What draws you to the 997?
05-15-2018, 03:50 AM
#1
What draws you to the 997?
What draws you the the 997? Some people here have said it’s basically perfect. What makes it perfect for you?
Is it the looks?
Is it the handling?
Is it the size? 997 might be the heaviest 911 right? 991 is bigger but lighter I think.
Is it the acceleration or speed?
It’s rear weight biased right? Something like 40-60?
How does that compare to most of the 50-50 balanced sports cars? What are the pros/cons? At track days they always mention 911s being hard to handle, so what makes the rear bias endearing?
I generally prefer 50-50 weight distribution, sports cars with 4 doors or Caymans in particular, but the 987 just didn’t have enough oomph and I’ve ended up falling in love with the silver 997’s looks after seeing it the garage day after day. So yeah I like the looks, it accelerates nicely without being scary, I like how easy it is to change the oil, and I’m in awe at the stiffness of the Porsche sports car chassis, the way it lifts a wheel going up driveways.
i like the fact it has a 6MT and a real hand brake and having the rear space right behind you for storage is more convenient than having a Cayman for going on long trips.
Is it the looks?
Is it the handling?
Is it the size? 997 might be the heaviest 911 right? 991 is bigger but lighter I think.
Is it the acceleration or speed?
It’s rear weight biased right? Something like 40-60?
How does that compare to most of the 50-50 balanced sports cars? What are the pros/cons? At track days they always mention 911s being hard to handle, so what makes the rear bias endearing?
I generally prefer 50-50 weight distribution, sports cars with 4 doors or Caymans in particular, but the 987 just didn’t have enough oomph and I’ve ended up falling in love with the silver 997’s looks after seeing it the garage day after day. So yeah I like the looks, it accelerates nicely without being scary, I like how easy it is to change the oil, and I’m in awe at the stiffness of the Porsche sports car chassis, the way it lifts a wheel going up driveways.
i like the fact it has a 6MT and a real hand brake and having the rear space right behind you for storage is more convenient than having a Cayman for going on long trips.
05-15-2018, 08:39 AM
#2
For me, the 997.2 is the epitome of the 911 vision. The balance, the power, the reliability, the overall performance while still retaining some of the simplicity. There are better cars for less money but most of us have probably recognized that we didn't dream of Nissan GT-Rs as children because they didn't exist. For me it was an early 70s T of a neighbor that I walked by on the way home.
Yesterday was a close call to getting the car of my dreams - FBI notified me of a low mileage, own owner silver and red 997.2 4S 6MT near Palm Springs CA. My first email stated "I will meet your price" After waiting a few hours with my finger hovering over the Google flights DFW to LAX on Alaska air for $279 the "shrewd negotiator" in me came out. And I offered $3000 above ask (it's how we got our house that in a hot market has since risen $130k in value). To no avail - around 9PM I finally heard from the seller - car is sold.
I realize now that I can afford the right car, meaning, I am willing to pay $3-5k extra when all of the boxes are checked. At the same time, I can't afford the wrong car. Today I am looking at some wrong cars including cabs, a 991S and an extremely well optioned cab and maybe I will be swayed by some magic of one of these cars or an offer I can't refuse - they are all good cars.
One thing I am still on the fence about and some solid advice would be appreciated - stick or PDK? Especially for the long run. PDK maintenance is $1600 every 60,000 miles, I guess around the third time (180k miles) expect a failure or replacement. Clutches and all of the etc have their cost, driven sportingly maybe every 60k miles also - and 100k if gentle ? So those run about $3k or 5K+ to do the whole procedure ? Plus gearboxes also have to be rebuilt at some point. It seems to me that lifetime costs will be about equal and with Sport Chrono the performance of the PDK exceeds 6MT in a way that might cost $20k to do with HP enhancements.
The other good thing about PDKs is that they are just about impossible to over rev and that has some insurance built in to it as well.
Yesterday was a close call to getting the car of my dreams - FBI notified me of a low mileage, own owner silver and red 997.2 4S 6MT near Palm Springs CA. My first email stated "I will meet your price" After waiting a few hours with my finger hovering over the Google flights DFW to LAX on Alaska air for $279 the "shrewd negotiator" in me came out. And I offered $3000 above ask (it's how we got our house that in a hot market has since risen $130k in value). To no avail - around 9PM I finally heard from the seller - car is sold.
I realize now that I can afford the right car, meaning, I am willing to pay $3-5k extra when all of the boxes are checked. At the same time, I can't afford the wrong car. Today I am looking at some wrong cars including cabs, a 991S and an extremely well optioned cab and maybe I will be swayed by some magic of one of these cars or an offer I can't refuse - they are all good cars.
One thing I am still on the fence about and some solid advice would be appreciated - stick or PDK? Especially for the long run. PDK maintenance is $1600 every 60,000 miles, I guess around the third time (180k miles) expect a failure or replacement. Clutches and all of the etc have their cost, driven sportingly maybe every 60k miles also - and 100k if gentle ? So those run about $3k or 5K+ to do the whole procedure ? Plus gearboxes also have to be rebuilt at some point. It seems to me that lifetime costs will be about equal and with Sport Chrono the performance of the PDK exceeds 6MT in a way that might cost $20k to do with HP enhancements.
The other good thing about PDKs is that they are just about impossible to over rev and that has some insurance built in to it as well.
05-15-2018, 11:47 AM
#3
05-15-2018, 12:23 PM
#4
I was drawn to the 997 due to it's looks, performance, NA motor and hydraulic steering. It just felt like the perfect classic sports car with enough tech thrown in to make it comfortable and safe.
@Meursault88 - You might want to check with your local Porsche dealer on the PDK costs. I had mine flushed and new filter (they were able to reuse the original pan) for under $800. I'm not gonna lie tho, I always have a slight fear of the PDK seeing that it is a 'sealed' unit. Being a CPO car helps with some of that fear, for now at least. That being said, it had been a long time since I had an automatic and the PDK does not disappoint. Did close to 80 laps at mid ohio recently and the PDK was magical. kept it in auto mode and it was perfect. However when I am driving the car on back roads or around town I pretty much keep it in manual mode 100% of the time. Still makes me feel in control.
In short, I couldn't be happier with our 997.2 S and when we decide to buy another 911 I'll probably go backwards and look at a 993 or even earlier. Don't have a strong desire to move into the 991 or 992 years. I think as I get older the nostalgia plays a big part in that choice.
@Meursault88 - You might want to check with your local Porsche dealer on the PDK costs. I had mine flushed and new filter (they were able to reuse the original pan) for under $800. I'm not gonna lie tho, I always have a slight fear of the PDK seeing that it is a 'sealed' unit. Being a CPO car helps with some of that fear, for now at least. That being said, it had been a long time since I had an automatic and the PDK does not disappoint. Did close to 80 laps at mid ohio recently and the PDK was magical. kept it in auto mode and it was perfect. However when I am driving the car on back roads or around town I pretty much keep it in manual mode 100% of the time. Still makes me feel in control.
In short, I couldn't be happier with our 997.2 S and when we decide to buy another 911 I'll probably go backwards and look at a 993 or even earlier. Don't have a strong desire to move into the 991 or 992 years. I think as I get older the nostalgia plays a big part in that choice.
05-15-2018, 03:32 PM
#5
Rennlist Member
