Deciding which to buy...

Hello all, Firstly let me tell you... i just stumbled upon this car probably a week ago. I am a 24 y/o mechanical engineer @ Dmax ( turbo diesel engine for chevy/GMC) and never thought in a million years i could own not just a porsche 911.. but the 996.. one of my favorite body styles, for this cheap (18-35k). I currently own a 475ish rwhp(or will be when i finish installing boltons and tuning) 06 E55 AMG. An 04 full bolt-on and dyno tuned 260rwhp 04 g35 coupe and have owned many cars before those but those are the only 2 i have ever tinkered with. I absolutely adore my G35 as it was my first "quick" car i ever owned and definitely the car that got me into cars. Its nimble, quick, and an overall fun car to drive but i have been prepping myself to sell it for about 6 months now as i bought this E55 AMG about 4 months ago. Basically, i found out that straight line speed gets boring and i want to get back into a smaller car that i can throw around the corners, daily, and just have fun with. YES, this is going to be my daily for all of the summer until i pick up a winter beater. Moral of the story is... I am selling both the merc and the G and buying a MK2 996 911. Im looking for a car i can track occasionally, autoX occasionally, also daily, that isn't going to break on me(too much... its a 12-14 year old car, i do not expect there to be 0 problems) as i run my cars pretty hard ( but always take care of them). Here's my problem... DO I GET... C4S: Awd, widebody, Love the sound of the NA motor, can be had with 50k or so miles for 30k or less, 3300ish lbs C2: RWD, Non widebody, Still love the sound of the NA motor, Can be had for 18-25k with 50k or so miles on it, 2900 ish lbs.. OR Turbo: awd, stretch for money as most go with 70-100k miles for 35-45k, 3300ish lbs, much more hps NOW... if i go with a NA motor (that sound though...) I will likely build the car from the ground up. Starting with suspension and mounts and end up either turbo or SC(i probably wouldnt do this if i thought i could get 350whp out of NA without spending hella money), exhaust, intake, MAYBE plenum & TB (after reading a few threads maybe not...im seeing that it leans out some of the cylinders in the higher RPMs but produces more down low power..Can anyone confirm?), and be shooting overall for around 400ish whp. So the c2 is obviously very attractive because i have heard with the LW suspension, LWFW, LW wheels and a couple other deletes... you can get down to 27XX ish lbs.. at 400 whp would be crazy fun in a straight line or in the corners.. but the C4S draws me in with those hips... and the AWD would be extremely attractive for the winter if i am forced to drive it in the winter but shes so heavy.. Pretty much im 98% not going to go with turbo unless i find a bangin deal on one and cant pass it up when i am ready to buy ( 6 months or so from now ) Also, outside of the IMS and RMS problems... i cant seem to find any other big issues that stick out to me.. I've heard random stuff like scoring, leaking copious amounts of oil, etc.. but seem to be intermittent in the platform. Requirements: Manual, coupe, below 70k miles, color doesn't matter(except yellow... no.) I would love to test one of these but there are almost zero around me within 100 miles and right now work is hot an heavy(13 hour shifts..6 sometimes 7 days a week) so i don't have the time to do it right now. just looking for opinions. Thanks for all your help and guidance!

My $0.02: Go for the turbo, if you find one for a good price and reasonable miles. Should be able to find a good one for 40k or so. Since you are used to high HP cars, you may be disappointed with anything less. C2 - vs - C4: I prefer C2. Best bang for the buck out there.

See but i feel like i could get the C2 or C4s to 400 whp for less than 40k... thats my only thing with the turbo... and honestly, im not really looking to go above 400. A reliable 400 whp is all im wanting out of this car. No love for the widebody? and if i chose the c2 i could get a nice one with an aerokit for 18-25k.. say i picked one up for 22 got a used VF kit for 4k, exhaust 2k, intake 1k, and tuning ( not sure ) id still be sub 30k possibly.. and have a reliable 400 rwhp. Obviously before i do any of that id be doing fluids, filters, etc... looking to get one with IMS and RMS already done.

