Got a 997 Carrera S today - Woohoo!
08-27-2004, 09:44 PM
#17
Skip, I'm up here in Fort Collins
Hi,
No, I'm already here in Ft Collins.
I recognize the dress, the standard attire of The Peoples Republic of Boulder.
I washed mine tonight in the rain, removed all the adhesive, cleaned the wheels, put on a coat of Pinnacle for Black wax. Man, it's a looker.
The 40th was very nice, probably the nicest of the 996's. I had a 996TT before that. So far, this 997S might be the best balanced of them all. This car has so many things improved that comparisons with the previous generation is probably not fair.
I so dig the PCCB and 19's it's not funny. They look fantastic and sharpen up the whole car performance wise. I'd pony up the $8800 even I ordered again. I might pick up the 997S cab when it comes out next year.
Blue
No, I'm already here in Ft Collins.
I recognize the dress, the standard attire of The Peoples Republic of Boulder.
I washed mine tonight in the rain, removed all the adhesive, cleaned the wheels, put on a coat of Pinnacle for Black wax. Man, it's a looker.
The 40th was very nice, probably the nicest of the 996's. I had a 996TT before that. So far, this 997S might be the best balanced of them all. This car has so many things improved that comparisons with the previous generation is probably not fair.
I so dig the PCCB and 19's it's not funny. They look fantastic and sharpen up the whole car performance wise. I'd pony up the $8800 even I ordered again. I might pick up the 997S cab when it comes out next year.
Blue
08-28-2004, 09:39 AM
#18
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Congratulations!! Beautiful car - I'm about to go up to our local dealer intro this AM and am looking forward to see the new model.
Please keep us up to date on your thoughts as the miles accumulate.
Please keep us up to date on your thoughts as the miles accumulate.
08-29-2004, 03:50 AM
#20
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Okay, here are some impressions after 500 miles, along with some new pictures.
- I drove the car for over 300 miles on Saturday, with mixed driving at an average speed of 46 MPH. I got over 20 MPG, which seemed to be decent given the stop-and-go driving and not using cruise control.
- The engine is a wonder, and the torque is awesome. I'm reminded of the 928 S4 that I used to own in that it can pull strongly from any RPM, and can add speed effortlessly.
- Speaking of speed, mostly I was within 5-10 MPH of the limit, getting passed quite a few times during the day. The car is incredibly smooth at any speed, but thankfully it doesn't inspire me to drive like a maniac because it doesn't require you to keep the revs up or constantly change gears. Stick it in 5th or even 6th and it can do anything you need at highway speeds.
- There doesn't appear to be any wind noise in this car, even at higher speeds, and that includes me trying to hear it. The road noise is mainly from the tires and the engine when it's being revved. Overall it's not tomb-quiet like a Lexus, but it's not noisy, and the noises that do come through sound pretty good.
- I love the shifter, and it's the best on any car that I've ever driven. It doesn't have the "gated" feel like a S2000, but it's nothing like the floppy shifter that came on the 986/996. There is a "weight" to the shifts that is quite nice, and the 3-4 shift has such a sweet feel that I can't help but grin when doing so.
- As I stated before, the seats are incredible, and I can't imagine not opting for the sport seats in one of these cars. Unlike the sport seats in the 986/996, bigger people can actually fit into these. There is also a ton of legroom and headroom, and once seated the car feels roomy compared to my Boxster and what I remember of the 993 C4S.
- I'm getting used to the radio, etc., and have played around a bit with the sport-chrono thing. The sound is quite nice, which is expected of a Bose system. The thing that stinks is that the car doesn't have a CD changer! With all the options it's amazing that they left this out.
- The steering wheel still doesn't inspire me, but it is growing on me. Overall the interior is nice, to the point where I don't believe that Porsche gives up anything to Audi, BMW, etc. It doesn't quite live up to the standards set by Ferraris and Astons, but then again it's not really a competitor for those cars either.
