Written by Alisdair Cusick

So you want to buy a standout 997? Total 911 picks out the Turbo and GT models from the era and asks the experts what to look for

997.1 Turbo

WHY IS IT SPECIAL?

Combining old-school 911 design cues with the latest tech, the 997.1 Turbo is a veritable gem of the 997 range. Turbos have always been about blending breathtaking performance with supreme longdistance cruising versatility, and in that brief the 997.1 Turbo excels.

The final Turbo to use a Mezger engine, it was the first to utilise Variable Turbine Geometry (VTG) – famously the first petrol road car to feature the technology. At lower engine speeds the turbo vanes angle, cramming more air in. At higher engine speeds the vanes open. It combines the benefits of using two sequential turbos, as used on the 959, and is the reason behind the prodigious flat torque curve, minus the dreadful lag of the past.

The duality of the Turbo is its strength. Docile when you want it to be, yet unleash the full performance and it instantly turns into a car as senior as the figures suggest. That’s 480bhp and 620Nm of torque, with the majority of that available between 1,950 and 5,000rpm. Launching from 0-62mph takes 3.9 seconds, yet thanks to all-wheel drive and PTM, that sure-footed performance could be utilised in all conditions.

Excellent build quality, material choices and design, balancing classic looks, prodigious performance and a great price point… the 997.1 Turbo is the definition of a useable supercar. Even in 2024.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING ONE

“It depends what you’re buying it for,” says Lakeside Classic’s Henry Thomas. “For investment, it has to be the manual gearbox cars, so the first check is always on the engine, checking rev ranges and for over-revs.”

Proper maintenance and service history is vital, says Thomas. Turbo engines are more complex designs, but despite this the 997.1 units are generally good – thanks partly to the proven Mezger base – and don’t cause too much trouble. Because it’s different to the engine in the Carrera, they sidestep the potential bore-scoring issues that were reported on those cars. The variable turbine turbos (VTG) don’t usually suffer problems apart from corrosion to the turbo housings, which is an expensive task to correct.