Ron's C4s Cab & Options Review (huge)
03-02-2006, 09:27 PM
#16
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by 1080iAddict
I believe that's an easy dealer add-on. I think they insert a disc and hook up PIWIS.
03-03-2006, 02:34 AM
#17
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by dweiser
Excellent write-up ronmart, thank you!
It should be very helpful to all placing an order.
Maybe you'd like to also post it over at rennteam.com?
It should be very helpful to all placing an order.
Maybe you'd like to also post it over at rennteam.com?
03-03-2006, 01:34 PM
#18
6th Gear
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C4S
Another thumbs up for a great writeup. I'm in Bellevue and wondering why you went all the up to Bellingham for your deal? Any comments or experiences about the dealers on the Eastside/Seattle or even in Tacoma. Thanks again for your comments.
03-03-2006, 02:11 PM
#19
Burning Brakes
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Originally Posted by ronmart
I sympathize with your delima scycle2020! 
I have always been passionate about having a cab, so that is what I went with. However, I had plenty of times where I thought I should just do the coupe to save money. Of course, then I'd say "well if I don't get the cab then I should get X51" and the savings vanished.
My recommendation is to do what I did. Sit down and pick out what you really want, and do it without looking at the price. Figure out what you think you must have versus what is nice to have and then price it out. If you can afford it now, then order it. If you can't, then keep saving a little longer as you'll be happier in the long run. After all, these cars are so expensive that many people will just get one crack at doing this new and you don't want to have any regrets.
Besides, the depreciation is too painful for a do over, so waiting an extra 6 - 12 months is less painful than living with the car for X years saying "gosh, I wish I would have gotten X".
Oh yeah, and if you own an home don't forget that the equity in it can help you to get an easy fixed rate loan that will make your new 911's loan interest tax deductable!
I have always been passionate about having a cab, so that is what I went with. However, I had plenty of times where I thought I should just do the coupe to save money. Of course, then I'd say "well if I don't get the cab then I should get X51" and the savings vanished.
My recommendation is to do what I did. Sit down and pick out what you really want, and do it without looking at the price. Figure out what you think you must have versus what is nice to have and then price it out. If you can afford it now, then order it. If you can't, then keep saving a little longer as you'll be happier in the long run. After all, these cars are so expensive that many people will just get one crack at doing this new and you don't want to have any regrets.
Besides, the depreciation is too painful for a do over, so waiting an extra 6 - 12 months is less painful than living with the car for X years saying "gosh, I wish I would have gotten X".
Oh yeah, and if you own an home don't forget that the equity in it can help you to get an easy fixed rate loan that will make your new 911's loan interest tax deductable!
03-04-2006, 02:04 AM
#20
great review....and from a real Porsche driver instead of a journalist who gets the car for a day (or 2) and feels he has to give us the cons and pros.....your review is what every Porsche buyer should read to make sense of all the available options! because there are a lot and not all of them make sense at first look, but now they do...thanks and I agree fully that the 997 is the first real competitor in the exotic cars field, and this comes from a 996 driver (and I love my P.) also agree about the 4 wheel drive and love the wider look!!
Goodluck with your 997
Goodluck with your 997
03-04-2006, 05:52 PM
#21
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by Nicolaasdb
great review....and from a real Porsche driver instead of a journalist who gets the car for a day (or 2) and feels he has to give us the cons and pros.....your review is what every Porsche buyer should read to make sense of all the available options! because there are a lot and not all of them make sense at first look, but now they do...thanks and I agree fully that the 997 is the first real competitor in the exotic cars field, and this comes from a 996 driver (and I love my P.) also agree about the 4 wheel drive and love the wider look!!
Goodluck with your 997
Goodluck with your 997
). I'll be sure to post again if any of my conclusions change down the road.
Originally Posted by r.xj
Another thumbs up for a great writeup. I'm in Bellevue and wondering why you went all the up to Bellingham for your deal? Any comments or experiences about the dealers on the Eastside/Seattle or even in Tacoma.
Oh yeah, if you go to Roger Jobs you save about 1% on sales taxes too.
03-08-2006, 05:19 AM
#23
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Ron, Great review. Much appreciated. Postings like yours make this list special. You helped me a lot.
I have just placed an order for a C4S Cabrio, like yours. It will be April build, with virtually ALL your EXACT options AND then added nav, the new Sport (not Sport Design ) wheels - which are new and look gorgeous. I did not include the Sport Chrono because : 1) subjectively do not like its looks, and 2 ) from my M5 experience, the abrupt throttle response is more annoying than helpful for good driving. I understand that its computer features are very cool, and if you like the looks, it is a good choice.
As you said, the 997 is gorgeous, and it belongs to the high-end luxury territory. My only serious observation with the new 997 interior is that while great overall, compared to the previous Porsches e.g. 996 , and my M5 and Ferraris, the new silver plastic looks very cheap. The 996 materials for the interior was much, much better regarding metal parts , e. g. the door handles in the 997 are so light like those in a cheap econobox. They are very much like many low cost Japanese cars.
