996 turbo vs GT2

[Thom]

I'd put this more on experience and knowledge than youth - if you look at the other videos of this guy on his youtube channel he seems to know really well how to handle rear engined cars.

[River19]

Regarding the 996 T vs. GT2, I couldn't fathom paying the premium for a clean 996 GT2 as a drivers car. As mentioned previously they have taken on more of a collector's car status and are priced as such and at that price point much more performance can be had elsewhere if that is more the goal for the ownership experience vs more of a garage queen.

From a pure performance perspective the 991s are amazing but I still struggle with their dimensions and like others I like a traditional manual transmission, regardless what 0-60 and 1/4 mile times are. I'm a twisty rural mountain road driver and for my driving engagement rowing my own gears with a 3rd pedal is paramount.

I am coming to the realization that while I can certainly appreciate the more "modern" cars and the technology and capability, I prefer the analog cars and I think my 997 is about as modern as I would like. I find myself lusting after a slightly modded early 911 but my bank account and other hobbies/life tell me to slow my roll on that thought. My wife has 2 horses and competes with them and that hobby makes air cooled horsepower seem affordable..........

[Thom]

As a follow up I had a passenger ride in a 997.1 turbo recently after helping a friend replace the clutch and thought it was an underwhelming experience. I wanted hard to like it but ended up feeling estranged to the whole thing. A 996 may be a little more lively and overall they may just be cars that need driving time to "get" them but purchasing one to just give it a potentially expensive try feels at this stage like signing a blank check to some not really trustworthy banking councillor.

[River19]

I think for some of us we are entering a bit of the "you don't want to meet your heros" phase as there is a potential for disappointment. For many of the "pinnacle" cars of their times, the Turbo generations etc. I think it is important to view them through the perspective of what was common for performance levels at their actual time of release.

Today we have early 2020s V6 Camrys doing 5.1 to 60 which in theory will walk away from a mid 80s 911 Turbo, we have a pedestrian Ford Mach E on the EV side dropping low 3 secs to 60 etc. So from a pure numbers standpoint and especially pure acceleration standpoint some of our coveted models can potentially be underwhelming. Which is why I think the real fizz of these cars are the driving dynamics, balance and overall driving experience; that is where the true value and enjoyment of an enthusiast car is for me.

I have encountered this dynamic with music as well as a drummer for 40+ years it is common for the younger you tube crowd to be underwhelmed with John Bonham, Ringo, Steve Gadd etc. and what they are missing is how revolutionary they were compared to what had been done up to their time. Comparing them, or comparing a 997 Turbo to today's standards for performance will most likely leave many underwhelmed.

Just my $0.02

[Thom]

I didn't mean I was underwhelmed by the straight line performance which seemed more than adequate but the car didn't feel anywhere near like the sum of its parts, a bit like a top model with little to no conversation - there was no communication going on that made me want ask for more. The tuned 996 turbo I drove 10+ years ago didn't feel quite as polished and that is a definitive plus.

I never considered a 911 as a hero car, my first encounter with one was a 2.7 RS my Dad was lent for a weekend and thought it was horrible. I prefer to type this in small letters to avoid getting stoned...

[River19]

I didn't mean I was underwhelmed by the straight line performance which seemed more than adequate but the car didn't feel anywhere near like the sum of its parts, a bit like a top model with little to no conversation - there was no communication going on that made me want ask for more. The tuned 996 turbo I drove 10+ years ago didn't feel quite as polished and that is a definitive plus.

I never considered a 911 as a hero car, my first encounter with one was a 2.7 RS my Dad was lent for a weekend and thought it was horrible. I prefer to type this in small letters to avoid getting stoned...

Interesting and understandable take. Almost an over engineered "sterile" approach to going about its business perhaps.....

My father is a Corvette guy and the previous owner of my 911 (he had it for 14 years) but I don't think he ever really got on the same page as the 911. He liked it, but his C6 Grand Sport (which he still has at 79 years old) is where his heart is. I remember comparing them by saying the 911 is like a scalpel in its precision and execution, the C6 is like a machete, they will both cut things but in much different ways........I hope that makes sense....

[ROB III]

Makes perfect sense....I had a friend that was struggling over a choice of 993 and its contemporary Corvette and he kept looking at the numbers...I could not disagree with his quandary but tried to emphasize it was how the numbers were delivered, which was more satisfying on a twisty road and which car spoke to why he enjoyed driving....he ended up with an Aventurine Green 993.
Everybody is different and has different reasons why they buy and how they drive and derive pleasure from their choices...