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I've been back and forth about keeping our 2013 Boxster S, doing a deal for a 2015 Boxster GTS, checking out 991 C4s locally in Seattle (decided "no"), etc. We had a deal in place with Rancho Mirage on a EU delivery BGTS but I just couldn't reconcile the depreciation hit on a new car and now I finally got over my late-life-indecision-crisis when an absolutely killer deal came up on an absolutely killer 2012.5 991 C2s cabriolet launch vehicle.
Saturday I leave from Seattle for Rancho Mirage to "take our Boxster back to its home" and turn around and come back in a 25K mile CPO C2s Cab (build below). A nice little 2500 mile turn-around road trip; unfortunately no time for side trips on some great roads.
I will miss the tossability of the 981, but I will like the extra power of the 991. We plan to take many extended road trips once I retire in the not-too-distant future and the more GT-like 911 finally got the best of me. As for tossing about - now I have a really great reason to do some driver ed sessions so I can get the most out of the 991.
Here are the details:
Launch vehicle
Platinum Silver Metallic (just a shade darker than GT Silver)
Black full leather
PDK
Premium Package Plus
Multifunction wheel (not my first choice but may add Techart paddles if I really miss the paddles)
Heated steering wheel
20" Carrera Classic Wheels w/colored caps
Smoking Pkg
Park Assist Front and Rear (a must for a cabrio IMHO)
Power steering plus (I know, I know - but we had it on the BS and never noticed an impact on steering at speed)
Burmester (yaaah! I'm one of them there audiophile types)
Folding mirrors
No PSE but will add it at the local dealer next week. Tires are P-Zeros with about 3K miles and the car is CPO'd until 4/18; single owner (Beverly Hills), purchased not leased, and traded on a new Porsche at Rancho Mirage (I highly recommend Scott Py at the dealership and they really know how to do remote deals/delivery). Great trade in on the BS (very high Mannheim) and a really aggressive price on the car (below all current market values). They got the 911 in last Sunday and I'll be driving it off the lot next Monday.
My thanks to so many Rennlisters for providing a lot of great information (and some interesting debates). This forum really helped me reach a decision and I couldn't be happier. ROAD TRIP!!!
Merry Christmas Everyone!
gordon
Platinum Silver Metallic, Carrera Classics, no chips!
Black full leather, need to learn to live without paddles
Last edited by beaverlake; 12-29-2014 at 04:08 PM.
Reason: spelling, clarity
Go to pnwr.org and sign up for Driver Skills. http://pnwr.org/Track/driver_skills/default.asp This is BY FAR the best time you'll spend in your new 991. While you're out there, they run autocross at the other end of the same track. So you'll naturally progress into autocrosss, which after Driver Skills is BY FAR the best time you'll spend in your new 991!
How do I know? Because for half a dozen years I ran Driver Skills and was an Autocross and Driver Ed Instructor. As such I saw first hand how people drive when they come in off the street (cue Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now, "the horror. The horror.") to how they drive after doing Driver Skills a couple times (cue the farmer in Babe, "that'll do.") to after a season or two of autocross (Eric Cartman, "sweet!").
While you're at pnwr check out the Tours. Tours are fun. Hardly anyone there has any real driving experience. So as you progress from "the horror" to "sweet" you can see first hand on any Tour the horror you (hopefully, some day) left behind.
Left Saturday to deliver the Boxster S to Rancho Mirage Porsche and drove about 630 miles each day with an overnight in Red Bluff, CA. Rained most of the first day. Arrived Rancho Mirage mid-afternoon Sunday.
The new-to-us 911s cab was a trade to RM on a new 911 and they did that deal on Sunday Dec 20. We didn't get serious until Tuesday and did the deal on Weds. Having checked with our local dealer yesterday about normal CPO service check turnaround time (2 weeks) - that left very little time for RM to do all the CPO testing. They got it done except for some cosmetic stuff that I'll take care of here and for which they will reimburse me. The car never made it to their "lot", the web site, etc. because it was a 1-week turnaround for which both Rancho Mirage and I benefited. That's why kayjh didn't see the car (it is a cab).
