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First Porsche decision 997S, 9974S or 997Turbo


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Hi,

I am a first time Porsche owner to be and finacially ready and want to make sure I make a wise choice so I am seeking any advice that anyone has to share. Just recently I have driven an old 928,  2010 Cayene and a 2005 Carera 997 just to see what  Porsche's are really like in the flesh. From my research and personal like, I have pretty much made up my mind that the 997 shape model is the one for me. I have a budget of up to $150k tops to kick things off but would possibly like to hang around the $100k if possible. What year and model do you suggest I look at? I am the type of guy who loves a few bells and whistles, won't be tracking the car, will only be using it as a weekender for cruising on a highway (mostly) and very passionate about owning a good looking car! I do plan to keep the car a long time so would like to buy something a little special which will hold it's appeal and value. Realistically the car will only be doing approx 3000km annually so if it has 80,000km on the clock to start with then I don't imagine that would be a big issue. I also don't want to get trapped by buying something that needs some serious mechanical attention (IMS bearing issues). 997S, 9974S, 997 Turbo, 997GTS, series I, series II ???? Would love to hear your thoughts to help me make a good choice.

Scott

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Hi Scott,

First up welcome to the forum i'm sure you'll receive some suggestions from the members.

 

I would have loved to have had your budget when I was shopping i'm sure you will land yourself a car you'll love for a long time to come.

 

If you see cars advertised, mention them here and you may well find that someone will know it and even better might be able to give you some background on it.

 

All the best in your search and enjoy the journey

 

Ian

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i would ignore the 4S, depending what kind of driver you are/what you prefer, the normal 997S is much more alive at moderate speeds.

turbo is a whole other level in terms of pace.

all should be quite trouble free but the turbo will be more $$ if something goes bang (unlikely). turbo also sounds a bit overkill for your intended use! :)

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This is from my personal experience

 

997S - great car

9974S - stiffer chassis and feels more planted than C2S

997 Turbo - Brilliant car especially the MY08 onwards

997GTS - Haven't driven but heard its an exceptional car.

series I - Ok but series ll way better

 

If it was me I'd go the Turbo with a manual transmission, very reliable cars.

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I don't think you would be disappointed with a well optioned, manual coupe Carrera S. 996 GT3 (in touring spec.) maybe worth a look for comparison.

Take them all for a drive, all very nice cars so you can't go too wrong!

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Scott,

1st off, great budget,

2nd, 997 series 2 is the only option (IMHO), series 2 gets rid of IMS issues as it is the DFI engine, GT3 is the last of the Metzger engine, either should be bullet proof,

3rd, I had a 997 series 2, 3.6 C4s & loved it but the 3.8S is in another world,

4th, short list your options & drive as many as you can,

5th, take the time to choose the right car, my first car took 18 months to find but was worth the wait & the experience,

6th, call me if I can help with advice or looking, 0412 866606,

7th, good luck, it's a worthy quest!

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+1 for what Hugh said - you can't go past a 997S for the type and amount of driving you plan on doing.

+1 for GC9911 - your budget will get you a tidy Series 2 (2009+).

 

The 997 turbo is obviously quickest in a straight line but comes with a significant weight penalty of a bit over 200kgs (a little less on the C4S).  The lower weight allows the C2S to be more nimbler in the corners, more forgiving and more pleasurable to drive.  There's no a lot of times I really have an opportunity for 0-100 in under 4 secs and I found the pleasure is all in the handling rather than straight line performance.

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Thanks heaps for all your opinions. I really appreciate the advice. You've helped me narrow it down a bit in my mind. It's seeming like a choice between the 997S 2 or a Turbo so far. I'll try and book a drive in both in the near future and compare notes. I have been searching for 12 months already but only seriously in a finicial frame of mind over the past 6 months. I'm hoping to make a purchase within 6 months as it's a 40th birthday gift to myself from myself :) ...even better, my wife thinks its a fantastic idea!.....maybe I'd better hide the keys.

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I'm biased and think the 4S is fantastic....that said, my next 911 will be a 997 Turbo S.

Regardless of which one you buy you wont be disappointed.

As a bit of an idea....you may enjoy the ownership of a non-turbo one first before you start hankering for more power. It's the best thing about these cars, dont modify, just buy a faster one!

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I don't think you would be disappointed with a well optioned, manual coupe Carrera S. 996 GT3 (in touring spec.) maybe worth a look for comparison.

Take them all for a drive, all very nice cars so you can't go too wrong!

 

I wouldn't recommend a 6 GT3 as a road only car, not with that budget anyway.. a 7 GT3 will be a lot easier to live with... most of those are touring models and you will get one within the budget. 

 

My pick would be -> 1- Turbo,  2- GT3

 

Someone said Carrera GTS, good suggestion too! Hard to come by though

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Also out of the budget I would think. I don't know what they actually sell for but I haven't seen one under $180k.

 

 

in that case at $180k its hardly compelling when you can land a 7.1 GT3 for less have a 6MT and no CL. 

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Scott,

1st off, great budget,

2nd, 997 series 2 is the only option (IMHO), series 2 gets rid of IMS issues as it is the DFI engine, GT3 is the last of the Metzger engine, either should be bullet proof,

3rd, I had a 997 series 2, 3.6 C4s & loved it but the 3.8S is in another world,

4th, short list your options & drive as many as you can,

5th, take the time to choose the right car, my first car took 18 months to find but was worth the wait & the experience,

6th, call me if I can help with advice or looking, 0412 866606,

7th, good luck, it's a worthy quest!

Is the IMS issue in the series 1 997's a common problem that people have experienced or is it just a random failure?

There is a nice white 2009 series 1 update Turbo on carsales.com from NSW at the moment which is only a little bit over my budget. I think it's a PDK aswell. Can anyone tell me if this would be good value for money?

Scott

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Is the IMS issue in the series 1 997's a common problem that people have experienced or is it just a random failure?

There is a nice white 2009 series 1 update Turbo on carsales.com from NSW at the moment which is only a little bit over my budget. I think it's a PDK aswell. Can anyone tell me if this would be good value for money?

Scott

 

Turbo is mezger block no IMS BS to worry about.. link? 

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Is the IMS issue in the series 1 997's a common problem that people have experienced or is it just a random failure?

There is a nice white 2009 series 1 update Turbo on carsales.com from NSW at the moment which is only a little bit over my budget. I think it's a PDK aswell. Can anyone tell me if this would be good value for money?

Scott

Some one correct me if I'm wrong but If its a PDK it would be a series ll which has the direct injection engine.

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Some one correct me if I'm wrong but If its a PDK it would be a series ll which has the direct injection engine.

 

 

Correct no PDK + mezger that I am aware of

 

I also believe that the series ll 997 Turbo has the direct injection engine and is no longer a Mezger.

 

Yes but I believe 7.1 turbo ran through to 2009 and 7.2 came about in 2010? 

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I would buy the Turbo. I drive a crappy 996 (well its not too shabby) and im going to put a turbo kit on my car very soon. I cant let my wife beat me in her WRX!!

 

For me, Once you drive a turbo anything, its hard to go back...Ive even turbo charged one of my motorcycles!!   :)

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I would buy the Turbo. I drive a crappy 996 (well its not too shabby) and im going to put a turbo kit on my car very soon. I cant let my wife beat me in her WRX!!

 

For me, Once you drive a turbo anything, its hard to go back...Ive even turbo charged one of my motorcycles!!   :)

 

 

My brother in law was shopping around for a NA 997 and when he drove my car everything changed.

The turbo is very addictive, that's for sure.

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