Futurecasting - 996 vs 997 turbo or just regular

Hey all, I've had my 2004 C4 Cabrio for just under a year and just over 20,000 miles so far... I absolutely love the car. But I've floated the idea with my wife to upgrade in a few years when my business debt is paid off. The original thought was to upgrade to a 996 turbo cabrio. But then I started leaning towards a 997 cabrio because they have 480 hp and from what I understand, a slightly upgraded electronic diff? I drive in MN winters so I would prefer a better awd system and of course, more power... What thoughts do you all have? 996 vs 997 turbo vs maybe just a really special and cool non turbo if it comes across my path? Are 997's similar to 996's in that the non turbos are pretty limited on power upgrades? Thanks for helping me dream

Oh I�ll be controversial here and say I prefer the 996 turbo in about every way - and I have had both and currently have a 997 turbo. 996 drives more like a turbo with sudden boost. It�s more analogue and I think looks prettier the older it gets. It doesn�t have VGT, and it doesn�t have Variocam Plus which is a disaster that will happen. Mergers are NOT bullet proof and the 997 version like the 996 will blow its coolant lines and then the cams. Both fixable at 10k a pop. These issues were solved by the .2 version, but few manuals were made and are pricy these days. Get that if you can stretch. On the flip side the 997 interior does have better materials, fit and finish. And I guess it rides better. The rest is largely the same. Both have the getrag gear boxes which I find a bit clunky - I find the regular Aisin which you have in your car a more likable transmission. But then again if I�m choosing between all my cars my 1999 Carrera wins most of the time. So I�m odd like that.

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My advice is simple (and different)... you've worked so hard to get OUT of debt, don't return into it. Buy what you can afford with cash. The economy is still struggling causing the cost of living to sky rocket, making a decision to dive back into debt after getting out of debt is not wise. This Turbo/997 dream seems more like the proverbial carrot dangling in front of the rabbit's face. It may look like carrot, but it could be poisonous, but the rabbit will bite nonetheless. The 996 Carreras are still the best value and can be snagged for under $20,000. Jumping into a 996 Turbo or even a 997 Turbo will cost a lot more like 3-4x over a 996 Carrera Cabriolet. On another thought, I'm surprised your wife would entertain these Turbo ideas... Does she know the difference? Have you told her the actually market value for the Turbos? Sounds like she just trying to give you the "man attention" and being optimistic about things you are interested in even if it means she clueless of what a "turbo" really is. My wife does it all the time, but when it comes time to purchase such a thing, she back peddles into the whole "We can't afford it" behavior. Women want security and practicality. I've ran analytics on women and Porsche 911... the fact is only about less than 1% prefer those cars. We can talk about HP differences all day long, but what's more important is the HP rating of your marriage. Cheers!

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Thanks for this, I appreciate the input. I won't be going in debt for this. It will be a cash purchase and I'm ideally looking for a higher mileage turbo. Most likely I'm hoping to end up in the $40-50k range. I'm a financial planner by profession so I can "predict" the future with a certain amount of accuracy. My future is well on track to cover my financial goals. Spending a little now on something that I will love for years won't effect me negatively. Plus, I fixed cars professionally for 10 years back in the day. As of yet on my car, there has not been anything I havne't fixed myself. So I'm not worried about caring for the car.

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thanks for this! I guess I didn't know about hte VGT or Variocam Plus. Is that a 997 specific issue? Interior is important to me. I love my 996, but am constantly disappointed the interior. It's a work in progress, but it's generally not that nice. I'll be entertaining this for a few years most likely so I'll keep digging into all of the differences. Thanks again!

Years ago, I sold my 996 C4S coupe and bought a 997 Turbo cabriolet. Both cars had a manual transmission. Both cars were excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed owning each of them. During my ownership, I found the 997 to be more reliable and it required fewer repairs. Perhaps this was simply due to the fact that it was a newer car; I can’t be certain. Both cars were fitted with winter tires during the colder months and driven all year long. I agree with the comments above about the interior upgrades on the 997 being a nice improvement. It’s a pretty significant improvement, especially in turbo trim. Many of the turbos were optioned with extensive leather trim that makes it even nicer. The 997 interior was definitely a nicer place to spend time than the 996 interior, but I did appreciate the rawness and simplicity of the 996 interior too. Both are a bit outdated at this point when compared to a current car. The 997 Turbo definitely provides the “old school” 911 Turbo driving experience, especially compared to the newer cars. Even with the addition of VGT and Variocam Plus, the power delivery is slow as the boost builds followed by a huge rush of power. It’s fun. My current 991 Turbo S has considerably more power than my 997 Turbo did, but the linear power delivery has taken away a bit of the sudden rush that the 997 delivered. If I were in your shoes, I would probably look for a 997.1 Turbo cabriolet with a manual transmission. The cabriolet was introduced in 2008 and produced in relatively large numbers that year, so your chances of finding one that meets your criteria are not bad. The 2009 cars were a “tweener” for the 997 turbo. They received the minor interior upgrades of the 997.2 cars, but kept the exterior and mechanical configuration of the 997.1 turbo cars. They weren’t produced in large numbers and they’re harder to find. Good luck and enjoy the hunt!

