4 Track Mind

Rear hatch on the targa would be nice but a roof rack would likely prove more useful. C4 with snows is fun and reliable in Chicago snow. Can't comment on dogs but my 3 kids love it. 991 rear seating might extend 911 use as family car a few more years if it accommodates "more fully formed humans" in back. Unfortunately 991 AWD will debut 1 year later. Get a an AWD 911 as your DD. Rent from home depot or enterprise for those rare occasions you need to haul large loads.

997_rich

997 as my daily driver and my only car. Put the christmas tree on top (in plastic), 100lbs of rough sawn oak, and an aluminum ladder. I also do about 25k a year going from NYC to boston every week. Yeah, maybe the car gets more wear than it might but I get my money's worth of enjoyment out of it. I will drive this car for as many miles I can get out of it (catastrophic engine failure? rust? total unreliability). I got 320k out of my last BMW and I hope to beat that in the porsche.

jfoxny

Well, I'm back to this again. I put off the decision for a while but the GFs car is dying a slow death and I think it's about time for it to go. So, of course, I see this as an opportunity to upgrade.

I'm planning on giving her the R32 and buying a new car. I've narrowed things down to a 06 911 Cabriolet (yes a C2 not a C4 - from what I've read the C2 will be fine in the snow with proper snow tires and more fun in the dry) and a 2013 TTRS.

I test drove a few 997.1s but the TTRS is no where to be found as it's an "order-only" car. So, I drove a base TT, which I have to say, was pretty fun even in base form. My guess is if you turn everything up to "11" on the base TT you'd arrive at what the TTRS is. If that's the case, it will be very fun indeed. No Porsche, but, fun none-the-less.

I'm still torn, though. I really think that I'll miss the whole "top-down thing." I know the hardcore P-philes will poo-poo the cab for its "wriggly" body but nothing compares IMHO to a top-down Porsche, a sunny day (or starry night) and a winding road. I also think I'll miss the hard to describe but every Porsche owner knows it: p-car feel. On the other hand, a brand new car does have its draws.

The TTRS will have all the "modern" creature comforts, technology and styling. Plus, I'll probably do European Delivery. TTRS + European Vacation = RING TIME! The other things the RS has over the 997 is AWD and a hatch. But, at a cost of $10k over the 06 997.

The Porsche solution to this problem would still probably be to go Targa as it's probably the closest "match" to the TTRS with the benefit of the panoramic, opening, roof. However, finding a Targa, in the same $50-65k price range, has been nearly impossible. I've sort of given up on that.

Anyways, not sure what I'm looking to get out of this post, but, thanks for listening.

Jason

Hammer911

2011 C4S is my daily driver and my only car. Wife drives an X5. I have a Porsche rack with Yakima bike racks and a Yakima skybox for skis in the winter. I live in Colorado, see all types of weather. I also have a set of winter wheels (18s versus summer 19s) and snow tires. Two 50 pound dogs, but they don't ride along very often.

Every once in a while I have to spend $20 an hour to bring home loads from Home Depot, but otherwise I get along just fine. It's quite gratifying when people approach me ( quite frequently at the gas station) when they see the rack on top and say "that's so cool that you actually drive your car!"

I love driving it everyday - even makes the commute enjoyable, and you'll know your car better than most ever will know theirs.

MessyMarvin

Funny I was in a similar situation, I currently have a 2011 Audi TT and I was debating upgrading to a TT-RS or a 997.2 C4S. In my situation the C4S would be about 8-10 Grand more.

For your situation the TT-RS would be tempting, the amount of room in the back is incredible with the seats down, its one of the Best Bangs for the Buck on the market in my opinion.

In the end I decided to hold off for now, going to pay down my Current TT. This could change in a few months, we will see.

Not sure you can go wrong with either, if it is not a 997.2 I would go TT-RS though.

denVerSlube

My C4 has been my exclusive DD for 1 year now. I've had just one of my two (full size) teenage boys in the back, and also my Golden and Beagle in the back, but no more than that. The C4 did excellent in the Colorado snow (okay maybe only 80% as well as my previous quattro A4, but still excellent). I wouldn't drive anything else now.

jfoxny

Pulled the trigger on a 2006 997.1 Cabriolet - Speed Yellow/Black - 21k miles - same color combo as my previous Boxster (05 987.1). My impressions so far:

1) My 50lb Vizsla and my girlfriend's 35lb lab-mix fit just fine. I removed the back seats and laid down a blanket. I'm 5'11" and I can simply tilt the seat forward without moving it to let the dogs in/out. So far, so good.

