Hello all,
This past Saturday my girlfriend picked up a new 208 997-1 C4S in Guards Red on black (for about 16k off sticker). I must say I'm rather jealous as I've always said my next car will be P-car. My current auto of choice is a BMW E86 M-Coupe that I take to the local road course (MSR Cresson) as much as possible (I attend a lot of events with the local P-Car club because their instructors are much better for advanced drvers). I plan on getting her out for at least one HPDE so she can learn how to drive the car as soon as the car is sufficiently broken in.

Being as her new C4S is lacking all the modern day technological niceties a girl should have, my first project is to tackle adding the Navigation, SIRIUS, and CD Changer modules which I picked up all brand new in a package here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=170299192156 which seems to be an incredible bargain. (Was originally purchased from Suncoast for an 07 C4S but he never installed it and eventually sold the car). Anyone see any parts off hand that are missing?


Anyway, I look forward to participating a lot around here!

 

Welcome to the forum. Great price on a nice car, congrats.

 

Take a look Renntech.org. You'll find LOTS of info on how to install the whole thing. You'll likely need your dealer to activate some parts with their computer
JM

 

Sounds like you've got a keeper. The girl and the car.

I'd suggest that your dealer will agree to give you one "free" alignment with the purchase of a new car. Get the ride height set and have the car aligned (I'm yet to see a new car go on the alignment rack and be "right") for enthusiast driving. I'd go for a compromise between safe and docile handling, depending upon the preferences of your friend, but giving the car a fighting chance to handle properly. You should probably canvas other 997 Cab owners for what works for that car, especially in terms of rear toe.

 

welcome aboard! after you drive it on the track, you'll find yourself asking why you ever bought a BMW in the first place

 

Thanks everyone! The girlfriend (as great as she is) is neither an enthusiast nor a real "driver" (she refuses to learn how to row gears so the C4S is a tiptronic and will likely only ever see "Manual" mode when I'm driving it). My plan (or hope ) though is to turn her into at least a decent driver if not a little bit of a P-car afficionado.

Bob, while I would generally agree with your statment (I'm not a normal BMW *****), I think you'd be extremely surprised if you were to get into an E86 ///M. The car is the last "driver's car" BMW will probably ever make and extremely raw which makes it an extreme pleasure when driven hard. Magazine editors hate hate hate the car because they can't just get in it and drive it well. Once you learn how the car likes to be driven (i.e. grab it by the scruff of its neck and force it) there's very little it can't do while putting a Joker-style grin on your face . Stickier tires and an agressive alignment put me just shy of GT3 territory in my run groups and the Porsche instructors always express satisfaction (and usually quite a bit of surprise) after they take their turn driving her.

 

OF GIRL and car, please.

 

LOL -
His: E86 ///M Coupe: Pics Track Pics Vids
Hers: 997-1 C4S: Pics

There is one picture of her in the hers section but I'll have to get her approval before I post anything too risque' of her

 

Nothing better than a chic in a P-car. Not enough of them.

 

Really???

You are comparing an M Coupe to a GT3?

Really?

I would expect the base carrera with PDK to be a reasonable comparo to the M Coupe. You don't write for C&D by any chance?

 

While I never directly compared the two (and wouldn't), I will admit that "just shy of GT3" territory may have been a bit strong. My personal experience in HDPEs so far (keeping in mind that I'm only up to Blue Solo in PCA events) is that I tend to pass everything except for turbos, GT2s, and GT3s (which, in turn, handle me fairly easily). On a track, the E86 (which uses most of the European E46 CSL parts but in a smaller lighter body with extremely high torsional rigidity of 32,000 Nm/o) really comes to life. I think if you were to get ahold of one for a day, you'd be pretty surprised. It's not like other BMWs.

 

When I went from my "reasonably modified" E46M3 into my bone stock 997S, I matched my best ever lap time at Lime Rock the first day - on street tires (was already in Black for a couple of years). Once I figured out how to drive a rear-engined car and got the 997 aligned, etc. I cut that lap time significantly. The thing about a 997, be it GT3, S, etc. is they need a lot more learning than a neutral car like any BMW.

Anyway, to clarify a couple of things. You cannot corner balance / lower the 997 product other than the GT3 which has true coil-overs. You absolutely can and should bring the car back to the dealer and say "you know, it's pulling to the right a little - I think the alignment is off" and per Porsche they will put it on the rack and give you a new alignment (I think every new 997 comes off the production line with a messed up alignment - mine was way off). Then you can have them max out your front camber, which in a 997 is going to be about 8/10 of 1 degree. Not enough, but better than nothing.

Next is the additions - honestly, have the dealer install that stuff while he has the car for alignment. Let him be responsible for the car so you don't have to worry about scratching or frying something.

Enjoy them

 

welcome and congrats

 

Congrats to you and the gf.
You have the best color combo.

 

Congrats and welcome.

+1 on posting pics of both.