Edgy01

One more thing for a trek cross-country, take the issue of the Porsche Panorama (PCA) that has the POCs for the various regions. If you get into trouble somewhere they will be invaluable to get you back on the road. In a cross-country emergency, dial 9-1-1 !

Loaded

Yup thats what I figured im pretty good at keeping it cycled from my days of my 70 road runner

der Mond

I had disc surgery in 2001 and in 2004 drove my newly bought '87 from Chicago to Fairbanks, Alaska in marathon fashion. No back pain. The seats are like the old Brooks bicycle saddles, once those babies took a liking to the shape of your behind you were always in comfort. I have a longer tour planned for the spring. Read and research and get to know the achilles heels of each model you are interested in so you can ask if the requisite fixes and upgrades have been done.

VGM911

I drive about 30K per year, and the four most important "features" of a car that contribute to its "touring suitability" are: 1) comfortable seats, 2) a quiet interior, 3) air-conditioning, and 4) a compliant suspension.

I drove my 912E on a 400 mile round-trip during a particularly hot part of this summer, and without air-conditioning, I was miserable. As for noise...tires, wind buffeting around the windows and side mirrors, and a convertible top can conspire to create a noisy, exhausting trip. For me, a coupe provides a quieter, more pleasant environment (and less stress) than a cabriolet, even with the top up.

I've toured in a Boxster (nice padded top, by the way) and a BMW Z3....they're great cars, but for long distances and some serious high-speed driving, I'll take a coupe - particularly my 996.

So what's my choice for the ultimate competetent touring car? A BMW 3 Series sedan.

Daniel Dudley

Late 90s M3s are nice. OTOH, my 951 has AC like a meat locker.

Ed Hughes

The 928 is the ULTIMATE Porsche touring car, which is what you asked about. If you want to drive distance in comfort, and have A/C that blows cold, a defroster that defrosts, the 911 would be in 2nd place. The 928 is a Porsche, if it was/is maintained, it is a very dependable car. Mine is rock-solid.

Now, if you want to talk about the best track car, the answer is 911.

ked

on BMWs: a 5 is a better interstate cruiser than a 3, a 7 is better than a 5...
the 928 is definitely NOT a better long distance cruiser than a new 911, perhaps not even better than any 911 built since the 928 was dropped.
General comfort for long cruises? proper alignment & tire balance, supportive seat, hvac appropriate for the conditions, sound-attenuating earplugs, hydration, good sunglasses... Of course, all this is my opinion and about my taste - your comfort isn't too important to me on my trips.

Ed Hughes

[QUOTE=ked]
the 928 is definitely NOT a better long distance cruiser than a new 911, perhaps not even better than any 911 built since the 928 was dropped.
QUOTE]

First of all, that wasn't the question. Read the original post.

Secondly, while I've not driven or ridden in a 997, there is no other 911 made since the 928 was discontinued that is a better long distance cruiser than a 928. The mission of the 911 was to be a sports car, the mission of a 928 was to be the ultimate GT car.

I'm not sure how many 928's you've been in or driven? I love my 911, but it's the car to drive when I want to have a fun drive, or go to the track. If I have to drive somewhere, the 928 excels. I've driven and ridden in numerous 911's, 964's and 993's. They are phenominal cars. But, they don't beat the ol' shark for long cruises:

A. Torque
B. Balance
C. Room (width)
D. Weight
E. Automatic (this coupled with the Torque listed above=Can't beat on highway)
F. Dual A/C
G. Fold down rear seats and hatchback=Luggage space

ked

so you say, Ed. I bore easily on long drives - it's just me (read my post)...

Ed Hughes

I understand, so do I. Drove 1100 miles in one day, about 13 1/2 hours with 3 fuel stops and a couple of food stops. When I got bored driving thru AZ, NM & W. TX, this was my formula for survival (along with Sirius)
Just run punch it (automatic, remember) until you hit the kickdown switch. Keep the right foot planted, it'll shift in to 4th somewhere between 140 and 144, keep her punched until 165 or so....that'll get the blood pumping.

SeanR

Me thinks Ked has never driven or ridden in a 928. Otherwise he would not have mentioned the HVAC (great A/C...Heat), or the seats (more supportive), or the, ear plugs(lost on me). I'd be happy to supply a case of h2o for the trip he can take in mine....hell, i'd give him some sun specs to take the drive in. All of which would be better ride than any nine-one-one built before 1994.(have not driven any post '95) But you really can't reason with the back end guys, such closed minds and all.

joey c

just for touring, a 993 cab

ked

SeanR, youthinks wrong - driven & riden in enough (including highly modified variants) to form my opinion. {I like the 928, but it simply isn't the Sports / GT that I want to invest in, or the long distance ride that appeals to me... taste is idiosyncratic. I note that P911fan began this thread w/ "looking to buy a 911..."} You just gotta accept that one person's definition of comfort may not be another's. Actually, you don't have to accept anything - just as I don't find the 928 the be-all, end-all Porsche long distance comfort sled. My reasoning is my own, thanks - you just might try to open your mind to that. My points about HVAC & etc relate to the basis for establishing MY OWN comfort in any car I drive long distance. I have found noise floor & fluid replacement to be the biggest issues impacting my physical comfort on long driving stints (+ 500 mi). As it bears repeating, YMMV, and that's fine w/ me.

I've found in discussions where a poster asks for an opinion, that there is a tendancy for some to insist that the opinion they offer is THE ONE & ONLY TRUTH... I'm afraid I don't get that. I try to describe (often poorly, it seems) my experience and actions that the poster might find relevant - a description, sometimes a prescription, but not a command.

Now, everyone get in their Porsche (or Porsches) of choice and have a nice, comfortable drive.
Yrs trly,
a comfortable back-ender

ps: Ed, great solution for boredom! I get a similar effect when I upshift my '65 SC to 4th at 75 mph.
pps: p911fan, welcome to the fun & exciting world of RL!

Ed Hughes

Nice sermon Ked. But this was the statement that got me going, sounds like your insisting it as the ONE & ONLY TRUTH, I responded.

Again, his original post states 87-89, and goes up to "maybe" a 994. Nothing brought up about new 911's.

Mike Murphy

I would have to agree with this statement, since Porsche specifically designed the 928 for this purpose.