FullThrottle64

....after doing 14 hours' driving yesterday, I've come to the conclusion that the 997.1 C2S really ain't that great as a GT. I've had the car a couple of months now, and while I still love the driving dynamics, I'm starting to get the full picture of how it is as a full-time daily driver.

Two big annoyances really got under my skin after this many miles/hours in succession:

1) The gas tank empties before my bladder is full. It's just too small for long-distance driving (the tank, not my bladder). I get that most people probably don't use a 911 for highway drives; I think this was the first and last long-distance run I'll do in this car. [I've noticed this as a trend in a lot of newer cars lately - why the #$%^ won't they put in a decent-sized fuel tank?]

2) The Bose stereo/sound system just plain sucks. I generally like to listen to some tunes on long drives; the response of this thing is so bad that I end up turning it off after just a few minutes. For this much $$$, Porsche needs to step up and put in something decent. When the Harmon/Kardon audio in my wife's $25K Mini is far superior to the Bose "upgrade" in a $100K+ car, there's something wrong. I keep thinking that I should just try to get used to it, but I just can't - when you can't hear half the bass line because there's a 15 db hole in the response, there's just no way for me to get past it. [What I don't get is why so many people don't seem to notice that it sounds like $****..... Are there really that many people who don't know what a good system sounds like?]

I still like the car, but will be looking a lot closer at these things when I replace it in a few years.... Maybe Porsche will have some better options by then......?

yashagrawal

The smart folks have learnt to shut down the radio and listen to the engine sound, which is much better. taking a break to fill gas is good, keeps you attentive and a smaller tank improves weight and mileage too.

One911

I've never thought of the 911 as a great GT car. My E92 M3 was a better GT car but my 911 the better sports car.

Totally agree I wish there was a easy way to make the bose system sound better in our cars. I've heard that even replacing the speakers with something better is not possible with a lot of work.

FullThrottle64

Not for 14 hours of driving. I love the engine sound, too, but for long drives I need something to keep my mid going. Again, though, there is no good excuse for a $100K+ car to have such a piece of crap for a stereo.

Stopping to pump gas is a complete waste of time. Frankly, if I could by it with a 40-gallon tank that I could fill once a month, I would pay extra for it. OK, maybe that's overkill, but there is NO good reason to not have at least a 20-gal tank.

A smaller tank doesn't improve mileage or weight in and of itself. You are always free to keep it half-full or less if that's what floats your boat. Besides which, if you're really all focused on gas mileage, why the heck are you buying a 911 to begin with? Bottom line, it's an unnecessary inconvenience to have such a small tank. Finally, if it's a bad idea to have a larger tank, why did the Euro version of the 997 GT3 come with one as an option?

Para82

Which seats do you have?

FullThrottle64

Adaptive Sport Plus - I really like them. My wife doesn't care for the lower lumbar fit, but they're nearly perfect for me. That was the real bright spot - no issues with the seating at all - no fatigue, no back soreness, perfect!

GSIRM3

I stand corrected. I am in England now.

FullThrottle64

ROTFLMAO.....

Aquary

Because manufacturers need to certify fuel economy within government defined weight classes. Weight classes span 125 - 250 lbs depending on the weight of the car and the country. And with most vehicles, the manufacturer works to get the weight just in to the top of the range of the lightest feasible weight class.

Since governments certify weight with the fuel tank full, a tank that's larger means the vehicle weighs 7 lbs per gallon more, plus the weight of the larger tank shell. So an extra couple gallons means ~15 lbs at certification time. That may not sound like a lot to you, but in the world of vehicle design, it is.

There are also packaging challenges with fuel tanks - larger is more difficult, of course.

J. Kid

[QUOTE="FullThrottle64;11027194"]....after doing 14 hours' driving yesterday, I've come to the conclusion that the 997.1 C2S really ain't that great as a GT. The Bose stereo/sound system just plain sucks. QUOTE] Customer responses such as this is why they made the changes they did to the 991. They added more sound deadening, increased vehicle dimensions, offered Burmeister stereo option etc. They responded to those who said they wanted the 911 to be a better GT car.

Kalashnikov

I get 420+ miles from the tank in 996. That equals to about 6 hours of driving. Plenty long if you ask me. I constantly use my 996 for long highway drives.

Stereo, does not bother me. 911 is a small car, with huge tires on the back. They will make noise.

CamsPorsche

[QUOTE=J. Kid;11027312]Haha...for a lot more $$$.

I love my Bose system in my car and feel its fine as an audio source. Not sure I'd pay more for a little better sound.

Fahrer

I am glad to have a hard-edged 997.1. It is THE sports car. I leave long distance cruising to my VW Touareg TDI. It gets 30mpg with a range approaching 800 miles, is quiet, smooth and plenty powerful. For weekend pleasure drives on the twisting back roads, the 997 rules.

FullThrottle64

Nowhere near 420 is possible in the 997 - I would be happy if it had a tank as large as your 996.

nzskater

I can't get 420km out of my 997T!