Also, not expecting this car to be faster than my AMG. around corners... yes i would hope so.. straight line... not exactly(although 400 whp in a 27XXlb c2 would probably wreck my 40XXlb 475whp AMG). just looking for an overall fun car.

Drive the na and the turbo they are two completely diff animals. The wide body is only on the c4s and turbo as well both being awd. (Exception gt2) I went with the turbo after a handful on na test drives and have 0 regrets. I'm biased but, for the money/performance factor the 966tt is tough to beat.

go drive both as above poster said! 996tt prices are on the rise thanks to the engine reliability, c2/c4s is not gonna get any cheaper methinks.

Well like i said i have been looking for ones close (within 50 miles) to me but i haven't been able to find a whole lot and haven't had the time recently to really look. I am not looking for a speed demon... i would keep with the AMG if i was.. another 5k in that and ill have a low 10s car for under 18k all said and done. I am looking for the driving experience, the pleasure of driving a 911 that i hear about. my question was: what set up would you guys go with given my circumstances and plans. At the end of the day, obviously, it will come down to which i enjoy driving more.

^we are telling you to buy a turbo

if I had the money I'd buy a turbo - they are on a steep climb price-wise. I bought the 996.2 C2 because I believe they have reached the bottom end of depreciation. (I'm in the UK though)

Find that C2 that was for sale for $30k with an already-rebuilt Jake Raby engine in it... Done.

I bought a quite leggy C2 and I am budgeting for a engine rebuild down the line. That's the only way forward (for me)

I have seen some C2's out there in the mid-high 20s with a supercharger kit already on them. You could look for one that's already built. Don't forget that you get more upgrades with the turbo than just power. It has larger brakes, suspension, etc.

no doubt about it, hourses for courses etc. THat was the right route for me - OP should choose a turbo i think.

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If you are thinking about trying to get a NA 996 up to 400 RWHP, then budget for an engine rebuild. If you are OK with 320 hp, then the NA 996 is a great car. Based on your plans, I'd get the C2 rather than the C4S. But, if you plan to pump up the horsepower more than about 15 or 20 hp, then I'd stay away from the NA 996. The exception would be to find a car with a Jake Raby (Flat Six Innovations) built engine. They have been fortified to handle the extra power (although probably still not 400 RWHP). On the other hand, the stock 996tt starts at 415 hp. Bumped up to stock 450 hp with the X50 package. Either the base 996tt or the X50 model can easily and safely and relatively cheaply produce 500 hp, which will give you your desire RWHP number. If you don't want AWD, the 996tt system can easily and cheaply be converted to RWD. And then easily back to AWD later.

IMO, go drive both - also price insurance on both as I know you are a little younger than the standard 911 demographic. Getting 400hp from the M96 motor will be costly! If you want power, start with the turbo! Most of us with the na is happy with the power as it suits the car just fine. That's probably why you don't see a lot of threads on trying to get more power from the na motor.

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I'll echo what some others have said. Find a nice, well maintained 996 Turbo. You'll spend more getting a NA 996 to 400hp (not to mention 400 to the rear wheels) than you would for a nice 996tt. Just my $0.02 worth. Buy what you like and have fun with it.

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Shhhh!

I am a fan of the NA cars as they can get me in enough trouble as it is.

Why is it out of the question to get NA car to 400? I've seen plenty of VF SC cars get there and stay fairly reliable for extended periods of time. I already sent flat6innovations an email about their stage 1 motor. But I dont really look to go that route(will if I have to).

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Not out of the question........just lots of $$$$$$.