I literally could not believe it, and there is no option that I know that can replace them with higher quality material, say aluminum. Do you know of any options for this, by any chance? The same goes for the center console panel. It looks like the panel of a Japanese car, or a Fiat. The air vents look cool, but they seems made of painted plastic. So I went for an absolute all triple black C4SC and ordered every possible, conceivable extra item for all the interior in black leather, including all the interior vents, center console, door parts .etc. -- you know the full list. Even the center console will be covered in leather. With the new Sport rims, and the all leather, all black interior it may turn to be a somewhat interesting C4S cabrio.
Let me know about your feeling about the silver plastic door latch handles, and if there are any options/suppliers that can allow me to replace them with the same, but in real metal/chrome/or other more solid material.
Many thanks again.
M A T T A S I N A R I
New York City
1984 Porsche Carrera (still my first and best loved sports car)
2001 Ferrari Maranello
1990 Ferrari F40
2002 BMW M5
1997 BMW M3 European model
2002 Range Rover
2003 Jaguar S-Type R
I have just placed an order for a C4S Cabrio, like yours. It will be April build, with virtually ALL your EXACT options AND then added nav, the new Sport (not Sport Design ) wheels - which are new and look gorgeous. I did not include the Sport Chrono because : 1) subjectively do not like its looks, and 2 ) from my M5 experience, the abrupt throttle response is more annoying than helpful for good driving. I understand that its computer features are very cool, and if you like the looks, it is a good choice.
As you said, the 997 is gorgeous, and it belongs to the high-end luxury territory. My only serious observation with the new 997 interior is that while great overall, compared to the previous Porsches e.g. 996 , and my M5 and Ferraris, the new silver plastic looks very cheap. The 996 materials for the interior was much, much better regarding metal parts , e. g. the door handles in the 997 are so light like those in a cheap econobox. They are very much like many low cost Japanese cars.
I literally could not believe it, and there is no option that I know that can replace them with higher quality material, say aluminum. Do you know of any options for this, by any chance? The same goes for the center console panel. It looks like the panel of a Japanese car, or a Fiat. The air vents look cool, but they seems made of painted plastic. So I went for an absolute all triple black C4SC and ordered every possible, conceivable extra item for all the interior in black leather, including all the interior vents, center console, door parts .etc. -- you know the full list. Even the center console will be covered in leather. With the new Sport rims, and the all leather, all black interior it may turn to be a somewhat interesting C4S cabrio.
Let me know about your feeling about the silver plastic door latch handles, and if there are any options/suppliers that can allow me to replace them with the same, but in real metal/chrome/or other more solid material.
Many thanks again.
M A T T A S I N A R I
New York City
1984 Porsche Carrera (still my first and best loved sports car)
2001 Ferrari Maranello
1990 Ferrari F40
2002 BMW M5
1997 BMW M3 European model
2002 Range Rover
2003 Jaguar S-Type R
03-08-2006, 06:07 PM
#24
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by masinari
Ron, Great review. Much appreciated. Postings like yours make this list special. You helped me a lot.
I have just placed an order for a C4S Cabrio, like yours. It will be April build, with virtually ALL your EXACT options AND then added nav, the new Sport (not Sport Design ) wheels - which are new and look gorgeous. I did not include the Sport Chrono because : 1) subjectively do not like its looks, and 2 ) from my M5 experience, the abrupt throttle response is more annoying than helpful for good driving. I understand that its computer features are very cool, and if you like the looks, it is a good choice.
As you said, the 997 is gorgeous, and it belongs to the high-end luxury territory. My only serious observation with the new 997 interior is that while great overall, compared to the previous Porsches e.g. 996 , and my M5 and Ferraris, the new silver plastic looks very cheap. The 996 materials for the interior was much, much better regarding metal parts , e. g. the door handles in the 997 are so light like those in a cheap econobox. They are very much like many low cost Japanese cars.
I literally could not believe it, and there is no option that I know that can replace them with higher quality material, say aluminum. Do you know of any options for this, by any chance? The same goes for the center console panel. It looks like the panel of a Japanese car, or a Fiat. The air vents look cool, but they seems made of painted plastic. So I went for an absolute all triple black C4SC and ordered every possible, conceivable extra item for all the interior in black leather, including all the interior vents, center console, door parts .etc. -- you know the full list. Even the center console will be covered in leather. With the new Sport rims, and the all leather, all black interior it may turn to be a somewhat interesting C4S cabrio.
Let me know about your feeling about the silver plastic door latch handles, and if there are any options/suppliers that can allow me to replace them with the same, but in real metal/chrome/or other more solid material.
Many thanks again.
M A T T A S I N A R I
New York City
1984 Porsche Carrera (still my first and best loved sports car)
2001 Ferrari Maranello
1990 Ferrari F40
2002 BMW M5
1997 BMW M3 European model
2002 Range Rover
2003 Jaguar S-Type R
I have just placed an order for a C4S Cabrio, like yours. It will be April build, with virtually ALL your EXACT options AND then added nav, the new Sport (not Sport Design ) wheels - which are new and look gorgeous. I did not include the Sport Chrono because : 1) subjectively do not like its looks, and 2 ) from my M5 experience, the abrupt throttle response is more annoying than helpful for good driving. I understand that its computer features are very cool, and if you like the looks, it is a good choice.
