jonny jones Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 if you can get a Aston v8 vantage for same money as the porsche! and dont mind the £1000 service costs every 6 months! the vantage is so much better inside and that v8 is one of the best sounding cars iv herd! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Agreed. Doesn't drive half as good though, which is a shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyvvc Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Coming from 3.5 years of 997 ownership, but two things I would say straight away: 1. Along with an Elise, the 911 is one of the classic driving experiences that everyone should have a try of once in their lives. All the weight out back makes for an incredibly intense and unique drive. 2. Read up on IMS and bore scoring. If you're in the unlucky 5-10%, then you'll need a slush fund of around £8K-£10K to get it up and running again. Astounding cars, modern 911s. What Dan said ^^^^ The C4S is 'essentially' the Turbo without the turbos. Or the Mezger engine. I believe the C4S has the wide-body kit that the Turbo has, and the same 4-wheel drive system (95% of power to the rear wheels until they break traction, then upto 40% to the fronts to help you out). I've found that the Turbo is actually smaller than the Zed - the wing mirrors make it almost as wide cos they stick out more, body-wise i think it's 10cm or so narrower. Similar length. Cabin spec on my 04 is a step down from the HR Zed i had (albeit not by much). Back seats = luggage space. Front boot is 'useable' for a few squishy bags. The rear-wheel drive 911's are the 'purists' cars. The 4-wheel drive ones are for those who don't want to leave a widow behind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 2WD for the men, 4WD for the girlies 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyvvc Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Agreed! Wait a second....... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordy Posted March 24, 2014 Author Share Posted March 24, 2014 I like the sound of the 40th anniversary model (345bhp+2wd) but the look of the rear on the c4s is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny jones Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 How much is a 996 gt3 know?? Thats the best drivers porsche Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Mk1, about £35K. You'll need deep pockets though still, and many around that price are getting due for diff rebuilds if they've not been done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jp606 Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 (edited) I really need to have a drive in a 996 Turbo, I've been researching them a lot lately as a Z replacement when it's time and I think I'm sold. Not sure how to go about just having a test drive with no intention to buy yet. Got a lot more reading to do. Edited March 26, 2014 by Jp606 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Speak to the guys at 911Virgin. Really nice, really helpful, if you explain your situation and if they have the cars in stock I'm sure they'll let you test a couple for comparison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docwra Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 How much is a 996 gt3 know?? Thats the best drivers porsche A mate of mine has just bought a 996 GT3 Clubsport. Im not jealous, promise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I am! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadtrip Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Speak to the guys at 911Virgin. Really nice, really helpful, if you explain your situation and if they have the cars in stock I'm sure they'll let you test a couple for comparison. When I was last looking for a 911 about 15 years ago I went to see 911Virgin, seemed like a nice guy but I was really put off when he told me he'd clocked a yellow 911 to help it sell as high mileages put people off. I presume they've moved on from that and are now a more honest and professional business? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyvvc Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I use Zentrum Porsche in Calverton near Nottingham. Great bunch of lads running a really decent Indy Porsche garage. While i was there with the Turbo on the ramps going thru the PPI findings, an older 911 (964 - 80s Targa) rolled in on a flatbed after having had a full respray. 10 mins after that, another owner roled in with his kids in his mint white 964 Targa. The owner of the garage had his 996 GT3 parked up outside too (talk about minimal! Seats as thin as paper!!). They had just recieved an imported black 993 Turbo too... For me, the 996 was an obvious step up from the Zed in terms of power. However, without a local Indy i would not have bothered. Porsche OPC prices are still silly and make Ni$$an look cheap. Zentrum charge about £180 for a minor service, and £380 for a major (includes plugs!). That's less than Ni$$an used to charge me for the Zed servicing (when i couldn't get to CS or Horsham) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyvvc Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 (edited) I recently bought a 996 C4. As Dan says, it's an experience i felt i had to tick off my list, and im glad i have done, but honestly i'd rather have my old 350z back. Whilst the Porsche is certainly rapid and interesting to drive, i dont feel like it's really that much more special. Also the 'Porsche Anxiety' is pretty annoying... every little noise has me worrying that it's going to cost me some serious money. I've never really been concerned with a cars running costs before, but these are expensive to keep maintained well... and it's money that i dont see as being very good value (i.e. on other cars, preventative maintenance is almost rewarding but on the Porsche i feel like im getting ripped off). I can see where Marzman is coming from. Off-boost the Turbo is marginally quicker than the Zed. The drive doesn't 'feel' any better or worse than my HR Zed (although i have yet to push it hard due to crap weather). What i do have to remind myself is that my HR Zed was the pinnacle of the 350z development being the latter HR engine car. It was also modified (suspension, intakes, exhaust, Nismo alloys etc) so that brought it up in terms of handling etc. The Porsche is totally stock...and it's easily as good as my modified Zed in terms of handling etc. The RR layout is ....wierd...but will grow on me im sure as i begin to realise i can go into corners "Slow in, VERY quick out" due to the extra mechanical grip. That said, I'm not certain that a normal 996 would have been enough for me over the Zed. But then, the 370 also wasn't 'enough' compared to my old Zed. Any 370 would have needed