- The brakes are awesome, with only my racears being better. Some might question that as the racecars don't have PCCB, but you have to consider the relative weights, racing pads, and so on.
- The car doesn't seem to have a bad problem with tramlining, and I'd rate it as being better than my Boxster is with 18" wheels. There is also a very nice weight to the steering, reminding me again of my 928.
- I've noticed two creaks/squeaks when on very rough roads, for example when the road has been "scraped" with grooves ready for repaving. One creak is at the top of the instrument binnacle, and if I lightly press on it it goes away. Another seems to be in the vicinity of the glovebox, and opening and closing it makes it go away for a bit. I'm going to wait a while to let the car settle in before taking it to the dealer, and both of these are only a problem on crappy roads.
- A minor gripe is the lack of automatic-on headlights. Why is Porsche so agasinst this, when every other manufacturer seems to embrace it? Even my GMC pickup has it, and it's a nice feature to have.
- The cupholders are great, although I can't believe I just wrote that. They sucked in my Boxster and I took them out when putting in the GT3 console delete kit, but they are quite useful in the 997. Overengineered for sure, but nice.
- I tried switching into the "sport" mode and you can definitely tell that the suspension firms up and the engine is a bit more "peppy". It's still quite compliant in the sport mode, and is nothing like the beat-you-to-death feeling you get with most aftermarket sport suspension packages. I don't know that it would be really suitable for hard-core track work, but it should handle pretty much anything on the public roads.
- People seem to gawk at the car quite a bit. Some appear to know what it is, and there were some shocked looks from people who may not have expected to see one on the road so early. A styling analysis will come soon, especially after I get some side-by-sides with other 993 and 996 models.
Speaking of which, here are some shots of my car next to a 996 GT3 that was at a track event today:
I love the 997's looks, but the GT3 is great looking for a 996. The GT3/aerokit for the 997 should be something to behold.
I also took some pictures of the car at one of my favorite spots in Boulder:
There are several more shots on my site, which you can get to using the link in my signature. Here's a comparison showing the 997 and the 993 C4S I used to own in a similar pose:
So far things have been great, and I think Porsche did an excellent job on the car. Is it perfect? No, but then again what is? The looks aren't perfect, there are some details that could probably be better, but the overall package and experience are first-rate. That's what I think Porsche is really about.
- I drove the car for over 300 miles on Saturday, with mixed driving at an average speed of 46 MPH. I got over 20 MPG, which seemed to be decent given the stop-and-go driving and not using cruise control.
- The engine is a wonder, and the torque is awesome. I'm reminded of the 928 S4 that I used to own in that it can pull strongly from any RPM, and can add speed effortlessly.
- Speaking of speed, mostly I was within 5-10 MPH of the limit, getting passed quite a few times during the day. The car is incredibly smooth at any speed, but thankfully it doesn't inspire me to drive like a maniac because it doesn't require you to keep the revs up or constantly change gears. Stick it in 5th or even 6th and it can do anything you need at highway speeds.
- There doesn't appear to be any wind noise in this car, even at higher speeds, and that includes me trying to hear it. The road noise is mainly from the tires and the engine when it's being revved. Overall it's not tomb-quiet like a Lexus, but it's not noisy, and the noises that do come through sound pretty good.
- I love the shifter, and it's the best on any car that I've ever driven. It doesn't have the "gated" feel like a S2000, but it's nothing like the floppy shifter that came on the 986/996. There is a "weight" to the shifts that is quite nice, and the 3-4 shift has such a sweet feel that I can't help but grin when doing so.
- As I stated before, the seats are incredible, and I can't imagine not opting for the sport seats in one of these cars. Unlike the sport seats in the 986/996, bigger people can actually fit into these. There is also a ton of legroom and headroom, and once seated the car feels roomy compared to my Boxster and what I remember of the 993 C4S.
