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replacing the "irreplaceable" would be a futile endeavor for me. no way would i ever do what you're contemplating here.
how often do you need to schlep the kids around? doesn't sound like it's too often if they've grown out of the 911 since the last time the went for a ride. i get that driving a minivan is borderline sacrilege and i wouldn't wish it on anyone.... but if it's only once in a while AND allows you to keep your 911??.....bring on the minivan imho!! =) (full disclosure...i've never driven a minivan and hope to keep it that way)
if you can't do the minivan thing once in a while or need to drive the kids more often, i'd buy any pre-owned/inexpensive/tolerable sedan i could (MT or not) as a dedicated "kids ride" and keep the 911. especially since your options are so limited in finding something that meets your criteria and puts a smile on your face.
just a thought/my 2 cents.
With the school year starting up, we're going out together more often than before. Prior to last week, I would usually only have one of the kids with me so never realized the back-seat issue since shotgun was always available. I have two 911s right now. If one was to go, it would need to be the one that I drive less frequently; the 991.
With the school year starting up, we're going out together more often than before. Prior to last week, I would usually only have one of the kids with me so never realized the back-seat issue since shotgun was always available. I have two 911s right now. If one was to go, it would need to be the one that I drive less frequently; the 991.
well that changes everything. didn't know you had two!!.
all the sympathy i had for you is now gone!! LOL
ignore my uninformed 2 cents and please do carry on......
well that changes everything. didn't know you had two!!.
all the sympathy i had for you is now gone!! LOL
ignore my uninformed 2 cents and please do carry on......
Ha!
I feel super fortunate to have the last air-cooled and last NA Carrera in my garage. However, I'm a driver and not a collector so it just doesn't feel right if I have two cars sitting idle while I hop around town in a minivan.
Going to be hard pressed to find a manual 4 door, or comfortable 4 seater. If you can get beyond the nose, the new M3 should be a fantastic car. Like someone else that mentioned, the new CT4-V Blackwing could be an option. E39 is nice, but I would rather go with an E90 M3, that’s just me. Or, hold on to your 911, few more years will fly by and you’ll wish you still had your 991.1 GTS.
Thanks for all the responses and suggestions. Since I'm not in a rush to replace the 991 just yet, I have a great list of cars I need to test drive.
1. BMW E39 M5
2. Audi RS
3. Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing
I'm leaning towards the older cars that have less technical assistance (automatic transmission, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, etc). If I decide to get a car with the newest tech, I may just go with an EV.
Thanks, @Jack F, for the suggestion. I'm not too familiar with Audis, so I'll definitely take a look at their offerings. I guess I'll need to look for an older model since I don't see a way to build one of their cars with a manual transmission. I realize I need to step away from my BMW and Porsche bias and explore other manufacturers.
Best,
--
J
Agree with jack. I never thought I would buy a car that wasn’t a Porsche until I had a family and came to Europe a few years ago and rented one for the mountains in Italy — so fun to drive (I don’t drive fast with my kids in the car). One massive advantage is that almost all of your Porsche knowledge will directly transfer to the Audi platform making the learning curve virtually nonexistent. Sunset Porsche also sells Audi parts so you can still get cheap OE parts from a reputable high volume dealer effortlessly.
As someone trying to balance seat time between an E39 991.2T and E30 who doesn't really need the back seat, the E39 is the last one I would give up. They're all MT and unmodified.
I think the ship has sailed on locking up desirable NA BMWs at reasonable prices so I'd shoehorn the kids into the ones you have until they can drive themselves in the minivan.
Spoiler alert - the e39 m5 is probably the most overhyped sports sedan ever. It drives like a boat and is 20yrs old now ... which is to say most of them are worn out even with lowish to moderate mileage. I owned a very nice '03 M5 several years back and after a 911 GTS, I wouldn't even waste my time with it but I guess there is only one way to find out if you'll like it.
Not sure if you need brand new or not but the Cadillac ATS-V is great. TT V6 467hp, can be tuned to a lot more. Looks amazing. Available in manual trans, 4door or 2door. Looks like there's 8 4dr manuals available county-wide.
Keep the 911, keep the minivan, it's just the progression of life. Kids get bigger, they eventually move out. The 911 was never a family vehicle anyway. The +2 in the back was just to make us think we could use it for passengers in back. The minivan for family hauling, and the 911 for you a/o your spouse brisk drives when not with kids. There is not going to be any 4 to 5 passenger "sport" vehicle that will feel like a 911 and do you really want to be driving a bloated family vehicle like you would a 911?