Discussion
Is the budget really £50k?
if so, buy a Turbo. The Tiptronic suits the boost and the nature of that car.
If I were you, I'd buy a 997.2 with a PDK, with that budget you can buy a minter.
As a 996 owner, a C2 or C4 with the Tip will feel dreadful compared to anything modern. It's an old Mercedes slushbox which isn't well matched to the 3.4 or 3.6 - if you ask me.
if so, buy a Turbo. The Tiptronic suits the boost and the nature of that car.
If I were you, I'd buy a 997.2 with a PDK, with that budget you can buy a minter.
As a 996 owner, a C2 or C4 with the Tip will feel dreadful compared to anything modern. It's an old Mercedes slushbox which isn't well matched to the 3.4 or 3.6 - if you ask me.
I have a 996 tip. Due to an old injury it was a tip 996 or no 996.
I have the 3.6 with the Mercedes box.
The box is fine for fast road driving, but very reluctant to downshift on the one occasion I tried it on a track.
The tiptronic buttons on the steering wheel are fiddly, mine has had a new manual steering wheel with metal paddles fitted, much better.
The gearshifts in manual mode are nowhere near as snappy as a PDK, but they are no slower than with the manual box (at least in the one manual 996 I have driven).
Let me know if you have any specific questions.
I have the 3.6 with the Mercedes box.
The box is fine for fast road driving, but very reluctant to downshift on the one occasion I tried it on a track.
The tiptronic buttons on the steering wheel are fiddly, mine has had a new manual steering wheel with metal paddles fitted, much better.
The gearshifts in manual mode are nowhere near as snappy as a PDK, but they are no slower than with the manual box (at least in the one manual 996 I have driven).
Let me know if you have any specific questions.
I had a 996 tip and have driven a fair few other auto’s - best being m135i with the bmw dct and worse being aston martin sportshift 1 in a vantage (horrendous unless giving it some).
The tip is honestly fine, obviously it’s old, but mine had the metal paddles fitted for better tactility to shifts and it was nice, yes not 1/1000ths instantaneous crazy shifts but it didnt ruin the enjoyment for me when out driving hard. And at low commuting speeds I found it great also.
The tip is honestly fine, obviously it’s old, but mine had the metal paddles fitted for better tactility to shifts and it was nice, yes not 1/1000ths instantaneous crazy shifts but it didnt ruin the enjoyment for me when out driving hard. And at low commuting speeds I found it great also.
I've got a 996.1 C4 tip, worst car, in the worst colour, (although at least it's a coupe...) use it as my daily and I absolutely love it.
So much so that it's having the engine rebuilt as I type, 174K miles on it.
Live in the crowded SE so brilliant for around town, motorway or whatever. Have rarely used the buttons, but recently brought a manual steering wheel with paddles that I'll fit when I get it back.
I've had a 996.2 manual, I've got a 986S manual as well, so I know the difference.
As a 'real world' car, used daily difficult to beat, in my opinion.
So much so that it's having the engine rebuilt as I type, 174K miles on it.
Live in the crowded SE so brilliant for around town, motorway or whatever. Have rarely used the buttons, but recently brought a manual steering wheel with paddles that I'll fit when I get it back.
I've had a 996.2 manual, I've got a 986S manual as well, so I know the difference.
As a 'real world' car, used daily difficult to beat, in my opinion.
Thank you.
Brought from an auction site for £10K, (but of course that was only the start of the spending......) when it arrived on the trailer in the drive I was a bit taken aback with the colour, but now adore it.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
edited to add mines 'black interior' not Nephrite Green.......
Brought from an auction site for £10K, (but of course that was only the start of the spending......) when it arrived on the trailer in the drive I was a bit taken aback with the colour, but now adore it.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
edited to add mines 'black interior' not Nephrite Green.......
Edited by allatsea on Sunday 16th June 08:30
Both my 996 (3.4 from 1999) and 986S (3.2 from2001) are ULEZ compliant.
Weren't, but there are lots of threads about gaining compliance, a few emails to Porsche and TFL and you can get it changed, although when I changed the 996 registration it changed the complaint back to not and I had to email TFL again and get it changed back.
Weren't, but there are lots of threads about gaining compliance, a few emails to Porsche and TFL and you can get it changed, although when I changed the 996 registration it changed the complaint back to not and I had to email TFL again and get it changed back.
Norton850 said:
Buying used is going to be difficult to get the colour i want (not silver or black) but there is no rush and i presume all 996's are not ulez (London) compliant as pre 2005?
There is a convertible for sale not to far from me here in Kent I'd like to have a nosey around but I'd feel a fraud as a coupe is what i want.
My 2001 996 tip is Ulez compliant.There is a convertible for sale not to far from me here in Kent I'd like to have a nosey around but I'd feel a fraud as a coupe is what i want.
GT6 Jonsey said:
One has to really love Turquoise with that one!GT6 Jonsey said:
I think the Jade and Nephrite colour combo will be a sought after oddity in the 996 back catalog in years to come. It’s a rare spec ( for a reason ) but I’d daily that car happily. Every journey would be a sensory overload, all in the comfort of those bright green hardbacks 
but haven't those 'years to come', arrived, if not been and gone?Edited by KittyLitter on Sunday 16th June 23:22
KittyLitter said:
GT6 Jonsey said:
I think the Jade and Nephrite colour combo will be a sought after oddity in the 996 back catalog in years to come. It’s a rare spec ( for a reason ) but I’d daily that car happily. Every journey would be a sensory overload, all in the comfort of those bright green hardbacks
but haven't those 'years to come', arrived, if not been and gone?Edited by KittyLitter on Sunday 16th June 23:22
GT6 Jonsey said:
By "change wheels" do you mean have them resprayed to teal? 
I prefer the buttons. I use them a lot on my Audi TT and whilst I could use the gearstick (forward or backward), it's far easier just to flick the button forward or backward. On the Turbo, I can just rest my thumb on the top half of the button and rock forward to change up, rock downwards/back to change down, my thumb just covering the "+" the whole time.
Interestingly I own a 997.1 base Carrera, manual, non sunroof and a 997.1 C2S Tip, Cab. I also live NE of London. For daily driving the Tip is miles ahead of the manual. It just is. The tip is easier to drive, more comfortable, still fast, handles just as well and is still a Porsche 911.
For spirited driving however, the manual is much better even though it is limited to maxing out 2nd and partway through 3rd gears, but it feels more alive. Then again the clutch is heavy, it takes a while for the gearbox to warm up and it’s a pain in traffic. One needs to concentrate whereas the tip is just relaxed, effortless.
Yes the tip does get confused sometimes but given a choice between the 2 for an evening cruise, I’d take the tip.
For spirited driving however, the manual is much better even though it is limited to maxing out 2nd and partway through 3rd gears, but it feels more alive. Then again the clutch is heavy, it takes a while for the gearbox to warm up and it’s a pain in traffic. One needs to concentrate whereas the tip is just relaxed, effortless.
Yes the tip does get confused sometimes but given a choice between the 2 for an evening cruise, I’d take the tip.
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