Victor

I'm in the market for a sports car that I can actually drive my kids to school in when I'm on my way to work. The only stipulations my wife has is it has to be AWD and automatic in the rare event that she drives it. I've decided I'm going to get a pre-owned 911 and I found the following cars:

2014 Carrera 4 with the PDK for $70,000 (factory warranty)
2007 Turbo with the tiptronic for $67,000 (no warranty)

my gut tells me I would be an idiot for not getting the turbo, but I've heard the tiptronic sucks. I used to drive a 1979 corvette with a 3 speed automatic (TH-350 tranny) and I had no complaints with that tranny so I'd imagine that an automatic made by Porsche that is nearly 30 years newer has to be better than that. Or is the 7 year newer Porsche that is much better on most aspects (other than engine) that I should skip on the 2007 turbo?

Any thoughts?

Oh, and I'm sorry for posting this in the F-body forum. My fat and greasy fingers hit the wrong forum and I didn't notice until after it posted.

05dsom

hands down the Carrera 4...PDK is 1000x better than tiptronic, warranty is key, newer electronic gizmos, 7 model years newer, 991 better chassis than 997, looks better (both wide bodies, tail lights, no gaping holes in rear fenders of the C4). hp/torque is obviously higher for the turbo, but if the wife is driving it, who really cares? More creature comforts in the newer car and suspension will be stiffer (unless it has PASM) on the 997 turbo.

need more details about options, mileage, maintenance history, etc.. for the two to make a more educated decision. price is nice for the turbo though--originally about $125k I believe


Natural aspiration for the win! too bad it's not a C4S

Victor

Thanks for the input. Right now I can swing $70,000 and that is the limiting factor. C4S coupes are typically around $80-90,000 for a 991 and a 997.2 Turbo with the PDK is about the same price range too.

The prices $70k for a 991 C4 PDK and $67,000 for a 997 Turbo Tiptronic are very typical for what these cars are going for (I've been following the prices of used Porsches for about 8 months now).

Anyways, thanks for your input. I'll see if I can post links to the cars on here in a moment.

The links are all sorts of messed up. I found these cars using the Porsche pre-owned car locater on their website so the URLs are a little screwey. I think I got the link to the Turbo to work though

http://locator.porsche.com/ipl-custo...ails.ipl?cid=1

05dsom

991.2's are just hitting the showrooms now...turbo flat 6
soon the prices of all NA flat 6's will drop precipitously as everyone will want a "turbo 911".
you should wait it out and get a lightly used 2014/2015 C4S once prices drop...trust me the about the 991 vs 997

JerriVette

991 with PDK without question. I'd wait for the 3 liter turbos to hit the street and buy the 2014 AWD PDK as suggested.

The 2014 PDK 911 is one of my favorites although the camaro ZL1 for 2017 with the ten speed automatic might just get my vote as it's clearly faster and the better track machine.

That said...the gently preowned 911 s with PDK would be hard to pass up on especially if you want AWD.

Great car and superior to the earlier turbo with the tiptronic,

Victor

I have to say that GT3 looks amazing! If I had the money for a GT3 or a Turbo or a 911-R, I'd have a very hard time deciding. That's a problem I wish I had

I hope you're right about the NA Porsche 991s. I believe they are on their down-stroke anyways, but I hope they plummet sooner rather than later. Unfortunately I'm in a position that I want a Porsche now (hence the C4) and can act on it within the month versus waiting for something with a bit more bite like I'd really like (i.e. a C4S or a Turbo).

What are your thoughts on a 997.2 Turbo with a PDK? Those are hovering around $80-90k at the moment - which is about the same price as a 991 C4S. If I'm going to wait for a 991 C4S to drop to the 70k range I might as well wait for a 997.2 Turbo?? Or should is the 991 really that much superior to a 997?

Again, thanks a lot for your input and thoughts!

PeterK

I'd get a 997TT. That is a car that is likely to go up in value with time. The tiptonic is a perfectly fine transmission especially in slow traffic where PDK can be a bit jerky.

