Le Chef

What XXX would (realistically please!) make you consider chopping in your 997?

If Nick bought one.

PV

Gents,

Lets not bitch on somebody else's choice. Why are we going of the subject that EZ? Nick is trying again and again, and he succeeds.

The original question was what we would shop in a 997? I'm not shopping at all and am very happy with the choice, but if I would shop. We heard some great comments from one saying that it is about the feeling the soul. Lets stick to those kind of discussions. What can we learn from each other regarding the 997 (non S, S, GT, TT) and for what reason we like another car too, but don't jump into $'ers. Lets try not to be an accountant :-)) If someone likes and owns a Corvette, that is great, but don't bitch Porsches in this forum.

pdutta2000

Agreed. This isn't a Vette v Porsche discussion. Let me re-iterate my point that the 997TT will probably raise the bar to another level again. Let's look at these cars(F430, Gallardo, AMV8) from different angles:

Track Performace:
How many F430, Gallardo, and AMV8 owners are taking their cars to the track? Honestly...most of those cars will be used to cruise down to dinner so regardless of what some race car driver did with the car on the track, those cars will never enter pit lane.

Just as an aside...the AMV8 doesn't even belong in this category at all cause it's performance doesn't compare to the others.

Winner - Porsche Turbo

Daily Driver:
I don't even need to discuss this...no one and I mean NO ONE is taking their F430, Gallardo or AMV8 to the office every day

Winner - Porsche Turbo

WOW Factor:
This one is probably a tie for all with maybe the Gallardo and F430 winning by a slight edge. The edge, however, is slight cause the Turbo badge on the back of a Porsche lets everyone know you mean business.

Exclusitvity:
Porsche loses this one cause they just make more than everyone else....so yes they won't be as exclusive. That doesn't mean, however, that there is a Porsche in everyone's driveway....we're talking 10k turbos worldwide for the entire production run. Hell, Porsche only made 80 04 turbo coupes. That's still exclusive, just not as exclusive as the others.

The winner in this debate? YOU. Buy whatever car you want!

Nick

I must admit I am impressed with all the factual rebuttals. Just what I would expect from a consumer that buys based on emotion and "what I wish it is".

There has NOT been one track test by any magazine that has shown the S (we will forget about the standard 997 dog) which had a better time than the C6. At the Holy Grail track the Nurburing which ALL Porsche are designed to excel on, the C6 driven by Dave Hill beat the S by I believe 6 seconds. The GT3 was close.

I cannot speak regarding waiting times in England but it has been posted that on continental Europe the incentives are substantial to turn a 996 in for a 997. In the US, while it may be true that some locations are sold out, in most parts of the country the 997 is readily available. Also, keep in mind this a new model and many dealers are trying to unload 996's that remain on their lots. Thus 997's are deliberately held back in those locations as they try to dump the 996's.

Regarding comments of owners of Corvettes, you 997 owner's would do well to turn and run at the site of a C6 and its owner. They have the financial savvy to own a car which will obliterate your "paper tiger" for less than half the cost. Fools believe what they know is not true. Porsche makes a decent but overpriced car. The soul it possesses is not in the car but the "I want to believe owner".

tifosi66

Always knew the P-car Vs F-car war...but the P-car Vs Corvette....this is news to me!! Personally I am a dyed in the wool car nut and not a millionaire, from a country that has one of the highest car-taxation system, yet I believe if you have already put aside money for the family, savings..etc..it is no harm to indulge in one's automotive pleasures. I have an F-car in Malaysia and in China I drive a 993TT, both great examples of what a 'sporting' car should be and I don't heed anyone's advice on what to get for myself. The proof is in the pudding and if he/she has the wherewithall ($$$) jsut let the person decide for himself. We can only offer our opinions, I believe, and not to ram it down anyone's throat with our prejudices, dislikes or economic advises. Now...where is China's GM dealer located at...Malaysia does not have the Corvette in any form, since it's a RHD country, China do,I think...

Carlos from Spain

Bingo! yes alin2, this is nberry.
Its the same nick who some of you may not know has an F430 on order, for which he is willing to dish our $100,000 over the coming 500HP C6- Z06's pricetag, yet he gets a kick out of teasing 997S owners to get the C6 because its $40,000 less... yeah, its Nick alright


Here is a quick read nick has seen but forgot to mention, comparing the 997 with the C6 which is even fitted with Z-51 sport chasis:

Sanjeevan

Nick, i was confused when i wrote this, I thought you were first bashing the Z06 and then favoring it etc....and I thought you were being inconsistant.... Now with all the additional posts, I finally get it...you like the Z06, and fools with "I want to believe" mentality with no financial savvy likes the "paper tiger" porsches. Hah!,...interesting perspective indeed, weird...but interesting. I can live with that.

