I’ve been doing a lot of thinking recently. Some of that has been about schoolwork, but, to be fair, probably 60% of it has been about Porsches. Firstly, I must get out of the way that the word ‘Porsche’ is pronounced PORSH-UH, not PORSH. They are high-performance sports cars, meant for oversteer and setting lap records at the Nurburgring, not roof-covered platforms attached to your house upon which you spend summer evenings reading the paper and discussing the ugly color of roofing shingles your new neighbor chose when restoring that 1878 Cape that is nice enough but definitely not worth the amount that is being put into restoring it. Sorry, but I am passionate about this. Say what you want about how ‘horse’ is not pronounced as HORS-UH, but I will never move to the dark side. Now that this confusion is cleared up, I can tell you what been thinking about recently.
Specifically, I have been thinking about the 911. Well, specifically the turbocharged version. Or should I say, twin-turbocharged. I think you get the idea. Basically, I am trying to come up with ways to afford one of these while at the same time am simply perusing carsforsale.com to see what is available.
Before we get too deep into my thoughts, I should explain a few things. Firstly, used Porsches are not expensive. For example, there are plenty 996-generation 911 Turbos for sale for under fifty-thousand dollars (in fact, almost all of them are less than this price, with some even under forty-thousand dollars). If somebody were look at me with a stern expression and ask how I view a fifty-thousand dollar car as inexpensive, I would respond with this statement: firstly, a Porsche is a high-performance sports car. If I told you that the fifty-thousand dollar car would do 200 miles per hour with a modest tune, would those people change their views? Probably not, as they may still not get how ULTIMATELY GREAT the 911 Turbo is, but that doesn’t matter. If you want the real reason why the 911 Turbo should be considered a bargain, simply look at the competition. If you look to Ferrari as an example, I can guarantee you that the fifty-thousand dollar Porsche will outperform the Ferrari. This is partly because finding a Ferrari for under seventy-thousand dollars would be close to impossible, but also because the 996 Turbo will perform just as well if not better. And don’t get started on maintenance costs of Ferraris. A Porsche 911, on the other hand, can be used every day to commute, can be driven in the snow (the Turbos are all-wheel-drive), and you can do most of the work yourself! Plus, Porsches are reliable. The same cannot be said of Ferrari. The opposite is true for any of the competition, although the competition is more expensive and doesn’t perform as well, so I think you get my point. Now that you’ve accepted this logic, now I can make you swallow your tongue by saying that a regular, non-turbo 996 911 (probably a Carrera 2) can be picked up, in good shape, for under twenty-thousand dollars. Unfortunately, I will have to save that for a other time, as we are here to talk about the Turbo, and only the Turbo.
Okay, I will discuss the non-turbo 911s for a moment, but only to help strengthen my argument why the 911 Turbo is so great. The regular, non-turbocharged engines are known for bearing problems. While I believe that the problem is blown out of scale and is much less common than it appears in the online community, there are many documented engine failures as a result of spun bearings. However, the turbocharged engine in the Turbo models is derived from the engine used in the GT1 racer and the 996 GT3, and has no bearing problems. According to MANY sources not cited here, I’ve read that the engine in the 996 Turbo is essentially a race engine, minus the dry-sump lubrication system. To avoid anxiety of engine failure alone, the 996 Turbo is worth it ahead of the regular Carrera models. After all, the cost to replace a Carrera engine is probably close to the additional cost to buy the Turbo (although there are much cheaper solutions than engine replacement). Also, you get a huge “bimp” (as Peter Sellers would say) in performance and better looks! A win-win if you ask me. However, I will advise against asking your wallet, as it may disagree with the extra thirty-thousand dollars the Turbo costs over the Carrera, although it doesn’t matter because… Turbo.
To give some statistics, a 2004 (996-generation) 911 Turbo produces 415 horsepower and 415 ft-lbs of torque. Quite an amount by my standards, especially for a little car like the 996 Turbo. With a simple tune, that number can be over 500 for both figures. Who needs more than 500 horsepower? And who needs to go over 200 miles per hour? I think I am quite content at 200mph, thank you very much.
What about an older Turbo, you say? Well, the 996-generation 911 was the first water-cooled 911 produced by Porsche. Prior to the 996, the 993 Turbo was air-cooled. For this reason, the 993s are much more desirable to enthusiasts, as they view a lack of a cooling system as a definitive characteristic of a Porsche 911. For this reason, a regular 993 Carrera will cost much more than a 996 Turbo. A 993 Turbo will be over $150k. If you go later than the 996 and look at the 997, the Turbo models are also more expensive (at least $20k more). While many people say the 997 is more refined, I have also that the driving experience of the 997 is less involving. And who wants a Porsche 911 that is less involving to drive? And more expensive? I think I’ll stick to the 996 Turbo. Well, it $20k was of no objective to me, I would definitely and whole-heartedly buy the 997 Turbo instead, but unfortunately, I am in no position to be thinking of buying any other car, much less a twin-turbocharged Porsche 911.
I think I have outlined why the 911 Turbo is great. Why the Turbo is the best car in the world. There, I said it. “The best car in the world.” And specifically, the 996-generation gives you the best bang for the buck. Now, how in the world am I going to come up with $50k in the next month…
Exhaust Fumes 