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From Flat6s website: Just Don't Do It.. Unlike other companies that will apply boost to a "box stock" engine, we discourage this. Thats simply due to our experience with these engines and the fact that in stock form, they don't hold up very well and under boost trouble is to be expected. The stock compression ratio is too high, the stock cylinders too weak and the stock cast pistons are paper thin, why would anyone ever apply forced induction to an engine with these issues?? We will not! In fact, after our experiences we will not build an engine for turbocharging at all, even if it is updated with our components, processes and blessed. Our experiences prove that these forced induction kits are poorly developed and are nothing more than catalysts for inevitable failures. Again, if you want 400 hp, you want the turbo car.

I guess I'm just not seeing the money. Used VF kit like 4-5k, exhaust 2k, intake 1k, tuning another 1-2k and youre gonna be real close to 400 whp. I was concerned if that was pushing the limits of the engine but there is lots of guys that have had it on there for 50k miles + and no issues whatsoever. I understand the turbo would be easier to make the power but im not just worried about power.

Fair enough. So what could I get the NA motor to safely without boost?

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Sounds like you know better than the advice given here. Go for it.

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You can't really use 'ball park' numbers or even quote used turbo kits when discussing the M96 engine. There are soo many variables, that once you get things going, you may find that your budget has skyrocketed. My recommendation would be get one of those stage 1 big bore motors from flat6. Price is probably dependent on the state of your current engine, but I read anywhere between 15-30K. you maybe looking at 40-50 HP? (honestly, that's just a guess.)

I do not know better than the advice given.. Lol was just offering what I have found. I hope I dont come off that way. I dont know a whole lot about the platform just trying to understand. Not getting a whole lot of clarity from scouring the forums. So I found this car: http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/996/401099-advice-how-much-i-should-list-my-car.html This would be not a reliable car because it has a SC on it ? I am definitely considering finding a cheaper c2 and shipping it to flat6innovations. As I would honestly be happy with 350 whp from a 3.8L stage 1 motor with Boltons. But if its more than 10k.. I may as well buy the turbo. In any case...the car would stay at stock power for awhile aside from exhaust

You might want to seriously consider this car: http://www.ebay.com/itm/262783931456...rue&rmvSB=true Although it has a salvage title, it has been gone through and has a lot of nice upgrades. Assuming the color change and color itself and body mods that are just a bit ricey don't bother you, it will be a helluva ride for about a $28,000 buy in.

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There is no way of knowing if something is reliable or not. The car in the ad has 40K miles on it - who knows what other problems are lurking. Could be a ticking time bomb. No one knows. The collective wisdom and experience here on the forums suggest that 'boosting' an M96 motor is not recommended. I'd go with that over a guy trying to sell a car any day. But your $$. Now you're starting to get it.. If you want more power than the stock 300 HP from a M96, get the turbo.

Just crazy to me that this platform comes with a motor that you can't get much more power than stock out of without taking a big chance of breaking it. Turbo seems to be the only way. Maybe ill just go for a 80-100k mile turbo. Seen some around 30-35k.

Seems like.. Only reason to buy NA motor is if you want to leave it stock.. Thats silly.

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Throwing a blower on a 13-18 yr old engine and watching it grenade - $20K.....

With the numbers you're after go the turbo like everyone as suggested. It will also give you the flexibility to do more mods and get more power if you want. ​​​​​​ The N/A won't give you the numbers even with bolt on modifications. ​​​​The SC and LWFW are not favourable on the M96. Unfortunately the M96 isn't like other engines and the bolt on mods could leave you with big headaches and bills.

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Fixed that for you.

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[Image-only post; no author-written text. Original image references:] https://rennlist.com/forums/graemlins/thumbup.gif

You seem to be focused on this 400 HP (or more) experience. If that's the case then go turbo. There is no point spending 10,000 to boost a NA engine, just get a turbo. However, I would like to suggest you don't need 400+ hp. I've been driving sports cars for a long time and my 2002 Porsche 911 (320 hp) is plenty fast on the street and on the track. When you have this car at 4,500 RPMs it pulls hard. All the fun in these cars happens between 3,800 rpm and 6,000 rpm. I see people driving 550+ HP cars on the track getting lapped by guys in 200 HP Miata. Driving skill is A LOT more important than pure torque or hp.

