996 turbo or 996 4s for first 911
Discussion
Hi I've been thinking about a 911 for a while now and have driven a 996 turbo from Paragon ( wow ;-)))) head hit the head rest on road test ) stunning car but start at about 25k for a good one which is at the top of my budget. Would a 4s be a better starting car and then move up to a turbo as these see to start at about 16k
Have driven lots of Ferrari's , TVR's , ect for work ,but the porsche would be a weekend toy.
Any thoughts on owner ship
Thanks Matt
Have driven lots of Ferrari's , TVR's , ect for work ,but the porsche would be a weekend toy.
Any thoughts on owner ship
Thanks Matt
Turbo for me when I was faced with the same choice in 2006. Since you mention budget, consider cost of ownership over a couple of years say. The 4S is likely to drop more than the turbo will apart from anything else and I suspect that running costs could be higher too once you've had the obligatory RMS done, never mind if you're hit by bore scoring etc.
But apart from the sensible stuff above, the turbo is a proper performance great, a proper race derived engine you can be proud to own and just massive fun.
SM
But apart from the sensible stuff above, the turbo is a proper performance great, a proper race derived engine you can be proud to own and just massive fun.
SM
I don't think you would be dissapointed with either if you get a good example.
If going fast in a straight line is your thing then save some more money and get a good turbo.
The mezger block in a turbo is near bombproof but the ancillaries which boost it are not.
Turbo failures, stuck actuators, DV valves, boost leaks, heat shields are all common sources of bills in a turbo which can mount up.
In a 4S its the possible IMS or bore scoring engine work that could create a shocking bill.
Other weaknesses - brake corrosion radiator and condensor leaks are common to both models.
Opinion on looks is personal - some like the turbo intakes others will prefer the clean lines of the 4S and the iconic rear reflector look.
In a straight line a manual turbo is mental fast - even more so with a remap...but its identical to a C4S in a corner so on a twisty B road there is little in it - the 4S power delivery being more easily modulated.
A C4S will see you with no license in 10 seconds of throttle, 8 seconds in a turbo.
If you like exhaust very little gets close to a 4S with PSE.
If you don't a standard turbo is very subdued.
I don't really see a 4S as a stepping point to a turbo but maybe others have done that?
Best of luck whatever - buy on condition.
If going fast in a straight line is your thing then save some more money and get a good turbo.
The mezger block in a turbo is near bombproof but the ancillaries which boost it are not.
Turbo failures, stuck actuators, DV valves, boost leaks, heat shields are all common sources of bills in a turbo which can mount up.
In a 4S its the possible IMS or bore scoring engine work that could create a shocking bill.
Other weaknesses - brake corrosion radiator and condensor leaks are common to both models.
Opinion on looks is personal - some like the turbo intakes others will prefer the clean lines of the 4S and the iconic rear reflector look.
In a straight line a manual turbo is mental fast - even more so with a remap...but its identical to a C4S in a corner so on a twisty B road there is little in it - the 4S power delivery being more easily modulated.
A C4S will see you with no license in 10 seconds of throttle, 8 seconds in a turbo.
If you like exhaust very little gets close to a 4S with PSE.
If you don't a standard turbo is very subdued.
I don't really see a 4S as a stepping point to a turbo but maybe others have done that?
Best of luck whatever - buy on condition.
I have had my 2002 manual Turbo for 3 years and 18000 miles and it's a brilliant all round car, I hope never to have to sell it. I have never driven a C4S so I can't compare the two but if it was me and I bought a C4S I know I would be driving it thinking I wish I had gone for the Turbo. However finances play a very important part so I would go for the Turbo if you can afford a proper car otherwise go for the C4S and always buy on service history and condition not on mileage, and get an inspection done by someone like Peter Morgan or your local independent.
Surely it comes down to what you prefer driving?
As somebody mentioned above, a C2 may suit you better than either if it's to be a weekend toy. You could pick up a corker with your budget & before all the naysayers start on the 'chocolate' engines you could probably find a Hartech rebuilt one within budget.
I debated a C4S before buying my C2 as I love the looks, just didn't fancy all that extra weight & couldn't personally see the point of the 4WD, never regretted my decision & have never wanted a Turbo (a GT3 on the other hand...).
As somebody mentioned above, a C2 may suit you better than either if it's to be a weekend toy. You could pick up a corker with your budget & before all the naysayers start on the 'chocolate' engines you could probably find a Hartech rebuilt one within budget.
I debated a C4S before buying my C2 as I love the looks, just didn't fancy all that extra weight & couldn't personally see the point of the 4WD, never regretted my decision & have never wanted a Turbo (a GT3 on the other hand...).
Thanks for the replys, now a bit more confused then ever really as I hadn't thought about a C2 . I must admit a turbo is top of the list and will potentially lose less money but is a lot of money for a weekend car. Did think about an RS4 Audi or a BMW M3 . So many cars so many options C2, Targa ,C4 ,C4S , Turbo , but must be a 2+2.
Time to have a think.
Cheers Matt
Time to have a think.
Cheers Matt
a normally aspirated 996 is a great car-- I loved my C2. If you have driven a turbo and still are not sure then maybe a turbo isn't for you. HOWEVER it could be that you really didn't make the most of it on your test-drive. I thought my turbo was good when I first got it---but I have now had it for 4 weeks. They it is incredible.
I will get shouted down bit do not dismiss a Tiptronic. The gearbox is very clever and intuitive. when you do go for a blast they are great on the twisty B roads.
I will get shouted down bit do not dismiss a Tiptronic. The gearbox is very clever and intuitive. when you do go for a blast they are great on the twisty B roads.
I have just dipped my toe into the water and bought a 60k 996 turbo for money right inside your budget! Ok it had some issues but i was able to point these out to the dealer and get 5k off the asking price, as a Jaguar tech these cost me under £500 quid in parts to fix. My main goal was to preserve my capitol and i dont think 996 turbo's are going to get much cheaper.
Classictoolbox said:
I have just dipped my toe into the water and bought a 60k 996 turbo for money right inside your budget! Ok it had some issues but i was able to point these out to the dealer and get 5k off the asking price, as a Jaguar tech these cost me under £500 quid in parts to fix. My main goal was to preserve my capitol and i dont think 996 turbo's are going to get much cheaper.
5k off asking price!!!!!!!!! they have a healthy markup then!I've ran a C4S for 4 years now, it's fabulous to throw around the lanes. I also like turbos, but they're very different cars. I wanted very fast sports car and a manual NA car delivers this very well. I haven't driven a manual turbo, only a tip (I don't like that box) and they're amazingly fast. If you're worried about the figures or love straight line performance, get the turbo. If you're happy with 5 second 0-60 type sports car performance you might find an NA car is enough.... Try them both as the engines have quite different characteristics, gearbox choice is also key, There's a big difference in noise as well (but that's a minor consideration).
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