One Little Pleasure of a Porsche
09-22-2011, 04:24 AM
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One Little Pleasure of a Porsche
I drove our car the three and half hours round trip to the dealer today. Wanted to take care of the service bulletin about the high-pressure fuel pump and the sales department is all fired about getting a list of past buyers ready to drive the new 991's when they arrive. So I combined the two. Pre-arranged some test drives while they did the replacement on our 6-MT Carrera. (No demos on the 991's yet as we know. Just getting reacquainted with the other options.)
Two observations: A 2011 C2S PDK Cabriolet is a delightful car to drive. Ran around the hills for about half an hour, long enough to get acquainted with the PDK, but also to enjoy the top-down experience that I don't get with our coupe. If we lived in the weather pattern that dealer enjoys I think I'd go for the cabriolet next time. Really nice car.
Second, I really want to get the leather sport seat next time. Damn, that seat is comfortable. But I wouldn't pay U$210k for a Speedster to get the seat, even if it only has 32 miles on the clock. Buyer's wife didn't find out it had no back seat until he brought it home. So he took it back eventually when she didn't relent. (Apparently garaged it while pleading. 32 miles!) He paid $310 for the car, so a little arithmetic shows the value of foresight cannot be overstated.
Okay, okay. Back to the subject line. After all that, I got back in our Carrera and drove it home through California's worst freeway traffic (101-405-5) and then a short-cut through the mountains for the last thirty miles or so. Lot of driving in one day at my age, especially high-drama driving if I may lump together fast freeways and fast mountains that way. So I'm pretty tired. But you know what?
Even as I rolled out of their driveway, it was a joy to get back in my Porsche, to feel the flow of power as I maneuvered through traffic, to blip it going through tunnels just for the hell of it and... well, just to be back in it.
You know you own the right car when you can get into a quarter million dollars worth of "other people's cars" over the course of an hour or two and still be glad to be back in your own. Not the "comfortable old shoe" or "sour grapes" feelings, but just because your own car is really great in its own right. A road tester who drives our cars and goes home in a Mazda MP3 Sport is just kidding himself if he claims to feel that way. We who own them really can enjoy that pleasure without faking it.
Damn, I love these cars. And I'm sure glad I picked the example we own.
But I might buy a sport seat...
Gary
Two observations: A 2011 C2S PDK Cabriolet is a delightful car to drive. Ran around the hills for about half an hour, long enough to get acquainted with the PDK, but also to enjoy the top-down experience that I don't get with our coupe. If we lived in the weather pattern that dealer enjoys I think I'd go for the cabriolet next time. Really nice car.
Second, I really want to get the leather sport seat next time. Damn, that seat is comfortable. But I wouldn't pay U$210k for a Speedster to get the seat, even if it only has 32 miles on the clock. Buyer's wife didn't find out it had no back seat until he brought it home. So he took it back eventually when she didn't relent. (Apparently garaged it while pleading. 32 miles!) He paid $310 for the car, so a little arithmetic shows the value of foresight cannot be overstated.
Okay, okay. Back to the subject line. After all that, I got back in our Carrera and drove it home through California's worst freeway traffic (101-405-5) and then a short-cut through the mountains for the last thirty miles or so. Lot of driving in one day at my age, especially high-drama driving if I may lump together fast freeways and fast mountains that way. So I'm pretty tired. But you know what?
Even as I rolled out of their driveway, it was a joy to get back in my Porsche, to feel the flow of power as I maneuvered through traffic, to blip it going through tunnels just for the hell of it and... well, just to be back in it.
You know you own the right car when you can get into a quarter million dollars worth of "other people's cars" over the course of an hour or two and still be glad to be back in your own. Not the "comfortable old shoe" or "sour grapes" feelings, but just because your own car is really great in its own right. A road tester who drives our cars and goes home in a Mazda MP3 Sport is just kidding himself if he claims to feel that way. We who own them really can enjoy that pleasure without faking it.
Damn, I love these cars. And I'm sure glad I picked the example we own.
But I might buy a sport seat...
Gary
09-22-2011, 05:25 AM
#2
You know, there is nothing I'd rather do right now, when i can't sleep, than jump into my 911 and take a quick spin, now that I'm home from the gym.
Of course, I can't do that, because the car has been in the shop for 6 days, going on 7, while the dealer trying to figure out an intermittent seat adjuster problem. (won't go forward or tilt forward, although will move backwards and tilt backwards, but only sometimes). Ugh. The base Mini Cooper with 116 horsepower and a fun sapping CVT is not the worst service loaner I've had, but it is not a very good replacement for the 911 I just bought 4 weeks ago. Just had the HPFP replaced too, for a total of 8 days in the shop so far. :P
Sorry to rain on your parade, I'm just venting. In truth, I really miss my car and want it back.
Of course, I can't do that, because the car has been in the shop for 6 days, going on 7, while the dealer trying to figure out an intermittent seat adjuster problem. (won't go forward or tilt forward, although will move backwards and tilt backwards, but only sometimes). Ugh. The base Mini Cooper with 116 horsepower and a fun sapping CVT is not the worst service loaner I've had, but it is not a very good replacement for the 911 I just bought 4 weeks ago. Just had the HPFP replaced too, for a total of 8 days in the shop so far. :P
Sorry to rain on your parade, I'm just venting. In truth, I really miss my car and want it back.
09-22-2011, 08:42 AM
#3
Drifting
Mine is in for the same bulletin, also for a software upgrade.
09-22-2011, 11:43 AM
#4
You said it, Gary. But I will also add to it. You know you’re in the right car when you spot another one on the road and you can’t take your eyes from it. You stare because it looks so good on the road—sporty and assertive, clean and beautiful, yet not trying too hard to get attention. But she gets my attention, though. And then I remember: damn, I have one of those, too. And lastly I also think: “God, why have you been so good to me?”
Enjoy those 997’s fellas; we’re one F’n lucky bunch…
Enjoy those 997’s fellas; we’re one F’n lucky bunch…
09-22-2011, 08:40 PM
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The actual driving is a million-miles old by now so for one day's effort I was able to ignore the fundamentally hard work of a fast but busy freeway and concentrate on the pleasure of using our car for one of the things it does so well.
The Auto Gallery people knew I had to get home to take care of Cindy, so they did well. Gave me those test drives, took me to a local country club for lunch, and had the work done and the car washed in jig time. (Well, three hours total. Two for the fuel pump, and one in overhead on both ends.)
In the past, the car did occasionally stall at very low speed without obvious cause. Felt as if a too-low idle speed had been set on an old carbureted engine. I'll bet the revised pump takes care of that. Certainly had nothing to complain of about the new one in terms of power and responsiveness.
Gary
