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Porsche 911 Forum.
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Porsche 911, Porsche Carrera GT, Coupe, Convertible
#468 of 2170 Re: blckislandguy 997? [dweiser]
by blckislandguy
Jan 29, 2006 (8:40 pm)
Don,
Thanks for your thoughts and the link. Seeing Jeremy in action is quite a treat. Wow! I wouldn't have thought only 92" or so inches for WB and 4.8 cubic feet of trunk. Hardly enough room for two gymn bags when we go to the Montreal Athletic Club.
#469 of 2170 Re: New 997 as a highway tourer or am I nuts? [blckislandguy]
by habitat1
Jan 30, 2006 (3:18 am)
Good news: The bonnet trunk is complimented by a rear seat that would work fine for your two gym bags.
Bad news: Not only less ground clearance than your Cayenne, but I suspect less than the Saab Aero. Better take a tape measure to your Porsche dealer yourself.
Verdict: If you only have one vehicle to make a Boston to Montreal trek, stick with the Cayenne. If you have a backup vehicle for bad weather, the 911S will make you look forward to the trip.
Options: I just ordered (non-binding) a 2006 997S Cab in speed Yellow with the following options: Sport Chrono, Sport Shifter, Adaptive Sport Seats, Navigation, Bose, 6-CD, Heated Seats, Self Dim Mirrors, Carrera Classic Wheels, Black Mats. I currently have Sport Exhaust, which sounds great, but at $2,500 would have required a binding commitment to my dealer, which I wasn't prepared to make.
P.S. I stayed with a C2S Cab rather than the C4S, but I agree with Don. You sound like a good candidate for the AWD "4".
Jan 30, 2006 (8:23 am)
I read this board regularly, but have never posted here. I own a 2005 C2 that I purchased in February 2005. Because it is a third car, there is only 2000 mile on it at the one year mark. In talking with my salesman, I understand that the Turbo in the new body style will be out in the July time frame. I put my name on the list of interested parties. I know that the performance will be awesome and noticeably different, but i was wondering if anyone out there has enough experience with the Turbo to comment on maintenance. One thing I like about the normally aspirated model is the long maintenance intervals and the relatively bullet-proof reputation. Any comments on what i might expect with the Turbo? All feedback is welcome.
#472 of 2170 Re: New 997 as a highway tourer or am I nuts? [habitat1]
by blckislandguy
Jan 30, 2006 (8:09 pm)
Habitat1, wow! What was the MSRP? You seemingly ticked everything off on the order form except the leather package. Why no leather package or is it standard on the Cab? Incidentally, what is the "sport chrono"? Sounds like a nice watch.
I spoke with a Porsche sales guy I respect (at Porsche of Nashau) and he feels interestingly that the C4 with its wider track and additional weight has a little bit softer ride than the C2 and that when you come off the gas on the C4 the brakes are preloaded in anticipation of use. (This is now exclusive to the C4 but will soon migrate to the C2). Finally, he thought that the additonal 6K or so upcharge for the C4 would be repaid in a higher resale.
I'm leaning toward a relatively base C4. I don't plan on attending any track days or even Bob Bondurant. I just want something for some high speed touring. I figure I could get up early on Monday mornings in Montreal and be walking into the company at 9:00 AM with a smile on my face.
#473 of 2170 Re: New 997 as a highway tourer or am I nuts? [blckislandguy]
by habitat1
Jan 31, 2006 (6:28 am)
Actually, the MSRP for the 2006 Speed Yellow is $102,600, $220 less than my 2005 Seal Grey. My 2005 would sticker out at $105,400+/- in 2006.
The differences are that I am foregoing the $2,400 (now $2,500) sport exhaust. (Sounds great, but I had to draw the line somewhere). My 2005 also had $220 Headrest Crests and $415 Metal Door Sill Insignias that I'm not getting. Plus, I'm saving $825 on non-Metalic Paint. With that kitty of savings, I added a sport shifter ($765) and replaced the black leather ($1520) power seats ($1550) with adaptive sport seats ($3055). I also opted for the $390 extra 5-spoke "Classic" wheel which, if nothing else, will save me 15 minutes of washing and cleaning time every week over the standard Cab S wheel. The 2006 base price went up $2,500.
