Thoughts on 911 (996) TT

clive-cls

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As per title , looking for a summer car .....


Thoughts welcome .


Clive :lol:
 

st4

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Nice cars but there are engine problems on the 996 car. If its a summer rag top cruiser I'd suggest a "softer car" like a 209 CLK, Audi A4 cab or SLK. If its an out and out sports car a 996 GT3 is the place to go.
 

anton1

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Why would you want a 'softer sportscar?' You clearly want some summer FUN. I have had mercs for 6 years and absolutely LOVE my MY08 S Class. It has every option available and is just a dream to be in.
However when the suns out and I want to play would I want a soft sportscar when I drive that everyday or a CLS?? I don't think so. I have just sold my S2 Elise for a Boxster S and that in my opinion might be on the soft side. A SLK/CLK/or A4 Cab would nearly defeat the object - the SLK happens to be the most boring sportscar I have ever driven.
As for st4's claim about a GT3 - he is right they are awesome but what is your budget? And how useable does the car need to be? If you are looking at 996 money do consider. Infact no, do test drive a Boxster S- it may surprise you how much better it handles then a 911 and also how little you notice the difference in power.
It's your choice but porsches are great cars and if your after a proper sportscar theres not much if anything thats better.
 

st4

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Why would you want a 'softer sportscar?' You clearly want some summer FUN. I have had mercs for 6 years and absolutely LOVE my MY08 S Class. It has every option available and is just a dream to be in.
However when the suns out and I want to play would I want a soft sportscar when I drive that everyday or a CLS?? I don't think so. I have just sold my S2 Elise for a Boxster S and that in my opinion might be on the soft side. A SLK/CLK/or A4 Cab would nearly defeat the object - the SLK happens to be the most boring sportscar I have ever driven.
As for st4's claim about a GT3 - he is right they are awesome but what is your budget? And how useable does the car need to be? If you are looking at 996 money do consider. Infact no, do test drive a Boxster S- it may surprise you how much better it handles then a 911 and also how little you notice the difference in power.
It's your choice but porsches are great cars and if your after a proper sportscar theres not much if anything thats better.

For an out and out performance car a convertible is a no no, unless your in the Elise, Caterham or Boxster area. The 911 was designed as a fixed head from the outset so the cabrio is a compromise and it can be felt. If the car, like so many rag tops, is just for pootling about country lanes at 50mph then a more comfort orientated model is what I'd go for. If its an out and out performance car you want then I'd go with the Gt3. Hence I specified the phrase "cruiser"

Boxsters are very nice too however, but the chassis was designed from the outset as a rag top, not a fixed head.

Jags current XK may also get a look in.
 

wemorgan

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Hello,

The OP doesn't give much away as to why he's looking for a 911 966.
But I agree with ST4, I wouldn't look at the 911 as my first choice, for the reasons he mentioned. Cars designed to be a convertible from the beginning tend to be better. Removing a roof removes at least 1/3 of the torsional stiffness, so to counter this the OEMS heavily reinforce the sills and floor with high-tech scaffolding, which is rather weight inefficient!

Each person has his/her own opinion as to what makes summer fun. For me, it'd ride and handling with wind in my hair. Few cars if any can beat the MX5 for that when it comes down to value for money. But I suspect the OP would rather some beefy engine under the bonnet.
 

st4

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Hello,

The OP doesn't give much away as to why he's looking for a 911 966.
But I agree with ST4, I wouldn't look at the 911 as my first choice, for the reasons he mentioned. Cars designed to be a convertible from the beginning tend to be better. Removing a roof removes at least 1/3 of the torsional stiffness, so to counter this the OEMS heavily reinforce the sills and floor with high-tech scaffolding, which is rather weight inefficient!

Each person has his/her own opinion as to what makes summer fun. For me, it'd ride and handling with wind in my hair. Few cars if any can beat the MX5 for that when it comes down to value for money. But I suspect the OP would rather some beefy engine under the bonnet.

Alright there, good to see you here too. Cant get on the "other site" BTW. The Mx5 is a sterling suggestion too and would make a great wee "summer car". Mazda could have offered the car with an I6 engine and that may have enhanced the appeal. Not a massive powerplant but a nice 200bhp would have given it broader appeal.
 

wemorgan

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Thanks for the welcome :) I thought I'd make a pain of myself here whilst the other forum is down.

