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I've had a bunch of people ask me, so here are my initial thoughts comparing the 911 997 Turbo to the Z32TT. They are hard cars to compare. They are different in so many ways, the engineering that went into both was outstanding, but they were designed from the beginning for different purposes. The Z was a car for the masses, a mass produced sports car, a very special, well executed mass produced sports car that cost somewhere around $40k when introduced ($79k in today's $$). The Porsche was designed to set lap records at Nürburgring and cruise to the pharmacy in style with your soon to be ex-wife to buy your ED meds that cost somewhere around $150k (181k in today's $$). If you've never seen the undercarriage of a 997, check it out, the entire car is designed to go as fast as possible. That being said, I always get people wanting to talk to me about my Z, not so much with the 997. I think the 997 looks like another Porscse to most people, 1/2 the people still have no clue what the Z is, they think it's some new car and want to know what it is. Looks - I absolutely love the looks of both these cars, I can't tell you which I like more, but I will say, the Porsche has no bad angles whereas with the Z, I think there are a few spots I tend to glance over quickly. But both cars are gorgeous, I could look at both cars and never get tired.
Handling - the Porsche is planted to the road, it's very stable and sure footed. The Z isn't a slouch here, but the body roll is noticeable compared to the 997. Along with the high speed runs, the Z doesn't feel as in control as the 997. It's not terrible, but it can't keep up with the 997 on a track. Acceleration - My Z is fast, and there are some areas of the powerband that feel somewhat close(ish), but by and large, it's not a comparison, the 997 pulls hard from first punch all the way to redline, which comes on too quick. The Z falls flat at the high RPM range, the 997 pulls strong all the way to redline. My Z is probably somewhere around 400ish HP & a tad more torque with power coming on around 3.5k RPM's, the 997 is closer to 530HP & torque with power starting to build even lower, sub 2k RPM's. Engine - This one is hard, clearly the Mezger engine is more special than the VG30DEtt. But, the VG30DEtt has it's charm as well. I really love the sound of the TTz, more so than the 997 turbo. It has a distinct sound that is not mistakable for anything else. The 997 isn't anything special, it doesn't sound bad by any means, but it's not going to turn heads (or ears) either. I also really like the smaller displacement higher revving nature of the VG30DEtt. I can make the Z sing all the way to 7,200 RPM's, where the 997 rev limits at a boring 6,600ish. Those extra 600 RPM's are very much missed. But the Mezger engine alone costs more than a very clean TTz these days, the engine is a legend and it's build materials are outstanding. Gearing - I'm not a big fan of the gearing in the 997. I wish 1st, 2nd gear were a little longer, I keep bouncing off the rev limiter, redline comes so quick with the boost, by the time I've realized it, I've hit the rev limiter. It embarrassingly happens almost every time I jump on the car in 1st or 2nd. (To be fair to myself, I'm also used to being able to wind the car out more, so with more drivetime, I should start to remember where the shift points should be). I miss how I can stay in 2nd and have a blast like in my Z, keep the car holding at 6700rpm's in 2nd taking a corner and not having to worry about bouncing off a rev limiter and still keeping the speeds sane but fun. In the Porsche, since 2nd comes and goes so quick and the redline so low, it's much harder to hang around in higher RPM range in 2nd, you flirt that rev limiter so much easier so it makes it a bit harder (and less fun) to drive in that sort of way, plus, you're not even going that fast before you need to shift into 3rd. If 2nd was a bit longer, you could carve those canyon twists at higher speeds and RPM's while still keeping it close to the speed limit. Clutch - I still have a hard time driving the 997, the clutch pedal is so soft, I have a hard time getting the car rolling in 1st, I think I've stalled the 997 more times that I have stalled my Z in its existence. You can't feel the engagement of the clutch, too many assists. On the flip side, I never thought the Z clutch was heavy until I drove my 997. The Z now feels like you're pressing down on a leg press machine with 2 45 plates stacked up on each side. I appreciate being able to finesse the engagement point in the Z, but as I start getting used to the 997, I also appreciate how much easier the clutch is to engage. Braking - It's not even close, the 997 owns the Z all day here. Like not even close. At all. Transmission - Closer than the brake comparison, but still, 997 all day long. The transmission engagement is fantastic, each shift slides into gear with such satisfaction. It's good the gearing is short, because you don't mind having to shift so often. Interior - I love the sleek interior of the Z32, it's timeless, it still looks fresh and modern, I love how it wraps around you as a driver and everything is very easy to read and interact with. But the build quality in the Porsche is leagues above. Stitched leather and amazing materials are all around you. You sit in it and don't want to get out. The community - The Z32 community is simply the best enthusiast community I have ever been a part of, and it keeps expanding. I have met so many great people over the years, it's partly why I never want to get rid of the Z. The DIY scene is not even comparable for the 997, very few people do hardcore work on their porsche, they are too busy measuring paint depth and ensuring they never overrev their engine. While you can find a lot of knowledgeable folks that know how to wrench on their Porsche, by and large, for every 1 of them, there's 50 that don't. So the resources aren't as rich, and the community isn't as varied. If you don't know how to wrench on your Z, you bought the wrong car. I'm still amazed, 30 years later, the Z32 is still getting new products released, that's crazy amazing. Plus TT.net > all Overall - They are both great machines and I'm happy I own both. Both scratch an itch, both are equally rare to see on the road, both are drivers cars and both car values are on the rise. I don't miss the wheelhop at all in the 997, but I do miss sometimes hearing those geese (honk honk). I think the Z feels a bit more analog overall, and the higher RPM redline makes the car more enjoyable for canyons carving runs. You can't powerslide the ass of the 997 like you can in the Z. That being said, the Porsche is a special car, when you sit in it, you know it's special, it's a Porsche 911 Turbo afterall. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it!
 
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Sig Quotes:
your brillant (n/m) - Zski (Generation Z) 14:36:48 06/17/04
Fat kids will eat anything. (n/m) - SooperZ95 22:13:47 07/05/04
BTW, spelling has nothing to do with being stupid, stupid. - AzHeat 22:08:35 11/21/04
First of all, we already know you're a little pussy bitch from San Francisco - Marshall 21:36:41 06/08/05
North Dakota is so flat you can watch your dog run away from you for 3 days. - BeegsTT 13:31:27 06/15/06
The City of Santa Monica can fornicate itself with an iron stick. - 93TTSuperWHiteZX 17:20:16 10/31/06
I work with fiberglass you stupid f*** - TheTwinZ (Peru) 12:25:30 03/27/07 ********\\\\\\\\|////////********
People who are willing to sacrifice
Freedom for safety deserve neither
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Comparing the Z & the 997 - 