The "Sport Chrono" package has proven to be one of my favorite options in my 2005. The "chrono" half is somewhat frivolous - a stopwatch mounted up on the center of the dash that you can use to measure trip times (or lap times if you go to a track). But the "sport" half is a real treat. Press the sport button in the center console and the throttle response is immediately bumped up to feel like you added an instant 30 horsepower. If you recall from the video link Don provided, you can almost see the driver get tossed back when he activates it.
You might want to look at Porsche's website and go to the link that gives you individual dealers' inventories. Some dealers list the MSRP of their cars in stock. $102,600 for a 2006 Cab S is probably about average. Every once in awhile, you see a really loaded car - full leather interior, special wheels, etc. - for $110,000+. But you don't find too many "strippers" with much less than $5,000 worth of options.
My dealer would have wanted a binding commitment from me if I had wanted sport exhaust, full leather, or any "custom" options. However, he also would have wanted a binding commitment if I DIDN'T want Navigation, Bose and at least Power Seats. He indicated that a 911 without those is very tough to re-sell. You might want to consider those options, even on a "base" C4.
Good luck.
#474 of 2170 Re: New 997 as a highway tourer or am I nuts? [habitat1]
by blckislandguy
Jan 31, 2006 (6:20 pm)
Habitat1, thanks. These options can add up. The Cayenne, for example, has a "soft" look leather option (on top of regular leather) for about $800. It makes the seats look like someone wrestled on them on Prom Night. In retrospect I wish I had ordered the Bose surround sound on the Cay. I didn't, reasoning that I listened to only right wing talk radio and country music with 61 year old ears that spent a year behind a 81 mm mortor tube. I now wish I had gone for the Bose.
I have read in Motor Trend (I know,...) that the full leather interior is almost a necessity.
#475 of 2170 Re: New 997 as a highway tourer or am I nuts? [blckislandguy]
by habitat1
Feb 01, 2006 (6:23 am)
"I have read in Motor Trend (I know,...) that the full leather interior is almost a necessity."
Full leather looks very nice, but at $3,400, it doesn't "look" as nice as the $2,500 sport exhaust "sounds" in my opinion. I wonder if Motor Trend's opinion that it is almost a necessity was rendered on the old 996 interior rather than the new 997? When I was in the dealership, they tried to tempt me with a leftover 2005 911TT Cab (996) at a very hefty discount. But even with the full leather in that car, it was two rungs down the ladder from the interior of the 997, IMO. They need to sell the 996 Turbo to someone who hasn't seen the insides of a 997.
Other than the Nav, Bose and Heated Seats (mandatory for a Cab), most of my other options are performance oriented. You can really get carried away on the cosmetic options if you start checking everything like custom colors, painted this and leather that, etc. When I was considering a Boxster S late last summer instead of the 911, there was a 2006 GT Silver/Terracotta Full Leather one that was loaded up with other options for an MSRP of $76,000 +/- at an Ohio dealership. Cancelled custom order. It's still sitting there 5 months later, and I suspect will have to be sold at $5k+ under invoice (I was offered $2k under last September).
But wait, before I correctly get called on it, the major factor for my possible trade is to go from Seal Grey to Speed Yellow (using my daughters as an excuse). So I guess I shouldn't question anyone else's choice of cosmetic upgrades.
#476 of 2170 Re: 997 Turbo [clsclass]
by td2
Feb 01, 2006 (7:37 am)
I owned a 2004 996 turbo, I drive it for 2 years (5000+)miles a year and I never had a mechanical problem. The interior quality was horrible though, especially compared to the 997. I am sure that a 997 turbo will be bullet proof and fast, I have one on order. TD