Getting cold feet about ordering...
 

...And selling my E55 AMG. I'm looking at a 997 S, but every time I think of the pros of the p-car over the MB, I think of some of the great things about the E55. Arrgh!! (I know, everyone should have my problems).

I can get an April allocation Blk/Blk. with sports chorno, short throw shifter, heated seats, and Carrera sport wheels for 5K off.

The reason I started looking in the first place is that I don't drive this car every day and thought it would be more fun to own a sports car (since this one is treated like one). However, like a lot of other places roads and traffic here suck and i'm wondering If i'll enjoy the 997 S any more than I do the E55? Roads here are mostly straight, unless I wanted to drive some distance up to Westchester or CT. and drive up there.

I did test drive a 997 S a few weeks back and it felt great. However it was your typical 10 minute test drive and I really couldn't open it up. The handling was obviously way better than my car, but wondering if I'll miss the huge amount of Torque and HP that my E has. Also wondering how comfortable the 997 would be on a long road trip. Guess I should go drive it again.

Finally, this would be an "extra" car. I do not need it to be practical or have 4 doors.

The other thing that has me hesitating is the terrible trade in prices I've been given for the E55. Adding to the pain is that the car is pretty highly modified and I did drop some pretty serious cash into it (always a dangerous thing to do, I know). I can take the hit financially, but I would just feel bad about doing it.

Best case would be to convince my wife to let me keep the E and buy the 997. I own the E55 free and clear.

Just because you have a second child doesn't mean you get rid of the first. Cars are no different. Buy the 997S and keep the E55...especially since you've modified it as you like it. Once you've had the 997S for a while all your questions will be answered and then you can decide if you still want to keep the E55. That way you will have no regrets.

Comfortable on a long trip..depends upon what you call long?

I've done two 4-5,000 mi road trips in my "S" and I love it...the seating is the greatest!! Longest driving stint was 900+ mi in a day. Great comfort!!

Want to do an ultimate test drive??
Sign up for the "Two Day High Performance Driving Course" at PDE.
You'll get two days of seat time in a 997, have alot of fun and be a better driver for doing so.

Just sign up, for the March 2,3 course..don't dilly dallyor find reasons why you can't...just go!!!

http://www.porschedriving.com/course_schedule.asp

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

e55amg-i am just coming to the end of a 39 month lease on a 996tt, and i have spent the last 6 weeks evaluating 3 cars to find one to replace my turbo, which i use as daily transportation. those 3 were an e55, an m5, and a 997c4s. you obviously have much more experience with an e55 than i do. my impression of the e55 was that it was a very comfortable car with prodigious acceleration (world class torque) that lacked in the handling department-i felt that the steering was somewhat numb and i didn't get that reassuring feeling taking it quickly around a corner. under 100 mph, the 997s is every bit as fast as the e55, i would assume that over 100mph, the e55 would rule, but how many of us drive over 100mph on the roads. you can equip a 997 as luxuriously as your wallet allows. handling wise, the 997 is arguably the finest handling car in the world-the e55 isn't even close. i thought that the m5 was a good sports sedan that was hampered by the smg transmission. it was also a relentless gas guzzler. if you are looking for a very comfortable car that takes off like a rocket, and want impressive acceleration up to 155mph, keep the e55. if you want an almost as comfortable car that takes off like a rocket, handles like nothing else, and will put a smile on your face after you drive it then look at it, get the 997s, or the c4s if winters are an issue for you. by the way, 5k off is a fair deal-if you live in the northeast, pm me and i can tell you where you might do even better. hope this helps..

Why not look into one of the many 996 Turbos available these days, you get the torque you want and a nice handling car for a bargain basement price.

I traded an 04 E500 for my up and coming baby. I took a serious hit on the price too. I liked the 500 (admittedly not the hot rod you have there in the AMG) but it did 0-60 pretty quickly...which is all you're gonna see in most of So. Cal. anyway. On the other hand...it was not inspiring. Only Benz afficionados really understand the difference between an AMG and the 500. If you (like I) spend a significant time in a vehicle, don't you want something that makes your pulse quicken when you see it just sitting there waiting for you? Don't want something that you WANT to go out and play with? Both my 19 year old daughter and 17 year old son have "volunteered" to take the "back seats". We formed a club for all those in the family and friends that have volunteered to go pick it up at the dealership in the event I am "unable" to do so. My take on it..if you can afford both keep both...but if only one....PORSCHE all the way.

I have a MB 500 coupe, and I will miss the "buttery glide" of my MB and the low end torque of the V8. The 911 is a sports car and the benz is a luxury car no matter the power ie; 55, 65 etc.

