newmexicomatt

I'm searching for 2009-10 CS2, CS4's. What are the bells and whistles that are must haves? I know about PDK. What other trims, options, etc should I be looking for? I see original MSRP prices that can vary by several thousands of dollars. Whats considered fluff and what is considered musts?

Wayne Smith

This is very individual.

For a car in this price range full leather matters to me (no vinyl, thanks) but there are those who would disagree.

PDK must have SC. The MT doesn't require it (as much).

I like my rotating head lights. On twisties at night they help me a lot.

Auto dimming mirrors are nice, but I wear my yellow sun glasses (same as the police in the UK) so the yellow is filtered and my pupils can open to see into the dark. A lot less fatigue as well, so auto dim doesn't matter to me. It might matter to you.

Seats are a matter of your body and how you drive (the basic seats simply don't have enough side support).

Bluetooth of course, but forget the navigation. Use a Proclip for your phone and go with Waze.

PSE is nice.

The X51 power package is good, but rare and not essential (?).

Ceramic brakes are a matter of who you talk to.

I prefer the Carrera, the Targa is hard to find, and there are those who can't see a sports car not having a drop top.

And the list goes on ... We haven't gotten to possible owner modifications yet!

Visit a dealer, sit in all the seats, talk to the service manager, drive whatever you can, don't fall in love with the first car you drive ... or do.

Any 911 you drive you will enjoy. That's the danger!

shewu

Note that the GTS trim includes the powerkit, the aerokit front fascia, among other options as standard.

Wayne Smith

Note also that the GTS has center lock wheels. That was the deal breaker for me. But beyond that it is appointed very sweetly. I could not argue against that choice, or alternatively, you could use the options on a GTS as a starting point for your options.

iii911ooo

The center lock wheels were a no cost option. There is one for sale at Porsche of Conoshocken with 5 lug wheels. They are very rare though.

newmexicomatt

[QUOTE=Wayne Smith;11920512]This is very individual.

PDK must have SC.

Seats are a matter of your body and how you drive (the basic seats simply don't have enough side support).

PSE is nice.

Thanks Wayne, please help educate me. What is "SC" and "PSE"? What are the different seat options? I'm a big guy, 6', 240. I currently drive a BMW M Coupe. I've had an M3 with sport seats. I find them very uncomfortable. The 911 I end up getting will be a daily driver and the closest thing to a track will be I-25 at rush hour in Albuquerque so side support isn't an issue for me. On the M Coupe, the side support always ends up getting wear spots from getting in and out of the car. Is the "basic seat" the one with the least amount of side and thigh support?

Thanks for the info! Matt

gota911

SC = Sport Chrono
PSE = Porsche Sport Exhaust

Wayne Smith

Porsche is full of acronyms. It takes a while, but eventually you take them for granted, kind of. Sorry for not fully spelling it out.i should have. You can find partial lists vis Google. I've never seen an absolutely compete list. But look this up to see another way is seeing options. Or visit the Porsche Web site and "build" a car.

At your size the 911 will accommodate you (not so with a Lotus!) but you will want to test the seat options.

Good luck. Enjoy the search and welcome to the club.

steve0827

I will second that sport chrono is a must with PDK.

PSE is nice if you want a little extra sound with 100% OE parts, but you can still add a center muffler delete pipe from Sharkwerks or Fabspeed and get a little more sound for not under a grand....unfortunately, this aftermarket route will not be a valved set up as is PSE

StormRune

It's not clear where you are, so that can make some difference. Everyone above has some great suggestions, I especially agree that Sport Chrono is a must with PDK to get the more lively shift patterns. Full leather is very classy and widely loved, but I think cars that have it are fine (although I admit it was a strong plus for me and I have it). By the way, Sport Chrono not only brings improved shift patterns, but also includes launch control, lap timing features, and oddly enough: memory functions matched to the car key.

Oddly enough, Bluetooth is an option so make sure the car has that. So is the interface to devices like iPods (the option is called the Universal Audio Interface). Bose and XM satellite radio are also options that some find important.

On the more unusual side of things, I love my heated/ventilated seats... the ventilation is not usual but very nice here in Texas. Much to my surprise, I really like my heated steering wheel too, a very nice plus when it is cold out (even in relatively mild Texas cold), so I wouldn't consider it just fluff but I can't claim it is all that important.

On another thread a user is asking about dim headlights likely due to have only halogens. I like both the illumination and the steering feature of the Xenons that Wayne called out.

Also on Wayne's list is PSE which I like a lot (especially when coupled with a Sharkwerks center bypass). It can be added retroactively but that can be really expensive (over $4k from the dealer), I did it for around $1500 myself with used parts that are very hard to find. PSE depends on how important sound is to you. There are also some fine aftermarket choices, but expect about $1600 to $4000 for those as well.

I was initially disappointed that my car didn't have self-dimming mirrors, but that became a non-issue after I had 25% tint put on the back windows... effectively acheiving the same thing.

snake eyes

PDK car - must get sport chrono plus

My requirements are
PDK
Sport Chrono Plus
Sports steeringwheel (proper paddle shifters - This can be added to the car after bought though)
PASM ( porsche active suspension management- aka magnetic ride ) Why? Because all new sports cars should have this

As for full leather - matter of opinion
You will get many opinons such as sports seats etc - sport exhaust is hard to find..sounds great! I would have liked to have it but could not find a car with it