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New member, test drove a 997 S for the first time.
Hi everyone. I've been lurking for a while and this is my 1st post.
I've had domestic sports cars most of my life and lastly my garage has been absent of a sports car the last 10 years. I've been browsing 911's the last few months and reading everything I could learn about the 997's.
What I'm looking for or expecting from a 997:
-able to be a daily driver, or 90% of the time
-6 speed
-IMS & RMS addressed
-my commute to work is 6 miles, but drove 20k last year and I'd need some level of comfort
The car that I'm looking at is 2006 997 6-speed with a whole bunch of goodies. I'm in Dallas and the car is in Miami so I decided to test drive a stock 997 w/35k miles to see how it drives. Well, the car was on aftermarket rims with rear tires roughly 325/25/19 (that's what I recall). The car rode OK, but the road noise was almost too much for daily duties. This is dependant on the tire type, I understand that, but is that 'normal'?
Also, there was quite a bit of rattling from the rear seats or interiro panels that made is seem that it was more on par with a 90's Hyundai than a Porsche. Do most 911's have considerable interior rattling?
I've asked the owner to address these questions, I have yet to get a response, just asking in general.
In a nutshell, do most 911's experience loud road noise and are susceptible to interior rattling panels?
Thanks and look forward to reading the responses tomorrow morning.
No rattles on my 2010, but there is considerable road noise. I'm partly deaf so that helps, but if you're on rough pavement it can be annoying.
True. I sold my 997 to buy a 991 because I wanted a quieter car and I got it, but at a cost. The 991 is not a small sports car...and I missed that. So now I bought another 997. They are quite different.
I'm trying to think of a small 997 package that would be quiet. Not much comes to mind. Maybe an NSX. But they are going through the roof.
I have a 2010 stock C2S Cab with PASM. About 65k miles. I've put in an after market Pioneer infotainment system and installed a subwoofer from a Turbo that had the Bose system, the one that fits under the dash in the passenger side footwell.
1. No rattles that I've experienced.
2. I have the recommended Michelins and I put them on new when I purchased it last November with 57k miles. I don't consider it having excessive road noise for being a Cabriolet. My Bluetooth has no problems when I'm on the phone on the road.
3. I use it as a daily driver. I have PDK so that makes traffic much more bearable. I also wanted a 6 Manual but they are rare especially if you want certain options. But I am now loving the PDK.
4. Mine has seat ventilation. I didn't think it important initially but now it has become indespensible. I totally love this on this car.
Well, the car was on aftermarket rims with rear tires roughly 325/25/19 (that's what I recall). The car rode OK, but the road noise was almost too much for daily duties. This is dependant on the tire type, I understand that, but is that 'normal'?
Also, there was quite a bit of rattling from the rear seats or interiro panels that made is seem that it was more on par with a 90's Hyundai than a Porsche. Do most 911's have considerable interior rattling?
I've asked the owner to address these questions, I have yet to get a response, just asking in general.
In a nutshell, do most 911's experience loud road noise and are susceptible to interior rattling panels?
Thanks and look forward to reading the responses tomorrow morning.
The rear Michelins had just over 12,000 miles on them and the inner 3" were down to the cord. Talk about road noise. Been through it untold times with a total of about 120,000 miles on three 997's. Stayed with the Michelins through all these miles and all three cars. They're pretty quiet when new but the road noise increases with wear to a near howl when it's time for a new set or at least the rears. That's where all the racket comes from. So I finally decided to try something different about a month ago and got the Bridgestones. Surprised and disappointed that the brand new Bridgestones are as noisy as the worn out Michelins with 12,000 miles on them. Won't get the Bridgestones again as if I even had to add that. If the noise level increases with miles like the Michelins I can't imagine what they'll sound like with 12,000 miles on them.
Should be plenty of opinions from members here who have tried more than just the two tire brands I have experience with on the 997.
As for the rattle inside, definitely not normal. My current GTS has 62,000 miles on it and just like the previous two, no rattle inside. Nice and tight so the car you drove has some kind of issue with something loose inside the cabin.
I went from a 2011 Mercedes E550 4Matic to the 997.2 Cab. The road noise in the 997 is considerably less then the Merc. The Merc was very noisy on rough asphalt. My 997 is not a DD so can't speak to that aspect of it. My wife's DD is a 2018 Mercedes GLE and it is much quieter than the E550 was, but I would say the 997 is quieter but the engine sound is SO much better.
