OCBen

Yeah, wish I had it in my commuter car as well for that very reason. Guess nav would be a must have option in any scenario!

I've been thinking of getting one of those portable units for my daily driver. Maybe you might consider getting one of those and keeping it in your glove box until the need arises?

ronmart

I've got my big *** laptop (17" widescreen with USB GPS that works with MSFT Streets & Trips) that is always with me. In a pinch it works great - with voice navigation. You can't beat the screen either, but sadly it isn't appropriate for spirited driving.

masinari

Ron, thanks for the great idea regarding checking in on the possibility of the aluminum package as the option for getting real, nice interior metal door opening latches.

Will check with dealer here in New York area. I will be delighted to tell you more and anything you want about my F40. It has only 2400 miles, and sometimes I feel I should drive it more, because it is such a wonderful car. It is becoming more of a showcar as it is becoming a real collectible, with only 150 in the USA now and prices climbing. I drive all the others a bit more, but not by much. As you can see, I am a big fan of the top three brands, Porsche, BMW and Ferrari. Porsche were my first love, and probably the car I love the most is my first little Carrera. Absolutely love pre-Bangle BMWs, especially my M5. It is truly a Maranello with 4 doors. The M3 I have is in Europe, and is an E 36 European version. There are really sweet, beautifully engineered cars. Agree, no comparison of any M3, even the E46, with the 997. The 997, 996' are much better. I think that even my early, original Carrera is better than my M3 in terms of fun ,character and design. Even if it not as fast. But it feels fast. In fact, I have to say that driving my little Carrera is probably the closest fun you can get out of all my other cars as driving the F40. In so many ways, some of the best Ferraris and the best Porsche are the most visceral, exciting cars you can get. I bought the F40 because I think it is more of a purist car than the F50 and even the Enzo. They are bigger, less graceful, and less raw, pure race cars. They never raced the F50 nor the Enzo.

Will certainly send you the photos of 997 with "full, full leather" interior once it arrives in May. Will be also happy to send you photos of my F40 and Maranello, if you would like, maybe privately or other appropriate area of the Forum.

Thanks again, to you all on the list. It is great.

M A T T

NEW YORK

gota911

Ben - I guess this is the "to-ma-to... to-mah-to" thing. Or stated another way "Wow, after spending all that and not getting Sport Chrono, what a shame."

One man's "useless option" is another man's "gotta have it" option. That is what makes getting a Porsche so great. You can add as few or as many options as your heart (and wallet) can handle. Is there any production car company that offers more options that are not pre-bundled in packages?

icon

but he paid $2400 for "sport" exhaust (havent figured out why they called it sport?) that according to ron, sounds like flatulence "the day after chili night at the local greasy spoon" but adds nothing to the cars performance

gota911

I don’t recall any of the previous posts extolling the performance gains of the discussed options, but I’ll go along. If you are defining "improved performance" as increased HP, higher Torque, improved handling, and enhanced breaking, then you are correct, the sport exhaust will not improve performance. But then, a very low percentage of the available options actually add to the performance of the car. The additional cost options like sport exhaust, wheel options, leather, carbon fiber, aluminum look, NAV, illuminated door sills, seat belt colors, paint color (other than the 4 standard colors), etc., etc., add nothing to the "performance" of the car. But, if they make the car more comfortable and more appealing to the owner, who’s to say they should not have gotten these options?

While NAV may improve the functionality of the vehicle by supplying the driver with additional information, it does not improve the "performance" of the car. It could be argued that Sport Chrono does more to improve performance of the car than the NAV does, because Sport Chrono improves throttle response. HP gains from Sport Chrono? No, not even one more “colt” power.

It still boils down to personal preferences. You want more HP & Torque? Get a 997 S for an additional $10k over the base 997. Want still more HP & Torque? Get the X-51 package for an additional $17k. Want potentially better stopping power? Get PCCB for an additional $8k.

