Is the 997 Turbo better than a 996 Turbo today?

[segart]

Love both TBH and driven 997.1 and 996 turbo s extensively when both new - Tom/Faried we're due a race. VMAX 29 June?

Bad case of garage envy! 👍

 

[T8]

I'm posting in the 997 section, so appreciate which side of the discussion some will be favouring

Perhaps this has also been discussed, but couldn't find much from my simple search skills.

I had a 996T for nearly 2 years before moving to a 997T 5 years ago.

I was fortunate to own both for a short while so was able to make some direct comparisons. Publishing this led to a brilliant discussion thread.

See Here -> 996T vs 997T Comparisons

 

[T8]

Re: 996 Turbo / 997 Turbo - Comparisons.

If you don't want to click on the link in my post above the original post, made in 2015, was ..........

....... a number of people have asked me why I made the change from a 996 Turbo to a 997 Turbo and what differences I have noticed between the two.

I was fortunate enough to have both the cars at the same time for a few weeks so I had the chance to make direct comparisons and a few notes at the time.

Firstly, I must make it clear that the cars I'm referring to are standard cars with Mezger engines and Tiptronic gearboxes so my comparison is quite specific. I'm not intending to make a case for either being superior to the other. Owners of both often express their preference and as this is such a subjective matter I'd never attempt to sway either. To this end I will try to remain objective but it'll be difficult for me as in so many ways the cars are so very similar.

When I first drove the 997T my 996T had been SORN'd for two months and the spirited test drive blew me away. Any doubts I'd had when considering making the change were quickly dispelled. I knew from that first drive that I would be buying the newer car, sooner rather than later. Having made that decision I realised that I was going to have to get the 996T ready for sale and that meant getting it back on the road. After taxing it I went for a decent run and was quite amazed to feel that perhaps I'd been 'a bit premature'. After two months slobbing about in ordinary cars I'd forgotten just how quick my old 'Polaris' actually was! I spent the next three days hooning around my local 'blat tracks' seriously wondering what the hell I'd done.

Finally March 1st came and I was able to try the two cars out 'back to back'. I'd made some mental notes along my various routes and set about doing some comparisons in 'Red'. Straight away I could definitely tell which was the more powerful car although most of the extra 59 horses don't make themselves known until you get quite high into the rev range. In the right gear I'd never thought of the 996T as having any Turbo lag but the VTGs on the new car made power delivery even more linear without diluting that 'OMG' experience that everyone who's ever accelerated hard in a 911 Turbo knows so well.

A lot of 996T owners that have also driven the 997T make reference to the fact that the 996T seems more 'alive' and is consequently more like a classic 911 to drive. I can't argue with that as the older car definitely feels older. In fact one of the biggest differences I've noticed is that the whole feel of the chassis, and especially the way the suspension works, make it seem like there was more than the actual 6 years development between the two cars. The extra refinement isn't to everybody's taste but it suits me and, as much as I loved the look of 996T interior, the 20th century build quality did let it down. Overall I'd summarise my thoughts by saying that the 997T feels more like a GT car than a sports car although, of course, on the odd days that I do miss the more raw feel of the 996T all I need to do is press the 'Sport' button. As well as remapping the engine of the car the suspension is firmed up to make it buck and squirm just like a 996T driven in anger. The extra torque also available at this time is where the increased road/track 'oomph' of the newer car really shows. In 'Sport mode' the improvements made to the Tiptronic box also show and the car is immense fun to drive, especially in 'M', but also in 'D'. Sadly I'd have to report that whilst it's a great town car and cruiser in 'D' the ferocity of kickdown is more noticeable than in the 996T and isn't a nice experience.

I expect the overall running costs of the cars to be similar. The 997T is 10-15% more economical but it will take a lot of annual miles to make up the £215 difference in road tax.

Looks wise everything is subjective. From the front the 997T just seems so much newer - although when parked next to a 991T it already looks dated - and whilst I have come to appreciate and accept the 'unique' headlights of the 996T I could never love them. What I did love and sorely miss though is the look of the rear quarters. The whole rear end of the 996T is just so 'right' and it upsets me to compare it with the characterless lump of plastic stuck on the back of mine. From the side I'd have to say the 997T gets my vote but both look great - It's probably the wheels that swing it. Inside the car I always enjoyed the near classic simplistic looks of the 996T and if it were possible I'd definitely swop the centre/PCM dash for mine. The instrument cluster I can live with (although I would prefer the black dials from a 996T) but I'd happily scrap the horrid looking, useless, Chrono 'carbuncle'. The one thing that can't be argued though is the overall difference in build quality. My 2007 car seems a lot more than 3 years newer than the 2004 car it replaced.