- I'm getting used to the radio, etc., and have played around a bit with the sport-chrono thing. The sound is quite nice, which is expected of a Bose system. The thing that stinks is that the car doesn't have a CD changer! With all the options it's amazing that they left this out.
- The steering wheel still doesn't inspire me, but it is growing on me. Overall the interior is nice, to the point where I don't believe that Porsche gives up anything to Audi, BMW, etc. It doesn't quite live up to the standards set by Ferraris and Astons, but then again it's not really a competitor for those cars either.
- The brakes are awesome, with only my racears being better. Some might question that as the racecars don't have PCCB, but you have to consider the relative weights, racing pads, and so on.
- The car doesn't seem to have a bad problem with tramlining, and I'd rate it as being better than my Boxster is with 18" wheels. There is also a very nice weight to the steering, reminding me again of my 928.
- I've noticed two creaks/squeaks when on very rough roads, for example when the road has been "scraped" with grooves ready for repaving. One creak is at the top of the instrument binnacle, and if I lightly press on it it goes away. Another seems to be in the vicinity of the glovebox, and opening and closing it makes it go away for a bit. I'm going to wait a while to let the car settle in before taking it to the dealer, and both of these are only a problem on crappy roads.
- A minor gripe is the lack of automatic-on headlights. Why is Porsche so agasinst this, when every other manufacturer seems to embrace it? Even my GMC pickup has it, and it's a nice feature to have.
- The cupholders are great, although I can't believe I just wrote that. They sucked in my Boxster and I took them out when putting in the GT3 console delete kit, but they are quite useful in the 997. Overengineered for sure, but nice.
- I tried switching into the "sport" mode and you can definitely tell that the suspension firms up and the engine is a bit more "peppy". It's still quite compliant in the sport mode, and is nothing like the beat-you-to-death feeling you get with most aftermarket sport suspension packages. I don't know that it would be really suitable for hard-core track work, but it should handle pretty much anything on the public roads.
- People seem to gawk at the car quite a bit. Some appear to know what it is, and there were some shocked looks from people who may not have expected to see one on the road so early. A styling analysis will come soon, especially after I get some side-by-sides with other 993 and 996 models.
Speaking of which, here are some shots of my car next to a 996 GT3 that was at a track event today:
I love the 997's looks, but the GT3 is great looking for a 996. The GT3/aerokit for the 997 should be something to behold.
I also took some pictures of the car at one of my favorite spots in Boulder:
There are several more shots on my site, which you can get to using the link in my signature. Here's a comparison showing the 997 and the 993 C4S I used to own in a similar pose:
So far things have been great, and I think Porsche did an excellent job on the car. Is it perfect? No, but then again what is? The looks aren't perfect, there are some details that could probably be better, but the overall package and experience are first-rate. That's what I think Porsche is really about.
08-29-2004, 07:19 AM
#21
Miserable Old Bastard
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Skip - congrats! You were a very, very, very bad influence on me - got mine Saturday night, I think its identical to yours. Can't wait til tomorrow to really go out and drive it!
08-29-2004, 11:03 AM
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I went to the dealer yesterday and they had two 997's - a Carerra S (it was black and probably exactly the same as the one you bought) and a silver Carrera . I thought they looked better than the 996's, except I really don't like that angled cut line going from the top of the rear lights to the wheel well, and I think they'd look so much better with the reflectors going all the way across the rear like my 993. Come to think of it, the hood's a little plain compared to the 993 with the indentation for the air inlet in the center. Somebody had just purchased the "S". They also had a 996 GT3. I wasn't serious enough about purchasing to ask for a test drive, and all 3 cars were all in the showroom so they probably wouldn't have done it anyway. Maybe next year.
Enjoy the new 997, and please keep us "watchers" and "waiters" up to date on how you like it and whether you have problems with it.
bjb
Enjoy the new 997, and please keep us "watchers" and "waiters" up to date on how you like it and whether you have problems with it.
bjb
08-29-2004, 11:06 PM
#24
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Congratulations on your new baby!!!!
