Originally Posted by switchface

IMO - most cars (of all makes) moving forward will continue to trend toward turbos/pdk, before eventually going hybrid/electric...so an analog/naturally aspirated/manual, will be a unicorn and a long-term keeper in my mind.

So, do you keep it minimal because its a GT car or spec everything you want knowing you'll have it a while? So far (warning: my mind may change) I'm going for lasting power. For example, while Sapphire Blue looks beautiful, I think white on a GT car is classic and I'll continue to love the color choice for many years. Another example, to me, all navigation looks completely outdated the minute it rolls off the line. I'd rather not spec it and just carry my iPhone 6+. Radio wise, sure I'd love a USB, but as long as I have an Aux port to plug in my iPhone, I think I can do without the fancy radio (besides, did you hear that exhaust note?!).

I am 100% speccing LWB and agree with the other posters that this is a must. Any Cayman R/Spyder that was for sale, the most commonly heard phrase was "ahh, its perfect, but if only it had sport buckets". I came close to buying one, but would only look for those with buckets. They are rare, desirable, surprisingly comfortable, and expensive to retrofit.

Interior leather related options are still what I need better clarification on. I don't want that half and half look either, and the stitched leather looks to cover most of the doors and dash. I really want better examples of what the 'extended' options actually cover to know whether this takes the interior up a discernible notch or is tacky overkill. This will be my only car/DD so I want the interior to be special without overdoing it.

Originally Posted by CAlexio

I can't imagine having a car I crave this much... and not speccing it exactly how I would like it... tough to leave the good stuff off.

Originally Posted by CAlexio

A few questions for those who have seen cayman's before and can comment

-What does screen look like without navigation? does the navigation show as one of the circles in the dash like on the 991?

-is stitching on steering column really black like on configurator regardless of what color is chosen elsewhere?

-can you tell the difference if you spec leather sun-visors?.. Is there any stitching on them?

-are there any lights attached to the rear view mirror?.. Asking BC my idea would be to buy an aftermarket mirror with integrated dimming and a compass and ditch the stock one.

Originally Posted by Crazy Eddie

I hear ya ... And your probably correct that the MT will be declining as a call for option in the future ... but for me, its a matter of enjoyment, so I want it not because of the resale, but the driving pleasure ... Don't get me wrong PDK is an amazing technology ... it's just not what I feel, connects me to the car properly. I also know little on the leather options, but I did check the leather option because I saw the 1/2 1/2 at the dealer and didn't like it. If and when, I get that call that everyone waiting for from the dealer ... then I will learn my options better.... On the sport buckets my brother has the Spyder and opted instead for the leather sport seat instead He is a bit bigger than me and a few yrs older so comfort was important ... He did track the Spyder but then opted to buy another car (GT3 ) for the track allowing him pass on the dual purpose roll of the Spyder. I don't have/want that option... So it will be a compromise. Finally, on the radio I agree the car sounds insane (The GTS sounded insane, I can only imagine what this one sounds like? I wish someone who knows could tell about the Stereo options and what they sound like ? Regards Ed

Originally Posted by Crazy Eddie

Looks amazing but those PCCB can be a real PITA

Originally Posted by CAlexio

aside from being delicate when removing/changing wheel, and wear too fast at the track... any other reasons?

Originally Posted by Crazy Eddie

Do a search on these on the 911 boards .. When they first came out they were a nightmare and were not covered under warranty (i.e a very expensive fix)
Also my nephew is a track junkie and a PCA instructor and told me most of the guys( those in the top run groups ) use the steel brakes ...

Originally Posted by CAlexio

yes, I know that track guys use steel... I was attracted to the larger rotors, less unsrung weight, no brake-dust and yes, I admit it.. yellow calipers. I'm wondering if on a lighter car with someone like me who does few track days if they might make sense.

Originally Posted by CAlexio

yes, I know that track guys use steel... I was attracted to the larger rotors, less unsrung weight, no brake-dust and yes, I admit it.. yellow calipers. I'm wondering if on a lighter car with someone like me who does few track days if they might make sense.

Originally Posted by pfbz

...Seems like optimum config's for the GT4 would be 'Extremely track worthy, street drivable with some compromises' rather than 'Daily driver I can take to one track day a year'. For the latter, the GTS seems like a better choice.

Not sure buying it for optimum resale is the goal, but if it was, I would guess optimum resale as % of original purchase = base + race seats + extinguisher. I'd probably do radio delete, but it seems like a better choice to take the stock radio and buy the blanking slots separately/remove it myself rather than just letting Porsche leave it out for no credit.

Of course if you look at current 997 GT3 manual transmission pricing, it might be a super-hot resale car regardless of the config you come up with if availability is as tight as rumored...

Originally Posted by golfnutintib

One of things about this board that makes me laugh and cringe at the same time is how much thought/focus is given to resale and whether a car will appreciate.

These are cars, people!!! They depreciate! They are expensive toys. If you are really into them, you will use them hard, and use them up, and pay pretty big money to keep using them.

The time spent on whether a 997.2 GT3 is 10 or 20 grand higher than you thought 3-4 years later is so immaterial... if that amount of $$ makes a real difference to you you have no business playing with cars of this cost and caliber. If you spent the same amount of time on your professional pursuits and qualifications, or real investments, you would be way ahead money-wise (if money is so important in the context of this passion and the expense it entails).

And if you think you will actually make money 'buying smart' in the world of modern Porsches and then reselling with a big profit after some time passes while you use the car, you REALLY need a financial advisor. Sheesh.

OK thank you - rant concluded. If you read just this, thank you in advance for indulging me...

Originally Posted by switchface

I've been playing with the configurator every day and have some questions/comments:

* I like the Anodized Black Brushed Aluminum Interior Package ($325), but thought I remember someone saying on other cars it only changes one part of the aluminum, thus leaving the car disjointed with two colors of aluminum. Can anyone confirm this?

* Luggage net in passenger footwell - what is the purpose of this? I'm thinking of speccing it, but am curious how people use this feature?

* Sports chrono package seems a waste...but man I like the look of that clock.

* The door pulls appear in black, yellow, and red...is this tied to the stitching of the interior or the seatbelt spec? I had yellow seat belts on my CS and they got dirty, so while I semi-want red belts, I want black door pulls.

* I'm having a hard time discerning the difference between full leather vs basic, not to mention the ancillary options thereafter. Anyone have real life examples of both in a 981?

* does anyone know if the either the standard or uprated headlights feature the '4 dot' DRLs or is that not an option on the 981 lights at all?