As you said, the 997 is gorgeous, and it belongs to the high-end luxury territory. My only serious observation with the new 997 interior is that while great overall, compared to the previous Porsches e.g. 996 , and my M5 and Ferraris, the new silver plastic looks very cheap. The 996 materials for the interior was much, much better regarding metal parts , e. g. the door handles in the 997 are so light like those in a cheap econobox. They are very much like many low cost Japanese cars.
I literally could not believe it, and there is no option that I know that can replace them with higher quality material, say aluminum. Do you know of any options for this, by any chance? The same goes for the center console panel. It looks like the panel of a Japanese car, or a Fiat. The air vents look cool, but they seems made of painted plastic. So I went for an absolute all triple black C4SC and ordered every possible, conceivable extra item for all the interior in black leather, including all the interior vents, center console, door parts .etc. -- you know the full list. Even the center console will be covered in leather. With the new Sport rims, and the all leather, all black interior it may turn to be a somewhat interesting C4S cabrio.
Let me know about your feeling about the silver plastic door latch handles, and if there are any options/suppliers that can allow me to replace them with the same, but in real metal/chrome/or other more solid material.
Many thanks again.
M A T T A S I N A R I
New York City
1984 Porsche Carrera (still my first and best loved sports car)
2001 Ferrari Maranello
1990 Ferrari F40
2002 BMW M5
1997 BMW M3 European model
2002 Range Rover
2003 Jaguar S-Type R
I remember watching a video or reading something about the development of the 997 and they originally did use aluminum handles, but there was an issue with them and the doors that caused them to switch to a aluminum look instead. I'm not sure if you get the alumninum package on the interior if they go to real aluminum, or if they are still painted, but that is something to look into.
Personally, I think they are fine. They were black plastic in the 996, and they seem to be well done. I also have had several people point out that they love the "real aluminum" handles and parts in the car, and I didn't correct them.
I drove a freinds M3 the other day and he drove my car and when we were done, we were both in solid agreement that the M3 isn't in the same league as the 997. I didn't feel this way when I was shoping for cars, and came VERY close to buying a M3 on 2 occasions. I think you'll be very pleased, especially with the shifter and the brakes as they are light years better than the M3 in mine and my friends opinion.
It is too bad you don't live closer. I'd love to chat with you sometime about your Ferrari's as I'm a Ferrari junkie, and have heard great things about the F40's driving charactaristics.
03-09-2006, 12:50 AM
#27
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by OCBen
Wow, after spending all that and not getting basic NAV, what a shame.
If by any chance I get to the point I really miss it, there are several options I could leverage to get a solution in my 911 (including the PCM & drive upgrade which would probably set me back $3000 after the fact).
If Porsche was realistic and charged <= $1000 for it then I would have gotten it just for the hell of it. However, I didn't see that it was worth the cost of a new laptop for a simple DVD drive upgrade (retail $200 tops) a GPS module (about $100 tops), and a circuit board ($100 max).
I took a lot of screwing on the options, but this was one that was just too painful to swallow for something I'd rarely (if ever) use (based on being a nav owner for the last 6 years).
03-09-2006, 01:12 AM
#29
Banned
Originally Posted by ronmart
I've got nav on 2 existing vehicles and my laptop (which has Streets & Trips w/ a GPS). Overall I really don't miss it and it simply isn't needed since I am using the 911 as a fun car not a daily driver.
Mine is just a weekend fun car too and it's usually during the weekend that I end up going places I don't normally go to, hence the need for nav. During the weekly commute to work in my daily driver I can practically get there with my eyes closed. Nav on a commuter car would be pointless in my opinion.
But going to exciting new places, having fun exploring twisties that are far from the beaten path, seeing the curves that lie ahead before they catch you by surprise - that's what makes a nav a must-have option for a weekend fun car.
03-09-2006, 01:47 AM
#30
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by OCBen
Yes I saw that in your previous post.
Mine is just a weekend fun car too and it's usually during the weekend that I end up going places I don't normally go to, hence the need for nav. During the weekly commute to work in my daily driver I can practically get there with my eyes closed. Nav on a commuter car would be pointless in my opinion.
But going to exciting new places, having fun exploring twisties that are far from the beaten path, seeing the curves that lie ahead before they catch you by surprise - that's what makes a nav a must-have option for a weekend fun car.
Mine is just a weekend fun car too and it's usually during the weekend that I end up going places I don't normally go to, hence the need for nav. During the weekly commute to work in my daily driver I can practically get there with my eyes closed. Nav on a commuter car would be pointless in my opinion.
But going to exciting new places, having fun exploring twisties that are far from the beaten path, seeing the curves that lie ahead before they catch you by surprise - that's what makes a nav a must-have option for a weekend fun car.
Thanks Ben, now I am starting to have second thoughts!