I stopped by the dealer on Saturday to look at the car... I was on my way to my brother's house with all my family so I did not have enough time to take it for a test drive (will do that September 9 during the special event for PCA members)...
Anyhow, I think the car is a hit. The sports seats are a big improvement. They can accomodate a larger adult (waist circle instead of a waist line ) The interior is just awesome and a major improvement when compare to the 996. It looks simple and yet purposeful. The stopwatch loos weird and I could not imagine getting use to it. Shift throws are improve but still could use a short shift kit. I like that Porsche did not went the BMW path and there is no iDrive anywhere... there are a lot of buttons in the center console... but I prefer that to having to navigate many menus to turn the radio on :-P
I can't wait to drive it.
Again, congrats and enjoy your car for many many years!!! Thank you for the photos and your review.
I stopped by the dealer on Saturday to look at the car... I was on my way to my brother's house with all my family so I did not have enough time to take it for a test drive (will do that September 9 during the special event for PCA members)...
Anyhow, I think the car is a hit. The sports seats are a big improvement. They can accomodate a larger adult (waist circle instead of a waist line
) The interior is just awesome and a major improvement when compare to the 996. It looks simple and yet purposeful. The stopwatch loos weird and I could not imagine getting use to it. Shift throws are improve but still could use a short shift kit. I like that Porsche did not went the BMW path and there is no iDrive anywhere... there are a lot of buttons in the center console... but I prefer that to having to navigate many menus to turn the radio on :-P I can't wait to drive it.
Again, congrats and enjoy your car for many many years!!! Thank you for the photos and your review.
08-30-2004, 04:21 PM
#26
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- A minor gripe is the lack of automatic-on headlights. Why is Porsche so agasinst this, when every other manufacturer seems to embrace it? Even my GMC pickup has it, and it's a nice feature to have.
The Sport Crono pkg includes an Indivdual memory function via "Set" in the PCM which allows you to adjust:
Individual memory
The individual memory allows extended vehicle settings to be made via PCM. These settings are individually assigned to the respective ignition key. Each time the key is inserted in the ignition lock, the stored settings are automatically activated via PCM. The following individual options are available:
• Daytime running lights on/off
• Comfort lighting duration adjustable from 10 seconds to120 seconds
• Rear wiper automatically on/off (this allows the driver to select whether the rear wiper should execute one wipe cycle when reverse gear is engaged if a wipe cycle was executed on the windshield within the preceding 40 seconds) • Automatic climate control: save basic setting (e.g. 73°F, fan set to maximum output and defrost on)
• Unlocking opens all doors or just the driver's door
• Autolock: off, on upon ignition or active after moving off
All settings can be made in the “Individual Memory” menu, which is called up via “Set” in the PCM main menu.
08-30-2004, 05:32 PM
#27
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Wachuko and bjb, thanks! Some more pics and an update are below.
Moogle, to each his own is what I always say, and hopefully no one will second-guess your choice of the 996 turbo cab...
MJones, thanks for the tips. My salesperson knew very little about the car, probably less than I did.
He has offered to go through more of the features with me at some point, which I may do if there are things I can't figure out on my own. However, I'm not looking for DRLs, rather, I'm looking for the feature where I leave the switch on "auto" and the lights come on when it starts to get dark. If it has that feature I'll try to figure it out, but it sounds like this is still something that Porsche just doesn't do. I'd trade the overengineered cupholders for this feature any day!
Now for a quick update:
- I'm just about to hit 700 miles on the car, but it may take a bit longer to reach 1000 as I'm going to be out of town for club races over the next couple of weekends.
- The car is growing on me with every drive, from the wonderful growl that it makes on even slow takeoffs to the surge of acceleration. Given that I'm keeping the revs down, the performance is astonishing. I've not yet approached redline, but have touched 6K a couple of times, and it sounds wonderful. I'm not sure if I'll wait the full 2000 miles for break-in, and some Porsche mechanics have said to just drive it after 500 to 1000 miles.
