After a 996 Carrera 2 what next: 996 Turbo/S or GT3

Dont get me wrong I'm very happy with my quick and modified (appearance and power) 996 Carrera 2 in Speed Yellow. However if I were to change the car, and once a petrol head always a petrol head what would you choose to advise me to buy: 1) 996 Turbo Manual 2) 996 Turbo Tiptronic 3) 996 Turbo S Manual 4) 996 Turbo S Tiptronic 5) 996 GT3 (Facelift) Comfort Pack. I've rulled out the Clubsport GT3 as I do need to do 350 miles non stop occasionally and I like a little comfort along the way! Anyway give me your thoughts and votes. Thanks and Regards Big Bob

In my experience, I would find it difficult to move from one 996 to another albeit higher performance model. For the same reason I didn't buy an M3 after a bog standard 2 litre 3 series coupe. So I would choose a completely different marque, possibly for 6 months or so, then get back into a 996 GT3 Comfort Pack. Just my 2p worth. :wink:

Hi Bob I will probably be hammered for saying this, but I have just been through this same decision process, and I came to the following conclusions..... (Please remember, this is only my opinion!!!) 1. 996 Turbo Manual - I bought this one - we will come back to this 2. 996 Turbo Tip - Drove one - the gearbox took a lot away from the overall experience in my opinion. Also, just check out how much time you lose from 0-100 (just over a sec!!!!). If that time is to be believed (and from driving them back to back, I do believe it) then it is too much of a cost. If auto is a requirement, consider another car imho. 3. 996 Turbo S Manual - Nice car, but lots more expensive than option 1. I went for option 1 but bought the car from a Porsche dealer with very low miles on the basis that this was more important to me for my particular budget. If you can afford an S from porsche then go for it. The other thing that slightly scared me was the cost of replacement ceramic discs (but that is just me). Lastly, unless you are going to tune it, I would suggest (contravertially) that the power difference is not that signficant on the road. I am working on the basis that if I get bored, then a trip to DMS for a stage one will bring the car up to just beyond an S as standard (though I acknowledge that DMS can do more with an X50 or S). 4. 996 Turbo S Tip - See comments for Point 2, as they still stand for me 5. GT3. Great car, BUT - if you are getting the comfort, then you are acknowledging that some compromise is required. In which case, why not plump for the faster Turbo? I freely admit that a Mk2 GT3 will best a Turbo on a track, but on the road in the wet, I reckon the PSM and the 4x4 will more than adequately make up for that. Also, I am a sucker for the wide body look of the turbo, which is subjective. If I had limitless funds, I would have a GT3 for the track days that I attend, and a Turbo for the week. But I dont, so for me I find that the Turbo is close enough to the GT3 for my track days that I do (ie few), and generally more forgiving on the road. Hence my decision! Hope this helps, and for info, my budget was around the middle 50k mark JJ

I went for an X50 (manual), the good bits of the Turbo S, but without the expensive ceramic brakes!

There's very little from a comfort sense that differs from the Comfort and the Clubsport, they are both likely to have buckets seat, Nomex in the CS and leather in the Comfort.

I had a c2 1998 a few years ago, then and partly as a result of my divorce it had to go....always said I would get another one, last year I brought a 2002 Turbo Tiptronic. Now some would say that takes away some of the driving pleasure, imho the tip is as much fun as manual with all the benefits of a auto for those tiresome town/city journeys!!! I would go so far as to say although the "book time" to 60 is slower for the tip, again and imho i would question that for the average driver. If you want a car with amazing acceleration, great comfort and which in real terms is not that expensive to run (he says fingers crossed and just before service/waranty is due) you cant beat it as the best all round supercar. I could go on and on and bore (possibly annoy) many I am sure but this is the best car I have ever owned and it still brings a smile to my face everytime i open the garage door!!!!! Good luck and enjoy the search......

In my opinion it depends on what you want from a car If you want to feel more involved and perhaps enjoy the act of driving well then GT3, 996 with x50 pack or S. The turbo is a rather different beast and an amazing car, a traditional GT if you like. I much prefer having something you need to work at to go quickly and to my mind this is not the turbo (all those electronics lol) >But hey thats just my opinion

If you never intend to track the car and plan to drive the car more than 2-3 times a week, I'd go for a Turbo. Manual or Tip, that's a personal preference. In wet/poor conditions over irregular roads, a Turbo will always be quicker than a GT3. If you plan on driving it just on weekends, and relish driver feedback/feel/noise and want every drive to be an *event*, get a GT3. As Damian already said, there's absolutely no difference comfort wise between a CS and Comfort over long distance. It really is a case of: do you want cloth or leather seats?

