gota911

Close your eyes and fast-forward to 3 months AFTER you bought the C2. You're driving down the road and a C2S passes you. You immediately think:

1) man, that is nice looking 997
2) man, that S is nice looking
3) man, I should have gotten an S

If the answer is #1, then no, it does not make sense to get an S. However, if the answer is #2 or #3, then yes, it makes sense to buy an S.

9974G

+1
(though, I'm biased )

kauai_diver

Matter of fact some prefer the non-S for the track. The 19" tires/wheels wander and weigh more, plus the drag coef. is .01 lower in the non-S.

Off the line accel and more bundled features give the S an advantage in my opinion but if you don't need or want those extras the base is the way to go! But I can't live without PASM, bigger brakes, and Sport mode.

Don't worry, any way you go you'll be happy

The only thing I'd do different if there was a do-over: BOSE, amazing how crappy the stock radio is in these cars.

Bob in NY

Had a C2, have a C4S and wish I bought the S from the beginning. But...that's just my opinion, I don't track the car, just enjoy it as my weekend and sometimes commuter car.
I doubt very many S owners will tell you they should have saved the money and bought the C2. You should drive both (a lot) and decide.

911Dave

Not if that's all you're going to add to it. Get the base Carrera and spend the extra $10k on something nice for your wife or girlfriend, because they deserve it.

dstrimbu

Any 997 is a fine car - it's the best Porsche currently made. <g>

So, you won't be sorry - C2, C2S, C4, C4S, GT3, Turbo or whatever. My buddy Richard Jones, who can afford any car he wants, recently bought a C2 Tiptronic that he drives daily.

He says it's the best car he's ever owned. I think that you'll think the same regardless of which one you spring for... and remember - if you go to Porsche Driving Experience at Barber in Birmingham, you'll be driving a C2. That says a lot, in terms of the purest (normal) sporting 911, save for the GT3 RS.

The $70 a month add for the "S" car from your insurance company sounds like a massive rip-off; that's $840 a year - the "uplift" is within a hundred dollars of what I pay for my C4S for an _entire_ year... but maybe you're not as old as me? <g>

Good luck,

-don

JFScheck

One needs "X-51 ENGINE PACKAGE" to fully realize their "Ego"...

RonCT

I'd say if you drive them back to back on the street, you will buy the C2 if you are honest. Better feeling engine, more than adequate brakes, much better ride thanks to the proper 18s, nicer suspension as it's not PASM, more friendly around town (10mm ride height advantage).

I'm a track junkie, so the S was a requirement for the engine, brakes, and xenons. Part of me thinks I goofed and should have gotten the C2 and worked up from there...

wetstuff

I buy for me and the next guy. The person who bought my Boxster-S got a well loaded car in near perfect condition. I sold the car in a week for about a 20% premium in a heavy fog of about 400 (all years) other Boxsters available.

....your insurance surcharge is like my total annual cost?! (Amica Mutual)

opus

Other than the PASM being standard on the C2S, are there other differences in suspension?

kayjh

I've been told that a car with PASM actually rides better than a car without it. The C2 without PASM has a firmer suspension as there is no way to firm it up for "spirited" driving whereas the C2S (standard PASM) or the C2 with PASM can get away with a softer suspension as it can be firmed up by pressing the sport button.

If I bought a C2, I'd order PASM with it (even if it was a lightly optioned car).

umsneeze

I went with a lightly optioned C2 (bose, xenon, heated seats). I was honest with myself, and decided I'm not good enough of a driver yet to be able to noticeably extract the differences between the C2 and C2S. I also want to keep the car for the long run, and wanted fewer things that could break.

The hardest part was finding a car. Most on dealer's lots were way over optioned for my taste. My sales guy was able to find a car for me though. I had to correct him when he said "I'm having trouble finding a cheap car for you." I told him there is nothing cheap about any 911!

Boxsterdoc47

umsneeze...thank you for your honest opinion and you are correct ther is nothing cheap about these cars.

lazlo9

I bought a regular C2 so next time I have somewhere to go up to... before to GT that is.

Love my C2 and have NEVER felt underpowered... though the 550's and M5's I leave in my wake might.

rfedele

+1

I went from an 05 C2S to an 07 C2. Don't miss the power difference, and the 3.6 has a better power delivery than the S. I prefer the 18s over the 19s.