Is the 996 Turbo the best option for pure speed and driving enjoyment?

My girlfriend is a complete petrol head and loves driving fast cars. Her daily ride is 718 Cayman and she is looking for a toy that will make her grin every time she drives it. Clearly it needs to be rapid and a real drivers car with good engagement if it is to stand out from her current daily driver. With a budget of £30k is there anything better than a 996 Turbo that we should consider for the pure driving and power / speed at that budget? Initially the car will be on the road but the track is a very strong possibility. Appreciate any opinions.

I know I shouldn't use this word here, but have you considered a Lotus? For pure driving pleasure and track focused they are hard to beat.

Well no...…. at the moment we are staying true to the Porsche brand, assuming we can find something that ticks the boxes. Thanks,

a well maintained later 996 is one of the biggest bargains out there right now choose your model but they are all good - the turbo is always going to hold its value but for racing there are other models like the GT2/3 but they are not really everyday cars and above your budget the porsche need a maintenance budget but unless you like visiting the garage dont buy a lotus (lovely cars but sadly from design to manufacture never reliable)

Owned a turbo for 4 1/2 years and enjoyed all of them. Can be improved with some suspension tweaks (mine had poly bushes and minor geometry changes). However, you need to know that a £30k turbo may well not be cheap to run you need to factor in for potential large costs. A 718S would be as quick, and a better drivers car (I changed the turbo to a 981 CS and have driven several 718's).

996tt is a great car I had one for 3 years and loved it, really capable, only changed it for a GT 2 which is something else but if you are after a car you can have fun in and track regularly try a Caterham. A Caterham is light and easy on the tyres and brakes and will be easier on the wallet.

Firstly I want to congratulate you on having a girlfriend who is interested in cars let alone driving the pants of them they are a rare breed Secondly get want you want Mike

Thanks for the Porsche focused balanced reply, this is really the kind of information we are after. We know the budget is limited but at the same time don't want to include the current 718 daily driver into the equation, obviously if we added the budget to the trade-in value of that car then we could open up the choices, but we don't wish to do that. We haven't driven 911's at all so maybe the stock 996 or 997 would be fun enough? Or get a stock 996 / 997 for around £25K and start tweaking the power up.....? There's no rush other than the impatience of wanting another fast car!

Having owned a 996 Turbo for several years (and spending a fortune on it) I went the other way - to a 987.1 Cayman S, then a 987.2 Cayman, and now a 718 Cayman S. The 996T was epic, but the chances to make use of the power on the road were so few and far between. I found the Cayman to feel lighter and nimbler, and lots of fun. There is a certain satisfaction on wringing the best out of a smaller engined car. The 996T felt very much point-and-shoot to me. I've hardly had a chance to use the 718S, but I suspect it would give the 996T a run for it's money. I haven't done track days for many years, so can't comment too much on that side of things. As has been said, a GT3 would be ideal for that, but likely way over budget. I don't think there are huge gains to be had in tuning a 996 or 997 Carrera engine - maybe 25-30 bhp at best (and a lot of cost), but if it is a track day only car, stripping it out and shedding weight, and some suspension and brake upgrades might be better value.

That's interesting and helpful, thanks. With a 718 in the stable and I am about to pick up a 987.1 modified to circa 330 bhp maybe we just can't get anything with much more fun at that kind of budget. Hence the questions really, no point forking out only to find that we already have toys that match anything we can get.

I bought a 996 turbo x50 last year, and I still grin like an idiot every time I drive it. When you're in third gear and hit 3000rpm and the turbo kicks in, the acceleration is sooo addictive. I took a friend for a spin after I got it and he said it was like being in an aeroplane that was heading down the runway for take-off! We've both driven supercars on trackdays etc but this is the most fun I've ever had on the road, and whenever I need a hit I can just grab my keys and off I go. On a practical note too, when you're overtaking you know you've got the power to be able to get the manoeuvre done safely.

I’ve had 6 previous Porsches, 4 of them being 911 normally aspirated and loved them all. But I’ve always hankered after a turbo and as I’m taking my early retirement pot in November, decided to spoil myself. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made, my previous cars were lovely to drive a pleasure to own. But every time I open the garage and look at my 996 turbo in Colbalt Blue with full Aerokit, I pinch myself. No other Porsche has ever given me the same feeling of pure adrenaline and pride. My car is completely standard apart from a remap and sport’s exhaust, for now anyway ?? Probably pushing out approx 500 bhp and will leave most modern Supercars in its wake. Because it’s an older car, it feels much more attached to the road and you really know your in a very special car. Modern Porsches are fantastic to drive, but feel so numb in comparison and just feel like a very fast modern car. I am very biased and yes you will have to leave a £2-4K pot per year for maintenance and servicing. But I promise you a well sorted 996 turbo is a pure gem and your other half will think your a superhero, if you find her the right car. The engines are bomb proof and electrics very reliable, but radiators, suspension, condensers, brake pipes ( engine out for the rears ) etc, can all add up. But even after being hit for a large bill the drive home will always make up for it and put suchhhh a smile on your face. ?? Simon