Thinking of a Porsche
11-17-2007, 08:52 AM
#21
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My Ride: 2008 Porsche 911 Carrera S Convertible. Midnight Blue, 6 Speed.Retired - 2007 997 Carrera S, Midnight Blue, Grey leather, premium audioRetired - 2007 550i, Monaco Blue over Beige, Navigation, Logic 7, Cold Weather Pack, Comfort Access, Sport Package
Model Year: 2008
Edmunds just posted a great review of the 2007 Carrera S on November 15th.
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drive...rticleId=123465
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drive...rticleId=123465
11-17-2007, 09:34 AM
#22
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My Ride: 2008 Porsche 911 Carrera S Convertible. Midnight Blue, 6 Speed.Retired - 2007 997 Carrera S, Midnight Blue, Grey leather, premium audioRetired - 2007 550i, Monaco Blue over Beige, Navigation, Logic 7, Cold Weather Pack, Comfort Access, Sport Package
Model Year: 2008
Here's some of the text from the EVO Car of the Year results (pulled from one of the Porsche forums):
2nd Ferrari 430 Scuderia (94.9)
"Ferrari are upset that the Scuderia has not won this eCoty. We know because they've told us. In fact they may try to prevent us from comparing future models with their rivals, which would be a shame because Ferrari has nothing to fear while it's building cars like this. The Scuderia is, quite simply, sensational. The first time I drove it, I spent the first ten minutes literally grinning from ear to ear, it's that much fun. I also can't believe Catchpole got this as his first Ferrari. Most of us had to start off in Mondials or 348s. Jammy sod.
"Everything a Ferrari should be," says Bovingdon. "I love the 430 anyway, and the Scuderia just builds on that, feeling even more controlled, even better tied-down."
Meaden: "It makes a mockery of the Lamborghini, which feels like something you'd build in your shed by comparison. Drive the Ferrari on the road and it just sucks you in completely. The noise is a bit gratuitous though - you simply can't make discreet progress. It doesn't need to shout about itself quite as much."
Green highlights the paddleshift box, so key to the Scud's character and so fast-acting it seems to pre-empt your squeeze on the paddle - it's the best of its kind, and the first one that makes even the most hardened sceptics question why they'd really want a conventional stick-shift manual 'box.
Metcalfe is the biggest Scud fan of all: "It's the essence of F1 in a road car, in a Ferrari, and all the magic just comes together, all the noise, that extreme engine behind you - and it's such an experience. There's nothing else that's quite done this." As Vivian says, "There is no other car on sale with this level of technology transfer."
John's not entirely convinced. "I still prefer a good stick-shift, it's still nice to finesse your own changes, and you can go at your own pace, not the one the car seems to be goading you to drive at." Still, the Scuderia has impressed us profoundly. It is a fantastically thrilling and accomplished supercar. "I cannot believe this car has not won," says Harry, who placed it first. So why didn't it?"
1st Porsche 997 GT3 RS (95.7)
"The Scuderia is fantastic," says Bov, "but the RS just gives you that little bit more feedback and involvement, whether you're flat out or driving through town. It's also 95 grand when the Ferrari's ?170k and it's hard to get that out of your head because they're doing essentially the same job."
Out of nine judges, five of us placed the RS first, while a sixth had it equal first with the Ferrari. Roger says it's his all-time fave 911. I reckon it's the best sports/supercar I've ever driven. If the Civic Type-R was a great drive up the Col de Guery, the RS was utterly inspirational.
We're all agreed it has by some margin the best steering here, for its sense of connection and wealth of detailed feedback. "Stupendous engine, incredible steering and a chassis you'd never tire of" is Barker's summation. "If this was the one car sitting outside me house - I wish - I would have absolutely no regrets about not having one of the others," says Catchpole, and I know exactly what he means. As Metcalfe points out, it's not just a raw road-racer either. "I chose this for the trip down, and you'd never have done that with the previous RS. How do they make a car so competent on the road, then be so good on the track. The traction control doesn't get in the way either. And what an engine..."
"What I really like," says Meaden, "is that a car that's completely traditional, with a stick-shift 'box and the engine at the wrong end, can compete with a car that's completely the opposite, loaded with technology, with a ridiculously fast gearshift and the facility to adjust everything minutely. It's personal preference at the end. This is probably the best 911 I've driven. It's always alive, you always feel what's going on, even if you don't drive it quickly. I just like the process of making it go, of making everything mesh and gel, and the gearing allows you to savour the full reach of the engine. You have to work at it - get it right and it starts to dance, and then it feels like no other car here."
"The RS feels that bit more organic that the Scuderia, and by that I don't just mean slightly more feelsome (though it is), but because you sense it has evolved entirely naturally, with a clear bloodline from Porsche's motorsport programme, that it's a genuine brother to the Cup cars, where the Ferrari feels ever so slightly contrived, like it's trying a bit too hard to play up the F1 connection. Which just makes the Porsche that bit cooler. And you'd never, ever tire of finding it tucked up in your garage..."
