Would you choose a 911 turbo or this Benz CL600 w/ full F1 lorinser kit?

The Benz is a 2002 20k miles at $62k. The 2001 turbos I have seen are closer to $70k. I have driven them both and love them both. I dont like the stock CL600s. But this one has me thinking. You can click on the pics to see them better. What do you think? added later: Thanks for all your input. Being the materialistic bastard that I am, which car do you all think is more of a head turner???

nice, but the new CL body style is gonna be out any day now.. so that's something to consider.. owning a porsche and a mercedes is the best of both worlds :> although i would be afraid to own a TT '01.. engine replacement on that sucker with the turbos is $35,000+ (my 996 had two blown engines at $13,000 a piece) the CL on the other hand is reliable as can be... one thing with the porsche you have to consider is, things can break easily.. and they are damn expensive to fix.. if $70k is stretching it for you, and $20k to $30k to fix something that goes wrong is a factor for you and it's the "only" vehicle you have.. the CL makes more sense as a daly driver.. on this car will just be a toy.. the TT would be a good consideration.. they are completely different cars.. that's why i have both.. comparing a mercedes to a porsche is like comparing a ferarri to a bentley.. completely different cars..

Thanks. But what if I buy an aftermarket warranty on either car? The CL above has only a few about 9 months left on its warranty. I assume I can buy an aftermarket one on it though? Wouldnt I be safe with an aftermarket warranty until too runs out? I would be driving either one as a secondary car too

good luck with an aftermarket '01 996 TT warranty.. i don't think there are many if any that offer it.. and just because you have a warranty, these 3rd party aftermarket compaies won't be to happy to write you a check for $8k to $35k.. they'll prolly make up some excuse as to why they can't cover it.. the only warranty i'd ever completely fully trust is a dealer warranty.. most likely the TT will be good.. the engine on the 996 turbo is alot more solid than the 996 NA.. but things can go wrong.. just understand, you are buying a $130k car, and the TT replacement parts are not cheap.. as long as you can afford something to go wrong, you should be good to go either way...

Can you do both?? Porsche and Benz are both great cars, but honestly if I could only have one I would pick the P-car, not because I am bias...

that CL is nice!!! Is the Lorinser kit purely a cosmetic upgrade to the exterior or does it "do" anything else? really thinking about getting one for the mrs and then "borrowing" it

Don't assume the MBZ will be more reliable - my business partner bought a low mileage S500 and that thing has been in the shop more than the road. He's seen everything from recurring electrical problems to a failed transmission last weekend. He's counting his blessings that he's under warranty, or he would be out $10 to $15k on repairs in the first year.

MBs are boring...no wonder the average age of owners is 60. Look, how can a company that doesn't offer a single manual transmission car be compared to the best every day supercar out there If you want to go luxo cruiser....at least look at an M6...BMW wants customers with a heartbeat

Two completely different cars...both server completely separate purposes.

The s class is not reliable from what I hear and thats what your friend had. The CL class is very reliable.

MBs are boring? yeah, a 4500lb hard top convertible for "old people" that beats a highly modified 640hp twin turbo porsche and runs 11.2 in the 1/4 and 0-60mph in 2.9 seconds is boring... <g> i suppose that slow carerra gt must be REALLY BORING for you until you've driven a sl65 with the top down, don't judge.. trust me on this one.. i wasn't up for paying $200k for one and opted for the sl55 instead, but they are one awesome piece of machinary. one of the most visceral torque induced experiences you will ever encounter.. - BobPorsche996/SL55/750iL SL65 RennTech runs 11.26@123 http://www.mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=127426

That CL aerokit looks real cheap IMO. But if you like it, go for it. It's really outdated style already though. I'd go with TT. Can't go wrong if it's mechanically perfect. Otherwise, get a 997S new w warranty.

dj, believe it or not, that CL with that aero kit (with the gullwing fenders) along with the wheels probably costed that guy close to $20,000 painted and installed.. i agree about the lorinser kit.. i think they look OK in black.. but i'm not fond of them at all.. sometimes they look ok.. but in general, i think they look like crap compared to the factory sport package.. just mho..

