CarmG993

I to may have the same dilemma, drive or ship. If it wasn't for the weather and time of year, I would drive. With the weather, not 100% on how the car does perform, I would ship.

Air Kuul TT

I'd drive it back too. You'll get to know the car real fast. I drove mine from Chicago to L.A. (2,300 miles) in two days... Just check the forecast and plan the trip... it'll be worth it.

riviera 93

Bought my car outside of Philadelphia, spent the evening with an old friend in Baltimore, Drive homeward the next morning. After about 2 hours of highway driving (boring) I took the "Longcut through W. Virginia down US219 to W.Va.55 the W.Va 15, In January! My Vote................Drive it!
or I would be happy to help! e

Rob 97 993c2

SHIP IT!!!!
If you lived out west or in a warm climate, then i would do as everyone suggests and drive. I got my TT from florida and had the same debate, turned out to be a no-brainer to ship for $1100.
But, you live in nyc and the roads are terrible and salt covered. You run the risk of hitting a snow storm and having a bad day on performance tires.
Any driving from the midwest or south to the NE is not lots of fun (not like driving thru the rockies or AZ) and the highways are full of trucks - not a fun experience.
The cost of gas, your time, motel, food, wear on the car, possibility of something bad happening, lack of fun, etc. are enough to justify the shipping costs - save that time and money to drive in better weather or better locations.

congrats on the new car

Steve 96C4S

DRIVE that puppy! I picked mine up on one of the coldest winter days I've ever felt in the dead of winter in Chicago (ask Danny from Chicago - he picked me up at the airport in his beautiful Guards Red cab and I was frozen solid from standing outside waiting for him for 10 minutes in 10 degree weather!), stayed overnight at a cheap Doubletree Hotel but first met some Rennlisters at a great pub downtown with a sports car theme, and Mike from Chi drove me back to my hotel later that blistery cold night. The next morning Gino from Luxury Motors drove the car to my hotel and I drove the 725 miles home in one, awesome, frozen day... and yes, it did snow for just a little bit - just flakes. I didn't care. I had a ton of Grateful Dead CD's, the frozen wind in my air from the open sunroof, people staring at me pointing (look mom, it's a porch ), the great midwest scenery, and a huge-a** smile on my face most of the way (till that first rest stop when I couldn't figure out how to get the car started - didn't know about the immobilizer... I thought it was a bad starter ) and that I was stranded .

I'll never forget that wonderful day. I did check the weather in advance and they said very little chance of snow. I strongly recommend driving it, unless you can't take the time off or feel it's a huge hardship. It's ALOT of miles, that's for sure, but you'll never have a road trip like this again. You only go around once. It'll be a story you never forget for the rest of your life.

You can't reduce it down to the money level - drive vs ship it... you can't buy an experience like this! It's totally awesome. Go for it - you'll be SO glad you did.

Steve

Jastx

I just wrote the following response but after rereading your post and realizing you are in New York with snow and ice a possibility, I have to change my tune. I drove my car back from Miami to Dallas in June -- no chance of snow, just rain. This may sound like a wet blanket to some on the board but if it were my car, I'd ship it. I don't know what you bought, but in my case my C4S was the fulfillment of a dream and by far the most expensive car I had ever purchased. The last thing I would do is risk running into a snowstorm on my expensive car's first trip, even if you plan to drive the car all winter -- it definitely needs snow tires before you consider doing that. No, get it home safe in one piece, then enjoy every mile being able to decide if you want to take the car out or not. If it were summer, my post below would apply, but snow and ice and the possibility for disaster they could bring -- I wouldn't take the chance. Ship it.

-------- my original response:

I had the same decision to make. Bought my car in Miami and live in the Dallas area. Intercity was around $1,800 and scheduling was a few weeks out. I didn't want to pay for the car and leave it with the seller. I had also heard stories about cars getting damaged in shipping so that made me a little nervous about that direction. Of course driving 1,600 miles provides plenty of opportunity for damage as well. When all is said and done, shipping is probably safer.

Howver, I had relatives on the other side of FL and a brother in law over there who would drive back with me. So we did it. From Tampa to Dallas took one day -- once you get going you find "you don't need no stinking hotels!". It was an adventure and I'm glad I did it.

Financially, unless you bought the car to sit and never drive, you can't apply gas and tire or even depreciation costs to the equation -- you are deriving enjoyment doing what you bought the car for! I went through the same thought process because my car had low miles and my trip miles were more than 10% of the total miles on the car. But again, I'm glad I did it.

Here is my post about my trip: https://rennlist.com/forums/993-forum/139776-c4s-makes-it-home-to-plano.html

akolodesh

I wish I would have driven mine from Oregon to Ohio when I got it. If the weather works out for you it will be an incredible experience.

jusafan

I'd say drive it! This will be the prefect chance for you to get to know the car, listen to it, learn its idyosincracies, etc. I'd say go for it, even if there is a potential for weather issues. I mean, you live in a place where there are weather issues, so you might as well get used to them in the new car.

Arrwin

Well...I think the replies here are pretty unanimous. I, myself drove my car (formerly a Rennlister's) back cross-country from West-->East, so I would definitely go with these guys and say - drive it! It's truly an experience of a lifetime and with a Porsche to boot! However, I did do the trip in the Spring/Summer and not in the dead of winter, which we have here in the East. So...if you mind the salt and possible bad weather I would have it shipped.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

lowblow

I can't get over how many of you actually consider letting your cars sit because you are "depreciating" its value by putting miles on it.

The way I see it, the only thing being "depreciated" is your enjoyment. Are you going to park the thing in your living room and treat it like a sculpture?

Drive the S&@T out of it! you will always have fond memories of the long drive.

Mike

mborkow

"Are you going to park the thing in your living room and treat it like a sculpture?"
i saw an avatar the other day which was just that; they were using an engine as a coffee table...i guess that is one way to make sure you don't put too many miles on the clock.

Tom W

I drove both of mine (of course one was all of 30 miles, the other 500 miles). If you drive it, take your favorite radar detector along. I bought a new V1 for the drive from San Diego to SF and it saved my butt.

ON TIME

ship the car !!!!!

Jastx

It's not the miles, it's the risk...

I have to say 90% of the driving I do -- to work in bumper to bumper traffic, work parking outside - not in a parking garage, stores with crowded parking, airports -- isn't very memorable. I think it's a waste to drive a Porsche in that environment. There is no driving fun, just paranoia that some idiot is going to run into you or ding your parked car, and using up tires suspension, paint, interior for nothing. I have a daily driver now -- my first -- and it is wonderful to always have my C4S pristine and ready to go when the driving will be fun and not HAVE to use it when the driving is mundane or possibly detrimental to the car.

amfp

If you can afford to ship, I would ship ! Why ? One is uncertainity of weather conditions unless you decide to put 4 snows on - who would have thought Cinny would get snowed out last week and even UPS was not running. Second, and it is personal opinion -- as much as I enjoy driving my 993, driving alone for 1,800 miles is a bit too much when it is not on my conditions. Another words, when I drove virtually non stop from east coast to Colorado, to me, only about 400 of those miles were scenic.

Great to have options, enjoy the new car !