- I've tried the sport and PASM settings and can tell a difference, but it's not as if you really need it in sport mode all the time. Perhaps "sportier" would be a better name because the default mode is far from being non-sporty or in any way soft!
- The brakes seem to be getting better with some miles on them, with a great feel that is as good as any car I've driven. So far no noise from the brakes, and if there is any dust I haven't seen it. Is PCCB worth it? I think the jury is still out on this one.
- The steering feels good, with the precise turn-in and "on rails" feeling that I've come to expect from Porsches. I don't notice that it's variable, but perhaps I'll pick up on this over time. I like the feel of the steering wheel, and I'm not quite sure that a fatter wheel would be any better. I'm still not crazy about the round center, and the shiny bits (which have no function) are silly.
- Thankfully the center console is not shiny, despite what earlier pictures seemed to suggest. Much classier than expected, and not nearly as Japanese-looking as I had feared. The huge number of buttons looks daunting at first, but you soon realize that the controls aren't too hard to figure out. The most annoying is that the rotary dial for the menus requires that you turn it counter-clockwise to go down, not clockwise. Everyone who went for a ride in the car over the weekend tried to go clockwise for the menu, so it's not just me that found this less than intuitive.
- The stereo sounds good, but I don't think it's any better than the system that came in my WRX. I just got the nav CDs and will be trying that out soon.
- The shifter looks a bit too retro to my eye, but it actually feels very good to the touch.
- The cupholders work, holding a 20 oz. Diet Mountain Dew bottle quite securely.
- The trunk doesn't appear to be any more spacious than on the Boxster, despite the lack of spare tire. All of the plastic trim that covers the toolbox, nav, etc. looks quite nice, but it certainly eats into the space. Here it is at Safeway with 6-7 bags, and yes, it was raining:
- Fuel economy remains at around 20 MPG in mixed driving. If it displays instant mileage anywhere I can't find it, but I suspect that it's getting close to 25 MPG when cruising on the highway.
There are lots of new pictures on my site, but here are a few yesterday next to the Boxster in the driveway:
More reports to follow. If anyone has specific things that they'd like to see or have me try out, let me know.
Moogle, to each his own is what I always say, and hopefully no one will second-guess your choice of the 996 turbo cab...
MJones, thanks for the tips. My salesperson knew very little about the car, probably less than I did.
He has offered to go through more of the features with me at some point, which I may do if there are things I can't figure out on my own. However, I'm not looking for DRLs, rather, I'm looking for the feature where I leave the switch on "auto" and the lights come on when it starts to get dark. If it has that feature I'll try to figure it out, but it sounds like this is still something that Porsche just doesn't do. I'd trade the overengineered cupholders for this feature any day!Now for a quick update:
- I'm just about to hit 700 miles on the car, but it may take a bit longer to reach 1000 as I'm going to be out of town for club races over the next couple of weekends.
- The car is growing on me with every drive, from the wonderful growl that it makes on even slow takeoffs to the surge of acceleration. Given that I'm keeping the revs down, the performance is astonishing. I've not yet approached redline, but have touched 6K a couple of times, and it sounds wonderful. I'm not sure if I'll wait the full 2000 miles for break-in, and some Porsche mechanics have said to just drive it after 500 to 1000 miles.
- I've tried the sport and PASM settings and can tell a difference, but it's not as if you really need it in sport mode all the time. Perhaps "sportier" would be a better name because the default mode is far from being non-sporty or in any way soft!
- The brakes seem to be getting better with some miles on them, with a great feel that is as good as any car I've driven. So far no noise from the brakes, and if there is any dust I haven't seen it. Is PCCB worth it? I think the jury is still out on this one.
