Anybody get turbo "fever?"

As much as I enjoy driving my car every day (4000 miles in 10 weeks) I am starting of thinking to move to a 996 turbo. Anyone else get these thoughts?

I did, about a year after acquiring my N/A C2 Came very close to 997 Turbo and still look at 996's... specifically for a unicorn (white, cobalt) after speaking to clubracer6 who went from a 40th - 996 Turbo - back to a 40th, a simple romp on the gas and things happen very quickly, like 100 mph heavier car, responsive but heavier maybe sometime in the future, currently enjoying my 40th It's set up nicely and gets the job done quite efficiently

Every day of my life, my friend.

Yes

Turbo = More Smiles

Nope, but if you're talking GT3 fever, I have a bad case of it

The only reason to not get an S or GTS or Turbo or Turbo S or GT3 or GT2 = can�t afford it!

I keep looking at all the ones I see for sale and if the "right" one comes up Im going to buy it! Might take a while... SOOOOOO Do I put mine for sale and take a chance I'm porscheless for a while? OR do I wait buy the turbo when the right one comes up and find that it takes too long to sell the C4? TOTAL daily driver so Turbo cab (4 wheel drive) with hard top for winter!

I test drove a turbo prior to the C4S. It was way too much car for what I wanted. It was very fast, but almost unusable on the highway. Great for on ramps. Not so useful anywhere else.

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^ This!!!! What was that saying? "Champagne taste on a beer budget"... For $50K any one of us could have a turbo 6MT in the garage, and for $75K we could have a GT3. Even if I sold both of my 996's I couldn't afford the turbo.

991 GT3 fever for sure. Will never happen tho.

Nope. I�ve come to realize it�s more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow. It�s possible to exceed most speed limits by second gear in my C4s. Whereas I can drive the wheels off my e30 and not cause a scene. The TT is just more than needed for US roads. Of course if I ever wanna do mock2 with my hair on fire, I just hop on my bike. But to each their own.

Yeah I've thought of it, but $$ at the moment plus if I did take the plunge I'd have to remove the FWD system. I just don't want or need AWD.

I've thought about it many times because of the popularity of the Turbo Mezger based 996 models. Every brand has ways to lure you into more HP or better features. It's like a drug. At first, a little will do, but before long, you need MORE MORE MORE to get the high and then eventually, it kills you! I like the tamed power of the 996 Carreras. The powerband of these cars feels a lot more powerful than the muscle cars that I've experienced over the years.

I previously owned a twin turbo car (FD RX7 with a few mods) with similar power to the N/A 996. I definitely prefer the throttle response and power band of an NA car to turbo. I'd say, go test drive one before you get too enthused.

I owned a 997 tt for a year . Excellent car all the way around . Just not practical enough for me ? Now have a 2003 boxter base ,Its a blast and such a good value . I have big fun with little worries .

What I like about the 996 is that it is a modern lightweight sports car. It's almost like a vintage car in terms of weight and feel, but with all the modern creature comforts and none of the bloat. Between the all wheel drive of the Turbo and the extra overall weight (a Turbo Coupe 6-speed weighs 436 lbs more than a 996.2 Coupe 6-speed 2wd), I'm not sure I would like driving the Turbo as much. The far more powerful engine in the Turbo more than makes up for the extra weight performance-wise, but I suspect it doesn't feel as tossable as the lightweight 996 C2. I haven't driven a 996 Turbo, so this is an assumption on my part. On the other hand, between the Metzger engine and long-term appreciation value, I think the 996 Turbo is the smarter car to buy.

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Went through this with 300zx�s years ago. The NA cars are usually more rewarding on the street being lighter with instant torque. But the urge to go turbo when I had a NA outweighed any misgivings with the turbo. When I decided to upgrade to Porsche, I skipped the NA step. If you intend to track, it�s an easier decision since turbos are more fun and the 996 turbo motor is up to track duty whereas the NA...not so much. If you�re already asking the question now, I think you�lre more like me and will have the turbo wanting.