Thanks for the advice and views to date. This has really helped. My C2 with "Body Kit+" looks quite good even if I say it myself, and the additional "aggresive style factor" I would get from a 996 GT3 is therefore somewhat limited. Furthermore with my performance mods I suspect I'm probably running say 365-370 BHP. So in terms of power and torque not a lot extra but of course I dont get the the rev range and delivery of the GT3. The brakes have been improved, so I'm not unprotected there either. The comments on the "comfort" on a GT3 are an issue as I do need to sit in any car for long periods of a time. In addition I will not use the car on the track, (I'll use someone elses you understand!!!) since track work equates to as much as 10 times the equivalent road mileage. In my youth I've paid for the replacement tyres, pads/discs, shocks etc after track exuberance, let alone the remodelling of body work, and wheels ! So that points me towards the Turbo. Key would be the colour, I'm off Silvers, and seal Greys. I'm not put off by the S, as I would like the ceramic brakes even if replacing them is expensive. However they are supposed to last longer than steel! My S500 and SL 500 both have tiptronic boxes, and for most of my driving these boxes deliver the business. So I'm inclined to the Tiptronic for the Turbo (as I'm not going to track it anyway). I suspect the S Tiptronic would be my car of choice, which would then get a REVO upgrade to ice the cake. So after all that the actual choice of seconhand Turbo, will be as it is for many, decided the Colour of Body and Trim!!!! (and price and mileage) Thanks fore your help. Regards Big Bob

Best of luck Bob - I think the S sounds like the car for you - no doubt! Revo good - also DMS are worth a shout. A friend of mine has an SL55 which is a very impressive car. This is no good reason to buy a tiptronic Porsche in my opinion however!! As far as the ceramics - if you can afford it, go for it, they are awesome! However the issue with their early replacement is not that they wear out, but that they can be chipped, and a chipped disc must be replaced. This also usually requires a replacement pair depending on the updates to the range. Just one more thing - please buy the manual!!!! JJ

Bob, why not also consider a 997 C2S - I think these are or will be soon in the price range of some of the types you have listed - if I were in your shoes thats where I would be looking. Simon

Fellow Forum Members Your inputs are helping to lift the fog of my own :? confusion. From some of your latest inputs, I would not go the 997 Carrera 2S route as my existing car has more grunt than that . The key to happiness to me is "Grunt". Not that you are always using it, but it is there when you want it. Personally in these days of Speed Cameras (Including Talivans :evil: !!!) and Blue Meanies , I find knowing I can go fast takes away the presure to do so :shock: . So if the secret to my happiness is Grunt, then it must be the Turbo and an S if I can find the right car and colour. I'm afraid that having enjoyed the benefits yes the overall benefits of the Mercedes Auto Tiptronic Transmission, from which the Porsche Tiptronic was developed, I think I will happily lose one ratio for the convenience of being able to be a 2 pedal driver, but selecting gears! I dont know if you are familiar with one of the advantages of REVO over DNS. On REVO you can, by the flip of a switch, go back to Stock ECU Program or the Sport. You can also Isolate the ECU from any assault from a theiving :twisted: bast*** trying to purloin your pride and joy! I thought I would share with you my other cars: S 500 Mercedes, SL 500 Mercedes (Did not buy SL55 as Mrs BB has to drive!), Smart Roadster Coupe' (115BHP), Ford F150 Pick Up Truck Harley Davidson Centenary 2003 Model 5.4litre Supercharged 400 BHP. PS the Truck is for sale, if anyone likes Grunt, and frightening themselves Regards Big Bob

365-370bhp on a 3.6 (?) Carrera. Up 45-50bhp on a NA engine (even with those mods) is unlikely. The Revo map doesn't really give you major increases 10-15bhp, but it does improve the midrange giving you that extra 'grunt'. Bring the car along to our dyno day so we can see

I agree with REVO alone, but it also has the full flow Supersprint Exhaust with 100cell cats and tuned manifolds, and a Fab Speed Cold Air Hi Flow intake system, which then capitalise on the REVO ECU revision. In total a 45+ bhp is feasible and likely. Regards Big Bob

Get this in your diary http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=17332 you know it makes sense ! yours would be a great car to dyno