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That's perfect, thanks! To clarify, the 997 turbo had the turbo lag then boost? I thought the 996 had that since both turbos were spooled the same. I heard the 997 was more linear power.

Sit in them all, drive them all, and then get the one that you prefer. Fwiw, it's taken the last 5 years of renewed interest in the 996 as the new "hot" Porsche to get past the bobbleheaded comments on the headlights not being round. It seems that we are now past that here on RL and with most social media platforms. Now if we can move past the comments on the 996 interior. Quite frankly, IMHO, the 997 interior hasn't aged as well as the 996. Not to mention that it's pretty damn easy to refresh and upgrade the 996 interior due to its simplicity of design. But what do I know, I am just a 996 enthusiast.

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Correct. The 997 definitely has significant turbo lag followed by a rush of boost. The 991 has it too, but not nearly to the extent that the 997 did. Regarding the interior, I really do think the 997 was an improvement over the 996. I’m not bashing the 996 interior; I didn’t have major issues with it. My 996 had upgraded natural leather and it had extended leather in various places. It simply had more exposed plastic pieces and the design is more outdated to my eyes. The 996 interior design was heavily influenced by curved and ovoid shapes that were popular in car design in the 1990s. The 997 has a more angular design. Personally, I found the seats in the 997 to be a big upgrade over my 996 in terms of comfort. I will add that the OP should also consider a 996 Turbo cabriolet. There are some beautiful examples out there.

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Thank you for this! My ideal car is a turbo Cabriolet. Currently undecided between the 996 & 997. I'll check them out more as the weather warms up and car show season comes back around here... Turbo Cab with a manual is the target. But... I am open to a coupe if I find an absolutely beautiful one. To be clear, this is currently all in the dreaming phases. But that's how I roll... When the time comes I'll be ready to jump.

Dan, many folks are making my point. You gotta test them all out in many ways to see what you like. Everybody has preferences: color, cab, coupe, manual, auto, exterior design, interior design, handling, comfort, etc. It comes down to your preferences. Once you figure out your preference, then you gotta understand refresh, service, and upgrade costs to see what you are actually willing to do. Importantly, the condition of the car and its service history is a big part of it. What you really want to know is what may go wrong and what's it going to cost you, as well as what you can do so it won't go wrong and what thats gonna cost you. Whether you like it or not, every car will cost you in some way. Good luck with the decision.

I'm curious if you have spent any time on the track with your 996? You can't reliably enjoy the power and acceleration of the turbo on the street. If you have a need for speed, why not extend your knowledge and leverage it into a 996 setup for the track? You can have two 996s for the price of a turbo. Alternatively, have you considered something that many of us owned: Ducati.

Revisiting this. Thanks to you all for your feedback. I'm an uber nerd and even though this purchase is a few years away, I like to spend that time dreaming & researching... So here's my updated thoughts. Let's say a budget of $50-60k. Convertable and a manual. I could: 1) invest in my car. Customize it slowly and make it completely something I've built. Plus, I love driving my cars forever. I've already had 22k in my first year of ownership. I would LOVE having a Porsche I can take to 250k miles or more... Much lower cost alternative. 2) 996 or 997 TT. I would probably not get the color & option choices I'd Love but I would get a car I love. However, I tend to limit myself to 100mph. So like some of you have said, what good would I really get from the TT other than the fun of the power for a short period and the clout I have from driving my dream? 3) Same budget but a 991 convertible. I could hold out for beautifully speced car... Man, spending deciding which fake car to spend my fake money on is freaking hard!

I own a early 996 aero and an 11 turbo S I prefer the 996 I have driven a couple of 996;turbo I’m a bi fan and if the 997.2 goes I will buy a 996 turbo