gnat

You sound like us. 958, 996, e90 plus occasional visits from rusty e30s

vbb

I'm going to revive this older thread because believe it or not, I'm still torn... but with a twist. I sold my 997.2 C2 and bought a 997.1TT. A little crazy? Maybe. But worth it. My goodness, what a car!

That said, one of the major factors that caused me to consider the switch from my 997.2 and truck to consolidate in to one car (the Cayenne) still looms. While I still enjoy the best of both worlds aspect of having two purpose-built cars, I'm also frequently bothered by the fact that this is just so fiscally irresponsible of me, particularly as I constantly ponder a career switch to get out of the rat race and take a lower paying, but more satisfying job.

The plan would be to essentially swap my 08 997.1TT for a '12-'14 Cayenne GTS (yeah, I'm still pretty much sold on the GTS over the Turbo or S variant) and ditch my daily driver ('15 Tundra). I own the Porsche outright but am leasing the truck, so this would be my attempt at being a little more fiscally responsible if I do make the career jump. I figure the Cayenne will never be a 911, but at least I get to stay with Porsche and have something that has the utility I'd need/want in a daily driver.

malahhaor

Im actually still looking for a Cayenne as well... sold the 997.1 and got in to a BMW..... although a nice car... greatly regretting that decision. Just not me...
I test drove 13 GTS and 11 Turbo and can not make up my mind. test drive is just not enough time. That's how i made a mistake of getting a BMW which i begged dealer to take back and let me buy something else 3 days after i got it.
I want something that's more responsive and sportier/fun to drive, which is what i read about GTS but 4.4 0-60 on CTT is mighty enticing....
On a test drive i just could barely tell the difference in suspension setup and major power of turbo. but responsiveness of transmission and cornering and stop and go differences still eludes me. Need to drive them more i guess..

vbb

I know the CTT has more power than the GTS, but my 997TT has way more power than my previous 997 C2 and I can tell you, for 90% of the driving I do, that extra power goes unnoticed. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely more fun when you get to use it, but it isn't something that you get to use very often. My reasoning on the GTS over the CTT is that I actually like the stance and look of the GTS more and love the sound. Even money, I'd probably take a CTT over a GTS, but they're not even money.

Marv

I like both my cars, but they are different.

One hauls stuff.

While the other hauls @ss.

malahhaor

I am crazy how the GTS looks in white, but i cant find one in my area and turbos are cheaper than GTS around here (2011/2012).
There is a black 2012 turbo with cognac interior with a year of certified warranty. I'm thinking of taking another test drive and see how it feels.

Anyone can tell me if GTS (other than stiffer suspension) feel more responsive/sporty than turbo? Engine, transmission, steering? I drove both but very short time and not enough to tell what it would be like as DD.
I can tell turbo has a little lag, but with a tune and small exhaust work i can fix some of that.

Porsche 25th

100% agreement here. Last couple iterations:
955S -> 958
997TT -> 991C4S -> 991TTS

I love having a fast car AND a the sportiest SUV on the market for the "larger" loads.

aljus

Recently traded my 2012 991 c2 for a 2014 991 c2s cab. and still have my 958 GTS. Before I did the trade I always thought to myself if I ever had to get rid of one, it would be the c2. But now it is a whole different story....The 958 GTS is an an awesome SUV. , the power, the looks, the sound, the black alcantara interior is very classy. In my opinion the na engine of the GTS is superior to a turbo engine because of the smooth power output that the turbo doesn't have (turbo lag however so slight ). so if you have to own a practical porsche I highly recommend a newer model GTS.

ScootCherHienie

I owned a 911 SC Targa for 25 years. Then 10 Porsche-less years. Wife demanded next vehicle be an SUV. Cayenne not even on the radar because so few come up for sale. But dealer we went to to look at something else happened to have a Cayenne. When you compare it to other SUVs, even BMWs, it has the same degree of appeal over thoaw other SUVs as a 911 has over small sedans/coupes and less sophisticated sports cars. It's no one thing, but the Cayenne doesn't feel like ANY other SUV, especially when you push it a little. It has surprising and addictive levels of grip for something so tall and heavy. 2-lane roads in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains are incredibly entertaining in the Cayenne and I drove the 911 on many of those same roads. I thought I was going to have to endure 5 or more years of owning a boring SUV appliance rather than something that's entertaining to drive even though it's not a 911. I feel like the Cayenne saved me from years of having to live with an average SUV. Only 2 SUVs we test drove (at least 15 vehicles) made our neutral-face change. A BMW M5 4.8 made us smile. The Cayenne made us laugh out loud-because of what it did and how much it embarassed all the other SUVs except the BMW and it still bested the BMW in overall feel. No contest. Cost of ownership isn't likely to match Infiniti/Lexus/Acura levels so it's not for someone trying to minimize post-purchase costs but I figure if it ends up costing more than other SUVs, it's worth it for not being trapped in a boring transportation appliance.