Well, at a minimum you need an extended test drive of a 997S. Take a few hours, or ask about a weekend loaner. Next you need to decide what you really want and need. The cars have very different personalities, surely one speaks to your soul more than another. Short of that, make a list of qualities, weight em, and score the cars.

I sold a beautiful low mileage M3 Cab for my 987S. The m3 was great in many ways, comfortable, fast, sporty, turned heads...but it never spoke to me. I found it boring, too heavy, not tactile, and isolated from the road. Two drives in a 987 showed me how much fun you can have in an agile sports car even at 30 mph! If the Porsche doesn't have that effect on you, you're probably in the right car.

I understand
If you do miss the hp and tq... there's ways to fix that.

Do dealers typically give "extended" test drives?

Let me guess...get the new TT! :burnout:

Depends on your relationship with the dealer and if they have a demo or Porsche executive car at the dealership. I just returned from taking a brand new C2S cab out for about an hour on Saturday but for more time than that, the dealer will usally do it, if they have what I described above in stock and your relationship is good.

I know in Atlanta they will (and they have cars on the lot), just tell them you need more time to assess the car and be genuine. In my case I drove both a used 997 and a brand spanking 997S for more than an hour. Although I had serviced my 993 there I had never bought from them at that time.

I don't get the point. I like the E55 & M5 & M6, if you need 4 seats, but if you don't drive every day (and even if you do, like me), you don't need 4 seats, and you can afford it: buy the 997 or 997S.

Agree with MJones regarding long trips: I drove up and down from Houston to Greensboro (about 1200 miles one way): no single moment of having issues with the seats.

Hey, you already have a hot car; you got reservations about a new Porsche. Problem solved: stick with what you got.

Come back in 6 months and re-think. By that time they'll be more foolproof reliability-wise and you'll have more options (maybe) to choose from.

There's no rush to get a new Porsche UNTIL you actually place the order and start waiting.

Besides I find my 997S is MORE WORK to drive than my M3 (like your e55?), the 911 is not exactly relaxing all the time. Different amount of mental energy is required. IMHO, Would be a drag to have my 997S as the only car with my 43 year old body/mind situation.

BTW, the car seats are great! I have adaptive seats. The long trip thing starts getting annoying to me because the exhaust "raasp" gets on my nerves when I get tired of driving. Again, seats are great!

very well said....you have summerized the essence of a true sports car like a porsche.... :thumbsup:

Pretty much a NO....Could vary geographically but more important the relationship that you have developed with your dealer.

Again I say ....
You want the
Ultimate Extended Test Drive
sign up for
PDE.

http://www.porschedriving.com/the_activities.asp

:thumbup: :thumbup:

that too I was thinking more about aftermarket kits....

So you're going to PDE on 3/2-3? If so I'll see you there!

Took extended test drive today
 

Sent the dealer an e-mail this morning and asked if I could take more than your typical 10 minute drive. His reply - "See you later". So, I got there and he asked cab or coupe? "coupe". They had none outside so they actually took a Lapis blue/beige S off the showroom floor for me to drive! I thought that was pretty nice.

I hop in with one of the other sales guys (I was dealing with the GM). I got to drive for about 45 minutes on all different kind of roads - highways, back roads, some great on/off ramps, etc. This was more like it!! My last test drive lasted about 10 minutes and I never got the car out of 4th gear.

After about 45 minutes he told me to pull over. The guy says "now that you've got the tires heated a little, now I'll drive". Drive he did!! :D Holy smokes, was that a blast! I felt like saying well, If I knew you were going to drive like that, I'll take another turn!!

I knew the car would handle and feel amazing. I was surprised at how hard the car pulled. Drop a gear and hit it - WOW!! Feels much stronger than the HP and torque that the car has. Also impressed with the total lack of squeaks/rattles. Not sure if it stays that way LOL.

I think I could now comfortably trade in my car for this and not feel like I'm missing much, if anything at all. Like others have said, you can have fun in this car at 40 mph. To have fun in my car I need to do about 150 or more!! That gets dangerous.

My two problems are now my wife and color choice (in that order). I had actuallyl had gotten kind of ambivalent about doing this based on my first test drive, so stopped talking to my wife about it. She (and my kids) say that they will "miss my car", and that "we go out as a family in that car", blah, blah, blah.

There are two car on the water that I can have both pretty much with the options I want. I want a pretty lightly optioned car - chrono, shifter, heated seats, I'll take the carrera sport wheels if they're on it. colors are either Black or Silver. I know a very subjective call.