Im a tinkerer. While a 996TT would be a blast and offer less IMS �worries�, everything is so cramped in the engine bay, etc. it seems alot more involved for DIY tasks. Add to it the extra $$$ to buy... Im happy with my NA 996 and will be for a while. Cant say I dont have 944 Turbo or Cayenne GTS envy though...

GREAT answers all around! Seem split between wanting but cannot afford and appreciating our NA cars more for the lightness power band and lack of getting in trouble or using the more power of the turbo. I really enjoy my car every day. and maybe the turbo is just my desire for "better, faster" I'm not sure? I need to go find one to test drive. I test drove a couple of 997 and 991 just to make sure I like my 996 the best and there is no question. The 996 is so much better aesthetic wise! As much as I enjoyed and miss my Aventurine Green 1995 993 cab I did NOT use it as a daily driver which I do with the 996. I need to go find 996 turbo to test drive...

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Curious as to if anyone really drives the Cayenne like its designed? I test drove one and found it to be a "nice" SUV but could not get the Porsche feel from it. They had the new 2019 Cayennes at the dealer when we had our Porsche club meeting there last month. It was a reveal to us as no one has seen it yet. I talked to the owner and he said they flew to Africa and drove these things there like they were designed for. He said it was great and fun but relised every one he sold would NEVER ever be driven anywhere close to its abilities. He said he doesn't know any of his customers who actually take it off road even! Of course, that s the same with the majority of Jeep owners but heritage sells doesn't it!

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I have had the fever for awhile and I just traded in my 997.2 C4S for a 991 Turbo S however, I still have my 996. In fact, I have stated this before...the 996 is my forever car and I will never sell it....for so many reasons.... Its affordable, its a Porsche, its a great platform, its easy to mod so you can "make it your own", fun to drive and attracts just the right attention... But here is some perspective to you young guys (anyone below 50) who say the Turbos are a lot of $$$... I will give you every one of my cars in a minute (except my 996 ), if you find a way to give me your youth! So enjoy your 996s and drive the hell out of them....

This thread is one of the better discussions that has appeared in the 996 forum! My take is that the light-weight, NA 996 provides plenty of smiles for most weekend enthusiasts. For a value play, the turbo is the way to go and hold on to your hat! /X3

I absolutely love my 996, and I cant wait until I can afford a Turbo. I only buy things in cash, so until I can buy the 996 Turbo cash, it wont be happening within the next 2 years. Until then, I will enjoy the heck out of my 996 C2. Its a blast to drive, and it gives me a ton of smiles per miles. In my area, it is still unique enough that I am the "porsche guy".

Yes. Just added a ‘04 TT to the fleet.

^^ Nice looking car Tim. How often will you get to have the top down in Phoenix?

For those with NA, is it doable or cost effective to add aftermarket turboes as oppsed to getting a 996 turbo? Or not feasible, not happening?

Adding forced induction to a NA 996= bad idea.

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lol about 6 weeks. It�s a 50th birthday gift for Mrs...and she just has to have a cab. My C2 is a cab for that same reason. Ugh

ive owned both, and the turbo wins hands down for me. It flings around the twisties on rails. If you get the tires to brake away on twisty roads you need to be on a track. passing on the interstate is a simple thought with no downshifting. Once you take the airbox off, the engine is not too different to work on than the n/a motor. The main reason for me after the performance upgrade was the motor worries that were now gone. every time I went to crank the M96 motor i said a little prayer hoping that today was not the day i make a paper weight out of the motor. I hated that feeling. sold the car and saved up another 20k and its been mostly roses since. for me it was the best car decision i have ever made. everyones experience will be different im sure, but it was great for me.

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I spent the money on the solution upgrade so I would not have those worries! SOOOO If you did not have the engine worries would you still have upgraded?

