I've owned two 996s (2001 and the 1999 that just sold), as well as a 1999 Boxster. Frankly they have collectively been the best cars that I've owned. You get all of the Porsche performance and character in a comfortable and reliable package that is easy to drive daily. My '99 996 was my daily driver for the last seven months, other than scheduled maintenance and a few deferred repairs from the PO it was flawless. The 996/986 in my opinion are the best sports car deal going, no doubt in my mind.
The IMS, RMS, D-chunk, and slipped liners are not a myth, but from the substantial amount of reading that I've done I think they're overblown. Let's also not forget that every Porsche has its little issues, there's always the potential for something expensive to happen, even if the odds are slim. I say absolutely go for it, they're awesome cars and great daily drivers. If it were me I'd go with the regular 996, a 996TT with high miles has a lot of things to potentially go wrong. Plus it's a slushbox, that's just not right.