Or you can do an LS conversion.

I am not fixed on 400.. I just wanted to be above 300 whp honestly. I'm sure the 320 is plenty fast and on a track I've seen a datsun 1200( my buddies) make faster times than evos. I may very well be happy with the 320.. I'm not sure. I'm in this more for the experience than i am the power.

For a first Porsche, the NA 996 is a great car. Right now they are still stupid cheap. Great cars. And they are not all about the horsepower. As ejdoherty says, they are truly sports cars. I'd get a nice NA 996 and appreciate it for what it is. Then, as you are doing that, you can start thinking about a different car. If you are like many of us, you'll keep the 996 and add other cars because the 996 will truly grow on you.

So can I get a NA 996 put exhaust, intake, and a tune on it and as long as solid tune... Will it be reliable? As long as its well maintained? Id be happy with that. Like I said just here mostly for experience. Like I mentioned above. My favorite car I've driven is my G35.. 260whp and 3400 lbs.

To get output to 100HP / liter, a car has to be pretty high strung. Getting this level of power reliably requires sophisticated engineering, and either high revs or boost. High revs can cause the engine internals to rapidly become externals. Boost increases thermodynamic loads, and combustion pressures. if you want to add displacement, that works, but is quite expensive. Porsche simply didn't leave a lot of meat on the bone to be exploited by simple mods. And, since the number of potential purchasers of performance parts for a 996 is so low, the development costs have to be amortized over just a few sales. So most aftermarket parts manufacturers don't bother, and those that do charge accordingly. Enjoying the car as it is makes a lot of sense, and a stock 996 is quick enough on a winding road to be quite enjoyable. Straight-line performance isn't their forte, and it's hard on the equipment. In the US, domestic V-8 cars rule the roost for straight-line speed, if that's your preference. Do get a quote from an insurance company before committing to either a NA or turbo 996. Your quote is likely to be eye-wateringly high.

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At least for the NA 996, it's not that bad (I got mine at 24). Costs less to insure than a recent-ish 3 series, and if you have a multi-car discount it's actually quite reasonable relative to other cars. After test driving a 996 Turbo recently, I'm pretty happy with my NA C4. The Turbo felt heavier, definitely faster, but a lot of the extra power isn't usable on the street anyway. Not worth basically double the investment, at least from what I drove. The 996TT felt like a car you could use to get into a lot of trouble with though, that's for sure. The wave of power is just immense, and I can't imagine any amount of tuning could replicate that feel from an M96. Best driving experience per dollar right now is probably an early 987S (mid-high teens for a car with 80-100k mi). Early 996 is a close second in the same price bracket, but it has some advantages - won't depreciate, seating for four, hardtop and AWD options. Plus it's a 911.

So for my G and my AMG I red line them probably 2-10 times in my commute to work and back.. Everyday.. Is this going to make this motor unreliable ? Even if left with just exhaust, intake, and tune? Also, are you saying like pulling in a straight line with the car is hard on it ? If so I am definitely looking at the wrong platform. I am looking for a car I can beat on, take care of, and have it last me many years.

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Intake/exhaust, doesn't really do jack squat for this car other than add noises. You are better off getting some trackdays with instruction. Gunning from a stop isn't really what the Porsche is all about. All this is moot until you drive the car. You may not like it.

