Just drove a 911 TT!

[Kirthasa]

Due to a twist of fate, I was offered the chance to take a 911 Turbo (an '02, I believe) for a spin this evening, and of course I couldn't pass it up! I have been thinking about getting an '02 Carrera 2 for a little while, and so it was great to take its bigger, meaner cousin out for a spin. Without a doubt, the difference in power was noticeable - This one had the X50 option, which bumps it up to 450hp, and fortunately the all-wheel drive kept all four tires firmly planted. I got to drive it for about 30 minutes, with more time on the freeway than in the twisties unfortunately, and here were my impressions in comparison to my NSX ('92, Comptech I/H/E, Comptech sport suspension, sways, non-compliance bar and toe links, short shifter):

Pros:
Sweet power band - Even in 6th, the car wants to move. 3rd gear is the sweet spot for this car, and 4th feels almost like 2nd in the NSX.
Minimal turbo lag - As opposed to the digital (on/off) lag experienced in cars like the Evo, any "lag" that may have existed was the difference between moving fast and moving very fast
Vestigial rear seats useful for packages (no need to go open the trunk, etc.)
AWD kept car planted and made up for my lack of skill as a driver
Smooth, low-effort gear shifter
Pretty smooth ride considering the car's capabilities
Strong, consistent brakes with linear feel

Cons:
Perception of speed - I don't know officer, how fast exactly was I going back there? The 25mph increments in the speedo don't help either
Long throw on shifter made it hard to be confident about shifts
Harder to launch gently than the NSX - I felt like I was either ripping off of the line or bogging
The car felt a little softer and higher - Just a tiny bit floaty, with more body roll

I'm sure that the cons are minor niggles that I could get used to with time - In fact, I wish I had the opportunity to get used to a 911 Turbo I had a blast driving the car, and it felt like a forgiving, livable (if slightly soft) supercar. What surprised me is that taking this drive only made me appreciate my NSX more. Granted, it was an unfamiliar car that didn't belong to me, so I probably went easier on it at times than I should. However, as great as the car was, the "wow" factor was not as powerful as I had expected.

I've recently been feeling the suspicion that I should stay away from additional perf mods for now (the supercharger bug was biting again) and spend money instead on improving my skills as a driver. It's odd that rather than increasing my need for speed, driving a 450hp AWD beauty like the 911 Turbo convinced me that it truly never is enough. After the roller coaster ride I just had, I actually can't wait to get home and take my NSX for a spin again!

Thanks for letting me take your car for a spin, Mark! Hopefully, this will slate my thirst for speed a while so I can develop my skills enough to truly appreciate the car.

 

[Meeyatch1]

So...how did you stumble across this chance to drive a 911TT?? Pretty fun cars, aren't they?

 

[Kirthasa]

I was on a business trip to visit a company I do business with on the east coast last week. While out there, the conversation turned to cars during a dinner with several managers and an executive from the company. As I walked over to my rental Neon I noticed the exec walking towards a gorgeous silver 911 TT. When I said "Nice car," he asked me if I wanted to go for a ride. I hesitated for a millisecond and then as soon as I said "Of course!" he threw me the keys and told me to drive. After the drive, we sat around and talked cars (the NSX, 360, Elise, etc.) for a while.

I look forward to my next trip out there, and of course I'll try to return the favor the next time he's in town. It's so much fun to drive other people's cars

 

[NetViper]

There is only one guy here with a 911 TT and he is a punk. So, I guess I will have to wait until we move to Savannah to find someone else. I REALLY want to try one out.

 

[gene '96 #178]

Hi Aaron,

I know I speak for all the guy's in the Seattle chapter of the NSX Club that if you ever decide to get a P-car we will miss you a great deal (so don't do it)
We don't mind you testing the waters but...........stay in the fold.

Best wishes,
Gene Greer

 

[NSX-GUY]

I had a '98 NSX and it was the best car I ever owned (and I owned an '83 911 Turbo).

I drove an '02 TT down in Florida last Winter.

You cannot believe how FAST that sucker is.

 

[kinnsella]

if you weren't blown away, you were not driving the TT hard enough.

here are some of my previous comments on this topic:

Well I have owned both. I had a 99 Monte Carlo Blue (or as my finacee calls its Bling Bling Blue!) NSX-T and I replaced it with a 2001 Silver 996 TT. Each was/is a daily driver.
NSX T

Pros: Shift Quality, Great Clutch, Build Quality, Front Visibility, Throttle Response, Very Nimble, Utterly Reliable, Gas Mileage, Interior Layout - Simple, But Effective, Engine...nothing like that redline!, Great Dealers, Looks, Price, Driver Feedback.

Con's: Braking, Ride Quality, Chassis Stiffness On The T's, Tire Wear And Alignments, Fragile Paint, Weak Acceleration, Poor Rear Visibilily Due To B pillars, Wet Weather Traction, High Speed Stability at 130 mph +, Insurance Costs.