We had a lot of unforseen delays on Monday resulting in a very late departure from an out-of-state delivery proscess in Blythe AZ. I made it to Fresno before deciding to pack it in. That left 940 miles for Tuesday - which I did in just over 14 hours with a bit of muscle discomfort in my butt and thighs but all in all a good ride.
Notes on the two cars:
1. The 2013 Boxster S, even when on a long highway drive does feel more "tossable" and limber; the 991 more solid, powerful and stable
2. The 991 is more quiet cruising - even considering road/tire noise transmission (Pilot Super Sports on the 981 and P-0s on the 991 with about 9K miles of tread left).
3. Not surprisingly, the 991 had more "butt dyno" feel when accelerating, much more punch like my 2011 550i had although obviously in a higher rev band.
4. The BS had the Agate/Pebble interior, the 991 black leather; even so, the 991 cabin didn't feel smaller; the "sense of space" created by the back seats somehow creates a feeling of a larger cabin even though you can't see back there. Maybe it's because when you look through the rearview mirror the window is farther back than the Boxster.
5. The 991 rear window is a slit compared to the Boxster; the BS had better rear visibility
6. The "back seat windows" in the 911 cab totally eliminate the huge blind spot that exists in the BS that is created by the convertible top. The difference is quite noticeable when doing the additional over-the-shoulder check when changing lanes (yes, I know how to adjust my outside mirrors, I've been instructing others for years and years). I think that extra glass also helps the 911 interior space feeling by providing extra daylight in the cabin.
7. Not surprisingly, the exhaust note in the cabin is totally different in the two cars (PSE off in the BS; the 911 won't get PSE for a couple more weeks).
8. Parked side-by-side the BS looked bigger than the 911; I was surprised.
9 Doing some driving around last night looking at Christmas lights on houses I noticed that even at neighborhood speeds the 911 had more acceleration "grunt" in normal mode than the BS. Again, this shouldn't be a surprise but for me it was good to notice since gaining that was a reason for "trading up".
10. The very noticable power increase at about 4800rpm on the 911s is much, much more apparent than the power bump in the BS when accelerating at higher rpms (again, not a surprise, just a welcomed change).
I didn't have time or weather conditions to do any spirited twisty driving in either car on this trip so I can't comment on the differences in that regard but I am planning on doing one or two DE days in the 911 if for no other reason to rid myself of the "forum induced fear" of the azz end of the 911 coming around (even if the 991's are significantly different in that regard).
My wife isn't a gear-head and she loved the Boxster, but she's already made several positive comments on the 911. Although I think I'll give auto-cross a try in 2015 the primary use for any Porsche is "spirited" touring: for now weekends with the PCA/PNWR and after I retire 1-4 or 5 week road trips. Although I'll miss the second trunk, I already have one 14-hour day in the 911 that tells me we made the right choice and we still have a car that can I can "toss" once I learn the proper, safe way to do so.
The 991 rear window is a slit compared to the Boxster; the BS had better rear visibility
Are you certain about that? The 981 BS has about the worse rear visibility of any car that I have ever driven.
Ya know Fast - you just might be right. The direct view out the rear window is definitely smaller and more challenging, but overall rear visibility including backing (with the passenger mirror tilt) and most important changing lanes is, in fact, much better. With the extra glass from the rear side windows I can see much better changing lanes and there is improved visibility when backing out of parking spaces.
Thanks for the poke - I stand corrected. Maybe size doesn't matter? (as in the size of the vertical "opening" of the Boxster rear window...)
The 991 rear window is a slit compared to the Boxster; the BS had better rear visibility
Are you certain about that? The 981 BS has about the worse rear visibility of any car that I have ever driven.
It's actually quite good if you remove the windblocker or replace it with a clear one, and crank the (14-way) seat height up as high as it will go.
I must look ridiculous driving around with my head almost touching the roof, and the track guys would laugh out loud, but I consider 360-degree visibility more important than just about anything else and this is the only way I can achieve it. The biggest drawback for me is that I can't see the top of the tachometer, adding to the general impression of some moron driving around with his seat too high and his turn signal on.
Noah - the secret to tach visibility is to raise the steering wheel up so high that your are looking through the wheel. Of course it does feel like you're driving with your hands up over your head but the visibility of both the tach and the road are pretty good!
12-18-2014, 08:50 PM
Good Bye 981 - Hello 991