Comparing apples and oranges again. Since Im bias, I would definitely pick a TT over the the MB, although the CL is my favorite line of MB's. But with that price range, a GT3 would definitely fit the bill. I just think that MB's are contour for older folks thats too tired to drive a sports car.

Definitely pick the mercedes....the only common denominator between the two is the straight line acceleration which per bobporsche the mb wins handsdown. The mb's got a luxurious interior too. You will regret picking the TT if you are considering both. I will not even take a second glance at the mb.,...'cause I am not lookin for just a dragster. Now, where is the Listerine I mentioned mercedes and TT in the same sentence.

That's doesn't mean they don't build one. It just doesn't make sense to print an english pricelist just to sell 3 cars more to the US. Here in Germany you have to pay extra for the auto if you don't buy the higher powered motors. Thorsten

If you have got to ask, go with the MB. Not aware of too many CL600's on the track. I think it comes down to what your looking for in a car... I think its funny that someone brings their slamg65??? whatever to a drag strip.

The 600 is a whopper when servicing. Hope you have a size V12 wallet.

The benz. In my neck of the woods Porsches are a dime a dozen.

You may want to understand the background of people's response to your question. If you check BobPorsche996's other posts, you will find a long history of bias regarding Porsche reliability (It's up to the reader to decide if it's for good reason..). He has not owned a Turbo that I know off; his comment that he would be "afraid" to own one reflects his lack of knowledge on the subject. The Turbo and the 996 (that Bob owns) have totally different motors and transmissions. I purchased my Turbo new in May of 01 and have had zero motor/trans issues. There's one guy on this board (check the 996 Turbo section) that has 226,000 kms on his Turbo that he drives daily. He finally had to replace to motor at 213,000 kms (120,000+ miles) including many track days. In addition you can check www.6speedonline.com for many owners that have tons of miles on theirs. In my experience the Turbo is a very reliable platform. In fact, in the almost 5 years I have frequented the Porsche boards, I can only recall one Turbo owner that had a stock motor failure. Most of the blown Turbo motors I have heard about were modified; I don't count those. On the which car front, that's a personal choice. When/if I want a big cruiser I'll get a Benz. For now I prefer more of a sports car. Good luck! Roy

Thanks for all your input. Being the materialistic bastard that I am, which car do you all think is more of a head turner???

the cl with the lorinser kit will attract wannabe ballers from kids.. the porsche will command respect from everyone.. :> in regards to the post about the TT.. I have no reason to believe that there are any problems with the TT as it's a completely different setup than the 996.. just saying, that a full engine replacement with turbos is $35,000.. which is ALOT :> but then of course I doubt the benz v12 engine is much cheaper.. just a recommendation that if you go for an 01 TT maybe a lower mileage one might be a better consideration as benzes are known to be a bit more engine worthy for high mileage... depends how long you plan to keep the car and drive it of course..

turbo

Here is my 2 cents... having owned various MB models including the 2001 CL500 Sport with AMG appearance package, and current owner of 2002 Carrera Cabriolet, my 2nd Carrera 996. I woild say they are 2 different animals. I liked my 2003 SL500 AMG Sport as well as my 2001 CL500 Sport, they are great cars, but they don't drive and handle anything like Porsches. As far as reliability goes, they all have problems, just as many as other I decided to go back to Porsche, because I like the way it drives. I like the fact that Porches has group events and team sports where MB doesn't offer any or should I say not like Porsches Gatherings... I will pick Porsche Turbo over CL600 or CL55 AMG any time. But if you need a real 4 seater and confortable car with luxury amenities, go for the MB CL600. Here are my MBs and Porsches...

Now if you had just asked that from the begining, then it would have been easy... The MB

If you want to date any of my Mom's 70 yr old friends, bring the MB and you'll hook up

Thanks again for solid advice netdoc and everyone else! I guess I should be more clear....if I want to impress younger women, which will attract more? My friend's girl did not even know he was driving a porsche when they first dated. Don't benzes attract more women & gold-diggers?

LOL please tell me you're joking

OK Girth, I checked with Mom, and she has a couple of hotties from Sun City who would like to see your MB. They like that it has a back seat for their walkers

No actually I'm not. Thats the beauty of the net... you can ask whatever the hell you want and not be embarassed by it. These are my deep inner thoughts that I would rather let out here...HA!

oh wow... i officially give up the human race..