996 TT

Pros: Unbelievable Acceleration...its as fast from 60-120 mph as it is from 0-60 mph, Amazing Grip, Unbeliveable Braking, Ride Quality, Chassis Stiffness, Tire Wear, All Round Visibility, Paint, High Speed Stability, More Interior Room, More Gadgets like Nav etc.

Cons: Price, Build Quality..a few weird gaps in the dash, Cheap Interior Materials, High Oil Consumption, Stiff Shifter, Slight Turbo Lag, Gas Mileage is 11-12mph, Really Awful Dealers, Looks Like A Boxster On Steroids.

I track the 996 TT, it's faster than most fully prepped fast cars.....

Friends often ask me which I like better and I answer them this way. The NSX is a foil (fencing) and the 996 TT is a sledgehammer. I liked them both A LOT, however ultimately I prefer the 996 TT. However you will be happy with either, that I can promise you. I would pick the NSX over a regular 996.

One last thing, my NSX T got a LOT more looks than my 996 TT does....if that's important to you

 

[dippy9]

Unbelieveable car the 996tt, got to take one out for the weekend, one of my work neigbours had one so swapped him with a 355 spider. But no matter which way you look at it the NSX is still the number one driver's car. All the other cars are great, dont get me wrong but how can you compete against the NSX as a daily driver? Everyone goes on and on about how fast other cars are but it doesn't matter if you are stuck in peak hour traffic, with the speed limit at 60 km/per hour (Australia). It has never let me down, especially at the lights and it is not always in the garage getting serviced as my business partner's Ferrari always is.

 

[ncdogdoc]

Unbelieveable car the 996tt, got to take one out for the weekend, one of my work neigbours had one so swapped him with a 355 spider. But no matter which way you look at it the NSX is still the number one driver's car. All the other cars are great, dont get me wrong but how can you compete against the NSX as a daily driver? Everyone goes on and on about how fast other cars are but it doesn't matter if you are stuck in peak hour traffic, with the speed limit at 60 km/per hour (Australia). It has never let me down, especially at the lights and it is not always in the garage getting serviced as my business partner's Ferrari always is.

AMEN Brother

 

[docjohn]

I gotta love my buddie who is on his 4th tt.His current 03 is x-50 plus a giac chip up to 600 flywheel hp.Its a neat design,he can switch the chip from stock to 550 or 600 settings remotely with a little fob,the car has to be off to do it though.No loss of low speed driveability.Anyway it is rediculous.I would end up in jail,or wanted by some authority for blasting to 120 every 10 seconds!Plus all I wanted to do was drag race everone who cared,,It was giving my evil demons a way out!I just don't care for the asthetics of the design.

 

[nsx-animal]

I drove Bens "TheWB" 996TT w/ a few mods. The car has some amazing power. The tranny was a little wierd hard to shift quickly. First gear is pretty short but ounce you hit 2 and bost kicks in O MY GOD! It's a pretty soft ride also. My 2 cets.

 

[Meeyatch1]

There is only one guy here with a 911 TT and he is a punk. So, I guess I will have to wait until we move to Savannah to find someone else. I REALLY want to try one out.

Yeah, there is a guy here with a nice white 996TT and he was mentioning how he liked my NSX and really wanted to drive one since he never had.....well, he kept hinting so I offered to let him drive it. When we got back I thought he would offer to let me drive his 996TT ('car guy rule of courtesy' I thought) but he just said, 'I never let people drive my car,' and that was that. Pretty darn rude if you ask me. Oh well....I will still share my car.

 

[dippy9]

that was mighty rude of him. Thinks he is better because his car is more expensive.

Anyway have you heard about the turbo S coming soon its going to have 331kw (sorry dont know hp figures) thats awesome. 3.9sec to 100kms.

 

[NetViper]

When we got back I thought he would offer to let me drive his 996TT ('car guy rule of courtesy' I thought) but he just said, 'I never let people drive my car,'

Hmm.. I think I would have simply had to kick him in the face!

 

[NetViper]

that was mighty rude of him. Thinks he is better because his car is more expensive.

Anyway have you heard about the turbo S coming soon its going to have 331kw (sorry dont know hp figures) thats awesome. 3.9sec to 100kms.

I think it is about 450HP. Basically what the X50 upgrade gets you anyway...

 

[Meeyatch1]

Hmm.. I think I would have simply had to kick him in the face!

HAHAHAAHAHAHAHAA!!! Yes, that occured to me as well.

 

[SCS2k]

that was mighty rude of him. Thinks he is better because his car is more expensive.

Anyway have you heard about the turbo S coming soon its going to have 331kw (sorry dont know hp figures) thats awesome. 3.9sec to 100kms.

The turbo S is nothing but the X50 with PCCB. The same car you could have gotten since 2002 but it wouldn't have the "S". Marketing.

 

[spdntckt]

My 2 cents... spent a lot of time driving a GT2... a comptech 9lb NSX (3.0), and a Z06...

Folks talk a lot about 'pull' and overall accelleration and 'feel' of power.

