Just test drove a Turbo cab for the first time

I've been considering upgrading my car for a couple of months now. Mostly because I've taken an interest in Turbos so I've been browsing online. They're not really easy to find locally but I ran across one today at Carmax that I decided to check out. It was a cabrio but honestly I could go with a coupe as well since I hardly ever put the top down. Anyway I had a couple of hours between meetings so set up an appointment to drive it. First off, even though it's still a 3.6 that "old" block sounds great even at idle. I thought with PSE my sounded excellent but for some reason the block on the Turbo sounds like a bigger block engine. I don't know why but that's just the impression I got. I took it out on the road and the good news is that it feels very similar to my car. The clutch was a LOT lighter (maybe mine is on the way out?) and the steering felt slightly heavier on the curves but aside from that I felt no difference between the 2WD on mine and the AWD on this one. The bad news is again it felt a lot like my car. I just had this impression that the Turbo was going to feel substantially faster but it really didn't. It absolutely had an additional kick around the time my variocam usually comes in but it didn't have the push I thought it would. It felt more like a steady buildup of power. I know that the Turbo has a lot more potential but I'm not generally one to mod the engine which is why I wanted to feel what is was like stock-for-stock. Maybe I wasn't driving it correctly but I have to say I felt a bit underwhelmed. It performed flawlessly and was a gorgeous vehicle but for some reason I had built up an impression that it would just blow me away and it didn't. Too add insult to injury I had my car appraised while there and they offered $13k!!! LOL! I knew not to expect much since I have 112k miles but wow! They even listed on the appraisal form that the car was in great shape but the miles were too high. So now I'm almost thinking I just keep this car until it falls apart and by then a 997 GT3 might be more accessible to me. Or maybe I ran into a bad Turbo example? Highly unlikely as this car seemed to be in great shape. Or maybe Turbos do need some mods to really differentiate them from the lower base models. But from my perspective, I just don't see the logic in going out and spending an additional $35K-$45K on top of my own trade in to upgrade to the turbo right now. Anyone else had the same experiences?

I have driven 5-6 996 Turbos & 5-6 2002 996 NA & there is no comparison of the power & acceleration. The Turbo is very smooth but the power comes on instantly, If you floor it in 1st gear it is difficult to shift before you hit the rev-limiter. Maybe Carmax was the easiest place to dump a Turbo not making full boost.

I may swing by and give it a test drive as well. Is the Carmax on South by 485?

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That's exactly what I was expecting in terms of acceleration but for some reason I didn't get that impression behind the wheel. If you are right about it being a sub-par example then they're asking for some serious coin for a flawed car - $60k! I still want to want one but as you mentioned maybe I just didn't drive the right car. Yes, it's right there. I scheduled an appointment ahead of time so they would know I'm serious and didn't want them screwing around telling me it's unavailable. Have fun if you do drive it, I'm curious as to what you think of it as well.

I have never driven a turbo but drove ferd's supercharged 996 which puts out less torque and hp than a turbo. That difference is significant. There should be a noticeable difference on that 100hp between the 996 turbo and na engine even with weight penalty. I would look to drive another.

I wonder: during normal driving, how much do you feel the torque of an engine rather than hp? It may be that, yes, the turbo is more powerful in every way....but....under typical conditions the balance of torque/weight/gear-choice -- means that the difference isn't as startling as we n/a-guys like to dream it is. Yet, middle to high rpm, the hp really comes on (as a simple function of dumping large amounts of fuel into the engine) -- and that's where everything comes together to make it (for a few moments) dramatically faster. (Yet....slightly hidden by the smoothness.) There's a part of me that lusts after a turbo. There's a part of me that watches 2-people in a Yugo in the HOV lane pass the rest of the non-HOV traffic and feel that there are few instances where the turbo would make a tangible difference in my actual driving. [sigh] So, I keep my mechincally more elegant (i.e., less complicated), fuel efficient, (but still very entertaining) C2.

The TT is an easy car to drive slow, but when you put your foot into it, you need to have a lot of open space ahead of you. 1st and 2nd can be downright violent at WOT. There is some Turbo lag at lower RPMs and the power doesn't come on strong until about 2800 RPM, but I'm guessing something might not be right with the one you drove. You still should have been able to tell the difference.

