Berlin.BMER

yeah the Porsche all the way if your not using the rear seats in your E60 it's a no-brainer

EBMCS03

Hahahha are there any other kind of cars ? Oh ya... pick ups.

So one needs
1.) F430
2.) M5
3.) Porsche Cayenne Turbo S or Jeep SRT-8

BetterMakeWay

No way. One needs just a 911 GT3 RS and a X5 (not a fan of the cayenne wich i think is a marketing outcome aka a pumped up 911 and ugly as hell). Oh and a tweaked scooter

Gadgets

Ok... Here it is...

'silver bullet' (and everyone else...) - please feel free to agree or disagree with anything I wrote here, I'm sure you can't completely judge a car based on a short test drive.


First I must tell you guys that I appreciate my 550i much better after today's test drive...

Took a brand new Carrera S 6 Speed for about 20 min. ride on the highway, some traffic and rain;

General pre-ride impression:
I have a wide upper body and couldn't find any type of seat comfortable for me...
Quality of dashboard materials are cheap and plasticky, even the Key is made of some cheap flimsy plastic, very upsetting...
general feel is VERY tight and stiff, like a race car should be, kind of a feeling you get in a go-cart.

Test drive impression:
The car is loud, but let me tell you, I turned off the radio to enjoy this sweet engine sound.
Engine is pulling smoothly with tons of torque and no lag of any kind, you can feel the engine kicking in real strong between 6250-8K RPM.
car feels very fast and has alot of torque but it's kinda deceiving, 1st, 2nd, 3rd pushing it very hard feels like the car is about to take off any minute and then you look at the gauges and amazed to see you're only doing a 100mph...
Handling is superb., ultimate precision, taking the twisted ramp to the highway in a heavy rain at a high speed was a sheer pleasure.

Conclusion:
Driving the car I completely forgot the seat was uncomfortable... the sound is pure music to the ears, (and i'm not a fan of loud cars)... the Carrera S is faster than the 550i BUT not by alot, it even has less HP on paper but compensate in the weight section. while the S seems to put alot of effort in order to build some speed the 550i does it easily and quietly, not as fast as the porsche, but definitely more refined.

Buttom line:
I'm facing a hard decision, I want more power, want to have a REAL difference than the 550i and the Turbo S is on a 1 year waiting list.
Overall the porsche is rough, loud, FUN TO DRIVE and definitely NOT BORING. is it the right car for me? I need to sleep over it.

EBMCS03

YA porsche is right for ya go for it. If things work out right... thats the next car for me.

DD694

I went from a 2005 Porsche 997S Coupe to my 550i. I have never regretted it. I have had a 914, 911T, 993, 993 C4, 996 C4 and a 997S. The 997S was clearly the best of the Porsches I have had. I found myself bored with the 911 and felt cramped in the small two seater. It came with no spare or jack (only air pump and can of stop leak). I bought a collapsible spare, which left nearly zero storage space. You can take road trips, if you pack spartanly. With my 550i I can go wherever I want with what ever I want and take a few extra people with me.

For me the 550i (now with M Aero Tech Kit and 166M wheels is a sweet ride. Even my wife and grandkids enjoy it. The 911 was very low to the ground, making entry and exit tricky. Also with only 3.8" of ground clearance any driveway was a potential hazard, not to mention parking lot stop block thingies.

Everyone has his/her own set of circumstances and prioities.

This is my 2 cents. Enjoy which ever ride you select.

535dse

have just done exactly this.
I moved from an e60 to e63 and now 997s,
I was a little concerned at first, as to the reduction in comfort.However, as the days go by I like the Porsche more and more.
At the moment I'm pleased I made the decision.In the future I may go back to an e63.I'll have to see.
Btw get the PSE if you're getting a 997. At least that way you can have it noisy or quiet.
Regards

snkpkp

everything you will ever need

1) BMW E60 M5
2) Porsche 911 Turbo or Similar
3) Range Rover SuperCharged 4.2

Also a Jet and a helicopter to fly over Manhattan traffic (maybe even Dhaka traffic),,,,lol

sorry for the major OT

bimmerturn

I had a 2003 911 C4S before the 550 and used it as a daily car except in really bad winter weather. The 550 filled it's place very nicely for me except for the looks, that wide body look of the S is incredible. I also miss the handeling and ability to take turns at any speed, almost, but overall I am satisfied at this point.

silver bullet

That is pretty much exactly the review I would give it. Though I think if you order the leather dash it helps quite a bit with the interior quality perception. Also if you think it sounds good now, get one with the Porsche Sport Exhaust and you will really never care about the radio. The car is incredible from 4,800rpm to the red line. Nothing handles quite like it, it is visaully stunning, etc. That said like you siad it has some warts, and the seats feel much better if you can spring for the adaptive sport seats. I am 6'4" and pretty broad. I have standard seats and they can get a bit uncomfy on a long drive. That said there is substantial leg room, etc. If you need more power get the X51 or look at the TT. There are TT's for sale right now you just got to find them. In fact if you go over to www.rennlist.com and look in the forums section under the turbo/997 you will see a guy named Samir is selling a stunning GT Silver TT for the sticker price that he paid. I would not hesitate to buy it from him. Dude has two Ferraris, a Carerra GT, and M5 and a GT3 so he takes care of this stuff. Anyway, I know what you mean that it does feel underpowered. The 911 has never been all about power, but it does seem a bit disappointing really. However, it isn't that hard to get it up to 400 hp, and really at that point it is a total ass kicker. I love it, but like you have seen it isn't for everybody as a daily driver. It is for me though.