* evo Car of the Year 2007 *
2nd Ferrari 430 Scuderia (94.9)
"Ferrari are upset that the Scuderia has not won this eCoty. We know because they've told us. In fact they may try to prevent us from comparing future models with their rivals, which would be a shame because Ferrari has nothing to fear while it's building cars like this. The Scuderia is, quite simply, sensational. The first time I drove it, I spent the first ten minutes literally grinning from ear to ear, it's that much fun. I also can't believe Catchpole got this as his first Ferrari. Most of us had to start off in Mondials or 348s. Jammy sod.
"Everything a Ferrari should be," says Bovingdon. "I love the 430 anyway, and the Scuderia just builds on that, feeling even more controlled, even better tied-down."
Meaden: "It makes a mockery of the Lamborghini, which feels like something you'd build in your shed by comparison. Drive the Ferrari on the road and it just sucks you in completely. The noise is a bit gratuitous though - you simply can't make discreet progress. It doesn't need to shout about itself quite as much."
Green highlights the paddleshift box, so key to the Scud's character and so fast-acting it seems to pre-empt your squeeze on the paddle - it's the best of its kind, and the first one that makes even the most hardened sceptics question why they'd really want a conventional stick-shift manual 'box.
Metcalfe is the biggest Scud fan of all: "It's the essence of F1 in a road car, in a Ferrari, and all the magic just comes together, all the noise, that extreme engine behind you - and it's such an experience. There's nothing else that's quite done this." As Vivian says, "There is no other car on sale with this level of technology transfer."
John's not entirely convinced. "I still prefer a good stick-shift, it's still nice to finesse your own changes, and you can go at your own pace, not the one the car seems to be goading you to drive at." Still, the Scuderia has impressed us profoundly. It is a fantastically thrilling and accomplished supercar. "I cannot believe this car has not won," says Harry, who placed it first. So why didn't it?"
1st Porsche 997 GT3 RS (95.7)
"The Scuderia is fantastic," says Bov, "but the RS just gives you that little bit more feedback and involvement, whether you're flat out or driving through town. It's also 95 grand when the Ferrari's ?170k and it's hard to get that out of your head because they're doing essentially the same job."
Out of nine judges, five of us placed the RS first, while a sixth had it equal first with the Ferrari. Roger says it's his all-time fave 911. I reckon it's the best sports/supercar I've ever driven. If the Civic Type-R was a great drive up the Col de Guery, the RS was utterly inspirational.
We're all agreed it has by some margin the best steering here, for its sense of connection and wealth of detailed feedback. "Stupendous engine, incredible steering and a chassis you'd never tire of" is Barker's summation. "If this was the one car sitting outside me house - I wish - I would have absolutely no regrets about not having one of the others," says Catchpole, and I know exactly what he means. As Metcalfe points out, it's not just a raw road-racer either. "I chose this for the trip down, and you'd never have done that with the previous RS. How do they make a car so competent on the road, then be so good on the track. The traction control doesn't get in the way either. And what an engine..."
"What I really like," says Meaden, "is that a car that's completely traditional, with a stick-shift 'box and the engine at the wrong end, can compete with a car that's completely the opposite, loaded with technology, with a ridiculously fast gearshift and the facility to adjust everything minutely. It's personal preference at the end. This is probably the best 911 I've driven. It's always alive, you always feel what's going on, even if you don't drive it quickly. I just like the process of making it go, of making everything mesh and gel, and the gearing allows you to savour the full reach of the engine. You have to work at it - get it right and it starts to dance, and then it feels like no other car here."
"The RS feels that bit more organic that the Scuderia, and by that I don't just mean slightly more feelsome (though it is), but because you sense it has evolved entirely naturally, with a clear bloodline from Porsche's motorsport programme, that it's a genuine brother to the Cup cars, where the Ferrari feels ever so slightly contrived, like it's trying a bit too hard to play up the F1 connection. Which just makes the Porsche that bit cooler. And you'd never, ever tire of finding it tucked up in your garage..."
* evo Car of the Year 2007 *
11-17-2007, 02:12 PM
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Wow interesting quote:
"Ferrari are upset that the Scuderia has not won this eCoty. We know because they've told us. In fact they may try to prevent us from comparing future models with their rivals, which would be a shame because Ferrari has nothing to fear while it's building cars like this."
Sounds like the Ferrari heads are a little pissed off and worried.
"Ferrari are upset that the Scuderia has not won this eCoty. We know because they've told us. In fact they may try to prevent us from comparing future models with their rivals, which would be a shame because Ferrari has nothing to fear while it's building cars like this."
Sounds like the Ferrari heads are a little pissed off and worried.
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