Porsche 996 alternative

Not including ricers (sorry) what manual car would you consider a price/performance alternative to a 996. E46 M3 is one but it's wayyyyyyy more of a maintenance pig. C5/6 is a vette so it doesn't count. So what else?

Audi R8.

Late S197 Mustang with the 5.0 Coyote?

Viper.

Camaro SS or whatever the hot setup is.

mazdeuce - Seth said:

Audi R8.

For 996 money?  I'd like to see that.

Why doesn't the Vette count? 

In reply to Tom_Spangler :

Me too! I don't consider a Mustang or Camaro 996 alterates. To me they drive like pigs. They are much better tan they used to be, but still have a ways to go.

markwemple said:

Not including ricers (sorry) what manual car would you consider a price/performance alternative to a 996. E46 M3 is one but it's wayyyyyyy more of a maintenance pig. C5/6 is a vette so it doesn't count. So what else?

Funny you say this because I'm in an E46 ZHP now, several of my friends have an E46, my buddy does about 20 track weekends a year in his M3 as an instructor and he is a guy that can break ANY car.  Nothing but normal maintenance -- tires, fluids, brakes all around.  If the worst happens, you can buy two S54s for the price of a used M96.

I want a 996 and I'm scared E36 M3less to buy one because every third post on Rennlist is an M96 horror story.

How do we meet in the middle?  The truth is out there? 

The 996 rep is so stupid. About 5% have failures and most of the potential failures have already happened. Just wonder how many of the M3 rear suspension/chassis failures have been permanently fixed. And the 996 doesn't need a valve adjustment. Don't get me wrong, I like the E46 M3.

markwemple said:

The 996 rep is so stupid. About 5% have failures and most of the potential failures have already happened. Just wonder how many of the M3 rear suspension/chassis failures have been permanently fixed. And the 996 doesn't need a valve adjustment. Don't get me wrong, I like the E46 M3.

I stripped my car from the tailshaft back.  Floors were fine.  Weld in the Redish reinforcements and you don't have to cut holes in the trunk like the Turner plates.  If I had it to do over, I'd drop the subframe an inch or so, clean up the body real good and look at the subframe mounts.  No cracks?  Keep the bushings fresh and inspect annually.  Peace of mind seems to come a steep premium in the German car world.

I want a 996.  Then I start doing the math...if a 2 door coupe works, then an E46 M3 is more practical than a 996....but I bought a ZHP instead of an M3 because I wanted four doors...but I REALLY want a 911.   Then I start muttering to myself and shuffle off in a haze of cognitive dissonance.

In reply to markwemple :

Reading between the lines, it seems that you basically want the most Porsche-like alternative to a 996. That's easy...a 987.

So what, about $20k?

Maybe some flavor of Mustang with a V8 if you don't want a 'vette and don't want to deal with BMW maintenance.   

In reply to pres589 :

But I also want great brakes and suspension/handling.

997 costs more, sometimes a lot more.

M5, either e34 or 39 seems like a potential. Boxster S, but no rear seat and crappy visibility with the top up. Audi S4 but the old ones can have issues and the v8s have chain issues and are so front heavy. Soooo, many great cars only come auto too, which sucks.

Problem is, every time I do these mental gymnastics, I end up back at the 996.

A modded UrS4/6 would be cool b ut what if something breaks........

markwemple said:

 

 

Problem is, every time I do these mental gymnastics, I end up back at the 996.

 

Be content.

In reply to Nick Comstock :

But that's fun....

But that's no fun....

I always liked  the headlight/turn signal execution on these (996), but the purists went ape E36M3 over that....would love me some turbo S in navy blue wit grey leather   At their current $$$'s nothing even remotely comes to mind in the performance/grin factor category. IIRC, up until a few years ago a silver S dominated OLOA.

markwemple said:

997 costs more, sometimes a lot more.

987...As in Cayman. 

I have a 996 and can't figure out any other options. I'm even willing to spend a fair bit more. So far e92 m3 and 996tt are the best options I can find. I'm considering just making my 996 faster as I bet I could add some power for less money than the cost to buy a tt 

987? Mebbbee early 981? Elise? Exige? Esparante? M400? Cerbera?

S2000?

In reply to 8valve :

Any of those below 20k?

987.1 is.  A lot of 996's aren't below 20k.

Furious_E said:

Why doesn't the Vette count? 

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