depreciated 50%-- good car to buy used if at all--avoid the f1 transmission--it's very jerky. if you need a occasionally usable back seat the the m3 is a better alternative

I own an 01 Turbo and an 02 Cab. The Turbo is a great car and is very fast. It's nice to take it out for a blast now and then, however, in Atlanta traffic, it's rare you have an opportunity to open on up. I drive the Cab a lot more often, it's fast and fun, the open air experiance is great. I guess your decision is going to boil down to power vs. fun factor. If you really like having the top down, I'd get the Cab; you can always supercharge it if you think it's too slow... Good luck and post pics Roy