John S 211

All,

First --- thanks to all of the frequent posters here. I've been trolling the site for a few weeks while contemplating making the plunge to my first Porsche (long time BMW guy) and the information I've gleaned here has been incredibly valuable.

So --- ready to get moving. Would appreciate any advice you have to offer.

I am planning to order a C2S Cab with Manual Trans. My use will be as a daily driver except when we've got snow and ice all over the roads. Very rare track use --- mainly local roads and highways. It seems that the base S is pretty well equipped. I am not looking to walk this guy up to $150k, and am curious what you all think are important adders to the base configuration. I understand there is a ton of subjectivity around this, but would love to hear some of your opinions.

Nav991

Well, John, congrats on deciding to take the plunge.

My 7MT C2S should be arriving in a couple of weeks, and like you, I'll be using her for the daily drive.
Some track use, and spirited Sunday drives on the back roads....

I drove the C2S dealer demo with PDCC and PASM and felt a vast improvement over my M3. The sports chrono and PSE were a no-brainer, and I chose a few niceties to appeal to my inner geek and my wife (heated seats, Sport seat plus, Bose, Sport Steering wheel, Crest on headrests and 20" Carrera classic rims).

It's totally subjective, but I'd say go drive a dealer demo and see what you like...

fl0950

I too am close to ordering a MT C2S. Not sure about sport chrono with the MT. I don't care about launch control, which seems more relevant to PDK. Why order Sport Chrono?

race7117

I believe that sport chrono comes with the active engine mounts which many perceive as having benefits for transitioning from track car to cruiser.

Kelderek

Sport Chrono includes the following:

- Dynamic Engine Mounts
- Stopwatch
- SPORT PLUS button (sportier tuning of throttle response and systems such as PSM, PASM, PDCC and PTV Plus)
- Sports performance shift indicator on the TFT display in the instrument cluster (for manual gearbox)


With PDK you get the Launch Control as well, of course.

In my opinion, the real benefit is the Dynamic Engine Mounts.

aamersa

To the S, you just need to add PSE, Sport Chrono (but not necessarily with MT, a must with PDK), sport design steering and full leather. That should keep you under 120K.

tgcrun

I wanted to be under $118,000 and was able to build a Cab that works for me. I'll use it as a daily driver and fun weekend car. Will it see a track? Maybe someday, but when it does I won't be trying to set any records. Anyway, I didn't go with any "performance" options (figuring getting an S was one big performance option), and stuck with a few "comfort" options - the major ones being full leather and the premium package. If I had a higher budget, I'd probably add PSE and SC (I wouldn't do one without the other) followed PDCC and then Burmester.

msh26

aamersa nailed it with the core necessities except maybe heated seats.

Carrera GT

Mandatory is the "Plus" steering.
I wouldn't pay for the "Premium Plus" just to get Entry-Drive, but I think the new key (using a Panamera silhouette ... fark me ...) is just disgusting and painful to use ... and it's the first thing you experience when using the car ... really a total fail.

I like PSE, but a Sharkwerks will suffice and half the cost. (Symposer is debatable and "artificial" in my subjective.)

The 991 sounds better than the 997.2, windows open (to defeat the symposer) and the "non-contrived" exhaust and intake sound are "getting there" ... still nothing compared to any 993 let alone "Sport Exhaust" 993 or 964.

Sport suspension is harsh and a jittery/nervous, not for anyone wanting NVH and ride comfort.

Bose is minimum for audio (still crap, speakers are junk and have to go.)

Heated/vented Sport Plus seats are very good, wouldn't pay for the *** seats, but I'd contemplate entry-drive next time, so convincing Porsche to unbundle the premium plus would help.

Carrera S wheels are least boring of current wheel designs, actually quite appealing to me.

Full leather helps the cabin a lot, but expensive for what it is.

Folding mirrors are silly and irrelevant unless you live in a dense city like SF where it might help.

Standard headlights are "night into day" so I wouldn't pay for optionals.

Standard "painted silver" cabin trim is gawd awful, but I wouldn't pay for faux carbon or "piano black" premium (better to get something done aftermarket and experiment with a personal design.

Parkassist F+R is great and rear visibility is zero, so I imagine this will pay for itself instead of the first bumper scrape.

If the car is a daily driver, the multi-function steering wheel is well worth it.

The most recent channel line-up "consolidation" of Sirius XM makes it nearly useless for me (they've compressed all the NPR content into one channel and the rest of the content is for morons and people not willing to compile their own music selections ... iPod control is state-of-the-art 1990's "play/next/stop" ... sheesh)

PCCB is useless, pad dust is the same steel vs ceramic, appearance and performance are the same, cost is ridiculous and the rotors won't stand up to the track.

So far, PDCC is imperceptible and feels "wiggly" when it does come into play. Sport PASM is too stiff for crappy California roads, jittery on any bad roads, nervous and wobbly at the limit through the turns at the limit. If anything a 997.2 is easier to drive as it approaches traction limits and the 991 is garbled and confused. I'll need a lot more seat time to figure out what the hell this car is doing at 8/10ths before I venture further.

Free factory delivery would be great, pity they withheld that for early buyers ... charming.

For Cabrio driver not needing 2+2, I'd wait and see what comes with the Boxster ... could be the driver's choice for topless Porsches.

All that said, price no object, the 991 is more fun to drive than the 997 Carrera but has nothing (nothing) to offer to the 997 GT3 driver and the 997 RS driver will relegate this car to the "excellent daily driver" position.

As someone that considers the 997.2 Cabrio one of the all time perfect all round driving 911's, I think the 991 raises the bar higher already and that's before I really figure out how to drive with the electronics (the old stuff in the transmission and stability, and the new stuff in the steering and throttle) and learn the handling. All I've done in the first 500 miles is get the alignment done (front toe out a smidge, -1.3 camber, rear stock spec because PDCC wants very little rear camber and I don't know what it wants for toe) and zero cross caster. This went a long, long way to "livening up" the steering response. Still, the steering is abominable, heavy and dead. I can only hope the "plus" steering is somewhat less egregious. At least somewhat.