Porscheholic

Hi All - I've been a lurker on this excellent site for several years, and thought it is time to join (since a purchase decision is in the not-too-distant future). I'm not a Corvette troll, honest!

I grew up in Germany (lived there for 20 years) and have been a Porsche fan for as long as I can remember. I owned a 1969 911E Targa in Germany in 1976 and 1977 (right out of college) and loved that car - drove the snot out of it and had much fun with that car. I did not own but spent about a month driving a new 1999 Carerra 4 Special Edition here in California (I was not crazy about the car - it was nicely put together and handled well, but I thought it lacked power, and I would not have paid the $90,000+ the car cost new). I have also spent a short time driving a 1998 Maranello 550 (crazy expensive maintenance - sorry, but I prefer Porsches over Ferrari's - nothing personal!), and had the opportunity to drive a 2007 Gallardo (awesome driving experience, but I don't want to spend that kind of money on a car). I bought a new Corvette C5 in 1999 because I thought it was a good value proposition. The '99 C5 came with only one engine option - 345 horsepower and about the same amount of torque. I paid $41,000 for the car new, and over the past nine years and 65,000 miles the total maintenance cost has been about $3,000 plus however many $80 oil changes needed during that time. The driving experience has been OK - the car is reasonably light, it goes pretty well when you accelerate hard in second and third, and is reasonably comfortable. Visibility is pretty good, actually, except for that damn long nose; getting in and out of the car is not that easy. The car is my daily driver - I only live eight miles from work, therefore the low mileage; also, I am a motorcycle enthusiast (current ride is a 2007 BMW R1200GS Adventure) so I put just as many or more miles on my bikes. OK, enough background - just wanted to give a sense of my auto experience.

Since my Corvette is coming up on 10 years, it is time for something new (or new to me, anyway). I am fortunate enough to be in the stage of career and life (kids out of college, yada yada yada) that I can afford what I want, but I don't want to spend unnecessarily, either (trying to act my age, I guess - whatever). I have given myself a budget of $100,000 to spend on my next car. I am only interested in a daily driver, and have narrowed down my choices to the following: a new 2009 Z06 (which I know will be quite a bit less than $100,000 or a used 997TT (I could be wrong, but I'm estimating that by late this year or early next year a three-year old 997TT will be in the $100,000 range). A new Corvette would have a full warranty, of course, and a three-year old 997TT would still have one year of warranty. I am also guessing that the 2009 Z06 will get a slight horsepower bump, but that is pure speculation.

I thought I should tap into the collective wisdom on this board for some of your very educated and experienced opinions. Which would be the better car experience for me? I intend to keep the car for the next ten years or so.

I realize that some of you own both cars, and have followed Mastiffdog's excellent thread on the Corvette forum, but I still can't get a good sense of which car is the better daily driver. I also realize that I have to drive both cars before making a decision, and I plan on doing that, but it is not that easy to get test drives in those two cars here in Northern California. I do believe in the law of diminishing returns, and on paper, at least (and from what I have read on various forums) the Z06 has nailed that curve almost perfectly. The new ZR-1, in my opinion, anyway, will not place as well on that curve.

The interior of the 2008 Z06 is actually OK for me, i.e., it would not stop me from buying the car. Granted, the 997TT interior is nicer, but the Z06 is very comfortable.

I have always loved Porsches, and especially the Turbos. I have longed for a Turbo since I first laid eyes on one in Germany many years ago. I have never driven one. I like the all-wheel drive proposition, because it does make the car a great all-season daily driver (although we don't have terrible weather in Northern California, we do get heavy rains in the winter and the roads get slick).

So - let me have it! What would you do? Which is the better car for me?

I really do value your opinions!

Thanks very much!

Andy

Turbofire

You can find probably the best thread ever here:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1524529

If you cant make up your mind after reading this.... well... then you'll have to buy both a 997 and a Z06 like the dog.

be prepared to spend some time on this thread...
it will suck you in like a vortex.
Mastiffdog is quite the writer.

Porscheholic

Yes, I am familiar with that thread, and that was the exact thread I was referring to in my post. However, if I was not aware of this forum I think I would walk away from that thread with the impression that the Dog loves his Z06 a little more than his 997TT

And while I love that thread and everything that Mastiffdog contributes to the forum, I am still left feeling I would like more direct comparison of the two cars as daily drivers. What makes one better than the other, or what are the relative strengths and weaknesses of each? What is the driving experience of each car that would allow one to choose? I can't buy both - my wife would definitely kill me! (I want to continue my "below the radar" motorcycle habit - a new bike or two every year!)