Great comments and feedback. I have been also starting to think on an upgrade to a TT (or even a C4S). I like the upgraded body and interior from my MKI plus the added power.

fpena944, I'd be willing to bet I could take you for a ride in my Turbo Cab in the canyons and have you screaming. The acceleration between turns is nutz. I'd show you 125 MPH in a 40 posted, screamin' up on a 25 MPH turn at 80, a quick brake and a flick of the wheel... I'm an OK driver, but with the Turbo the instant power feels like you are getting shot out of the turns. Nothing like a N/A car can do.

Carmax cars can be deceivingly bad I test drove an m3 last time, the clutch pedal would barely come back and low oil light was on I think they are banking on good past behavior a little too much Past experience at Carmax, twice show me vehicle in poor shape ... Still are you sure it was not a 4S

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I use mine daily as well, hence the 112k miles on it. But I also try to get to the track a few times per year so I know the extra horsepower would be a welcome addition. My main reason for wanting a Turbo is because of the following: - I love the widebody look - I want to move to a coupe so I can attend more track events without a rollbar - With 112k miles my car is probably due for some expensive maintenance in the near future. Do I want to spend the funds to fix up this car knowing it'll still be worth very little or do I want to put the money into a lower mileage Turbo that should be able to hold more of it's value over time than the base model? So those are my decision points...It's always fun thinking about this stuff! I didn't floor it in 1st because I figured I would hit the rev limiter real quickly and I wasn't comfortable with the clutch, but I did give it a go in 2nd on the highway on-ramps. One thing I didn't do is look at the speedometer. So it may have been that I was traveling quickly but just didn't feel like I was. But as you mentioned, it may have been a bad one... Are you in Colorado? If so I go there 1-2 times per year to visit the family. I wish I had the opportunity to really try one out but there don't seem to be many that are close to my location in NC. It's tough to get a feel for a car in its entirety when you have a salesperson sitting next to you during the drive. But your description makes me want one all over again! Haha - I was thinking that too...What if someone removed the turbos? It was be hard to tell but it did have the side air intakes! Guess that's why PPIs are so important. Since I have a cab I thought the weight penalty would be less of a factor. Even from the MKII it felt like an upgrade because it has a better set of brakes, suspension, and the interior has more leather bits. It felt a bit more solid too but maybe that's because the roads were relatively smooth while mine has the honor of driving through the potholed roads in the "uptown" region of Charlotte.

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OT, nick49, I know we all like to put down some power and enjoy our rides....but before we start reading on the news about a black Porsche Turbo found at the bottom of a canyon because the driver was doing 80mph on a 25mph turn.... it just takes a few pebbles or a hydroplane to end it in a bad way. keep your high speed driving on "private" road courses, not public roads.

Was talking to a friend who flew F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet before he retired a few years ago, he took a ride in another friend's 996 TT and stated when it comes to acceleration the TT was so quick that it came closest to the Hornet in any car he's ridden in, so it has to be quite noticeable for a figher pilot to make that comment!

I suspect that the TT you drove was put away tired and wet too many times. The acceleration of a TT is mind-blowing and will kick you in the guts. I agree that around town at low RPMs it is fairly benign (which is a plus for us city drivers) but it doesn't take much to get up into the power curve and into some serious fun. Drive another for comparison before you make up your mind. Many of the TTs were lease cars and beaten up pretty badly.

Two thoughts: 1. I find that when I am focussed on driving hard, and careful about using the fat part of the torque curve between say 4000 and 6500 RPM, my very mildly modded MK1 is a complete hoot and a little scary. When I am commuting and daydreaming about whatever, the same car feels rather clunky and sedate. 2. Those TTs make big power and even with the salesman taking away your focus, you should have been flying. It's probably got problems.

Well I'm now kinda pi$$ed that my first Turbo experience was a let-down. I'll see if I can find a prime example one of these days and give it a go again...Although my wife was asking, "Why are you looking for another car already?" so we'll see where that is going.

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No worries...try again. It just doesnt seem right. It should have been night and day. GL

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I get the same from my wife ....