Monday 24th December 2012

PH buying guide: Porsche 911 Turbo (996)

Hot hatch money for a 190mph's worth of 911 Turbo? Catch it while you can...

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The word 'Turbo' holds a special place in the Porsche lexicon, so the arrival of a new 911 Turbo in 2000 was an eagerly anticipated event. Based on the 996 bodyshell but with the facelifted headlights, the big change for the new Turbo model was a switch to water cooling for the engine.

Search for Porsche 911 Turbos (996) here

Turbo equals big power and surprising value

However, the Turbo used a modified version of the 993's motor in twin-turbo 3.6-litre form. It delivered 420hp and 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds with the standard six-speed manual gearbox and four-wheel drive. A five-speed Tiptronic auto was an option, which slowed the 0-62mph time to 4.9 seconds, while top speed for the auto was 185mph compared to the manual's 189mph.

Porsche offered the X50 upgrade for the 996 Turbo from 2002, upping power to 450hp. This became standard for the Turbo S model that arrived in 2005 and shared the X50's 0-62mph time of 4.0 seconds and 192mph top speed. The Turbo S also came with carbon ceramic brakes discs as standard, an option on non-S Turbos.

A Cabriolet version of the Turbo pitched up in 2004, which was only a year before the Turbo gave way to the new 997 in 2005, though the Turbo S continued in production alongside the 997 for a short period.

Yours for the price of an average hot hatch

By the time production ended, 22,062 996 Turbo models of every type had been built. The numbers break down as:

996 Turbo coupe: 16,965
996 Turbo Cabriolet: 3534
996 Turbo S coupe: 600
996 Turbo S Cabriolet: 963

The 996 Turbo is now one of the most affordable supercars you can buy. Prices start from around £17,500, but the bulk of cars for sale are gathered in the mid to high 20s. A very late 996 Turbo S with low miles and perfect history can command £40,000.

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Owner's view
"I have owned my 2003 car since 2009 and I'm the fourth owner. It was and is my dream car and I haven't been disappointed during the 20,000 miles I've covered during this time."
Roger Critchley

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Buying guide contents:

Introduction
Powertrain
Rolling chassis
Body
Interior

Search for Porsche 911 Turbos (996) here

Thanks to RPM Porsche for providing the car for the pictures

[j_s14a]

I think it's a bit presumptuous to say prices have "bottomed out", they could still fall MUCH further. There's no precedent, as the air cooled Turbos never fell this far.

I wouldn't even call £17,500 a bargain, for £4k you could have a MKIV Supra twin turbo auto, which with basic mods costing under £1k, would be just as fast (if not a little quicker) as the 996 turbo from a rolling start.

Also, for those expecting a prestige car, the interior feels pretty low rent, with plenty of cheap plastics.

I'd still love one though, despite some quirks andquality issues. Nothing this side of a GTR will cover country roads with such pace.

[RobCrezz]

4k for a mk4 tt supra? Where?

[V8 FOU]

Sorry to bore everyone.... but a V8 Esprit for the same or less? Faster than a Cayman s, as one geezer found out yesterday...

I like 911's, but not these. Too big and heavy. GT3 more my style, even if it costs loads more.
The main problem with these is the fact that they are, ahem, a bit common. Lots of them around of one sort or another. And ceramic brakes? Wouldn't want to be picking up the bill for replacements on an older one.....

[ikarl]

RobCrezz said:

4k for a mk4 tt supra? Where?

I'll buy 2!!!

[Rawwr]

As a vehicle to cover ground quickly, there's little that appeals as much as a 996/997 Turbo.

[j_s14a]

RobCrezz said:

4k for a mk4 tt supra? Where?

There's a tidy, almost stock example in black on MKivsupra.net currently for £4,750 Ono, £4k ones do appear regularly now though. Do keep in mind that these are autos though, 6 speed manuals are still usually £8k+. The auto gearbox is VERY good though, and reliable upto approximately 450lb/ft, which is just beyond the limits of tuning on stock turbos anyway.

[SSBB]

RobCrezz said:

4k for a mk4 tt supra? Where?

Maybe he meant £14k?

Edit: the autos do seem to be less desirable.

Edited by SSBB on Monday 24th December 10:27

[J4CKO]

Much as I love the Supra, try finding a decent one for less than about ten grand, once you have waded through non turbos, autos and those modified by those whose budget is greater than their taste the pool of decent Turbos is small, and when you start modifying it gets expensive, the Supra is a 320 bhp car, the Porsche has 450 and can also be modified. The Supra will never have 4wd and will always be a Toyota, nothing wrong with that but it isnt comparing like with like. The Supra can be made as quick, quicker but you cant deploy 450 bhp in a Supra in the same way, it doesnt do the all weather thing, Bizzarely, I think a 996 Turbo is perhaps nearer to the jap rally reps in concept, with even more capability.

I dont think these will fall much further, they are undervalued imho, just as there is a whiff of emporers new clothes about some of the prices some really rather average looking air cooled stuff goes for. The market wont let them drop much further, there is demand, I will be there the minute my budget allows.

[r1ch]

I must admit i was slightly underwhelmed when i drove one of these, but you can't deny the value for money on them at the moment. I'd still have one!

