The 1,051 mile trip home
03-20-2011 | 08:37 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Rennlist Member
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 5,772
Likes: 337
From: Everywhere
The 1,051 mile trip home
Picked up my new to me 2006 Midnight Blue Carrera from Houston, Texas and drove back to South Carolina.
The seller was awesome. He picked me up at the airport and even bought me lunch. He surprised me by having the car detailed and a full tank of gas. The seller is the original owner and a long time Porsche owner having started with 356's and moved up from there. He had complete records from new and even a book on the development of the 997.
Picking up the car...
The car ran perfectly. Per the trip computer I averaged 71 mph and 24.8 mpg.
Like the Porshce poster says, "Kills Bugs Fast" !
Some observations:
- The interstates continue to deteriorate. I-10 out of Houston through Louisiana felt like cobblestone. None of the other interstates felt much better. Surprisingly, most of the secondary roads were relatively smooth and comfortable.
- There is no one left in Ohio....seriously. It's almost a joke in SC that there are so many Ohioans in the state. However, as I was driving through every state coming home it seem like the majority of out of state cars were from Ohio. Buckeyes...winter is over, it's time to go home!
- I only met a few other Porsche's and none returned my flash and/or wave.... saw two Boxsters, one blacked out 996, and a Panamera.
- The two most interesting cars I saw were a red MGA I overtook at around 10:00 p.m. on the interstate between Mobile and Birmingham (the speed differential was a little frightening) and a red XKE outside of Hilton Head
- The only "problems" I had were from ricers and pickups. The ricers all wanted to race and the pickups (not the regular trucks....just the more expensive 4x4 lifted ones) all seemed to want to harass me.
- The base Carrera is really an excellent road trip machine. The performance is awesome, I felt like i could get away from any car I needed to, and the ergonomics are comfortable!
I really like the 997....so far, the car has exceeded my expectations!
Obligatory picture....
The seller was awesome. He picked me up at the airport and even bought me lunch. He surprised me by having the car detailed and a full tank of gas. The seller is the original owner and a long time Porsche owner having started with 356's and moved up from there. He had complete records from new and even a book on the development of the 997.
Picking up the car...
The car ran perfectly. Per the trip computer I averaged 71 mph and 24.8 mpg.
Like the Porshce poster says, "Kills Bugs Fast" !
Some observations:
- The interstates continue to deteriorate. I-10 out of Houston through Louisiana felt like cobblestone. None of the other interstates felt much better. Surprisingly, most of the secondary roads were relatively smooth and comfortable.
- There is no one left in Ohio....seriously. It's almost a joke in SC that there are so many Ohioans in the state. However, as I was driving through every state coming home it seem like the majority of out of state cars were from Ohio. Buckeyes...winter is over, it's time to go home!
- I only met a few other Porsche's and none returned my flash and/or wave.... saw two Boxsters, one blacked out 996, and a Panamera.
- The two most interesting cars I saw were a red MGA I overtook at around 10:00 p.m. on the interstate between Mobile and Birmingham (the speed differential was a little frightening) and a red XKE outside of Hilton Head
- The only "problems" I had were from ricers and pickups. The ricers all wanted to race and the pickups (not the regular trucks....just the more expensive 4x4 lifted ones) all seemed to want to harass me.
- The base Carrera is really an excellent road trip machine. The performance is awesome, I felt like i could get away from any car I needed to, and the ergonomics are comfortable!
I really like the 997....so far, the car has exceeded my expectations!
Obligatory picture....
Last edited by billh1963; 03-21-2011 at 04:49 PM.
03-20-2011 | 09:12 PM
#5
Rennlist Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,953
Likes: 1,622
From: Philly suburbs
Cool. Reminds me of my 1200 mile trip from Houston to get my 2006 997s last fall. Ironically I drove it back to my home in Ohio, where I assure you, people still live. Always fun to do a long road trip in a new exciting car. Although in my case, coming off a long flight to China, and heavily jet lagged, it turned out to be a bizarre, surreal, 29 hour experience. Couldn't sleep well so I drove on a really strange schedule. Loving the car since.
03-20-2011 | 09:17 PM
#6
Rennlist Member
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 2,301
Likes: 537
From: Los Angeles
Congratulations on the "new" 997.
Great story of the drive home.
Can't beat a road trip in a Porsche. In 1975, a friend and I drove from Atlanta to L.A. in my 914. It was August and we vowed to keep the top off "no matter what."
We drove through a couple of minor rain storms, and a righteous seven-minute blizzard in Flagstaff, AZ, but we never took the top out of the trunk.
Ah, memories.
Welcome to the 997 group.
Great story of the drive home.
Can't beat a road trip in a Porsche. In 1975, a friend and I drove from Atlanta to L.A. in my 914. It was August and we vowed to keep the top off "no matter what."
We drove through a couple of minor rain storms, and a righteous seven-minute blizzard in Flagstaff, AZ, but we never took the top out of the trunk.
Ah, memories.
Welcome to the 997 group.
Trending Topics
03-20-2011 | 10:24 PM
#8
Rennlist Member
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 263
Likes: 2
From: Eastern NC
03-20-2011 | 10:28 PM
#10
Thread Starter
Rennlist Member
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 5,772
Likes: 337
From: Everywhere
03-20-2011 | 10:51 PM
#12
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 236
Likes: 0
Nothing like a 1000+ mile road trip to get to know the new car. Congrats.
Ricers and goat ropers in pickups, a thorn in the side of almost all Porsche owners. You will get used to it. They want to egg you on to do something stupid. My advise, ignore them.
Ricers and goat ropers in pickups, a thorn in the side of almost all Porsche owners. You will get used to it. They want to egg you on to do something stupid. My advise, ignore them.
