Is it me or do I see all the BMW on the side of that M3? LOL

Here is my 2 cents. I test drove 996T with some mod that pulls over 500hp and I was very disappointed due to many factors. First of all, engine sounded way to too muted. It sounded quieter than my old Boxster S. Secondly, it didn't have linear pull as you expect from NA. Third, it wasn't as solidly built as 997/987 models. I currently drive 09 C2S and I love it...I sometimes do miss Boxster S with top down but that's only thing I missed. But I prob won't consider buying cab either as it won't feel as solid. After driving 996T I wouldn't bother getting any Turbo cars period. I test drove 996 GT3 and it was a visceral experience. I could only imagine 997 GT3 would be lot better in comparison. After driving turbo and reading this forum, I learned most of people feel the same about Turbo. I had no idea such a expensive and looking car was a big disappointment.

 

I have a 997 C2S cab and I find that it feels very solid, and not much different than the coupe. It's also not much slower than the coupe.

 

I understand the impact of a good turbo P-Car; but for me there is something more visceral and exciting about a higher-revving NA engine in a Porsche. Go 4.0L.
YMMV.

 

Ive had a mildly tuned 951S in the past, and while it was a blast, with the 911 the NA motors seem to speak more loudly to me. I'd love to upgrade to a GT3 someday.

 

Whenever this topic comes up, the focus always seems to swing to power delivery and speed. While this is a real factor, I don't think it gives you much more than trade off's.
When it comes to power delivery:

Turbo delivers way more juice. Can be easily modded.
NA gives most responsive power curve (no small thing when trying to control the back end on one of these cars) and better exhaust notes

To me the bigger factor is the suspension. The turbo comes stock set up for a different demographic than the S. The suspension is tuned much softer in my opinion. To me the front corners seem soggy.

My take...if you are willing to spend the money on suspension mods, the turbo would be far superior. If you are not willing to mod, you need to make a choice...tighter and more connected in the S vs. massive straight line power advantage in the Turbo.

There is no right/wrong answer here, just people with different priorities. Both are great cars.

 

Seems to me that large-displacement NA is the best of both worlds, but it may be difficult to stuff more than about 4.0L in a 911. Compared to the 6.2L NA V8 in my C63, these Porsche engines feel a bit miserly, but they get the job done if the revs are kept above about 4,000 rpm.