Totally agree with you but i am trying to get an idea of a mod-list together before i buy. I have given up modding the 996 for power.. but i would still like a nice exhaust(even if its the FISTER mod) and im a sucker for intake noises. but i want to make sure by adding exhaust (or doing fister) am i going to corrupt the reliability of the motor? to me its just more in and more out air. I want to thank everyone for their input... this isn't exactly the discussion i was looking for but definitely the one that needed to happen for me to get a more realistic view on the platform. I have decided on a NA motor as my first porsche.. given up completely on making extra power on it.. Instead i am going to try to lighten the load as much as possible and see where that gets me. and like i mentioned before i will be building it ground up (except maybe FISTER mod) starting with GT3 links, RS motor mount, Trans mount(need to do more research on which), probably either KW coils or H&R, and some lightweight wheels & tires. Then maybe exhaust, intake, tune and then ill focus on the cosmetics. Still not sure whether ill be getting 4s or C2 due to it being my daily i am thinking c4s would be more practical in Ohio. Will be taking it to tail of the dragon, mid ohio, autoXing it next season, and taking it to other little cool places for me to enjoy the driving aspect of the car. if i want more power i may pick up a turbo down the road but for now i think i just want to enjoy this car for what it is. Aside from pelican parts and suncoast porsche... are there any other wide variety vendors for this platform? Thanks again!

https://newyork.craigslist.org/lgi/ctd/5938520640.html anyone know this car? what do you guys think?

Don't know the car, but someone sure dumped a ton of cash into modding it. Seems like the previous owner did a lot of what you are looking for (tune, exhaust, etc.).

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Don't know it. Hate anything CF(fake or otherwise). Lots of mods, lots of money spent. Mostly good quality products, stuff you are looking to pay retail to add on your bone stock platform. "IMS taken care of". Trust --- but verify. With receipts, and the door jamb sticker. Asking $30k, winter new England cash price ~$23-26k. PPI from bumper to bumper and write the check, drive it home.

Door jamb sticker..? explain, please? i will get PPI done.. offer him 25k if everything checks out and then drive it home. but i gotta see if he takes trade-ins first. gotta get rid of this AMG xD

Door jamb sticker: When someone installs the LN IMSB, they are supposed to put a sticker that comes with the bearing on the door jamb. Many don't, however, so it's not a guarantee at all. But, "IMSB taken care of".... that could mean a lot of things. Do a search on KK's home-made IMSB thread. He had similar vague language in his description when he sold his car, and it blew up on the buyer. Per the ad for the car you are looking at: If you can get the car in the ad you posted, for 25K or so, and all checks out well in a PPI, it's a good buy. The asking price of 30K is too high... they are asking for you to pay for a lot of bling that the previous owner installed. His loss should be your gain. Like Docmirror, I'm not a huge fan of carbon fiber bits. Slightly Ricer, but I wouldn't kick that car out of bed.

Right on, and honestly i may just get it and redo IMS and RMS just to be extra safe(if he cannot provide proof on LN engineering retrofit)... i don't mind spending the extra $$ if i know it could save my motor!

Presupposing it doesn't have the door jamb sticker indicating an LN bearing installed, I would see the receipts for the work done, and what was installed. Then, drain the oil, and inspect the filter carefully and proceed. With a car that's been heavily modded, and is for sale by a small used car dealer there are risks involved. You don't know the quality of the work done(but it looks pretty good from afar), so you need to check and test everything. Hope it works out. The C4S is a great platform even bone stock. Oh, and I'm sure he will take your AMG in trade, just show up with a lot of **** lube, cuz you're gonna get shafted on trade value.

Regarding the "door jamb" sticker: it's not always affixed to the door jamb. When my shop did the IMS job, they attached the sticker to the invoice. Regardless, either way can prove the job was done and is needed to prove the upgrade/replacement was performed. If the seller can't show you the "sticker" - it wasn't done (even if it was). FYI - the sticker has the serial number of the IMS bearing printed on it.

car sold a few weeks back, they just hadn't taken the ad down. i am thinking i am going to go with a C2(for the weight, plus im used to driving RWD in snow and as long as you got the tires for it... its easy.) anyways... unless i can find a good deal on a low mileage c4s. No matter what i buy though... im probably going to go through and change all filters and fluids(brakes, top off power steering, oil, trans oil, diff oil, etc) , inspect all hoses, inspects all brake components, probably do spark plugs and coil packs if not done in last 20k, etc. before i do any mods to the car. after that ill start adding little things.