When I first bought the 997 it had 48k miles and there was a terrible rattle coming from the console. The rattle was coming from the convertible top switch. I swapped it out for a new one and the rattle was gone. There is still a tiny bit of rattle from coming from the passenger door that I have not taken the time to diagnose. The E550 had just as many rattles if not more. It had an annoying rattle in the instrument cluster that only manivested on rough asphalt. It annoyed me that a Merc E class wasn't a little tighter. The E550 was a rocket ship and the 997 is tupedo. So much more feedback and driving experience.
I've only owned the 997 for a couple months and so far I would rate it as one of the most fun vehicles I've ever owned. Mine is a PDK, which I wanted. Shifting gears is fun but it gets old in traffic and no fear of over revving the PDK. I would HIGHLY recommend Sport mode if you get the PDK. It really brings out the spirit of the car. If the car you drove had 325 tires, those are huge. I think 305's are the widest recommended. I just installed 305 Michelin 4S and they are pretty quiet. Get as many options as you can because it will make the car easier to sell in the future should ever get to that point. I like the 997.2 because it's the last of the analog cars and the direct injection engine is fairly bullet proof as long as you take car of it.
Good luck with the hunt. I doubt you be disapointed with a 997.2. I love the looks of the coupe but I also love the convertible top. Nothing as much fun as cruising with the top down.
2009 Targa 4s. Had roof rattles but dealer fixed this. Just spent the first winter driving it as a dd. Turn your stereo up. Tires will always impact noise so selection is important.
Unfortunately, you will have to drive the car you are interested in to assess the noise. On a 13 year old car there are many causes of noise due to wear and how it was treated.
Not many I know with 997's that have rattles but then I wouldn't be surprised by any car developing rattles after 15 years of life.
It's a sports car, not a sedan. Look under the front seats for example. Bare metal. No carpet or insulation.
I did experience more road noise when I ran Pirrelli P-Zero Rossi tires but much quieter now that I'm on Michelins.
Also, if the owner switched to semi solid or solid engine mounts or lowered and modified the suspension there will be more vibration and noise.
I cannot over emphasize the importance of a third party inspection by someone who knows Porsches. They usually sound like a sewing machine compared to a V-something, but you should have someone who knows tell you if it is OK. Last bit of advice I got from one of these fora, "There is such thing as a budget for a Porsche, that does not mean there is such a thing as a budget Porsche".
Looks like I'll be passing on this one altogether. The aftermarket wheels were not up my alley and the last thing I want to do immediately is replace tires tires after purchase. I'll try to get behind the wheel of a few more 997 S's to give myself something close to a baseline of what to expect.
Coming from a Z06, I know exactly how tires affect road noise, comfort and rattles. I'm going to assume that the 997 I drove had worn down Michelin's that were screaming to be replaced and the rattles were from negligent owners and/or an accident. In either case, the good thing is that there are more good examples around me to test drive.
Also, I'm coming from driving Lexus GS's the last 10 years, so I may be a little spoiled when it comes to comfort/rattles/quiet interior cabin, but for it to run like a used beat up Chevy was disappointing. I'm willing and eager to keep the Lexus in the garage and daily a 997 really soon.
The rear Michelins had just over 12,000 miles on them and the inner 3" were down to the cord. Talk about road noise. Been through it untold times with a total of about 120,000 miles on three 997's. Stayed with the Michelins through all these miles and all three cars. They're pretty quiet when new but the road noise increases with wear to a near howl when it's time for a new set or at least the rears. That's where all the racket comes from. So I finally decided to try something different about a month ago and got the Bridgestones. Surprised and disappointed that the brand new Bridgestones are as noisy as the worn out Michelins with 12,000 miles on them. Won't get the Bridgestones again as if I even had to add that. If the noise level increases with miles like the Michelins I can't imagine what they'll sound like with 12,000 miles on them.
I have Bridgestone Pole Position tires with about 16K and the rears are only about half worn (5/32). I debate getting the Michelins for just the rear to see how they compare for noise and ride but I'm not sure about mixing the brands. I still have about 7/32nd's on the front.
2009 Targa 4s. Had roof rattles but dealer fixed this. Just spent the first winter driving it as a dd. Turn your stereo up. Tires will always impact noise so selection is important.
Can you please elaborate on your Targa roof rattle fix -what did the dealer do? I have a Targa also. Mine is not too bad after doing the deep clean with 303 and Mclube.
06-25-2019, 12:05 AM
New member, test drove a 997 S for the first time.
