johnhb1234

First of all, thank you very much for the replies. Based on all of the replies, I'll make some responses and would appreciate more replies thereafter! If there is a topic of interest and you don't want to go
through the list, please just answer that one, all replies are very much appreciated!

1. I live in Manhattan but have two job opportunities in the Northern VA, Washington, DC metro area.
One would be in Reston, VA and the other in Dulles, VA and I would probably live in Reston, VA. So my commute would be very short or not much more than 15 minutes because I would be going against traffic along the Dulles Airport access road. Otherwise even considering a manual transmission would be out because the area of Tysons Corner, VA has the 2nd worst traffic in the U.S., with Atlanta, home of Porsche NA, being the worst.

I am curious if I go to sail in Annapolis on the weekends how bad the traffic will be and will reach out directly to one member if he doesn't reply here because he said he lived in DC for 30 years.

2. I actually like the way the 911 looks slightly more. I like the Cayman but I think the air ducts are a bit large for the size of the car and in some colors it's less pronounced. I suspect the option of painting them the color of the body of the car would do a lot to alleviate that perception on my part.

I have to say that I find both cars a bit small in terms of overall size. I am single so don't care too much about luggage capacity. Don't you guys ever use roof racks?!?! I actually considered strongly
an Aston Martin DB9 on a CPO program. They are larger and quite beautiful and once the warranty runs out they give you close to a bumper to bumper warranty for $3500 per year. It's in a different price category so I would of gotten an older one but they are surprisingly reliable and can be a daily driver from what I've read. Perhaps this is why I'm leaning to the 911 and again, I will test drive both cars. Obviously the DB9 won't handle as well as a loaded Porsche so looks and appeal are a factor here.

3. After reading many posts I am somewhat leaning to the 911. I will of course test drive both cars but in NYC, it's not like I could go into a dealer and ask to drive 4 cars - 2 of each, MT vs. PDK, loaded vs. less options. He would think I'm just in there to joyride, which I'm not. Also, I would have to drive for 20+ minutes to get out of Manhattan and to a stretch of road that is winding enough (the Saw Mill parkway and just below it) to see what the car can do. My solution is to probably visit two Porsche dealers, one to look at the Cayman and one to look at the 911.

4. Yes, I'm 50 years old and not an expert driver. But I literally landed a glider on the 4th flight last month and they only average 15 minutes; this is unheard of. And in a glider you have to point the nose down to stay on track, you don't have an engine where you have a high angle of attack on approach. So you have to do the opposite of your impulse, point the plane down as the ground quickly approaches and all of this is new to me - I did not hesitate at all. So I have great reflexes and am a great sailor/racer and 3 months ago picked up surfing in Barbados on an impulse. It was easy for me, the hard part was swimming out past incoming waves that sometimes broke on top of my head.

So I have "*****", I don't mind pushing myself and I don't freeze up in tough/unknown situations. That said, I work hard and have many hobbies and interests, so I suspect I would go to driving school once or twice and that's it. I will never need much more power than a base 911 but I do have an ego and want to know I have great performance in terms of handling since the sports I participate in are all about control, performance, handling - add in skiing to the above.

5. I am probably most interested in a Certified Pre-Owned car and would appreciate reference to the thread where great deals are listed by a member

6. The dealers in the DC area seem mediocre. Only the Silver Spring, MD dealer seems to be top rated. Any experiences in buying a Porsche in one city and relocating somewhere else? The only downside I see is a loaner car. Do dealers to this if you don't buy the car from them and can a tip to the service manager fix this? Only Fairfield, CT and Newtown, PA have top rate Porsche dealers in my area according to Porsche, NA.

Any referrals to dealers and sales people either in the NYC or DC area are appreciated!

I am using this forum to learn but also because I don't want a salesperson to steer me to what they have on the lot, I want to choose what I get.

7. Does anyone have any experience with European delivery? If all else fails, I was thinking that I could choose what I want. How much time is it to order a Porsche from a dealer based on a build vs. a European delivery, including shipping to the port of NJ and a dealer in the Northeast, which I suspect is the fastest point of entry to the U.S.

Thanks again for all of your help and advice!

Chiboy

You ask a lot of questions for someone near New Jersey -- Roseanne Rosannadanna

johnhb1234

Hey Chiboy, your profile shows you are looking for either a Cayman S or a 911 in certain years and that you used to have a 911 - very similar to what I'm looking for. In Manhattan people rarely own cars and a Porsche is not just an expensive purchase, someone buys it for reasons of passion, so they want to get it right...

So it's been a long time since I've owned a car, I'm probably relocating, I have logistical issues for testing the car because I'm in Manhattan, I have not owed the car, as you have, etc. so I have a lot of questions, especially because many of the replies asked me to elaborate on a particular point they brought up.

So perhaps your lack of impulse control/lack of adding value/negative leaning reference in your comment extends to the rest of your life, it does say former 911 owner.

Add value or keep the comments to yourself. Everyone else has replied in the spirit of what I would expect from a Porsche enthusiast. If you do this in your business or personal life you probably suffer the consequences.

68lr

Welcome to N Va, assuming you take the job. I just purchased a C2S from Porsche of Arlington and had a fantastic experience. The SA was British gentlemen named Chris, easily the most knowledgable Porsche sales rep there. He made the experience first rate. Would highly recommend him.

