Tough decision... 996tt or x50, decision to make today!

Tough decision... 996tt or x50, decision to make today!

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Discussion

ILoveMondeo

Original Poster:

9,614 posts

225 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
quotequote all
Good afternoon,

I've spent the day driving round a handful of dealers checking out a few 996 turbos (and some other exotic stuff too, but just window shopping there).

Got it down to two, and I'll be leaving a deposit on one of them. Both cars are in great condition and excellent history with all the right jobs having been done. Both come with warranty.

996tt,
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/p...
lower miles of the two, 6 months warranty from the dealer who have their own garage and racing facilities. RPM really seem to know their st and I was blown away by the facility. We turned up silly early so were given a tour of the workshop and shown some of the projects they were working on whilst we waited!
Important note, has red seatbelts, I loved this! smile

996tt x50
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/p...
12 month warranty on this one (from the specialist it recently was sold through)
Really nice guy at the dealer, one of the cheapest cars in the garage, some really exotic stuff on display, there's a short and not very interesting story behind it but it was sold through another specialist only a couple of weeks ago (Paul Stephens Porsche) and still have pretty much the full 12 month warranty on it. Very impressed with the setup here (and the exotic stuff on display). All appeared to be excellent examples, not a dealer I'd expect to mess around with anything but the best of any given car.

I honestly dont think I could go wrong with either car, maybe my mind will be made up for me if one of them sells today anyway (there were other viewings booked)...

Really after any thoughts from the forum, anyone know either of the cars?

Is the x50 worth the few grand extra despite the higher mileage?

The car will be a bit of a garage queen, it'll likely not see much foul weather use but will get used all year round, but I'll be avoiding gritted/salted roads. Unlikely to do more than 3-5k a year (yes, yes, I know! smile )

I'm really torn, my inner child is saying get the x50, MORE POWER! but in real world driving I know it'll make no odds.

The lower mileage on the tt appeals (and the red seatbelts... lord help me....) future value with the low mileage raises it's head too... but would the x50 do better as it's a little more rare... (this is really crystal ball gazing so I dont expect a real answer)


Over to you porsche people, this will be my first porsche so I thought I may as well start with something good! smile

Cheers








Crimp

909 posts

186 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
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Both very nice with good specs.
You won't notice the difference in performance in everyday driving trust me with the 420 standard or the 450.
Even the standard cars have epic performance, and you'll get slightly more lag on the X50, as they are running different blowers.

Mine is the standard one albeit running 550bhp but have had 2 x 420bhp's historically and I can assure you plenty quick enough on todays roads.

g7jhp

6,959 posts

237 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
quotequote all
I set out to buy a standard seal grey car but ended up buying a slate grey manual X50 996 turbo for the same money as it was the first decent car to come up in circa 6 months.

These's certainly now a premium for an X50 car, but some prefer the standard to X50. Personally I don't like black, the X50 has 18k miles more for £4k extra so that's the premium. Atlas grey is a fantastic colour and quite rare so that's a benefit and it's lower mileage.

They both look like great cars I'd say drive both and if you're still undecided buy the colour you prefer.

If it was me I'd go for the Atlas car.


2002 996 turbo X50, black, manual with 54k miles at £47k



2003 996 turbo, atlas grey with 36k miles at £43k






Crimp

909 posts

186 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
quotequote all
Must admit Atlas is a nice colour, but I like MB too. Just a bugger to keep on top of (Talking from experience)

g7jhp

6,959 posts

237 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
quotequote all
Crimp said:
Must admit Atlas is a nice colour, but I like MB too. Just a bugger to keep on top of (Talking from experience)
Yep my dislike for black is because it's a PITA to keep clean, unless you've got staff! wink

James44

264 posts

168 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
quotequote all
Both look good, but you are paying quite a bit for the low miles. You are also into 997 Turbo money too ...

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/p...

J

Crimp

909 posts

186 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
quotequote all
James44 said:
Both look good, but you are paying quite a bit for the low miles. You are also into 997 Turbo money too ...

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/p...

J
Didn't you know 996t's are now more desirable than the 7T's tongue out

IMIA

9,410 posts

200 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
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I'd save your money and buy Daveks orient red which has just gone up for sale. Over £10k cheaper!

cbgt3

253 posts

120 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
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Both garages have excellent reputation, Slades is very local to where I grew up and I used to look at the new MGs through the window when I was a kid, great memories.
Have viewed a couple of cars there in the past but never bought from them, always had superb cars in the back behind the showroom.
But for me the Atlas car would be my choice, it just looks lovely, better than black in my opinion, but only you can ultimately make the choice.
Good luck with whatever you decide, I am sure it wont disappoint.

davek_964

8,796 posts

174 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
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I agree with the earlier comments - non X50 is plenty fast enough, and a map will give you more power without additional lag if you want it. I like that atlas grey one - looks really nice.

hygt2

419 posts

178 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
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Have you driven an X50 car vs. a non-X50 car?