2) The car has 19" wheels, P-Zero Tires and does not have PASM. The ride compared to my Boxster w/18" wheels and PASM is definitely on the FIRMER/Sport side of the Boxster's PASM setting.

3) It's louder in the cabin than in the Boxster though I think some of that is due to the P-Zeros. I'll be switching to Michelin Super Sports soon.

4) The Boxster felt nimbler. I assume due to it being smaller and mid-engined.

5) The 911 builds speed effortlessly; it's quite amazing. Give it a little gas in 5th gear at 70 MPH and you're almost in triple digits with no drama what-so-ever. It's addicting.

6) Shifting is not as precise as I'd like - installing the OEM short shifter kit.

7) Speed yellow seat belts get dirty. I'll probably replace them with black ones at some point when it bothers me enough.

8) Sport exhaust makes an awesome noise.

Mods (so far):

1) Removed backseats and "installed" a blanket (for the dogs)
2) Replaced carpet mats with WeatherTech mats - love these had them in my R32
3) Removed aftermarket sat. radio
4) Dension Gateway + Bluetooh Module from Bumperplugs.com (tomorrow)
5) Replacing worn PCM ***** with parts from Suncoast (tomorrow)
6) Having worn temp/fan controls refinished by www.stickynomore.com (next week)
7) Installing the Porsche OEM short shifter kit from Suncoast (next week)
8) Replacing the missing front spoiler from Pelican Parts (next week)

I'll update this thread with more impressions of daily life with the 911 as the year goes on. It's an awesome car so far (oh, except for that PSM failure - $3,500 part + labor; luckily my Fidelity Warranty should cover it). Looking forward to winter!

Jason

too tall

Jason, I like your style. I'm in a very similar boat and am picking up my 07' 911 S next week. I've got a 50 lbs std. poodle and already have roof racks on order for my bicycles.
Question, for those of you who have dogs what's the best setup to keep the back relatively clean and keep the leather from getting cut? I'm not going to remove the seats since I'll need them sometimes. Maybe I'll have to make something that hooks over both rear seat tops and wing it.

jfoxny

Ha ha, thanks! The back seat bottoms are simply velcroed to the carpet so you can easily remove and replace. I have found that with the seat bottoms removed the dogs do not cause any damage. Also, (small) people can still ride back there in a pinch even with the bottoms removed (the seats are far from comfortable either way). Enjoy the car!

Jason

PS - I also got a set of these to match the deviated seatbelts in the car. If your dog wears a harness or even an Easy Walk leash, these are the simplest seatbelt solution I have found: http://www.maxandzoey.com/dog-seat-b...ety-leash.html

too tall

Thank you Jason that is really useful info.

fbfisher

If you don't care about depreciation, these cars are great daily drivers. Two dogs will trash your interior, you may want to look for a car with the rear seat delete option and/or consider custom rear mat to protect the interior.

Manual front sport seats may be a better option for getting the dogs in and out.

Just a few more thoughts for you to consider...

Robocop305

Enjoy your car. Don't conserve it for the next guy! Cars are meant to be driven, specially our 911's that aren't collector's item!

Kevin Phillips

997.1 Targa and I use it in mostly similar scenarios.

1. DD up to 115 mile (one way) commute
2. Hauls up to 2 of my kids
3. Track Car - and all the misc crap I carry to the track
4. Snow use (dedicated tires/wheels) - close to snow belt in NE Ohio and NW PA
5. Occasional trip to ski resort (if only taking my skis otherwise have to use SUV for everyone), however you are correct in that there isn't a way to mount a roof rack for skis/snowboards.

Have put 22k miles on in the past year. Keep up with maintenance schedule and replace consumables (tires, brakes, fluids).

When it's time for my next car, probably will move up to a newer 911 and do it all over again.

Kevin Phillips

Maybe it's just the current market, but I was able to find a couple of 997 Targas (lower mileage and CPO) in that price range when I purchased last fall. Time may not be on your side, but the price range isn't unreasonable.

jfoxny

I ended up buying an 06 cab last summer. I drive it everyday (including in winter). I bought it with about 23k miles and am just crossing 50k. Porsche everyday.

Jason