My Review of the 997.1 Turbo 6MT

[Zygrene]

My first Porsche review and hopefully not my last. Just 5 minutes behind the wheel made me realize why the Turbo is always the industry benchmark for daily drivable supercar, much like the NSX was the standard in the early 90's. Difference is, the Turbo was improved drastically over the years while the NSX's minor improvements over 15 years made it (arguably) noncompetitive by the 2000's.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfUs3HuHu6k

Can't wait to get my hands on a 996/997 GT3!

 

[Hoodoo]

Nice. Thanks for posting the review. My 911 (2004 AE) was a PITA to own, but Porsches still have a special place in my heart. I could see myself owning another one someday. Like you, I'd love to get my hands on a GT3.

 

[Zygrene]

Nice. Thanks for posting the review. My 911 (2004 AE) was a PITA to own, but Porsches still have a special place in my heart. I could see myself owning another one someday. Like you, I'd love to get my hands on a GT3.

Thanks. The 2004 is a 996 and therefore has the IMS bearing issue, correct?

997 GT3 RS 4.0 is in my top 5 dream cars at the moment.

 

[posterchild2]

Thanks. The 2004 is a 996 and therefore has the IMS bearing issue, correct?

997 GT3 RS 4.0 is in my top 5 dream cars at the moment.

The 996 turbo is free from the IMS bearing issue. It only affected the naturally aspirated cars, the turbo used a different engine design.

 

[Zygrene]

The 996 turbo is free from the IMS bearing issue. It only affected the naturally aspirated cars, the turbo used a different engine design.

Yep, I assumed Hoodoo's was a non-Turbo. If the Carreras didn't have the IMS issue they'd be so much more appealing to me.

 

[posterchild2]

Yep, I assumed Hoodoo's was a non-Turbo. If the Carreras didn't have the IMS issue they'd be so much more appealing to me.

Dont be scared away from the IMS bearing issue with the 996. There is a $600 bearing replacement kit, and I know a lot of 996 owners that already retro-fitted theirs, with no issues. There is a good chance if you purchase from an individual they had it done. You can pick up a 996 for a bargain, they aren't as popular as the 997.

 

[Zygrene]

Dont be scared away from the IMS bearing issue with the 996. There is a $600 bearing replacement kit, and I know a lot of 996 owners that already retro-fitted theirs, with no issues. There is a good chance if you purchase from an individual they had it done. You can pick up a 996 for a bargain, they aren't as popular as the 997.

Ah ok. I'd consider a 996 C2S as a daily driver then. I would just have to put up with the ugly egg yolks.

 

[Hoodoo]

Dont be scared away from the IMS bearing issue with the 996. There is a $600 bearing replacement kit, and I know a lot of 996 owners that already retro-fitted theirs, with no issues. There is a good chance if you purchase from an individual they had it done. You can pick up a 996 for a bargain, they aren't as popular as the 997.

That's good advice. The IMS issue got *a lot* of attention & is one of the reasons you can pick up a 996 on the cheap. There was no 996 C2S; the 40th Anniversary Edition was the closest analog. As long as it's a solid, well-running specimen, a 996 911 is a fantastic daily driver.

EDIT - For giggles, check out the six month reports for my 911 & NSX:

911: http://alpenworks-automotive.blogspot.com/2014/12/porsche-six-month-report.html
NSX: http://alpenworks-automotive.blogspot.com/2016/09/1995-nsx-six-month-report.html

This is a sample size of 1, so it's inadvisable to draw conclusions about the reliability of ALL NSXs & 911s based on the above. A friend of mine has a 1999 911 & his ownership experience is radically different than mine. He's had no problems with his car. It was purchased from a private party with ~75K miles on the clock. It now has ~150K and is still going strong. He's a PCA instructor, so the car sees regular track time. It's well cared for, but not babied.