vbb

The overwhelming response seems to be that no matter how awesome the Cayenne is, it is still and SUV. This of course is expected, but it also is what has kept giving me pause. If I have to have a single vehicle, then it has to have seating for 5 and some utility as well, and I just don't think it gets any better than a Cayenne (GTS or even TT, depending on needs). That said, I'm probably being a bit foolish if I think I'm going to somehow never miss my 911 by getting a Cayenne, so before I make the full commitment, I think I have to be completely ready to just give the sports car world up and I'm not quiiiiite there yet.

high_rpm

I've owned Porsches off and on for 26 years now. First a 944, then several air cooled 911s and one Boxster. Back when I used to race, I had each of these cars on track. I sold the Boxster a little while after my kids were born and I've been in between Porsches until this year.

I don't know why I never looked seriously at the Cayennes before this year. I finally bought one, and it's very nice! It feels more like a Porsche than any other SUV I've ever driven. It handles well and the V8 sounds powerful. It's not as sharp as a 911 maybe, but to me any car is a disappointment after being in a 911. You know, the whole top-of-the-mountain thing. But, the Cayenne is close enough considering that I need to haul three kids around.

To me this feels like home. I'll get a 911 again when the kids are bigger.

mclaudio

I'm on my third Cayenne (currently an 09 GTS) as a DD. I've also owned every generation of 911 except 997 and 991, which interestingly coincides with the introduction of the Cayenne. I did have a Cayman in between Cayennes.

The Cayenne is such a versatile Porsche. While it doesn't defy the laws of physics and the 911's lighter weight still trumps it in handling, its combination of handling, speed, luxury, space (seating, trunk), towing, off-road capability is unmatched by the 911. I find the Cayenne more fun as I can share its capabilities with friends and family more often. Its lower handling limits is actually very adequate for US roads and reaching its limits at lower speeds makes it more fun to drive.

I do test drive various Porsches when I can. I've considered and driven newer Cayennes (Turbo, diesel, GTS), a Panamera, 991 and even a Macan; I've even considered older Porsches. A newer NA Cayenne GTS (or Panamera Estate?) may be my next street driver. However, I have this notion that I may want to do some off-roading at some point, so the old transfer case Cayenne may stay a while longer.

Having said all this, I think that owning a Cayenne and not having a street sports car like a 911 has worked well as I have had at least one race/track car along with the Cayenne. For the times that I feel the need for a more visceral, faster, better handling ride, I have other outlets.

Bottom line, I don't miss having a street 911 but I think this is because of the combination of the Cayenne's versatility paired with a more bespoke race car or two.

altonj

On my second Cayenne Turbo. This one is a 2011 car, and we like it very much. Have a few other P-cars and have owned just about every model and year range of 911.

Daily driving I will take the Cayenne every time. But, if you want to go for a blast around or drive, then the 911s are more "fun".

Cheers

pu911rsr

I've owned a ton of air cooled 911, love em but never used one as a daily driver. I bought a 2006 TTS a couple years back, been a great vehicle for all around use. Great for an SUV but it's no sport car. My wife has a Macan S - really great to drive, incredible handling for what it is but pretty small for anything more than two people. I recently purchased a Golf R as a DD - so far I'm impressed - really fun to drive but it is certainly no Porsche. I personally like wagons as they drive like a car but have way more utility than a sedan but it's been a while since anybody made an AWD wagon worth owning.
Phil

termite01

I have also owned a half dozen air cooled 911s and used all as year round daily drivers [including a '79 930 which had a prodigious thirst for premium and a small gas tank] and am on my second Cayenne. First was a '09 GTS and now a 2011 Turbo. The CTT might be the fastest car that I have ever owned [out of about 80 cars by now] and is a delight as a daily driver. Sure, it is no modern 911, but it is truly, absolutely, and amazingly quick for its bulk and I don't have to fold up to fit in it every day when I get off of the train. Admittedly, I am feeling my well-spent youth a bit more than I used to, but the CTT is far more comfortable than a 911 and 9/10's the driving pleasure in everyday use...