Turbofire

HaHaHa... I have the exact strategy with my wife... Truth is, it is really her strategy to keep me from buying a Z06!

not to hijack, but how do you like the 1200 GSA?
that is next on my list. I have been seriously lusting after that beast for 5 years. I have a RT1150 that I love!

AAHTT

I am not a corvette owner but your indecision indicates that you don't mind owning either car which in turn indicates that "car status" is not important to you.
In this case I strongly recommend the new Z06 which will be newer, with longer warranty and as fast if not faster.
Welcome and good luck.

C.J. Ichiban

If I were in your shoes, I'd probably go with a TT, just because they feel more "solid" compared to the C5 zo6 I spent some time in. Porsche's are about as expensive as you drive them- if you thrash and don't maintain, they can bite, and crashing is ugly- but personally the style of the 911 is just on a whole different level.

having already owned a corvette, you can obviously live with the more economical interior, and you really don't drive a boatload of miles, so I can see how it's an issue. I personally wouldn't mind driving or owning one of the newer Z06s but would have to swap the seats- they don't feel up to the kind of driving I enjoy (windy roads and tracking...) but out of my current cars I don't know if I could replace the gt3/tt with a corvette.

in my experience, the porsche guys are cooler people to hang out with and go on "fun runs" or get togethers if that helps...

C.J. Ichiban

is the warranty on the C-car 3 years/30k miles?
p-car is 4 for 50...and I usually factor in that whatever car I buy will be good for the mileage if not the year- but that's just me and my ghetto math

whyb2nd

they are both fabulous sport cars in their own right and class. I was offered a 07 blk/blk 2lz, 5,200mi for 60k yesterday. I didn't buy it but I will have another one sitting next to my turbo in the near future.

If I couldn't have both and no budget, no question turbo.

jpcourt

Well the good news is no matter the car you pick the TT or the ZO6 you will not be disappointed. I am lucky to have both cars and like them each for different reasons, if someone put a gun to my head and said pick one I would go with the TT. The ZO6 is a fantastic car and I have wanted a Vette since I was a kid, but I am more passionate about the Porsche brand if that makes any sense. When I watch any kind of motor sport I want the Porsche teams to win with the Corvette teams following up. I guess really what I am trying to say is you can’t go wrong with either car, just follow your heart. Both my Z06 and TT are toys so I don’t drive them daily, if I were to pick one over the other for a daily driver it would be without a question the TT, much easier to deal with on a daily basis. Now you have my 2 cents.

TT Gasman

I think you are going to have a hard time finding a 997TT for 100K, maybe more like 115k at this point in time. Another option might be a 996TT, there are many fine examples for less than 100K available. But I would stick with brand new and get myself the Z06, it is an awesome car. Good luck in your search.

LAT

2 seats or 4?

JohnnyBahamas

Test drive them both.

If you can not notice the differences between the two, be they positive or negative, or if you personally can discount the differences as not worth the extra coin... then the only logical choice is to buy the less expensive car.

It's analogous to deciding what type of beef to eat for dinner... if 4 pounds of perfectly cooked ground beef has the very same utility as 2 pounds of perfectly cooked steak, then eat more ground beef for dinner.

cannga

1. "I have ALWAYS loved Porsches, and especially the Turbos. I have *****LONGED***** for a Turbo since I first laid eyes on one in Germany ****MANY**** years ago."

2. The Turbo is AT WORST an excellent car.

3. You most likely have read hundreds and hundreds of posts about Vette vs. Turbo. Would a few more posts here be the deciding factor? Should they?

4. You've already had a "Corvette experience." The Corvette is an amazing car, by far the best bang for the buck, but it does not feel like a Porsche. Isn't it time to have something different?

5. How many dual (Porsche Turbo and Corvette) owners do you know end up getting rid of the Turbo? Unless it's an overwhelming percentage, and it most certainly is not, there is something to consider here; I hope you'd agree?

My humble opinion:
1, **ALONE**, is almost enough reason to go for the Turbo.
With 2, the answer is a no brainer. Add 3, 4, & 5, and it's now etched in stone. Don't risk forever wondering "what if"; I would wait until the price come down to your range and get a used 997 Turbo. Best of luck and hope this helps. And remember to post pictures of your baby when it's here.

allegretto

Owned both at the same time and still have the Vette. But the story isn't that simple.

Anyway, if the above sentence fragment is the intended use, the TT, not even close.

Raucous, rambunctious toy, the Z.

TT_man

heres my opinion

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=122700