I prefer the K16 turbo response as the K24 can feel sluggish at low revs. I have had both and I now run the small turbo as I live in the South East and I want the response without having to change down to go over 3,000 rpm every time I need some response.

You can use some of the savings from not going to the premium and upgrade the turbo to K16/K24 hybrid turbo. This will give you the response of the small turbo but the flow rate and power of the big turbo. The difference will be less than £4k and you will still have a lower mileage car. That would be my preferred option.

the other me

613 posts

152 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
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For me, it would probably be the standard car (svn though I have an x50 ) knowing that (should I choose) I could achieve even more performance later via a map/exhaust/gt2rs intercoolers/ hybrid turbos (the sky is the limit here)

Cheaper/lower miles/rarer& IMHO nicer colour.

The only problem, if you haven't already decided & put down deposit on one, the choice may be taken very rapidly out of your hands, as good examples seem to fly off the shelves & you said other viewings were already scheduled for today.


Don't know what time the sales Bods stop taking professional calls, but, if you really want one of these two I would have thought "no time like the present", otherwise your ability to choose won't exist in this matter.

IMIA

9,410 posts

200 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
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Just seen that Davek is not selling so in OPs shoes I'd go for he lower mileage non X50 car. Looks immaculate!

CGJJ

857 posts

123 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
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You could buy a 997 Turbo gen 1 from OPC for that money with fewer miles.

foreverme

569 posts

177 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
quotequote all
Sorry but how much is that X50!!! I cannot believe this is now the entry point for a good X50, I brought mine a couple of years ago, and the price was a good deal less!!!

ILoveMondeo

Original Poster:

9,614 posts

225 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
quotequote all
CGJJ said:
You could buy a 997 Turbo gen 1 from OPC for that money with fewer miles.
True, but In my humble option the 996tt is a better car!

997 gen1's don't exactly have the best rep for reliability either.

I had considered a 997 prior to this, having finally whittled
It down to a gen2 gts. But they are more again(60-70k last time I looked).

And if I was going to spend that amount right now I'd get an f360 or f430 instead.

Budget creep is a bh! smile

Basically I want to buy the absolute best 996tt that I can get my hands on. (Within reason, not paying 70k for one with 300 miles on the clock!)

Many times I've bought cars at the bottom of the market and had big bills to put them right.

This time I'll get one I know for a fact is spot on.

Although I did see two stunning f308's today! smile







shantybeater

1,192 posts

168 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
quotequote all
I'm not going to bother telling you which best, every non-x50 owner will harp on about how theirs is better and so will the x50 guys.

Fact is its a bonus and comes with a number of added features (stronger clutch, better intercoolers and apparently a stronger gearbox), and the gap for resale appears to be growing (x50 cars are pretty thin on the ground).

For me, I test drove a mapped K16 car, it was quicker than the x50 I ended up buying, power was more linear but in my opinion less exciting. The character of the car just wasn't there as much - lightning quick though. I then went on to drive a completely stock x50, yes if you put your foot down in the wrong range you will see lag, as with any turbo car, but you get such a kick in the back from the larger turbos. This ultimately added more character to the car and won it over for me.

Test drive both and make a choice for you..don't listen to what others say.

P.S the whole, map a k16 and it will be quicker than a stock x50 is all well and good, but if you map the x50 it will be even quicker.

Edited by shantybeater on Saturday 4th April 20:37

davek_964

8,796 posts

174 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
quotequote all
ILoveMondeo said:
And if I was going to spend that amount right now I'd get an f360 or f430 instead.
Ah, but you saw my thread so you know how ugly people think they are. wink

ILoveMondeo

Original Poster:

9,614 posts

225 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
quotequote all
davek_964 said:
ILoveMondeo said:
And if I was going to spend that amount right now I'd get an f360 or f430 instead.
Ah, but you saw my thread so you know how ugly people think they are. wink
Yup, true mingers both of them! wink



Zyp

14,673 posts

188 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
quotequote all
st a brick - how much?!!!

I off loaded my pristine, viola metallic x50 with 40k miles on it for £28k 4 years ago.....
Didn't realise these had appreciated by quite so much.