Good evening Rennlisters!

C63 owner here with a 6 and 2 year old. I've been a long time 911 dreamer and recently cancelled my E63 Wagon order as the wife correctly suggested I'd never be happy until I get a 911.

Did the test drive with a smile on my face from start to finish and putting an order in for this config this week: PG3CQ810.

My question to the veterans here: I really love the cab but when looking at the rear seat (for the kids), the salesman showed that the shoulder width is a few inches smaller in the cab than the coupe, and the seats sit more straight up. Has this posed a problem for you? Any preference for cab vs coupe when dealing with 2 kids in the back?

At any rate, thank you all for the advice on the forum. I've been reading feverishly the last few weeks to correctly tweek my order.

 

I have a cabriolet, but the back seats have never been used.

Your kids are pretty young. They should fit fine. It's the car seats themselves that take up the room. Test fit them at the dealership. Your 6 y.o. can sit up front soon in a booster.

You have a great wife. Go hug her.

 

My 9 and 6 year olds fit fine in our Targa!

 

Thanks folks.

Can't wait to get the order in. Interestingly, I went in wanting to order the GTS coupe but the sales guy said there aren't as many allocations and that I should go with a C2S cab as they're more fun. The more I'm thinking, the more I'm leaning back toward a GTS coupe.

 

Go GTS coupe!

The kids will fit just fine. Perfect seating for young ones. Those rear seats were made for them. I think it's a marketing ploy to introduce next generations to the 911

 

Get the GTS.

 

Unfortunately you can't deactivate the air-bags (you could put a switch in the 997 but not in the 991) and in most states you have to be 12 to sit up front. My daughter just turned 8 - her head rests mostly above (60 %) the rear seat back so that's not an option.

Would love to put her in the front if I could do so legally and safely. Please let me know if I'm missing something.

 

Yes, I know about state laws. Not sure about all of the age requirements, though. The 991 has smart air bags (much like the 997) and are not activated till over 90 pounds (approx.). So, I think a child, in the proper booster seat, state law dependent, is fine up front. This is how a Boxster, Cayman and GT3 driver would do it as well.

 

While the kids will have a little more room width wise in the coupe they are not going to be happy driving any distance as they will feel quite closed in as they probably cannot see over the front seats and even will be hard looking out the side windows. With the cab and the top up it will be worse. But with the top down they will have a blast. Of course doing 80 MPH on the highway isn't ideal. I will bet that they will be right there on a nice day to get into that back seat even if it is a short drive somewhere.

 

My 8 year old fits fine in the front seat. He is around 55" and 65 lbs and the air bag is on (the PASS AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp by the rearview mirror is not illuminated). I think it is based on the body positioning as well. LexVan and I are in IL, here an 8 yo can sit in the front seat. Regardless, your 6 year old will fit fine in the back, even if the convertible is a little more snug. I have had both my 8 and 5 year old in the back with no real issues. I do have to move the driver's seat up a little more than I'd like when he's sitting behind me though but I can still get in a comfortable position and I'm 6'1". They do kick the backs of the seats so get a black interior for easier clean up.

 

Thanks folks for the comments. Immensely helpful! Definitely planning on having them in the backseat for now, but good to know about alternates.

 

Who would put any passenger in the front seat if they're not even heavy enough to engage an air bag? Yikes.

The common recommendation is the back seat until 12yrs old or so depending on weight/height.

We have an obligation to keep our children safe and have more brains than them hopefully. Do what's right and not what some dumb state law will/won't let you get away with.

After all, they tell me to put a front plate on, but haven't done so since I started driving.

 

Go GTS coupe. I upgraded from a '07 997 C2. Night and day difference for the better. The '15 991 GTS is the best P-Car I've owned. It's powerful, loud and comfortable too. You can't go wrong with a GTS if you can get your hands on one!

 

I think the SA said that because it made their life simpler ...

 

You may want to check if other dealerships have an allocation for a coupe.