Z06 - from this perspective - feels much more impressive than either the gt2 or the S/C NSX... I think most objective folks would come to this conclusion.. (though my experience is car owners often become zelots....)

 

[nsx-animal]

Z06 - from this perspective - feels much more impressive than either the gt2 or the S/C NSX... I think most objective folks would come to this conclusion.. (though my experience is car owners often become zelots....) [/B]

I will agree with you the Z06 is a beast!! lot's of torque, but it does feel a little unstable. I think NSX with a supercharger that has the same power of a Z06 feels much better.

 

[NetViper]

Does a GT2 make more TQ than the Z06? I would think that car would "feel" faster than the vette??

 

[spdntckt]

Agree on the overall feel.. Z06 doesnt feel as stable. Im not sure on the TQ of the GT2, but a stock z06 is 400 ft/lbs.. The one I drove had a little bit of work done(exhaust, headers, etc...). not sure what that is good for.

 

[SCS2k]

A stock 996TT has 413 lb-ft of torque at 2700 rpm. I don't know what the GT2 makes.

 

[Z18]

if you weren't blown away, you were not driving the TT hard enough.

here are some of my previous comments on this topic:

Well I have owned both. I had a 99 Monte Carlo Blue (or as my finacee calls its Bling Bling Blue!) NSX-T and I replaced it with a 2001 Silver 996 TT. Each was/is a daily driver.
NSX T

Pros: Shift Quality, Great Clutch, Build Quality, Front Visibility, Throttle Response, Very Nimble, Utterly Reliable, Gas Mileage, Interior Layout - Simple, But Effective, Engine...nothing like that redline!, Great Dealers, Looks, Price, Driver Feedback.

Con's: Braking, Ride Quality, Chassis Stiffness On The T's, Tire Wear And Alignments, Fragile Paint, Weak Acceleration, Poor Rear Visibilily Due To B pillars, Wet Weather Traction, High Speed Stability at 130 mph +, Insurance Costs.

996 TT

Pros: Unbelievable Acceleration...its as fast from 60-120 mph as it is from 0-60 mph, Amazing Grip, Unbeliveable Braking, Ride Quality, Chassis Stiffness, Tire Wear, All Round Visibility, Paint, High Speed Stability, More Interior Room, More Gadgets like Nav etc.

Cons: Price, Build Quality..a few weird gaps in the dash, Cheap Interior Materials, High Oil Consumption, Stiff Shifter, Slight Turbo Lag, Gas Mileage is 11-12mph, Really Awful Dealers, Looks Like A Boxster On Steroids.

I track the 996 TT, it's faster than most fully prepped fast cars.....

Friends often ask me which I like better and I answer them this way. The NSX is a foil (fencing) and the 996 TT is a sledgehammer. I liked them both A LOT, however ultimately I prefer the 996 TT. However you will be happy with either, that I can promise you. I would pick the NSX over a regular 996.

One last thing, my NSX T got a LOT more looks than my 996 TT does....if that's important to you

Owning a Zanardi and a 996 turbo, I think I agree with almost everything you say.

Ultimately, the Zanardi is more fun to drive on a sprited canyon run or on the track, yet I probably prefer the 996 turbo for every day driving.

The 996 tt hides a lot from you... you don't get a lot of road feedback, when you accelerate you don't hear or feel much, so you're often surpised when you look at the speedo, when you corner it seems to body roll at first and THEN hook up; same with the brakes -- they don't seem to react quickly at first, but then really grab when you push it. The car has more room and feels higher up, and you definitely don't get as many looks -- the average guy can't tell the difference between a boxster and a gt2, but the NSX still looks exotic and you still get the 'um, is that a Ferrari or what?' questions. But this can be good -- sometimes you want to park somewhere and not have a crowd around your car.

My Zanardi gives me much more feedback, is much lighter, and feels much more like a sports car and less GT. It gets the looks, and can be more fun in spirited driving, as I mentioned.

But awd for the rain or gravel is nice for a daily driver, as is putting the powerband in the mid-range like on the 996tt. While I prefer a high revving NSX or Ferrari on the track, having a bunch of torque on tap driving around town is nice (the Viper is even better here -- you are ALWAYS in the powerband).

Anyway, love 'em both. Also, no problems so far with build quality on the 996 -- seems fine. Though I certainly wouldn't place it (or any other sports car I've driven) up there with the NSX -- the NSX, despite being a sports car, feels like it has the build quality of a high-end Lexus sedan -- incredible.

 

[Fanman]

Agree on the overall feel.. Z06 doesnt feel as stable. Im not sure on the TQ of the GT2, but a stock z06 is 400 ft/lbs.. The one I drove had a little bit of work done(exhaust, headers, etc...). not sure what that is good for.

I believe the GT2 makes arounf 457 lb.-ft. of torque. Porsches are deceptively fast. They build speed without you knowing it. The Z06 has less sound dampening, harsher ride. Feels like it is going faster, but the GT2 & GT3 are the beasts of the Porsche lineup.