scycle2020

i know this has been discussed in the past, but i just recently drove a 997 two days after driving a 997s that a friend just bought.....the s was amazing, but two days later, the 997 was also very fast....and sounded very nice, but not as throaty as the s.....i know the s comes with xenons, 19in., pasm, all of which add up to almost 5k worth of options...so you are paying 5500$ for the extra 30hp and extra torque....is it worth it....what are current thoughts on the subject??? i know this has been discussed before, but i wonder if peoples opinions have changed with ownership of the two models and futher insight..........i have been told on a percentage basis, the 997 holds it resale value better than the S...and it can be had for a bigger discount because of lower demand

996toomey

the s is a steal for all you get.

boolala

From a strictly "cost benefit" perspective it's hard to justify 10 K for a performance improvement of 0.2 sec to 60. I had xenons on my SL and can't say that i would pay extra to have them again. PASM is too stiff in sport mode for daily driving on our lousy roads so I wouldn't be using that either. If you really want xenons and PASM, want to get every drop of performance from the car and have some mad money to spend then get the S. The base model is an excellent car with good performance and will save you a nice piece of change over the S.

Just my opinion.

scycle2020

hard to argue from a dollar and cents point of view....i have told by a few owners that pasm if normal mode is smoother and better controlled ride than the standard mode....i have been with and without xenons, i like the xenons, esp at high speed, but i could live without them...the 19in wheels are nice, but the 18s are smoother...but i cant argue with someone with a march 21 birthday!!!!!

fer2367

The base is really good....but if you have that burning desire for the S....the money is worth it. I went through a similar process and at the end I tought that if I were to buy the base I would always question myself about not getting the S. Power is addictive....I wish I have more in the S, but honestly, the base car is powerful enough and most of us need better driving skills instead of more power.

MJones

Xenons
PASM
BRAKES
19's
Sport Steering wheel
+30hp

Worth the extra $$$
It's a great ride

Leader

When I decided to order a 997, I considered both the S and non-S. I opted for the S for two reasons:
(1) resale - whenever there is a more equipped version of a car, it will hold value better than the base model;
and (2) I knew every time I saw an S on the road, if I had bought the non-S, I'd regret it.

My car docked in San Diego yesterday...and I'm...still waiting...

GrantG

One big advantage of the base model is that it comes without PASM and allows you to choose your own aftermarket coilovers, if that idea is attractive...

Superfans

A 0.2 second difference - worth the money? Can you actually feel the difference, really?

pedsurg

S or not, the zenons are fantastic. I believe the s is worth 10 K more but in the current market I was able buy the "base" model for 20K less. Both great cars.

Jack

dnp_now

It's not just the extra equipment and 30hp increase, but it is a newer/better engine than the 997. Something that you cannot retrofit down the road.

Both are great cars. Get whatever makes you happy. And performance wise, you won't notice the difference for every day normal driving between the 2 cars.

Some people in different parts of the world opt for the 997, because of tax issues. Or the road conditions make the 19" wheels rough. I choose the 997s because I'm getting the best bang for my buck.

MrBonus

Not to nitpick but there are already coilovers out for the PASM-equipped cars and a ways to disable PASM.

I do wish the -20mm Sport Suspension with LSD was available for the USDM however.

MrBonus

Not really but there is something extremely pleasing in opening up the rear bonnet to see "3.8L" staring back at you.

Persuader

Definitely the S.
Also what about the Aluminium dash and centre column bits in the S.
Don't think you can option those exact bits in the standard.

Truble10

Resale on the S has so far been significantly higher than the non S. This might change over time but for now the S seems to me like a much better deal. There are used non S models all over the place and are not holding their value particularily well. Used S models seem to be getting very close to sticker price and there doesn't seem to be many around.
If I were buying a 997 I would definately get an S. It's not about 0-60 times. It that is all you are interested in get Corvette or a Viper.