I make 440HP routinely, all motor- no boost, and no hassles from any M96 base engine thats factory 3.4 liter, or larger. With my R51 CNC cylinder heads, and my 4.4L engine I expect to break 500HP in 2017, on 91 octane- no boost.

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I emailed you guys a few days ago and havent heard back from you. I am interested in pricing out a motor. I went and looked at a c4s today ( to see if I would fit 6'1" with very wide shoulders.. And to my surprise.. It has more front seat room than my AMG)and that is most likely what I'm going to get. Ill be budgeting for a motor build.

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We reply to emails within 24 hours. The only exception to that was what we received during winter shutdown, but we returned on Monday the 2nd and all emails were replied to by lunch that day. Please re- send to [email removed] and we will reply within 24 hours. Likely within 2 hours.

Actually with seeing how much a built engine for these cars is... even sourcing parts and putting together myself is going to be well over 10k.. so i think i will just suck it up and go for a semi high mileage turbo. I have heard they are much more reliable and i think i can grab a 80-100k mile turbo for 30k or so. Are the turbos going to be more reliable than the m96 will be? even if i get a turbo i will most likely keep it stockish.. maybe a few bolt ons and a tune. definitely wont go over 500 whp..( maybe ).

If you are an actual GM engineer not a contract engineer I assume you are in Michigan. If that be the case there is a 99 c2 cab in clarkston right now with 95k on the clock for $15,000. This would be a good start to find out if you like these cars

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If I were you, I would do in the following order: 1. Find some cars to drive, C2, C4, Turbo, and see if you like the driving experience, and see which ones you like the best. 2. Price out insurance for each of the samples. 3. Put together a realistic running budget for the year. Any upgrades, or aftermarket doo dads should not be prioritized in any way. Get a car first - run it stock, and address any maint. items FIRST. There is a reason why you see so many cheap 996s for sale. Most folks can buy them, but not everyone can afford to keep them running.

Have a look at this 996 40th Anniversary, 345hp from the x51 package. Add a ROW M030 suspension and spend the rest of your $$$ on driving lessons Enjoy the search it's fun. https://rennlist.com/forums/vehicle-...le-0165-a.html

Here you go. 2nd time around on Ebay. Didn't sell 1st time... http://www.ebay.com/itm/2001-Porsche...505109?vxp=mtr

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Dmax is not a GM plant. Its a joint venture, although we make the diesel engines for GM. So we are located near dayton, ohio. The search for these cars is definitely fun . My budget is below 40k.. for the car. So if i could get a c2 or c4s for 20-25k that was clean and do a motor build for 15k id do it.. but at this point purely weighing the car and all that i would want to do to it this year.. (wheels, full suspension refresh, and fister mod ) the turbo seems like my best option at this point. as far as reliability, power potential, and if i got in a bind and had to sell i could get most of my money back.. i love the 40th anniversary cars though.. very enticing. although... i have heard that the LSD's that come in them are very weak and end up being open diffs after a couple years of driving or a couple days at the track.

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Not really interested in rebuilt titles.. otherwise id go pick this car up. I love the color and very tasteful mods done to it. On top of that the coolant lines have been pinned which i hear is a painful thing on the turbos..

this one is pretty nice http://www.ebay.com/itm/2002-Porsche...m=201768065450

That does look like a good price for the car, assuming it is in good condition. Seems like a fair price for 107K miles. The guys in the TT forum will be more than happy to give you their opinions if you go the TT route.

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The ad said it has a suede headliner...I never knew you could get suede as a headliner.

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Non enthusiasts always mistake alcantara with suede. Similar feel.

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and yeah i think i have decided on a high mileage turbo. Thanks all for the discussion and ideas!

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I will - ahem, deliver since it's only a few miles from my home. Notwithstanding my dislike of silver, I'll just go the extra mile for you and drive it to your place.

