It's time for a new car. And I don't have room for a separate sports car, with teen drivers at home.

So, the question is: Could I realistically use a 997 as a daily driver?

I live in the midwest, so this would include rain, snow, and yes, road salt. I would get the extra rims w/snow tires, and clean the car regularly. It's either do it this way, or no P-car for a while. (And I've tried, and taken a pass on, the Cayenne.)

Any comments, warnings or suggestions from year-round drivers?

I'm thinking about a C4 Coupe (with 6-spd).

thanks

 

C4s all the way, you can do it!

 

I agree, go for the C4, and the Cayenne is due for a make over...

 

Charlie, welcome to the board! It's actually a question that has already led to some lively discussions. For a start, check out the threads below. You'll probably also get more feedback within this thread.

https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...t=daily+driver
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...t=daily+driver
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...t=daily+driver

 

Put the right tires on it and you could use it as a snowplow. The only thing I would worry about are other drivers on slick roads.

 

My C4 was great in the snow.
I was very pleasantly surprised.
The depth of the snow where you live could be a problem however.

 

Do it Charlie!

I use my 997S every day in sun, rain, whatever,without any problems - but you'll have to get used to washing it more often.

If you're in an area that gets a lot of snow then why not buy a cheap, old 4x4 as a stand-by?

 

Exactly, it really depends on what conditions you'll have. With only 1 car in the midwest, I personally would skip the 911 and get a real 4 person awd car like the RS4 for practicality. I was very impressed with it in Europe last year in the wet and this year in the heat of europe. It's a tad more sterile than the Porsche in terms of feedback due to the weight but the RS4 will eat up a plain C4.
A porsche is great to own though and practical enough for daily driving.

 

Around here, we see a lot of 911's and Boxsters on the road during the winter months. They work well as winter cars. However, most of the cars on the road during the winter are leased. The owners do not care about the long term effects of salt and sand as they are returning them after 3 years.

For those that purchase their 911's and plan on keeping them for a long time, most will store it for the winter. Salt and sand do effect the cars, like every other car.

So the bottom line is: If you want a daily driver that you are going to trade-in in a few years, go for it.

 

For what it's worth, I live in the snow belt east of Cleveland. My (previous) C4S was a disaster with more than 2 inches of snow on the ground, although since it was not my primary winter car, I admit I did not buy winter tires for it. The wide front tires just acted as snow plows and would quickly build up snow mounds in front of the tires. I'm sure good winter tires would have made a big difference, but if you live where you can expect any significant amount of snow, my experience indicates the 911, even the C4, isn't a very practical car as a daily driver in snow country. Sorry.

 

there's been thousands of post on this already, go to Europe and you'll see C2's, C4S' and TT with roof racks with skis on them at the major ski resorts. I bought a C4S because I'm going to use it year round...with decent winter tires of course.

 

A few things come to mind; will you need to transport more than one person at a time, do you need to entertain clients, do you mind the car's small size? If your wife has a sedan or SUV, you're probably just fine. As far tires go, many others here have two sets of tires and it's really not a big deal to keep them in the garage stacked on top of each other out of the way. Salt, no worries, the Porsche has an undercoating that is literally bullet-proof. Just be sure you wash the undercarriage when you can following a snow storm to minimize exposure to the harsh chemicals.

Life is short and even if you owned it a short time, you will enjoy it and always have the memories. I hope this helps. Good luck!!