saltydawg

I know this is yet another what should I do question that only I can ultimately answer but I seek opinions. I have had many coupes in the past (non Porsche) and am now looking at ordering a 997.5 cab. The car will not be tracked and cabs in general seem to be more of a roadster/fun car rather than a no compromise performance car like a coupe. The key differences between the S vs. the base car, aside from a few cosmetics, seems to be three items: 3.6 vs 3.8 engine, 18" vs 19" wheels, and PASM. Absolute cost of the car is not the most important factor for me but the cost/benefit ratio is quite important. Thus my questions are, for a cabriolet:

1. Is the additional hp highly desirable or beneficial in the cabriolet?
2. Do the 19" wheels on a cab benefit the handling all that much or does the diminished ride quality leave you wishing for the 18's?
3. Usefulness of PASM on a non track car?

Perhaps this is too many questions for one thread. Ultimately the real question is: 997.5 cabriolet, "S" or no "S"?

Da Hapa

Keep in mind that I don't think any of us have actually driven the 2009's yet ...
1) Both. However, the extra torque... esp. in the heavier cabriolet that you expect not to track is even more beneficial. In relaxed, in town, lazy style driving the additional tq. of the bigger motor is every bit, if not more, beneficial and desirable than the extra hp.
2) If you're not tracking the car, the honest answer is that the 19" wheels aren't going to improve "handling" all that much. The steering feel will be improved as will initial turn in with the 19" but arguably not that much to make any real difference. I've driven a 2008 cab on 18" wheels and a 2007 cab S on 19" wheels and although I didn't drive them back to back on the same day, I honestly couldn't tell that much difference in the ride quality from the wheels. I recall feeling a bit of difference; however, between the quality of the ride in the standard "steel" suspension of the cab and the normal setting of the cab s.
3) I think PASM remains useful for a non-tracked car for a number of reasons, including: better ride quality than the "steel" suspension car when in normal mode (and it appears to me that the 2009s will ride even better), lower ride height which improves aesthetics as well as weight transfer, and the ability to dramatically firm up the suspension at the touch of a button if you want to carve canyons. The only real downside is potentially long-term maintenance costs.

For me, for my $, I think the S remains worth it.

Le Chef

I think there's a noticeable difference between the base suspension on 18" wheels and PASM and 19" wheels. If I could have a free choice it would be the S with the standard non adaptive suspension on 18" wheels. The narrow tires are more fun to drive on, the steering feels more communicative, and the ride is better.

Soulteacher

Welcome on board! Besides the opinions you'll get in this thread, these previous threads may also help a little bit:

Anyone regret buying a base Carrera?
Carrera or Carrera S?
997 Cab: Base or S?
C2 vs C2S
Personal, subjective, superficial comparison C2S cab versus C2 coupe
Considering buying a C2 or C2S: Difference?
2006 C2 vs C2S
C2 vs. C2S

axhoaxho

No replacement for displacement. Get the extra 200cc.

Regards,

saltydawg

Thanks very much for the links Soulteacher. I tried a search but searching for just S did not yield much.

I suspect the easy answer is if adding the 19's and PASM to the base car as options, you might as well pay the relatively small incremental difference and get the S. My question arose because of many magazine reviews of the new 911 (mostly european) suggesting a base 911 is all you will ever need.

Soulteacher

It's a tricky search... I only remembered it because I went through the same thing last year. I concluded that there were very good reasons to get the 'S' and there were very good reasons to be happy with the base Carrera, depending on what your primary expectations and criteria were. So since I had had an 'S' before, I went with the base. It was that simple. This time I'm hoping to go with the C4 if - and only if - an aftermarket "reflector strip delete" will be available by late March. Otherwise it's a C2 again (which I realized is all I need).

Edgy01

When you do the math there is not a significant difference between the S and non S particularly if you load it up with what I consider important options. I have nearly 30,000 on my 06 S that came with the widest wheel ever made for a 911,--the Carrera Sports (8.5 F and 11.5 R) and truly enjoy the 19 inches. (Perhaps some of the handling that I'm benefiting from are from my PCCBs). With over 250,000 miles in the 911 automobile I have to say that the 997S version is phenomenal. Overseas these cars are terribly expensive (compared to the USA) and thus the non S makes more sense over there. Here, they are practically giving them away.

CayS

saltydawg,
You may also want to read the interesting comments on the "benefits" of 19" vs. 18" wheels and PASM / PASM Sport in the well written "Trojan Horse" article in the October edition of "Excellence".
Link: http://www.excellence-mag.com/art1/art1p1.html

Greetings, Rainer

saltydawg

Thanks Rainer. The Excellence article touches on many of my questions. At this point, I am definitely leaning toward the S. Now a question that can only be answered with a test drive, PDK or not? Hopefully the dealers will be getting some PDK launch cars to keep on the lot as testers.

Sadiq

always S if you can afford it

Soulteacher

Personally, I usually go with what satisfies my needs, not what I can afford (as long as I can afford it, of course). But if I don't need it, I don't spend money on it. That's why I'm down to a C2 from a C2S. Being the boring 997 driver I am, that's all that's required to float my boat.

yemenmocha

+1

You'll never see someone posting here, ordering the S, saying "damn, wish I hadn't ordered the S"...

stout

I might if I had ordered an S and then driven a Carrera with PCCB. And I'm not the only one.

The good news is the new 3.8S is seriously sweet and loves to rev and still has a nice torque advantage. The good news is the 3.6 now feels strong even in the heavier Carreras, like the 4s and Cabrios. Both engines are VERY nice. If I was a torque nut (I am not, but like it when it's there...), I would go for the S. I think. But I'd rather have the PCCBs than the 200ccs.

Either way, you can't lose.

pete

saltydawg

I definitely subscribe to the notion to buy the best you can all of the time. That way, it only stings one time at the outset with the high price and does not sting repetetively having to use a product you are not completely happy with and then get stung again having to replace it.

However, in this case, I think there is little doubt that the base car is every bit as good as the "S", just a little different. Many times, a product is completely adequate for our purposes. I certainly do not need a $10,000 high end computer to surf the internet and write e-mails. I also know that a Porsche Turbo or GT2 is too much car for me so I am not entertaining buying those. Hell, the base car exceeds my driving ability by leaps and bounds.

For the little bit more cash sting, I think I will just get the S...or maybe I should test drive a turbo.