Like I said… personal preferences... to-ma-to…. to-mah-to!

OCBen

Excellent point. I was tempted to point that out myself but left well enough alone.

I'll never figure out why people opt for the sport exhaust option when all it adds is noise with no gain in horsepower. On one level it can be viewed as an immature thing to do (no offense to those who have it) and reminds me of when kids used baseball cards on the spokes of their bicycles (I suppose we could ask a certain someone if he still does that). And it's the same reason these ricers blare down the street with their tinny sounding "sport exhaust." ... It's all about the noise.

I myself prefer a quiet exhaust. In fact, my ideal sound coming from a car would be the ultra low frequency vibrations that manage to emanate from a power plant in spite of the best efforts of a sound deadening muffler system, the kind that you feel more than you hear, the kind that rattles windows nearby, the kind that bespeaks of power - lots of power - and communicates quite eloquently that "this here is one bad *** machine."

robbonds

i think a growling exhaust is a must on a porsche...but then again - i think the sports chrono is a must

Paul523

Thanks for the great writeup, Ron.

Ben, you reminded me of my old '91 BMW M5, which even in bone stock form had an unbelievable baritone rumble, especially at idle.

Once I was in the drive-through lane at a sub shop (yeah it was my 20K mile/yr daily driver), when I pulled up to the pick-up window the kid at the register said their entire building was shaking and vibrating...this from just a 3.5L inline-6. So next time you pull up alongside an E34 M5, lower the window and enjoy the 'subwoofer' for a change.

OCBen

Most everyone here knows by now my opinion on these two options - PSE & Sport Chrono - that they are pure gimmicks. In my opinion they cheapen the appeal of the 911 and put it in that category of cars that offer profit adding gadgets to appeal to a larger customer base.

My question is: Does Porsche offer PSE & Sport Chrono on the Carrera GT? ... If not, I rest my case.

boolala

Ben isn't sport chrono actually "functional" on the TT by virtue of temporarily increasing boost?

ronmart

I'd say that I've gotten my money's worth already out of PSE, and while it is way over priced, I just love the added growl it gives to the car (even if it is a bit gaseous ). To me it is a lot like getting custom rims (either from Porsche or elsewhere). It is just one of those things that make you look at your 997 and say "SWEET".

I also enjoy the throttle response out of the sports chrono in sport mode. Is it a gimmick - sure - but I've always thought that cars that had power buttons was sorta need because it is fun to engage when you've got that cool song playing. The chrono and PSE double the fun by adding more audible grunt and making the throttle response feel more lively.

To me they are just a flat out 10 on the coolness factor, even if they add nothing else to the car. For that fact alone, they are worthwhile options if you have the coin to spare to get them.

dstrimbu

I still can't believe how much low frequency energy the BMW 3.5 inline-6 generates... my old E32 7er rattles the garage windows at idle, with stock exhaust (and it sure ain't a M-exhaust).

That's the sound that I need from the flat-6; bordering on subsonic...

My buddy's E46 325ic used to set off car alarms in the garage at work, just idling by...

Noise = bad; sound = good!

scycle2020

this is all a matter of personal perference.....i like my cars quiet, but i like my sport cars with a sporty exhaust note...but not neccessary too loud, but just enough to give that sport , sports car, racing car sound.....its a fine line between sporty and too loud...a ricer with a sport exhuast sounds like a joke, a ferrari with a tubi sound like pure heaven...in the 997s,, the standard exhaust note is very nice, and not too loud, but some people want a little more and therefore the pse fits the bill....as for sport chrono, lets not even open that pandoras box...oopps, i just opened it!!!!!!!

OCBen

Yep, different strokes for different folks. To each his own, yadda yadda. As was mentioned, one of the best things about ordering a new Porsche is that you can pick and choose your options individually instead of having them grouped into packages.....with the notable exception of Sport Chrono, which can be considered an option package in that it forces your dash to sprout a wart even if you're just after the throttle remapping and other gadgetry.