BUT....wait a second....does this mean that all Z06 drivers are smarter and more financially savvy, compared to every other porsche driver...hmmm! that's difficult to understand....it's just tooo much of a generaliztion....the world YOU live in is a mighty strange place indeed, brother.

Nick

The reason why I decided to post was to disabuse some arrogant Porsche owners that their car was something special and lower end cars were not worthy. The needed a reality check.

Regarding the above article from Evo what do you expect? it is a British magazine which has awarded Porsche their COTY what for the last of 6 of 7 years? Even so begrudgingly they give the C6 its due and acknowledge the Z06 will be a force to contend with even for the supercars WHICH ALSO IN INCLUDES FERRARI.

It is time for ALL European car manufacturers to start considering value as opposed to selling on brand name and past history (ala Porsche in racing). Do you realize Porsche to this day advertises racing heritage when they have been out of racing for almost 10 years? The gullibility of wannabe Walter Rorhrl's continues to amaze me and make Porsche rich.

JohnnyBahamas

I don't know if a Porsche is special or not but I do know a car with transverse mounted fiberglass leaf springs is not special... not even with a hand built motor and magnesium K-members.

A Ford F150 pick up has two leaf springs, a Corvette has two leaf springs.

It is interesting that GM races Corvette with a totally different suspension from the Corvette it sells. And what type of suspension does GM put on its Corvette races cars? The kind of suspension that Porsches come stock with.

Carlos from Spain

Then why don't you take that reality check to the Ferrari camp, cause you will find that attitude to the tenth power, but you don't do that, so your motives are not from altruism and for the benefit of mankind. How do you expect people are going to react when you walk in a Porsche forum and attack Porsches and insult them continuously with "standard 997 dog" this, "obliterate your paper tiger" that, "Walter Rohl wannabies" this, and "Porsches are nothing special" that?
Really, Porsche will always produce faster, better handling, more versatile, and more practical cars than Ferrari and then charge less and produce more so everybody can drive and enjoy them track and street and so that they are not reduced to mere garage queens that the owners use for bragging about exclusivety... life is tough, get over it and move on.

As to EVO, surely you are not daring to compare the journalism of a magazine such as EVO to the "Car and Driver" junk you used as an example?

Nick

Of course not! Everything European is superior to US.

Also thank you for alerting me to what forum I am posting on. I would have never known.

Le Chef

"Of course not! Everything European is superior to US."

Gosh Nick! What are you smoking? What an admision! Is that why you drive a Ferrari and not a Corvette? Glad to see you're honest about your patriotism. Better be careful about where you put your GOP sticker on that new 430 of yours.

holminator

Gallardo for sure.

Targa Tim

I have been reading this post with interest. Cars to us are just our TOYS, and there is no need to give reasons to buy a particular car over the other, as long as the owner himself is happy and can afford it.
Even if some of the things that Nick said was correct (the new Z06 is a damn good sport car), but calling a 997 a dog, this guy has big time attitude problem and is angry towards Porsche owners for no reason. We do not drive our Porsches to impress anyone else or think that we are better than a Corvette owners, we own our Porsches because we like to. End of discussion. No need to compare to the others. I do not ever feel that a Ferrari or Aston Martin owner is better than me in any particular way.
Back to the original question, the 997TT is the only car than I will trade up to if I am a 997 or 997S owner, but I feel than the 997 is already too much car for most drivers out there. I wonder what the 998 will be like when the 997 is so good already. Happy motoring!

PV

Tim,

I would say that we try to say the same thing in different words. I can not agree more with yours.

Regarding the 998. I hope it will stay away a long time :-) I hope the total range of 997's (S, TT, GT3, Targa, etc) will appear on the road soon, so that everybody can enjoy them.

Like to hear a story from somebody who is driving a 997 or 997s on the Autobahn. I'm currently enjoying the drive on the highway, but at the end of the year mine will put its feet on the ground on the Autobahn :-))

O, I'm of topic again: 997TT or GT.