The general manager (Sammi) was equally helpful and would recommend him to anyone asking. Like you, I used the forum to help fill in the blanks, as this was my first Porsche. The forum is an endless supply of useful information that will make you a well informed buyer before walking in. Good luck!

tgcrun

To answer your question about buying in one place and getting service in another, Sun Motors in Mechanicsburg, PA has serviced 4 of my Porsches that I didn't buy from them. They're 90 miles from my house, and they drive a loaner to me, pick up my car and take it to the dealer for service. I bought my new .2 from them.

Carsly

I live in NJ but bought a nice 996TT at New Country Porsche of Greenwich and had a great experience. Recommended them to a friend in CT who picked up a new Base 911 last year, also great experience. Rich Del Mazzio was my Sales rep, highly recommend.

johnhb1234

Thanks for the replies regarding the dealers and sales reps as well as the servicing and loaner experience at the dealer in PA.

Chiboy

It was just a joke. I didn't try to analyze your decision to describe yourself on an internet forum as having giant ***** because of your heroic feats in hang gliding and being a great sailor and extrapolate that to the rest of your life, so perhaps you might not want to overreach either.

FWIW, I wish I could find where to change my profile about looking for a Cayman S or 911. (I found and updated it.) I subsequently bought a 911 Cab 2 1/2 years ago (I posted a more serious response about my escalating Porsche car search earlier in this thread). Sorry for the old information and crossed signals on what was meant to be a parody of an old SNL skit.

My last comment -- I grew up on Long Island and am very familiar with Manhattan and can imagine how hard it would be to properly test drive a few Porsches in the city. I'd suggest renting a car and driving to a Porsche dealer in Westchester or CT or NJ and test driving cars back to back rather than trying to go on a test drive from Manhattan.

johnhb1234

Then I apologize, Chiboy. And I only went into my personal detail because a few people questioned at my age and living in Manhattan with no car if I could drive well enough or push the car hard enough to notice the difference between a Cayman or 911 and was offered $1000 on the spot if I could; saying it didn't matter, just buy what I like.

My responses were a synopsis of many, many replies..

https://rennlist.com/forums/profile.php?do=editprofile

It's that easy to update your profile.

Chiboy

I did find and update my profile.

Dewinator

On this forum, there's a constant stream of threads asking how to choose between 981 vs 991, S vs Base, .1 vs .1, Speed Stick vs Right Guard, etc. There is some useful advice people can give you about the differences, but ultimately Porsche doesn't make bad cars, so in the end the only way to choose is really to take them for a test drive and find out which you prefer.

To break up the monotony, people are going to joke around a bit, and demanding that everyone be ultra-serious is probably not realistic. Also for what it's worth, I don't know that having good hands in the beginning really correlates with what it takes to become a great pilot. I'd say that motivation to learn is the most important factor (although I have met a couple of motivated people that just are never going to get it). On the track, lots of flight experience makes you a doofus your first day, just like everyone else.

NoGaBiker

Okay, now that's something I don't think we've argued about yet. I'll start by saying the .1 is hands down the better car, but the .1 is the better 911.

07CarreraS

That's what I took it as. A joke. Thing that sucks about the written word is that it doesn't show sarcasm the way we want it too. I too reference a lot from Seinfeld or Anchorman. Cheers!

Hurricane

Have you visited the area? Reston & Dulles are not Tyson's corner. Sure, traffic in Tyson's Corner can be bad during rush hour but I drive frequently in the area at times other than rush hour and it isn't so bad. If you are basing your preference for a manual on stop and go traffic but you are only commuting from Reston to Dulles, I wouldn't worry about it.

Annapolis is on the other side of DC from Dulles. I would figure maybe a 90 minute drive? Traffic is bad on the weekends on the beltway, too, but something that is survivable. A lot of it has to do with what time you leave.

Looks are very subjective. I think the latest generation of Cayman looks fantastic, especially the rear. But the 991 still has my heart.

I haul two kids back and forth to school occasionally and my wife and I have taken weekend trips before. There isn't a ton of luggage space so you have to pack very smartly. The trunk isn't anywhere near as large as what I had in the two previous Vette's I owned. That being said, I have no interest in a roof rack. If I need to haul that much stuff, I would get a Macan instead. (I also have two SUVs so most likely I would take one of them instead.

Although the DB9 is gorgeous, the driving experience, reliability, and heritage pull me strongly to the 911. Can't speak much about Astons but if you search you will find opinions on Aston vs Porsche on here. One thing that is amazing about Porsche is the community. Look into the Porsche Club of America (PCA) - in the DC area they are very active.

Yes, you should drive both. It was an easy choice for me - the two back seats are handy with little kids. Plus I always wanted a 911. But if I was single I could see the allure of the Cayman, too.

The base 911 would probably suit you fine, then. You could always get an S later if you felt the need for more power.

It's a sticky at the top of the page - you can't miss it.

I have heard great things about buying from Silver Spring.

I bought mine lightly used (via CARMAX of all places) and have had it serviced at Tysons Corner for the last two years. The service there has been excellent and I have always been offered a loaner when needed - usually a Boxster S or a Cayenne - even though I didn't buy the car from them. I had a PPI done at Porsche Arlington and had no problem with them, either.

As far as having a salesman steer you, this forum is a great resource. You can also play around with the configurator on the Porsche USA website and see what options you like and don't like and how they are priced.

Good luck!

07CarreraS

LOL. Well I disagree. The .2 is hands down the better car. I think PDK is better than the manual gearbox by miles.

Standard or PSE? Bose or Burmester? LOL