Chiboy

As my eyes wander from the 2014 Cayman S to 911s, and I get caught up in how nice the 991 is, my budget starts getting higher and higher. I doubt any of you have ever been there, but that's where I am. ;-)

So, as previously posted, I am looking for a base 991, not heavily optioned, that I can fit in my ever expanding budget. This means either a lightly optioned used 991, or maybe, possibly, a leftover new 991. Or even a custom build this winter for spring delivery of a 991 with what I consider only the essentials.

Living in Chicagoland, I need heated seats. And I want a good stereo. And I thankfully, from a budget perspective, prefer a manual. Are there any other "must have" options? I might go for a glass roof as well. I probably am willing to live without carbon fiber ash trays and red seat belts. ;-) And I won't be tracking the car. Opinions?

ny991

Go C2S with PSE and 2012 or 2013 used! You will not regret it! If you can swing a new C2S then do that with those as a minimum.

chuckbdc

The base comes with 19s and all weather rubber. Get PSE for the pure fun of it, heated seats and a heated steering wheel and you are set for Chicago and for lots of fun. Anything else is pure gravy.

Porsche makes running changes and I do not think there is any difference between 13s and 14s, so if you can get a "leftover" deal, grab it.

The S comes with a lot of extras in addition to the 3.8 and all that good torque. For you however, the downside would 20s and summer tires- which may need replacing for Chicago winters. The base 19s look just fine and replacement tires cost less.

barihunk

Nothing beats your own custom config. I don't think it's essential to get the S at all. I have to respectfully disagree with the "go S or go home" folks. Save the 15k or so and take a nice vacation or something. Which isn't to say the S is a bad car, but I see where you're coming from (Cayman S to 911) and one shouldn't be caught in the perpetual upsell, which Porsche is expert at.

Get the car you want, and order it that way.


That said, IMHO the only "essential" option is premium package, for the (heated) seats and headlights and the sport design wheel (I've disliked the standard wheels on P-Cars for many years). Perhaps consider sport chrono if you like rev-matched shifts in Sports+ (you wanted manual right). You'll miss some of the nicer options once in a while, but you can be satisfied that you've got the best bang for the buck, and resale is likely to be better compared to a heavily optioned base car.

Just my 2c

barihunk

IIRC The Goodyear F1s are summer tires. They do sell OEM 19s with winter rubber though.

meine911

If you want to manage your budget and get a great car, go with the base 991, MT, PSE, base sound system (since engine sound is dominant anyway), no sunroof (unless a must for you), nice wheels. Look forward to hearing where you end up.

pyramid

Interior in leather is the bare minimum.

meine911

About $90K with premium package (heated seats, etc.).

spourreza

Ha. My buddy and I just raced an S and base at the Speedway in NJ and he couldn't tell which was the S and which one was the Base. It was even tough for me which is why I opted for base. So agree with you. Go with Base, PDK, multi steering and heated seats. Done

10 GT3

My $.02, either spend the extra for the S; or get a Boxster S or Coxster S instead. To be honest, given the read above you should really be looking at the 981 S models. They are now equal in performance with the base Carrera models while costing over $20k less. I personally don't see a reason for the Base Carrera model to exist given the complete lack of performance advantage.

BTW, unless you order it yourself you won't find one that isn't heavily optioned. Out of my 3 local dealers, the lowest stickered base Carrera is $99K; and it is the only one any of them have below 6 figures. Also, if you want a clutch pedal you will also most likely need to order. Most dealers no longer spec manual cars anymore unless it is a customer order.

One last thing to consider, you may be able to get a remaining 997.2 S model for a bargain price or look at a CPO. One of my coworkers was looking to trade his 09' C2S in on a new 991S. Prices of all the cars were so high, he instead bought a remaining brand new 997.2 Turbo Cab for $20K off; actually less than any new C2S Cab on the lot.

Chiboy

Thanks for the advice so far! I must say that an S with PSE is definitely over my head, money wise. Also, I've had winter wheels with snows for every sporty car I've had, and can't imagine that all season 19s would be adequate in the winter. I'd love to not have to buy and store a second set of wheels, not to mention mounting and dismounting them every year, but will be unconvinced unless there is a really loud chorus here saying otherwise.

E36325is

For me will be PTV, otherwise will be an open diff. PSE can be retrofitted at a later stage.

ColoradoCayenne

Chiboy,

I haven't optioned a Cayman S, but I have driven one (a 2013) and it was a really fun car. Based on you budget, can you get everything you want in the Cayman now, and then find a nicely equipped, used 991 in another year or so?

Chiboy

I usually keep cars for significantly longer than a year. I do think that if I don't find a 991 I'm happy with in the next couple of weeks, I will find one this winter when the 2014s are more prevalent and the weather around here is not so great.

mtbscott

Every thread about "must have" options is loaded with opinions, that's all. What one person considers must have is "why" to another.
I bought a lot car base Carrera that stickered in '12 for $92Kish. I would want again the manual (not ready at this time for PDK, might not ever be), the premium package for the 14 way seats/Bose/heated seats/etc. Okay but not necessary are the sunroof (great if you use it all the time, $1500 wasted if it never opens), the front and rear parking sensors, and Power Steering Plus. I'm sure the PSE sounds great, but must have? Full leather? 20's? Again, those are nice but the car will certainly drive fine without them.
The 911 versus Cayman debate goes on ad nauseum. I had an '06 Cayman S and loved it and might have gotten a 981 instead of my 991 had they both been available at the same time. However I won't go back now primarily because the 911 is more practical than the Cayman. Sounds silly to some folks, but the vestigial back seats provide room for passengers in a pinch and extra storage space. The cabin is more airy and less claustrophobic than the 981's and the 981 doesn't have a roof transport feature. I use my 991 as a bike hauler several days a week.