- The steering feels good, with the precise turn-in and "on rails" feeling that I've come to expect from Porsches. I don't notice that it's variable, but perhaps I'll pick up on this over time. I like the feel of the steering wheel, and I'm not quite sure that a fatter wheel would be any better. I'm still not crazy about the round center, and the shiny bits (which have no function) are silly.
- Thankfully the center console is not shiny, despite what earlier pictures seemed to suggest. Much classier than expected, and not nearly as Japanese-looking as I had feared. The huge number of buttons looks daunting at first, but you soon realize that the controls aren't too hard to figure out. The most annoying is that the rotary dial for the menus requires that you turn it counter-clockwise to go down, not clockwise. Everyone who went for a ride in the car over the weekend tried to go clockwise for the menu, so it's not just me that found this less than intuitive.
- The stereo sounds good, but I don't think it's any better than the system that came in my WRX. I just got the nav CDs and will be trying that out soon.
- The shifter looks a bit too retro to my eye, but it actually feels very good to the touch.
- The cupholders work, holding a 20 oz. Diet Mountain Dew bottle quite securely.
- The trunk doesn't appear to be any more spacious than on the Boxster, despite the lack of spare tire. All of the plastic trim that covers the toolbox, nav, etc. looks quite nice, but it certainly eats into the space. Here it is at Safeway with 6-7 bags, and yes, it was raining:
- Fuel economy remains at around 20 MPG in mixed driving. If it displays instant mileage anywhere I can't find it, but I suspect that it's getting close to 25 MPG when cruising on the highway.
There are lots of new pictures on my site, but here are a few yesterday next to the Boxster in the driveway:
More reports to follow. If anyone has specific things that they'd like to see or have me try out, let me know.
08-30-2004, 07:18 PM
#28
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Did you ever consider the GT3, since they are so similarly priced, especially since there are discounts being given on the GT3, and resale is expected to fare better than the 997?
If so, what set you on the 997?
If so, what set you on the 997?
08-30-2004, 09:04 PM
#29
Drifting
Originally Posted by MJones
Your sales person should have showed you this...
The Sport Crono pkg includes an Indivdual memory function via "Set" in the PCM which allows you to adjust:
Individual memory
The individual memory allows extended vehicle settings to be made via PCM. These settings are individually assigned to the respective ignition key. Each time the key is inserted in the ignition lock, the stored settings are automatically activated via PCM. The following individual options are available:
• Daytime running lights on/off
• Comfort lighting duration adjustable from 10 seconds to120 seconds
• Rear wiper automatically on/off (this allows the driver to select whether the rear wiper should execute one wipe cycle when reverse gear is engaged if a wipe cycle was executed on the windshield within the preceding 40 seconds) • Automatic climate control: save basic setting (e.g. 73°F, fan set to maximum output and defrost on)
• Unlocking opens all doors or just the driver's door
• Autolock: off, on upon ignition or active after moving off
All settings can be made in the “Individual Memory” menu, which is called up via “Set” in the PCM main menu.
The Sport Crono pkg includes an Indivdual memory function via "Set" in the PCM which allows you to adjust:
Individual memory
The individual memory allows extended vehicle settings to be made via PCM. These settings are individually assigned to the respective ignition key. Each time the key is inserted in the ignition lock, the stored settings are automatically activated via PCM. The following individual options are available:
• Daytime running lights on/off
• Comfort lighting duration adjustable from 10 seconds to120 seconds
• Rear wiper automatically on/off (this allows the driver to select whether the rear wiper should execute one wipe cycle when reverse gear is engaged if a wipe cycle was executed on the windshield within the preceding 40 seconds) • Automatic climate control: save basic setting (e.g. 73°F, fan set to maximum output and defrost on)
• Unlocking opens all doors or just the driver's door
• Autolock: off, on upon ignition or active after moving off
All settings can be made in the “Individual Memory” menu, which is called up via “Set” in the PCM main menu.