The 1.6i engine is very reliable and robust and it's now possible to buy supercharger kits that take the power to ~160/170bhp, which isn't bad for a 1000kg car :) But I appreciate most people aren't interested in tuning their cars and just want standard out-of-the-box fast car.

I'd really like to test a Honda S2000 one day, as for that would make an interesting proposition.........mmmmm....so many cars to try.....too little money ;)
 

st4

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An S2000, nice. My pal is in the market for a second car and he may start looking at S2000's. I alas can just afford 1 motor at present :(

The S2000 is reputed to have once of the nicest manual gearboxes ever, which is just as well, as its a screamer of an engine developing peak torque well above 4krpm and peak power nearer 8k rpm. Outstanding fun on twisty roads I should imagine.

This is a good forum to be a part of, I'd advocate being a member of both, as they each have their own different set of members that set them apart, and this one is a bit more technical and informative. There are other issues with MBClub too and Ive found the level of general lively chat/debates/discussion has shrunk right back over the last month or two which is a shame.
 

wemorgan

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An S2000, nice. My pal is in the market for a second car and he may start looking at S2000's. I alas can just afford 1 motor at present :(

The S2000 is reputed to have once of the nicest manual gearboxes ever, which is just as well, as its a screamer of an engine developing peak torque well above 4krpm and peak power nearer 8k rpm. Outstanding fun on twisty roads I should imagine.

This is a good forum to be a part of, I'd advocate being a member of both, as they each have their own different set of members that set them apart, and this one is a bit more technical and informative. There are other issues with MBClub too and Ive found the level of general lively chat/debates/discussion has shrunk right back over the last month or two which is a shame.

I used to own a Prelude 2.2Vti and friends have owned CRX 1.6 Vti, both Mk1 and Mk2 and I only ever hear good things about the reliability, cost of ownership and dealerships. Not words often associated with MB sadly.

(Sorry to the OP for hijacking the thread)
I joined both forums at the same time, but found the other forum full of banter, that I was after. But it's clear from my brief visit here that there is a lot of good technical knowledge too :)
The mods on the other forum have been rather tetchy lately, but I think that will mellow now and I hope the normal forum member and banter will return. :)
 

st4

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I used to own a Prelude 2.2Vti and friends have owned CRX 1.6 Vti, both Mk1 and Mk2 and I only ever hear good things about the reliability, cost of ownership and dealerships. Not words often associated with MB sadly.

(Sorry to the OP for hijacking the thread)
I joined both forums at the same time, but found the other forum full of banter, that I was after. But it's clear from my brief visit here that there is a lot of good technical knowledge too :)
The mods on the other forum have been rather tetchy lately, but I think that will mellow now and I hope the normal forum member and banter will return. :)

Nah, not to big a hijack as the conclusion we have come to is that the OP should look at Honda S2000's as well as the usual German suspects. May even have done him a favour.

Only Honda I've driven was a 1.7CDTi Civic but have had friends with CRXs who rated them as brilliant. Two prominent members on the other side have run/still run them and rate them very highly.
 

*Thumper

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As per title , looking for a summer car .....
Thoughts welcome .
Clive :lol:

Yes that is a car ........... and 9 1 1 is a good name for it ...........in the wrong hands ......... saves you remembering the phone number when you dump it into a ditch !!
 

stumpy

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Be a man and get yourself a TVR ! :)
 

mikestrivens

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AndrewIles

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A 996 Turbo is a great car but be prepared for horrendous bills if anything goes wrong. GT3s are also stupidly expensive to put right.

A standard 996 is still expensive to run but manageable. Tyres will last you max. 10k miles (£800 to replace all 4). Brake pads aren't that thick and again won't last much longer than 10k miles. Servicing at a Porsche dealership makes MB look cheap, but they do treat you with a bit more respect!

The 'stories' of engine problems on the 996 are, in my opinion, something of an urban myth. If they are properly serviced and regularly driven then they are as reliable as any other performance car. The Rear Main Seal sometimes weeps, but this is not a catastrophe (although to pay Porsche to rectify it will cost you £2500+), many owners put up with it or pay Porsche £1200 p.a. for a warranty!

There is quite a difference in the driving experience between 2 and 4 wheel drive. I prefer 2 wheel drive (but only if Porsche Stability Management (PSM) is fitted as an option). I would recommend you test drive both to see what you prefer.
 
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clive-cls

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Done it ... Well just about , Im off to see the old gal on friday . Wish me luck ! ive allready been the the "bay" to look for bit and bobs .


Clive
 


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