Well, I finally test drove a Porsche. As I mentioned in my other post, I'm toying around with the idea of swapping my E60 for a 911 or Cayman. Don't get me wrong I love my E60 and, if not leased, I swap my Audi instead. No doubt, should've brought the bimmer in the first place.

My impressions of the 911. I started off wanting to drive the Cayman but sat in the car for 15 minutes and it felt really tight roomwise. Being 6'3 and around 240, I felt cramped with the seat totally back and lowered, my knees were touching the bottom of the steering wheel. Damn. So lets try the 911S. It a 2006 silver C2S with sand beige interior and Nav. Plenty of legroom and great seating position with an intimate feel inside. The salesman fires up the engine, sounds fairly loud but in a good way. A hollow raspy burble. He drives off the lot and mile down the road I hop into the driver seat.

I depress the heavy but progressive clutch, and push the short throw stick forward. The action on the stick is simply sublime and my mind just goes numb. Ah, three years without a manual, oh I've being missing this and a smile quickly forms. Anyway, off we go and the car is just rock solid with the suspension on the far right of sporty. Yeap this is a sports car. Shifting is super easy and very positive, and I ask the salesperson what RPM is best for shifts. Hes says between 3K to 5K and hit 5K after you get the feel. So I hit 5K right after he says this and torque is all over the place. After a few shifts its quickly aparent that 4.5K is a nice sweet spot.

The handling is just super and the car doesnt sway, dive, and feels like a slot car. A good dab of throttle seems to make it stiffer. Confidence grows after after a mile or two, the feeling is to just race around but the salesman reminds me of a 25 mph zone ahead with often police and radar. So I slap on the brakes, the car quickly slows like an anchor getting dropped. After the speed zone I open her up with the engine belts us in the pants as the torque comes on. Geez.

As we come to a tight lefthand turn, he instructs me to brake late and hit the power on exit. We can tell the whole stretch of road is empty. Good. So staying in third with revs up pretty good, I whack the throttle hard in apex. As I thought could happen, there is a clear sense the back end coming round. Its a slow sensation but here it comes. Slightly alarmed I turn the fronts in the opposite lock and back off the throttle alitte. The salesman starts his hand toward the wheel but quickly retracts as situation corrects. I was somewhat embarrassed but it wasn't too outrageous. He quickly explains its cold (45), wet, and the tires are summer tires not the best for the conditions. Anyway, we head back to dealer lot via a fast roadway. I open her up to 90 quickly and enjoy leaving the traffic behind. The highway acceleration feels really good and the great cabin visibility makes seeing traffic from the side and behind a snap. As drive ends I realize how firm (overall) the suspension is and its still in the normal mode. We arrive at the lot and I'm thinking it would be great to have this thing for the entire weekend.

Some closing thoughts. The engine and handling are really super, and I just love the manual tranny. The seats were really nice as well and the cabin feels perfect. I've never thought much of the Porsche interiors before driving one. These thoughts are all super positive. On the minus side, the suspension is pretty damn stiff and cabin noise is much higher than what I'm used to. 4 hours on the highway might not be pleasant, something I rarely do anyway. Rear wheel drive 911S is something to be respected and not a toy if going fast. What would this car be like during Chicago winters even with snow tires? Maybe AWD is the better choice for a first 911er. Not sure at this point. This is the biggest question mark, as is the firm ride. The firm I could live with.

Any thoughts from 911 drivers in cold and snow areas? I'll try the Cayman next weekend, but its probably too small. I'm pretty much going to get a 911. Just don't know what model and when.

CVT Benhogan

 

Yes, the new 997 interiors are light years ahead of pervious 911's.


Get the 4S if you plan on driving it in the winter. My buddies 996 would get very tail happy in just a little rain.

 

for the same price as a 997 C2S, check out a 996TT which is AWD, quieter (turbos soften the exhaust) and possibly more refined (996 gen are known to be the most cushy/least raw). interior won't be as nice though.

 

Ben,
I told you the Cayman was too small inside if you're a big guy. It does sound like the C4S might be better for you with the snow. I would say the firm ride you will get used to it. At least I have. I live in downtown Houston and our roads are shit, but I have gotten used to the firm ride and the bumps. As for the long travels I will say you're flat out wrong on this one. The thing is a joy on a long trip. Once you get to 6th gear and are cruising at 80-90 the thing is quiet and an absolute pleaseure to drive. If the car you drove was equipped with PSE exhaust you can turn it off to make it even more quiet. Another thing to learn when in a corner in the 911 is not lift your foot off the accelerator. It will come around and if you get too far gone PASM will take over. Good to hear others begin to feel a passion for these cars. I think the 997 is simply one of the best cars even built based on everything I have ownedm, and the is more a testament to how good the 997 is than anything. If you have more questions ventur over to www.rennlist.com and there is a wealth of information and very helpful people there.

 

I also agree that the 997 interior is light years ahead of the 996. My 996 interior was honestly embarrassing for a car that cost as much as it did. My 997S has the full leather option and it is totally befitting a car in the price range. I also highly recommend the adjustable sport seats. Those things are awesome.

 

or http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/

 

CVT:

A couple of cold weather thougths from a 911 owner in Boston. First, you mentioned the short-throw shifter. Do you know whether it's the normal shifter or the short-throw option? The later, which I would have loved, is probably not a good choice for cold weather areas. I understand that it is very difficult to shift until it's warmed up.

Second, is this going to be your only car? I'm lucky enough to have both a 911 and 550. Like pretty much everyone around here, I let the 911 hibernate through the winter. The two big issues are obviously the tires and the ride height. Remember that those tires are not really made to be driven in cold weather, even on clear dry roads. The compound is so soft that they harden up in the cold and do not provide safe traction. Obviously, you could swith to snow tires, but you won't have the ride height to clear even small amounts of snow.

I love both of my cars, and nothing beats my P-car. But if I could only have one of them, it would hve to be the 5er.

 

Thanks for input. It would be my only car with the 550 going away as its leased. Big mistake leasing, never again.

Agree the 550 is a great car, as it combines utility and performance skillfully. In fact, I was more impressed with my 550 after driving the 911 S. It felt solid and not mushy by any comparison to the Porsche.

Did you ever consider the C4S and any thoughts on AWD? I'm puzzled that the ride height is an issue. Doesn't Porsche consider their cars good for all seasons? I'd put snows on the C2S for sure.

CVT Benhogan

 

I've been waiting for the 911 "LCI" and will upgrade to the AWD then. But it's still a very light weight car with very, very wide tires. Not a great combo for driving in the snow.

In terms of the ride height, it's a car that you'll be careful going over speed bumps with. It's easy to scrape the bottom. So imagine what happens when you've got a small four inch snow fall. Think about needing to plow through the snow that piles up at the end of your driveway after the street is plowed. I don't mean to burst your bubble. I just love my cars and am (maybe) crazy careful with them.

Could you possibly get a good used Jeep for the days when the roads are snow covered?

 

Jeep? Nah. I'd probably would walk to the train on snow days. LOL