Which Porsche would you buy and why?

That was one of my dream cars !

MDS

 

any naturally aspirated (NA) 3.8 or 4.0 "big block" equipped car... NA allows for all the good sounds to escape unrestricted over the full range of RPM... while giving performance which can meet or exceed the iconic 930s while leaving enjoyable sounds not interrupted by turbos... also have performance to run with the "big dogs" from other iconic marques

 

Anyone interested in a 2018 gt3 pm me


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Get a 996 Turbo or 997 Turbo -- no IMS, fast, light, undervalued currently and will at least hold value and probably appreciate.

 

Slick! I see more than a few "Z" drivers - many diff generations - out there on the back roads, and they usually seem to be having a good time.
T

 

given your description, the Cayman S or GTS, 6 cylinders all the way.
My personal preference is a 2011 turbo S but your outline does not work for that car unless you have wide open roads.

My wife wanted the cayman and it was never on my radar screen. I went that way reluctantly to avoid a scene over my own toys. I have now driven 1000 miles in1 month and as as much as I hate to say it, that little car is so much fun. I am used to more expensive and powerful cars but in mild traffic the cayman is ideal. The non S may lack a bit of power but the S, with sport exhaust is quite a thing for a reasonable price. Get the 7 speed PDK. All sports car should have that double clutch marvel. And that thing is dead reliable.
The GTS may be even better but the price point is not as good.

 

Must have a stick and 3 pedals.
Air cooled.
Or a V8

 

Currently looking at a Panamera for my wife. What a car.

 

996TT, not even a question.

 

It's safest to avoid the 2005 997's. The early 997.1's had a bad IMS design that failed very often, so they redesigned the IMS in the 2006 model year (roughly, doesn't exactly line up with model year) and that later 997.1 IMS is far more robust. This car apparently had the early 2005 IMS fail, so they rebuilt it with the engine with 2006 bearing, which actually should be fine assuming it was done right -- but you don't want an early (2005ish) 997.1 with the original bearing design because it was very problematic. In 2009 (997.2) they eliminated the IMS bearing altogether -- that is the safest bet, but the later (2006+) 997.1 bearings are very robust. Unlike the 996, you can't proactively replace the 997.1's IMS without splitting the cases.

 

Really only the 2005 997's are bad. 2006 and later (best to check by engine number) with the newer 997.1 bearing are pretty robust. 2009 997.2 has no IMS, which is best.

I agree on the transition to GT's -- my favorite 911 model of all time to drive is the late 60's early 70's 911 "E" models (t's were too slow, s's were too peaky and felt weak in casual driving). I've written it many times on fChat, but the closest modern equivalent to those are 996.1 (1999-2001) 2wd coupe 6-speed. At 2900 lbs, I swear it feels a lot like the early 911's (it's not as light as the early cars, but with double the horsepower and power steering it feels like those early 911's but with all modern creature comforts). In your position, I would get a 996 Turbo -- they are undervalued currently and will appreciate and they don't have an IMS bearing at all.

 

Interesting comment about early 911s relative to early 996s. I’ve owned several of both eras. I even owned the same 1999 996 twice and proceeded to run up the odometer to 150K miles on its original clutch and IMS. Specially with slightly stiffer springs on the 996, I understand what you mean.

Nonetheless, I voted for 09 997. Better looks, no IMS drama, etc. Just drive.

 

I've never been able to find the weight difference between the 996.1 (99-01) and the 996 (02-04)? I'm sure the 996.1 is lighter, but I don't think there is a big difference. One big difference is the headlights -- 996.1 have the "fried eggs" lights that a lot of people hated when it came out because it was such a departure. The 996.2 has smaller headlights that moved back a little to the traditional headlights. I like the 996.1 lights better, I think even today most prefer 996.2.

The 996.2 engine is 3.6 liter / 320hp vs 3.4 /300hp in the 996.1. So 996.2 power is better, but the IMS in the 996.1 is more robust. Porsche, bizarrely reduced the IMS size (from dual row on 996.1 to single row on the 996.2) at the same time they increased power and displacement -- so the 996.2 is a bit less robust IMS-wise.

On any 996 -- 2wd, 6-speed, coupe is a must if you want a light sports car -- tiptronic (automatic), cabriolet, and 4wd add roughly 150 lbs each (so a Tip/Cab/4wd is about 450 lbs heavier than a 6sp/Coupe/2wd).

 

I agree this is a great choice also. The 997.1 IMS is very strong, but since (unlike the 996) it can't be replaced on the 997 as maintenance without splitting the cases, I would probably only get an 09+ 997. The interior is nicer on the 997 also. On the 996, "full leather" and 3-spoke wheel are must have options for me, then the interior is pretty nice.

 

If you're in the mood, my sister has asked my help in selling her late husband's Cayman GT-4.

 

Less than 800 miles......like the distance from you to the car.