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Good price, unfortunately it's a tippy . . . EDIT: Well, the ad says it's an automatic, but the pics show a 6-speed, so nevermind. Probably will not (nor should not) last long at that price.

Noooooo I didnt see that...definitely not with the tip.

I didn't know it could go fast like this. Does this turbo comes on it? Or you can have it installed?

OP, I know at 24 you are excited about porsche ownership, but holy crap you need to slow down. You've literally decided on each of your three choices once, if not twice, over the course of this thread. First...you claim you'll be happy with 320hp, but literally every other post you talk about power and speed. Based upon your previous choice of vehicles and your attitude, it is perfectly clear that a naturally aspirated 996 won't get it done. You can try to convince yourself otherwise, and then you'll be disappointed. $15k engine rebuild...don't think so. To do a proper rebuild with nickies, decent performance and reliability upgrades, you are into the $20k+ range pretty easily. $40k budget. You are talking about buying a high mile 6TT for $30k and then doing wheels, full suspension, fister, etc. Pretty much any high mile 911, much less a turbo, regardless of how well it was kept, will likely need $3k to $5k of work. Porsche parts make MB parts look cheap. Your first order of business is to get the car in decent shape and if you bottom feed on a high miler, that will likely cost more than you think. I think you need to slow way the hell down, think about what you really want out of the car and the experience, consider how much repair costs might be, and then drive a few of the cars you are considering. You may realize that no 996 is for you. good luck.

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Mabuhay, kabayan 996s also come in Turbo trim from the factory. Some NA owners who want (need?) more juice add a S/C

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All fair points haha. It was more of me working my way through what I think would be best for me through what I'm seeing in the comments and other forums. Getting a more realistic view of the m96 platform and budgeting And thinking that has made me flop a few times but all is decided now. And any mods I get will be after the car is sorted lol. I believe I said at least 15k.. When I started researching billet blocks and forged internals.. Not a whole lot of options came up and flat6innovations quoted me 30k. So I started trying to source parts individually and it just came out to well over 15k.

buy a roller 912, and hot rod it wth a 911 engine

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Ive said this before, but make sure you check insurance premiums on any car first! At 24 I bought a brand new M3, and it turns out my premiums were insanely high. Big mistake on my part.

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To that point: http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cult...ws&date=010617

I wouldn't consider an m96 powered 911 as my only car. A turbo? Sure, but the higher mileage you go the closer you are to a rebuild. Love my 996 for the light steering feel, agility in the corners, induction sounds in higher rpms, etc. The first time I drove a 911 after driving a base model Cayman, my happy driving senses went on overload. The close ratio gearing between 3-4-5-6 gears is truly intoxicating to row through at speed. BUT, I've always been the opposite of a '400whp or bust' type. Have you driven a water cooled 911 yet? NA or turbo? Driving them > asking strangers which you'll like better... On the only car subject, I drive a Honda when it's below freezing or the roads are nasty (~18 of the last 20 work days, for example). There's currently another wave of guys with scored cylinders popping up in the areas that get colder temps - I don't want to join that club. Make sure you spend more time learning about car maintenance and operation than modding potential. suggestion 1: buy a turbo and be done with it suggestion 2: buy an NA 996 and a reliable winter beater you can fall back on should the motor give up the ghost suggestion 3: Put a TT kit and a proper internal rebuild on your G35 if you want cheap, reliable 400whp. Getting that kind of power out of a Porsche is not cheap, whichever way you go there will be substantial risk.

Quotes source post: 13861499

If you drove a 996tt with a Tip, you might change your opinion. Also, a 996tt with a Tip is probably the best bang for the buck in the 996 world. A vastly different experience from a NA 996 Tip.

Quotes source post: 13863581

What type of hand controls have you put in your 996 ? any chance for a pic and some details ? I am toying with the idea for my 996 Carrera...