Five months in I have never regretted making the change when I did. The timing was right for me. I bought the 996T when prices were rock bottom and although I paid a premium by buying a lowish mileage car that had been completely 'sorted' from a dealer it meant I had 10.5 k miles/23 months trouble free use. The rising prices during that time meant that even selling it through a dealer only cost me £2k and I've made that back already by the way that 997T prices have gone up recently.

As it was a 58k mile Tip' my 996T was never going to be a collector's item but I would have become less comfortable just jumping in and driving it and would have felt obliged to bring it up-to-scratch cosmetically which would have cost me £££'s that I'd rather spend on fuel.

I chose to own a 911 that I could enjoy driving. I've never been one to clean cars more than I drive them and I'm too old to change now. The 996T gave me everything I wanted from a car but I know that the 997T will give me that for a little longer just because it's a newer car to start with.

When the 997.1T was launched I saw it as a natural evolution from the already awesome 996T and 9 years on it seems proven that this was the case. When I was looking for a 996T very good examples were available for £25k and I read an article which concluded that it was 90% of a 997.1T for 50% of the money. At that time they had to be the bargain of the century and I'll always feel proud to have had one. During my period of 996T ownership the difference in prices decreased making the 'cost to change' far more palatable.

 

[IMI A]

Love both TBH and driven 997.1 and 996 turbo s extensively when both new - Tom/Faried we're due a race. VMAX 29 June?

Bad case of garage envy! 👍

Thank you. You have very good taste sir 8)

 

[Mac996t]

I've had my 996t since 2010. When I bought it it was 6 years old and it's now coming up to 16. I've been feeling like a change to a newer turbo.

Problem for me is the 997.1 is not much of a step up for quite a large 'price to change' and is still an old car. I've never used mine in the salt and for example i've replaced all the heat shields and fasteners around the turbos, repainted intercoolers brackets and so on so mine is in very good overall condition. I went to the launch of the 992 at my local opc and they had a 997.1 in that they wanted 70k for, when I looked under it the area around the turbos looked like the titanic!

I've driven one (for only an hour or so admittedly) and it felt exactly as everyone has described, a little more refined, a lot more inert, less playful, boost more linear which actually made it feel flatter across the Rev range. Seats held me better and were definitely more comfortable.
My main reason for having a turbo is driving pleasure and I would say in this area there's little or no difference!

I've also find the rear to be quite heavy looking.

So for me knowing what I know a 996t in good condition makes more sense and to be honest I'd be more interested in a PDk 997.2 turbo s but these are still getting on and the price to change is massive.

I'll probably just keep mine as I still enjoy owning it!

Mac

 

[911tom]

Love both TBH and driven 997.1 and 996 turbo s extensively when both new - Tom/Faried we're due a race. VMAX 29 June?

:?: if the event goes ahead I'm there! Be nice to see you both again. It must have been a 2 years since the 3 of us did one of these?

 

[IMI A]

Love both TBH and driven 997.1 and 996 turbo s extensively when both new - Tom/Faried we're due a race. VMAX 29 June?

:?: if the event goes ahead I'm there! Be nice to see you both again. It must have been a 2 years since the 3 of us did one of these?

You should both beat me up the track with my puny VTGS?! Cant wait! Friends will be in there in 720 s and 600 LT so we can vid

:thumbs:

 

[sim996]

Hopefully have mine on the road soon. 997 gearbox is the weak point, I'm not sure how converting to 2wd works out with the fancy AWD, the 996t is obviously much simpler. 997t is the best shape imo, from the slatted intercooler intakes, to the oval headlights, they got it right.

I'd take a 997 over a 996 and I own a 996, bit I think the 996 is a better platform for modifying if that's your thing, so no regrets. 997 is a looker though!

 

[kas750]

I owned a 996 Turbo and found it hard to look at the front end when walking back to it.Not so much the facelift headlamps which are not great but the bumper is truly gopping. :nooo:

997 is beautiful externally although I prefer the 996 interior.

 

[wjk_glynn]

One mechanical difference between the 996TT and 997.1TT that I haven't seen mentioned so far is the addition of the PTM Porsche Traction Management system.

It's an electromechanically controlled multi-plate central clutch, supposed to optimize front/rear traction for getting the power down and improve handling.

Karl.

 

[Robertb]

Nothing useful to add other than I reckon the 997TT with centre-lock wheels looks absolutely fantastic. 8)