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Great insight. Thanks. My wife is 6’0” and I am 6’2”. Room in back is tight but weekend dinner plans will definately include the P. As for weekend trips to inlaws ..... mostly BMW and maybe one weekend both if wife is ok with the 4 hour drive each way. They live in lake county FL, one of few places with nice curvy roads within 300 miles.
Great insight. Thanks. My wife is 6’0” and I am 6’2”. Room in back is tight but weekend dinner plans will definately include the P. As for weekend trips to inlaws ..... mostly BMW and maybe one weekend both if wife is ok with the 4 hour drive each way. They live in lake county FL, one of few places with nice curvy roads within 300 miles.
Cheers!
I'm 6'2" and my wife is 5'10" so we're in almost the same boat. I bought my 991.1 2 and a half years ago with the idea that my two kids could ride in the back. And they have, up until this spring, when my 12 year old son, who is 5'2" complained he can't fit any more. Now, mine is a cab, so that does make it less comfortable for sure. But the passenger footwell on the 991 isn't huge, and the way the dash comes down doesn't make it very feasible for the passenger to sit with their knees high, if you know what I mean. Not sure how big your kids are but don't plan on them being back there for too long. My daughter is about 4'5" and she JUST fits her little legs between the driver's seatback and the seat squab. It's tough as my car is a manual so I can't really move forward comfortably as I have to shift and I prefer to have my leg quite straight when I do, especially given how heavy the clutch is.
I cross shopped an M3 and a C63 as the "practical" alternatives to my 911 and ended up with the 911....and a daily beater. For Houston traffic, with a stick, it was too much for me to daily the car But in the end, there was just something "off" about the M3. I test drove numerous ones, and I understand the observations in your initial post. They matched my own. But the 911 is just...better.
As others have said, both great cars, just different. Are you asking the same question over on the BMW boards?
I pondered this same question for about 10 minutes ... 'cause I knew I really wanted a 911, as did my wife. Let us know what model and version 911 you end up with
If you don't need the backseats 911 all the way. The newer M cars are soulless and for me doesn't even come close to matching any Porsche in the joy to drive.
Well I have a 991.1 C4S manual and have absolutely loved it aside from having to get rid of some annoying rattles. Driving it in traffic is no big deal. I also have an older BMW M car that I enjoy, but the new BMWs just don't excite me that much anymore. I test drove a manual M5 before getting the 911 and am very happy with my choice. If you don't need the backseat I'd also suggest looking at a manual Porsche Cayman. Those are also really great and fun cars to drive.
Have F80 M3, 997 GT3, 991.2 RS, and a 2 week old Carrera T. I have a 12 and 10 year old who missed all driving in a 911. I missed stick and went for a T. So far I love it and will probably jettison the M3. If you must have 4 doors I cant imagine anything as fun as an M3 and basically easily tunable to over 550hp with just a tune.
Well I have a 991.1 C4S manual and have absolutely loved it...
I test drove a manual M5 before getting the 911 and am very happy with my choice. If you don't need the backseat I'd also suggest looking at a manual Porsche Cayman. Those are also really great and fun cars to drive.
I just traded in my 6-Spd Dinan Tuned F10 M5 for a 991.1 PDK C4S Cab and couldn’t be happier. Despite 693hp post tune the M5 was “fast” but completely sterile. 100mph was yawn inducing. Had to get into license revoking speeds to feel any emotion. The C4S is pure joy at any speed.
I just traded in my 6-Spd Dinan Tuned F10 M5 for a 991.1 PDK C4S Cab and couldn’t be happier. Despite 693hp post tune the M5 was “fast” but completely sterile. 100mph was yawn inducing. Had to get into license revoking speeds to feel any emotion. The C4S is pure joy at any speed.
Not quite on the same level as you but i had a e90 335i with ~500whp and it was boring, yes it could blow the tires off in any gear below 4th but the chassis was dull, floaty and boat like, I attempted to fix this with some aftermarket suspension, didnt help. I traded it for a MX5 with 130whp and it was 100 times more fun to drive. Im in a C4S now and as you said, pure joy at any speed.
Similar story just a year ahead of you. Picked up a 2016 C4S last summer with a PDK. The 400HP 6 string orchestra with PSE in back is dreamy. I could see how an MT would add an element of fun, its the only improvement I can think of. However don't underestimate the 911s daily utility. My daughter prefers to be taken to school in it. My family of 4 prefers to take it out for dinner (wife is actually ok in the back), I throw golf clubs in back for my weekend tee time. You can actually pack weeks worth of food in it. It will get you into plenty of trouble on highways and around B-Roads. About the only thing you can't do is haul Home Depot and put a bunch of plants (annuals) in it. Put snows on it and you've got what I think is the best winter ride next to maybe a snowmobile.
We have a BMW M340 and M550, meh. The M550 was mine and adding the C4S was supposed to be the "fast weekend toy", with an eye to some family utility. However, the M550 is gone in a few months and I'm not replacing. As you pointed out, M's are nice cars for family transport, the M340 and M550 a little more cozy for those sleepy highway drives, but 2 4-Door cars is silly once you figure out the 911. So the C4S elevates to daily and we will see how that works.
there is a major difference between an M340/M550 and an M3/M5. That isn’t a fair comparison. I have been a long time BMW guy and have owned M340s, M3s, M4s, M5s, M2s and currently have an M3CS. Also have a 991.2 TTS on order.
The 911s are phenomenal vehicles and a step above bmws, but they are also much more expensive (equally optioned). M cars are fantastic for what they are, a regular daily driver that can double as a weekend track car. As far as “soulless” and any other emotion someone might feel, that’s all subjective. I agree the M cars could be better, but that would mean they’d have to cost more.
Im currently leasing a 104k M3CS with 0 down for 900 a month. In no universe will you be able to lease any Porsche with that price tag for that much. Basically, it’s all preference.
I have both a 991.2 and a f8x m3. Very different cars and very different purposes, I love them both.
People complain that the current gen m3 has no soul. I can't say I agree, I have had 4 M cars, 3 generations of M3's and this one has plenty of personality- You have to learn to dance with it. Worst M car for me was the '16 X5M.
If you need 4 doors, M3 for sure. If I didn’t live in the NE, my daily would be a M3. But, if I’m comparing the M3 and 911, it’s no comparison, the 991.1 911 is better in every way, except not as fast. Watch a YouTube video Matt Farrah made about the 991.1 S. He describes it perfectly.
I have both a 991.2 and a f8x m3. Very different cars and very different purposes, I love them both.
People complain that the current gen m3 has no soul. I can't say I agree, I have had 4 M cars, 3 generations of M3's and this one has plenty of personality- You have to learn to dance with it. Worst M car for me was the '16 X5M.
wow. Blown away by this. Huge X5M fan. And I’ve heard they are amazing as a DD.
Anyone driven the M3CS yet? They are on sale and I may get one as a daily. I'm trading my Touring in because its too similar to my RS so going for something i can putz around in until the Targa GTS gets here
Exactly! I always thought it would be amazing to have a 4 door sedan that was faster than a sports car, but the car just didn't feel exciting to me. Unfortunately where I live I don't get up to high speeds very often. My older M car is a lot of fun even at lower speeds.
04-29-2019, 12:37 PM
