I car swapped with a buddy yesterday and spent an hour and a half driving his 2003 996TT. My impressions:


1. The sheer speed was fantastic, especially combined with the utter low speed tractability.


2. The clutch was much more like a light switch than the Cayman's more progressive engagement.


3. The shift throws were muchlonger and a bit nothchier on final engagement, but muchsmoother and looser in travel (kind of weird and hard to explain).


4. The turbo lag was acceptable becuase the low end torque before boost kicks in was quite good.


5. It was utterly stable at massive speed, a perfect highway cruiser.


6. There was so much torque that the natural geraing gait is Cayman +1. When my buddy drove my car, he was always one gear to high until he figured it out.


7. The naturally smooth shift point (when you're not trying to rev it) is higher than theCayman's. Getting atotally smooth shift requires 3200rpm, whereas I find in the Cayman the totally smooth shift point is a bit lower.


8.This was my first time driving an AWD Porsche. While the initial understeer in the Turbo is a little annoying relative to the delicious neutrality of the CS, it does really work and allow you tocarry more speed than theC2s can. And it goes a long way towards eliminating the 'linebacker-on-the-bumper' feeling that's so prevalent in C2 handling.


Our reactions were very telling. He was smiling and laughing the whole time while ripping up the curvier back roadsin the CS and I was constantly saying 'OMFG' while coming onto the highway off of onramps and while blasting down theMerritt.


Overall, the TT was quite nice, but I'm in love with the CS and would have no other. [img]/fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/MWPX/heart.gif[/img]

The Cayman's clutch is perfect. I love that progressive nature and the pedal feel.

I'll get my TT next year or next month depending on how well I do in the WSOP.

__________________

Mike
2006 Midnight Blue Cayman S