exhaust, suspension, UpRev to make it a worthwhile upgrade from my old Zed. So the twin-turbo Porker ticked the 'Is it sillier than the Zed' box for me. The fact that it's a 'SuperCar' in some senses for good second hand 370z money also helped a lot! Edited March 27, 2014 by andyvvc 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsexr Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 (edited) Porkers will always have a certain amount of Kudos and the 911 in all guises is still a special car. Sometimes i dont think people stop to think how good the zed actually is so from a performance angle there`s not a lot to be gained. Also remember that a 5 to 10% failure rate in manufacturing is just unbelievable and far too high to be acceptable. You have to take on board that for every 100 cars on autotrader between 5 and 10 will need an 8K engine. Its a shame as i am a poker fan but that is also the reason the 996 are cheap. Pay your money and squeeze those bum cheaks every drive Edited March 27, 2014 by gsexr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuarty Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Ive been seriously looking at a cayman s but imo they are only marginally better than a 350z 313 or 370z. Up here in scotland the cayman s is still pretty rare, so thats a good thing. But the Zed's are even rarer. But i must admit the price of owening a porsche is putting me off a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyvvc Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Porkers will always have a certain amount of Kudos and the 911 in all guises is still a special car. Sometimes i dont think people stop to think how good the zed actually is so from a performance angle there`s not a lot to be gained. Also remember that a 5 to 10% failure rate in manufacturing is just unbelievable and far too high to be acceptable. You have to take on board that for every 100 cars on autotrader between 5 and 10 will need an 8K engine. Its a shame as i am a poker fan but that is also the reason the 996 are cheap. Pay your money and squeeze those bum cheaks every drive Im not sure the failure rate is as high as even 5% (tens of thousands sold in the UK over the years, but only a comparitively low number of folks pop up on forums to say something has gone bang). That said, the M96 engine was a ludicrous thing for Porsche to invest in. The Mezger race engine (996 Turbo, GT2 and GT3) is *very* expensive, but bullet-proof as a result. I believe a new Mezger engine was around $50,000 when new. The M96 by comparison about £28,000. So there was a saving made somewhere by Porsche on those M96 engines...and i rather suspect we are now seeing the effects of those savings in the failures (IMS/bore scoring etc) that is impacting some M96 Carrera owners. I'd argue that by fitting a 3rd radiator, lower temp thermostat and getting the oil and filter changed every 4k miles, any M96 owner can potentially avoid any major issues. Service shedules are laughable...the Turbo once every 12k miles! I'll be getting the oil done every 4k like i did in the Zed. I think the schedule on the M96 engines might be even longer.....! i can't believe even the best oils will last that long without beginning to break down and thus potentially cause premature wear to an engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docwra Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Ive been seriously looking at a cayman s but imo they are only marginally better than a 350z 313 or 370z. Up here in scotland the cayman s is still pretty rare, so thats a good thing. But the Zed's are even rarer. But i must admit the price of owening a porsche is putting me off a bit. Im guessing you havent driven one then, or by "marginally" you mean "the width of the English Channel" - there are less than half as many Caymans as 350's on the roads as well. Its really good to see that so many people think so much of their 350's, but they just dont measure up to 996's IMO - build quality, performance, image, everything is better in the Porsche, thats why age for age they cost twice as much before you even consider the GT's and Turbots. The Cayman is closer but it was still 30% more expensive when new, at the end of the day its going to be better in most aspects. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuarty Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 (edited) Ive been seriously looking at a cayman s but imo they are only marginally better than a 350z 313 or 370z. Up here in scotland the cayman s is still pretty rare, so thats a good thing. But the Zed's are even rarer. But i must admit the price of owening a porsche is putting me off a bit. Im guessing you havent driven one then, or by "marginally" you mean "the width of the English Channel" - there are less than half as many Caymans as 350's on the roads as well. Its really good to see that so many people think so much of their 350's, but they just dont measure up to 996's IMO - build quality, performance, image, everything is better in the Porsche, thats why age for age they cost twice as much before you even consider the GT's and Turbots. The Cayman is closer but it was still 30% more expensive when new, at the end of the day its going to be better in most aspects. yeah i've drove a cayman but only on a short test drive. I'm no expert btw just what i thought. I no longer own a 350z, ive got a z4 3.0si coupe which is a great all round 2 seat coupe. Edited March 27, 2014 by stuarty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Oil change every 6K is more than enough. It's the warming up/cooling down procedure that's more important (along with rad & stat). It's always a risk though, but that's why they're cheap: You're getting massive performance, classic styling (okay, so 996 styling!) and brand kudos for pennies. MA101 oil change is 20K or 2 years! Sod that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyvvc Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 The Turbo manual states: "Acceptable oil consumption: 1.5L per 1000km" lol No wonder the service schedule is 12k miles, if my engine uses oil at the rate Porsche say is acceptable I'll have changed the bloody oil myself just through top-ups Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Find me a manufacturer that doesn't say that though! Nissan do for the Zed, Yota for the MR2, BMW for the Mini etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyvvc Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Find me a manufacturer that doesn't say that though! Nissan do for the Zed, Yota for the MR2, BMW for the Mini etc. Tesla? Do i win a prize? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Git! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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