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sadly there is more that can fail other than the IMS. There are just too many things (imo) that can fail on the M96 motor and the paranoia that it breeds takes the fun out of it for me. Assuming somehow all the engine concerns could have been address (something like a FSI motor install or something) I probably would have made the move to the turbo sooner or later anyway. Even when I first got the n/a (an 03) the car felt under powered to me. If it had 375ish I would probably be happy with one, but 315 wasnt cutting it. I made a small mint when I sold my house and moved and my wife wife was preggers at the time, so if I didnt upgrade to the turbo before kiddo came I likely wouldnt be able to for quite some time. I sold the n/a 996 for 90% of what I paid for it and found a great 996tt for good price with the options I wanted. pulled the trigger and never looked back.

Or you can go with an upgrade in engine displacement plus some more goodies and I would say that I have way more power on tap than I can fully use on the street. Now I can take it to the track and drive it with full confidence lap after lap. Linear power feels great.

Currently have it and it's not good. Price keeps going up even on those with accidents. Oh well, we'll see...

traded in my c4s for this turbo.... never looked back...

Can we ban people who actually bought Turbos from this thread, please?

Had it not been for the IMS / RMS / Bore scoring issues, I'd prob. have settled for the 996C4S I was going to purchase when I first started looking. Went from an 07 Cayman (rare but still chance of IMS / bore scoring issues), to an 2001 996TT 6MT (potential coolant lines issue), to my 997.2 TTS in just over 5 months. I've always wanted a TTS anyway but going the extra money was the trade for not worrying about all the other potential issues. To each his own. But I absolutely love my TTS (always had high HP / TQ cars anyway, so power is a must for me).

Have had turbo fever since a young lad. "Oh next car will be turbo want something different..., NA.... Ok ok ok, next car will for SURE be turbo...., NA...., OK REALLY, next one will be turbo...., NA." Really would like a turbo next. Getting into a 996T would be an easy move if it ticked all the boxes, which is why I currently have a self imposed ban on browsing the classifieds.

After 5 years of tt ownership, the car still brings the same excitement from day 1. Granted I don�t dd mine, but I�ve never been more impressed with a car. On top of all that it�s also the cheapest car I�ve ever owned in terms of maintenance. When I was searching for a 996 I drove a few na 996�s, but after driving a turbo I was hooked. The power is addictive esp with a tune.

I went the other way. I bought a 997 turbo first and then while looking for a Boxster for road trips came across a 996 GT3 which I completely fell for. And then I started searching for another road trip car, but wanted a single owner, relatively low mileage and ended up in a 996 targa. While they all perform quite differently, I really do find each a blast to drive (we still have all three). If I could only pick one normally aspirated 996 it would have to be the GT3, but the targa is so much fun to drive. Although not as light as a C2, which I would have preferred, I do enjoy going through the mountains in the targa - what a view, and no soft top that can be damaged by a knife. I know a number of other 996 owners and each of them loves the light weight and responsiveness. Someone here said it best, older Porsche size and weight, but newer vehicle amenities.

Was looking at turbos online, and they still are pricey. I found a few on the lower end but they are automatics.

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I looked on Car Gurus today. Was finding 01 Turbos for $60K+

There's a nice 2002 6MT turbo near me, nicely modded for under $50k: https://vermont.craigslist.org/cto/d...726206625.html

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If that car damn near any other color other than silver I would buy that one in a second. Thats a lot of car for 48k.

I sold my 1998 C2 6 speed manual after 3 years of ownership and 50,000kms and made a small profit on the sale. As I daily drive my Porsche I decided to go the 996TT, tiptronic route. The fear of the C2 blowing up on me and the potential cost associated with this steered me towards putting that extra money into a 996TT. The 996TT is absurdly fast (it has a tune to around 490HP) even compared to the C2. I don't think its as much fun to toss around though and the tip doesn't help. But for a daily driver I can't think of anything better.

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And $46k without the Forgeline wheels (I don't prefer the black wheels anyway). Silver is not my favorite choice, but that wouldn't stop me if I were in the market. I personally would prefer a less aggressive tune, but this looks like a really nice car. Great feedback.