[m444ttb]

I'd love one of these. If I could add a 4th car to the household then a 911 turbo would do the job nicely. Easy cruise to work or trip to the Ring rain or shine, or wet track days when I'm too much of a wimp to take my Westfield! Unfortunately I think now is about as close to affording one as I'll get.

Noting the comments above about interior quality, how does this compare to similar era BMW's e.g. the e46 3-series?

[rtz62]

" Budget on changing the spark plugs every 24,000 miles or two years, and reckon on spending £4,500 per year on servicing and replacement parts for a 996 Turbo in good condition with average miles"?
Proves that a supercar will still have supercar running costs, even 10 years down the line (not withstanding using specialists of course).
And PCCB-equipped cars? I'd suggest they will become orphans due to the fantasmagorical cost of replacement parts, unless enterprising owners can ditch them and retro-fit 'normal' brakes.
Having re-read what I've just typed, I'd still love one!

[Zumbruk]

j_s14a said:

for £4k you could have a MKIV Supra twin turbo

Yes, but then you'd have a Supra.

[J4CKO]

rtz62 said:

" Budget on changing the spark plugs every 24,000 miles or two years, and reckon on spending £4,500 per year on servicing and replacement parts for a 996 Turbo in good condition with average miles"?
Proves that a supercar will still have supercar running costs, even 10 years down the line (not withstanding using specialists of course).
And PCCB-equipped cars? I'd suggest they will become orphans due to the fantasmagorical cost of replacement parts, unless enterprising owners can ditch them and retro-fit 'normal' brakes.
Having re-read what I've just typed, I'd still love one!

Four and a half grand, that sounds kind of expensive, appreciate they arent a Fiesta but what would that go on ?

Depends a lot on mileage I guess,

Got me looking,

Front brakes, disks and pads cost £300 if you do them yourself, rears about the same. Would avoid the carbon ones like the plaugue !

Clutch would be about £1500, £600 for the parts and probably a grand or so in labour, not sure that is one I would diy.

Exhaust looks like £1500, cant imagine this gets replaced often

Tyres, £900 or so for all four doesnt sound that bad, fronts are £90 - £130 and Rears £200 - £300

Suspension doesnt look extortionate, getting it set up after could be expensive

Service, most bits dont look to expensive to changing the plugs looks fun, a few hours work as involves removing intercoolers and heat shields, still, reckon I could do an Engine service for well under £200

Can see how it would get expensive but reckon it could be mitigated by buying one someone has sunk loads of money into already on the big ticket items and doing some stuff yourself. My concern would be any wildcard failures like engine (though they seem a better bet than the non turbos), turbos, 4wd stuff, electronics etc, so I reckon a 5 grand slush fund is a minimum, 10k more realistic in case of emergencies but days to ay stuff doesnt look too horrendous.

[Rushmore]

Well it will all add up, and it is still a 400hp sports car, so maintenance and consumables will be more or less expensive, no matter what the second hand price is today.

[Rushmore]

And, at these prices cars will fall into the hands of people wanting to run them on a shoestring.

[m444ttb]

rtz62 said:

" And PCCB-equipped cars? I'd suggest they will become orphans due to the fantasmagorical cost of replacement parts, unless enterprising owners can ditch them and retro-fit 'normal' brakes.

I think the likes of Ninemeister are selling kits to replace the PCCB kit. No idea what the cost is but it has got to be a lot less than 2x discs and pads will cost you for the factory fit stuff!

[Greg348]

£4.5k a year!!?? I believe an annual service at Porsche is only around £250-300. Get yourself one that has just had 4x new discs and pads, had the rads done and your laughing for a few years yet!

See here:

http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...

[Shewie]

"The 996 Turbo came with Turbo II 18-inch alloy wheels as standard. These are hollow spoke alloys, easily identified by their curved, rounded rear faces rather than the ribbed backs of the 993 Turbo's solid spoked alloys"

However the RPM car in the pictures has the optional Sport Techno wheels... I never really liked these when I first saw them, but the more I look at them the better they get. I think they make a nice change to the standard Turbo II. Maybe because you don't see them very often.

[GT2CS]

rtz62 said:

" Budget on changing the spark plugs every 24,000 miles or two years, and reckon on spending £4,500 per year on servicing and replacement parts for a 996 Turbo in good condition with average miles"?
Proves that a supercar will still have supercar running costs, even 10 years down the line (not withstanding using specialists of course).
And PCCB-equipped cars? I'd suggest they will become orphans due to the fantasmagorical cost of replacement parts, unless enterprising owners can ditch them and retro-fit 'normal' brakes.
Having re-read what I've just typed, I'd still love one!

This is so wrong! Turbo and GT2 get spark plugs changed every 4 years or 40k miles. Cost of major service £750 at OPC, minor service £375, close to half that at a decent Indy. Main items to replace are front rads and ac oondenser as they can get stone chip damaged. Think cost is around £1k odd. Unless you are very unlucky they will not cost you any where near £4.5k per year for servicing and parts. Check out the PH Porsche forum for more details.

[GT2CS]

Greg348 said:

£4.5k a year!!?? I believe an annual service at Porsche is only around £250-300. Get yourself one that has just had 4x new discs and pads, had the rads done and your laughing for a few years yet!

See here:

http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...

that's a V car - insurance write off at some point hence cheap price.