370Z to 996 Turbo
 

So I've been toying with the idea of selling the Z at some point this year and moving on to something else. I love my Z and it's almost exactly how I want to set it up, but I wish it felt a bit more special at times as it is incredibly effective at achieving a high level of performance and precision but isn't the most communicative at times.

I've always loved any 911 turbo, especially the 993 Turbo I used to detail for a client. It was midnight blue, tan interior and the 6mt and he would let me drive it once in a while... That was an amazing car. But they are way too expensive for what they are in my opinion, almost rivaling some earlier 997 turbos in price which is kind of crazy.

So I had been wanting a 996 Turbo for a while and you can find a number of them for the mid to low $30k range. I got an offer from my local Nissan dealership to buy my Z ($30k without even negotiating), which just goes to show how strong resale is on the Z!

Things I'm looking for:

-Back seats (even if they are barely usable, want them just in case of a pinch)
-Reliability (996Ts are very reliable if all problem areas are addressed)
-Driving experience (love the way it feels to drive a Porsche)
-Huge power potential
-Looks

What do you all think about my thoughts on the 996 Turbo? If anyone has experience or some good points on what to look for when buying one, please post up. :hattip: TIA!

Christian, you really can't go wrong with the 996 imo. Great solid, stable and well built cars, a little pricey on the maintenance front. My experience with them mostly comes from relatives and friends owning them.
Considered adding to your car collection rather than letting go the Z - You have a really clean one and who knows where the current gen would be in a few years...

little motivation shot

oh my thats a hot looking car...

Go for it, the turbos probably will never go below $20K. You can always buy a new Z

I definitely understand it's a 10ish year old Porsche so if something goes wrong, it'll be more expensive! I can only have one car at a time right now, I'm fresh out of college and did well with jobs and day trading for a while which allowed me to pay for 75% of the Z and a little help from my parents (still paying off the remainder) so I can't afford two cars haha. I don't really want to wait before the next gen Z is released since Z34 prices will drop dramatically.

And thanks for the inspiration! Here are some of mine:

http://porscheweb.kvalitne.cz/Porsch...ock_Turbo).jpg
http://www.vividracing.com/forums/ga.../4/3/tony1.jpg

That's my thinking too, it looks like $30k is about the bottom of their depreciation and I'm sure they won't get much cheaper. We'll see what the 2015 Z35 looks like, but I can't get over the feeling of driving a Porsche. It's just a different experience from any other car.

I know, the 993 prices are crazy! It's insane how 993 turbos are still in the 60-90k range, that's better than most 997 Turbos. But they do feel different than any other watercooled 911 after, not sure if it's better but it's certainly more raw.

My perfect 996 TT would be around 500whp, JIC coilovers, GT2 front end and rear wing, ICs, exhaust, and wheels. But then again those would have to wait a long time since I can't afford it atm haha. Oh, and no tiptronic... Ever.

I've been cruising 6speedonline but are there any other 996 forums I should look at?

Nice Christian!!! In for pics when you get your 996 Turbo :tup:

One of my best friends worked for a Porsche dealer for a few years during the late 996 and early 997 years. I've heard quite a few horror stories with regard to maintenance and just overall build quality. At one point, the average times a 911 would be in the dealership per year was 6. If you have the income to keep up with maintenance and repair, then the 996 is a fun car; if it's going to be stretching your budget, don't expect Nissan reliability...

Just remember that you will still be paying for maintenance and repairs for a $100K car.

It's the same reason that I am hesitant about a 2010 X5 diesel at the moment.

i'm a big fan of the 996 turbo's. like you said, compared to the 993 you get a lot more bang for the buck. i'm not sure why the 993 has held it's value the way it did. perhaps there were less turbo models sold in those years? 964 turbo's (especially the 3.6L's) are a great car too but they don't have the AWD. either way, good luck with it! 911's are pretty awesome cars, no matter what generation you get :tup:

A 30K offer on a used Z? Take it and run, you could always come back to the Z later on like you have said. I sold my other 09 370 in the beginning of 2010 for only 28K, it was PG touring sport 14k miles perfect shape.

Funny how everyone is saying go for it. Just IMO I cant stand them.. Maybe just where I am but I would NEVER buy one, In MA everyone one I see the guy driving just looks like a donkey, The drive the car live an Azz weaving in and out of traffic all the time and like own the road, The are ( Full of themselves) and act like HEY I have a PORSCHE!! I plus I see to many of them, I see more Porches here than I see Z and G's. Just me tho I know.

Sorry man,

Do it!

As a DD, I wouldn't do it. As a second car, sure why not.