I wanted it to be a 911 but didnt want depreciation or a blown engine. I wanted it to be non shouty, because the 964 is actually a bit shouty with its exhaust bypasses and race seat. I could stretch to about 20k. So a 996TT was the answer, obvz!
Recommended by the cognoscenti (PMJT, Hot66, 210bhp) AND the trade ("its still got a bit of feel like pet, and it won't shite itself tomorra" - guess who).
So I travelled to the depths of Norfolk in January and picked up a standard lapis blue over graphite manual coupe from a nice chap who took a low offer on ebay. An extremely short notice but positive PPI from the very very helpful chaps at Autowerke of Norwich, and a very very long drive home. The owner even loaned me his Tom Tom so I could get the hell out of Diss, isnt that nice?
The good bits are that it is much prettier in the flesh than in photos (really took my breath away when I first saw it), it feels very compact and has great front end grip but keeps that 911 patter, and is nice and sharp not as soft as I was expecting. And so it is very nice to belt along the lanes and A roads. And it has the original Nokia 5110 with its plumbed in handsfree kit! Very 1999…
Oh yes, and it is dead fast.
The downsides are yes it is a bit plasticky inside, the doors thwump shut unsatisfyingly, and it appears to be powered by a swarm of reasonably polite bees. And the speed is delivered in such a civilised and composed way, as is often described, that it actually is more as if everyone else is just driving really slowly, rather than me having fun driving a bit quick. So, its a bit too easy to become a frustrated nerk who is zooming everywhere and overtaking and shouting oh, COME ON PEOPLE. Its also the first time that I have had a car that 10 tenths is actually truly dangerous, in all but a minority of situations anyway.
But overall it fits the brief nicely! And the lovely Hagerty have let me include it in the 356/964 policy. If anyone is thinking about it, I would say do it..