Victor

I can't argue with you about the Camaro being a great track machine. It, like a Corvette Z06 is a lot of performance for the money. I've seen the times these cars have posted on various tracks and they do a great job. If the Z06 had a rear seat or if the Camaro had AWD I would have a hard time deciding between them and a 911. I love the styling on both of the GM cars. They reek of American Muscle and have, in my opinion, a timeless look - much how a Porsche 911 of any year always looks like a 911 and will always look good no matter how old it is.

sublime1996525

997TT all day long!! Even without the PDK it's a great car.

ST31

Either car would be great. I own a 997 TT with Tip and love it. The acceleration of the turbo matched with the handling of the car makes for very fun driving.

Victor

It's seems you guys are pretty split on this and doesn't sound like I'd be disappointed with either. I guess that means I'll have to test drive them both

ST31

Good response!!!

Either way once you make a purchase be sure to join the local PCA (Porsche Club of America) regional group. Lots of activities, discounts, and knowledge shared. Group members would be happy to share experiences with both models. Most local chapters have a facebook group page as well.

White Out

If you're going 997.1TT, get a manual.

The 991 is going to be a better all around car. But the Turbos just have a characteristic that the n/a cars cannot match.

If you have any notion to modify the car, go with a turbo. The results from minor modifications make the car a monster where the n/a cars get a little quicker.

81corvettevortec

No question the 991 is the better car. I've driven both the 991 Carrera S PDK and a 997TT 6spd (friends cars but I've put a lot of miles on them), I'd personally take the 997TT, even with the tiptronic. Those cars are absolutely amazing at well... everything. From what I've read the tip isn't a bad transmission, its just not up to the high horsepower game and its not as good as the PDK, but still very good. The 991 is a big step up but you'll always want the turbo. Pretty sure a test drive will solidify that. Who knows though you might value the better interior of the 991. If you can swing a 997.2, by waiting for them to drop or spending more, you'll get a little nicer interior and the PDK.

05dsom

^^this


although didn't you say the wife demanded an automatic

Victor

Yeah, she is pretty adamant about that.

However the PDK is faster than a manual. I'm not sure, but the tip might be faster as well. The automatics don't lose boost between shifts (if I'm not mistaken).

There is more to a sports at than just raw speed and acceleration. A manual, I feel, adds to the fun. However I still don't feel too bad having to settle for an automatic Porsche.

05dsom

One of each is the he best of both worlds!

White Out

If you have to get an auto, can you spring for a 997.2TT with PDK?

FAUEE

My father just sold his PDK 911 (after he had to put a $4000 radio in an '09 for no reason at all, he decided that driving the car was a financial risk and that was the end of that).

The PDK takes a lot of upkeep (comparatively). Expensive upkeep. It's a worlds better transmission, but it's an extremely expensive transmission to replace or repair. The Tiptronic is fairly proven, also very expensive to fix, but it's just not as good.

You've also got to factor in the character differences of the cars. The 991 is a bigger vehicle, and it's much more of a grand tourer. With each passing generation, Porsche makes the 911 less of a sports car, and more of a touring car. It's less a driver's car and more a piece of jewelry. My father kept his 993 for this reason (FWIW, it's worth more than his 997 was by a long shot so it wasn't a financial decision there). So you really should drive the two cars before you make a decision.

As for the NA vs turbo debate... it will be interesting indeed. Now that the whole range is turbo, I wonder how 911 Turbo (model) sales will be affected. I think you'll see less people buying top level turbo cars, but I think the market for the older NA cars will stay fairly solid. Some people just don't want a turbocharged car, and moreover than that... the reality of it is, most people buying 911s don't care about turbo vs NA, they just want to be seen in and own a Porsche 911. it's more of a status thing than a driving preference.

wolfie1961

I'm with the PDK guys. I've driven one and loved it. Not so much the Tiptronic.