stilover

What you have wrote there Zip, it my biggest worry about buying a 996TT. Without a Porsche warranty, huge bills are likely should anything go wrong. And a Porsche warranty is not guaranteed. Heard stories of owners just been turned down for no reason. Plus don't Porsche just issue warranties for car younger than 8 years old? So for a 2003 996 Turbo, I could only get a warranty for another year or 2.
Uncertainty in the construction industry put paid to me buying one this year. Work has picked up, and I've started looking at reputable dealers (franchised & not) stock lists, with the intent on buying something next spring.

To many stories of seal leaks and engine failures on N/A Porsche's makes Porsche ownership seam a little uncertain, and possibly very expensive.

Old man is thinking of selling his R8 next year. Might buy it off him at the right price. Not 996 Turbo fast, but still not a bad car for the spirited Sunday morning drive.

Deep Singh

Iirc the gt3 though n/a shares the same kind of engine as turbo's, so no rms issue either.

zip106

Well, I've got a 3rd party warranty but I'm fully expecting them to decline my claim.
I won't know exactly what's wrong for another 10 days or so but it still doesn't sound good.

The official Porsche warranty is all well and good, but some claims are being refused for various reasons and for me it would have cost in excess of £2500 to get my car back in the Porsche dealer network.
I took a chance and it seems like I quite possibly lost! C'est la vie. Worst $hit happens in life.

As I said before, these problems are very few and far between on the Turbo's, but can happen.

Deep, there have been quite a few RMS issues on 997 GT3's, even though the block is the same as the Turbo (GT1 block, and I've had to have my RMS fixed only 2 months ago ).
Also, the new 997 Gen 2's are already having some problems with the heads coking up due to the new style engine, just like 25 years ago when de-coking was the norm.

This has put me well off Porsche in general - if you delve deeper you'll find much flawed engineering. As a car the turbo is devastatingly fast but I now almost worry it's going to fail on me all the time.
I really doubt I'd have another Porsche unless it was new with the 2 year warranty.(unlikely ever to happen with 2 kids, though.)

As such I've just been to look at a year old Interlagos blue M3. When my Porsche is fixed I might just be trading out of it.... watch this space.

Trout

iTrader: (1)

...don't forget M3s can have problems too. In my circle of car friends there have been two M3s, both had catastrophic failures one resulting in a gearbox being munched, one resulting in the cylinder head being munched.

The gearbox was covered (fortunately) by the owner's extended warranty. The valve gear problem was out of warranty and was frighteningly expensive to fix.

All cars have problems - sometimes we can be lucky, sometimes not.

zip106

The M3 I'm going to look at still has 2 years warranty left, and I most probably won't still have it by the time it needs extending.
Possibly.

Do you know what Trout, I'm so so disappointed with my car I really couldn't explain.

Trout

iTrader: (1)

I can only compare it to when I bought my 993 Carrera.

I loved it and then the shine wore off. It was fabulous at big distance journeys, fast and effective.

The GT3 is so different - supremely fast - yes. And it also has the excitement that you get from an Evo VI Tommi Mak or a Spec C.

And it has an engine that revs forever - again a emotional relationship that you just don't get with the Turbo.

You know what I think of the Turbo - a supremely fast and effective car. But to me lacks that edge that the GT3 has in spades. Mind you the GT3 can bite you in a way the Turbo probably wouldn't - but I wouldn't have it any other way!

zip106

I didn't find any hint of 'I told you so' in that post

But yes, the turbo is supremely fast and capable but dare I say it, boring?
Not just that but, in my view, wholly unreliable.

I need 4 seats though!

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Sorry - I couldn't help it

You know I was only teasing you earlier - and my rationale has always been the same about getting the GT3.

I must admit - I did very nearly buy the new M3 and was offered one at a VERY good price brand new earlier this year. And I may well be tempted again

MMT WRX

Im looking to buy a 996 turbo next year. I’ve never driven or been in a Porsche before so my Mrs bought me a Porsche experience day at Bruntingthorpe, which I did last weekend. The brochure said 996 and I expected a Carrera but when we got there it was a turbo. Anyway, a couple of laps in an evo with an instructor to view the track then 5 laps in the Porsche then a high speed lap with a pro in an STI. It was a Tiptronic and the instructor said to just leave it in auto. We pulled on to the track and it was foot to the floor either accelerator or brake, the instructors want you to go as fast as possible. The main straight had a coned chicane halfway down to slow things down but on the last lap you pull to the far side of the track to miss the cones...we were doing 155mph. The car was amazing, like a ***** cat driving at 10mph through the compound to the track and awesome on the track. The acceleration, cornering, braking etc was superb. Roll on next year.

Im sorry to say it was a massive comedown when we got back in my Scoob.

zip106

Well, I tried the M3 today.

I think I've been spoilt having my 996 - what a disappointment the BM was.

I got back in my Porsche afterwards and something sort of clicked.
I'm actually a very lucky person to have such a car.... but at the moment I really can't think of a different car I'd like that fits my needs.

yoza

That click could be your Intermediate shaft bearing, was it more of a click, click, click?

MMT WRX

I think ive read your woes on PH.

I hope it turns out to be something more minor than the IMS.

And I hope when its fixed the grin factor reappears.

zip106

Nah, that's more rattle, rattle, rattle.

And I think it's more my alternator pulley that's fooked.
(crosses fingers tightly)

Timwinner

iTrader: (3)

I think that sums it up, I cant think of a better car than a 911 for my needs. It seems to tick every box.
Price
Comfort
Economy
driveability

It is just about right in every way.

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Well the next car that does it all with four seats is a Ferrari 550 or 599 HGTE and the latter is serious six figures!

zip106

That's funny 'cos after I'b been in the M3 I went next door to Graypaul and looked at the Masers and Ferraris.

I'd thought about the Maser with the 4 seats - not sure of the name - GranSport?
Anyway, I'm not old enough for one of those and the abundance of Fiat type switchgear put me off.

Trout

iTrader: (1)

If you need pace, grace and chairs how about a XKR or XFR? Both staggeringly capable.

Or a Panamera

Or a Cayenne Turbo!!