Maybe I'll make a separate thread, but was wondering if the manual seats offer the same adjustability that the power seats do?

haha well sounds like you had a fantastic time!
this car beat the M5 by a large margin on a closed road on the isle of man, simply because it's more effective at putting the power to the road.
Have you considered ordering a car? Yoiur dealer may have a few slots coming up soon for dealership cars that he may be able to put you into... I'm just thinking that this may take care of problem #1 - women love decorating, if she picked the colours or had some say, she might be happy.
blah blah blah cry over the MB yeah they love it, we get it - but they'll love this car too
my mom is crazy, she is scared of new things it almost seems - like she wouldn't get a camera phone when her cellphone plan recently expired just because she didn't understand it, you know? might be sorta' the same situation

Dealer does have a spot that I can take for an April build. I don't think it's necessary as both cars have what I want, plus I'll get it a month earlier. As far as my wife picking stuff, she couldn't care less LOL. Yeah, I've watched that Top Gear episode many times in the last several weeks. Very impressive. Of course, if you got to M5board.com they'll have all kind of excuses of how the test was flawed etc.

Wait for the 07's..they'll start being built in July.

ifs and buts hahaha
well if she doesn't care, then go for the one on the lot and pick it up ASAP
Plus you're getting a decent chunk off and over book on your renntech, right?

I own both a 997S and an E55. They are so very different. My 997S is way more fun to drive. Having said that I am not getting ride of my E55. It's a great car and it sure is fast but it is Not a sports car. My 997S has 6K on it and is well broken in. It will hang with the E55 believe it or not :D Don't forget the 997 is like 1,000lbs. or more lighter than the E, and when they are broken in they are faster.

I know there was a good reason why over the years I have NEVER considered buying a car that sat on a dealer's showroom floor.

uhhh - actually, he said that he had a renntech.
He knows something about fast mercedes

Lol, I was just thinking the same thing. I'll make sure I look for a car with less than 10 miles on it.

I figured since I own a 997S and an E55 I would give my 02cents. If he thinks a stock 997S is faster than a Renntech E55 than he is dreaming. A bone stock E55 is a monster I can only imagine what his Renntech is like.

Vancouver what you driving these days??

I didn't say the 997 was faster than a Renntech (mine's actually Kleemann - same difference). I was surprised though at how fast and hard the 997 pulled. Where my E55 is just insane is you could be cruising at 80, 90, even 100 mph and hit the gas and forget it- your gone! Really doesn't matter what speed you're at. A flick of the right foot and BOOM. With that being said, the weight difference between the two cars is pretty significant which certainly helps the 997. Now, someday I may change my mind but based on my test drive yesterday I don't think I will miss the acceleration more than I'll appreciate the handling and other dynamics the 997 offers over the Benz. I've had my car at the track and It has broken into the 11's at around 120-122 mph.

Parting ways with this car does make me feel a bit like :crying:

Smaller cars just seem to feel faster compared to larger one's...

that's completely true, I drive a truck sometimes and it's amazing, I'll look down at the speedo and be like "whoah I'm going HOW fast?"

So Vancouver what do you drive?? Is that your car in the avatar? Nice color. You drive a truck? so do I. I've got a 2005 Dodge diesel pick-up 4X4 for the snow days.

I've Got An E500 And Doing The Same Thing....
 

I can appreciate your apprehension, but quite honestly, I don't think you're going to look back. When I bought the E500 (which certainly is not an E55), I thought it was a very sound choice, as I had a Boxster as a weekend car. My Black/Black E500 is dressed like an E55, so visually speaking, not much variance. However, over the course of the last two years, I've learned to regret the car. It performs reasonably well, but it's too big for me, and the majority of my friends/acquaintances really don't understand what the car is. I looked at is as a German "muscle car" but in reality, its really more of a luxury tourer. Granted, 302 hp isn't 469 hp but even so, it just doesn't feel that athletic and doesn't respond like a Porsche. When I jump in the Boxster, life gets back to normal again, driving the way I like to drive. My C2 blk/blk cab is also an April build - the sooner the better. To be fair, I will state that I am not getting rid of the E500 - at least for now, nor the Boxster. But I predict in a year that the E500 will end up being sold for non-use. As my wife says, "I won't drive it - looks like a limo."

Good luck with your decision!

No that avatar is just a stock rennlist avatar, but I haven't seen it used much. i need a better avatar.
I drive a truck occasionally. My other car is nothing to be proud of. I won't tell you what it is, but if you look at the clues, you can figure it out ;)

Sorry I didn't even know that was a stock avatar. It is a nice looking car though.

Why are you apologizing, do I sound upset? :p
It is a nice colour, it's from the 70's clearly - when non metallic caolours were the norm and every Porsche was some sort of candy coloured paint