Double_J

Hi, all. Very long time lurker, first time poster. This board has been very helpful to me over the years.

TL;DR - I have a 997.2 C4S 6 speed as a dedicated weekend car that I never drive, likely because I'm lazy, old, and soft. Should I...1.) keep it and force myself to drive it more, 2.) consolidate with my DD into one uber car that I can enjoy every single day, or 3.) change into a 997.2 or 991 with PDK in the hopes that the ease of use from the auto tranny will encourage me to drive it more?

I've had my 2010 C4S for about 4 years now and still love it like it was new. The only problem is that I simply don't drive it that often. I'm averaging something on the order of 1500 miles a year and that mileage includes a one-time 750 mile road trip. This year is the lowest mileage so far...less than 1000 miles since I first took her out in the early spring. I'm literally on only my third tank of gas in her since March.

My DD is a 2015 BMW X5 5.0. I like it because it drives like a very fast couch, has a comfortable cabin, the cargo space is very convenient, and the sedateness of the car really helps to take the sting out of the 2 hours per day I spend commuting (~20,000 miles per year). I don't love it like the 911 for a number of reasons but it's absolutely a comfortable and convenient car.

Why don't I drive the 911 more often? 1.) it's a 6-speed so I don't like to use it for my longish commute (about 50% heavy bumper to bumper traffic), 2.) laziness - I keep the 911 in the garage with the X5 parked behind it so in order to take the 911 I have to move the X5 first, etc. Since most of my weekend driving involves only short errands or local neighborhood drives, the garage shuffle just isn't worth the hassle, 3.) logistics - when we do go out further than the local neighborhood, it tends to be to the city or through pretty heavily congested areas. Between parking, potholes, or traffic the X5 or my wife's wagon just seem like the easier options, 4.) comfort & ease of use - whether it be on my commute or otherwise many times I just don't feel like putting in the 'work' of driving the Porsche

Before I got the 911, I had a couple of BMW M3's as my daily drivers. Looking back, it was really really nice to have a car that I loved to drive and was practical enough that I could enjoy it on an everyday basis year-round.

I'm really beginning to consider getting rid of the 911. I do absolutely love it but I can't help but think it's a waste to just have it sit in my garage. I've been debating selling both it and the X5 and going back to one car (thinking about the S-class, RS7, M5/M6, or possibly the new Panamera). I've also considered changing into a 997.2 or 991 with PDK in the hopes that eliminating the need to row my own would encourage me to take the car to work more often, etc.

Maybe I'm just not a two car type of person? What would you do?

kimchee411

Sounds like it's just not the car for you. As someone who can't stop thinking about driving my 911, I don't get how you can love yet never drive it. What is it about the car that you love?

Maybe look for someone with a similar PDK car who wants to trade? I think regrets about getting paddles over a stick is more common than vice versa.

pavster

Answer this - why did you buy a 911 in the first place? This should answer all your questions. When you say you enjoy driving a 'fast couch on wheels' this is exactly the opposite of a 911 which engages you and forces you to do work.

For me personally, I wish I could ride my motorcycle more, but I can't due to the logistics of where i am going, all the gear that goes along with it, etc. My 911 is the second best option. I'd go nuts if I had to drive something like an X5 every day. Soo.. why did you buy the 911?

Also, an idea. Why not park your 911 behind your X5 and take it to work for a week. If you hate it, sell it.

tomc_mets

Agree with above comments. Make yourself drive it everywhere for two weeks - work, errands, fun weekend drives, dates, etc. Put it in the primo spot in your garage. If you're still not feeling it, then move on to something more suited to your lifestyle...T

Rocco07

It's funny, but I often go back and forth with this as well. I'm often asked why I didn't drive the Porsche today. My response is usually "because the car is more dramatic." That's not to say I don't absolutely love it when I did get it out (997.2 C2S 6MT). But the driving situation must be worthy of the 911. The 911 is faster, louder (sharkwerks), rougher riding, get's more attention and I'm more protective and defensive while in it compared to the Audi A5. But I often weigh the cost of ownership against utilization when I'm NOT driving it. All I have to do is get behind the wheel and I say to myself "I'm keeping it forever." In your situation, making a change to increase usage may be your option assuming you enjoy the driving experience to begin with. PDK sounds like a great idea, but no 911 likes traffic regardless of the transmission. You won't have any more fun in a PDK, but it will make rush hour more tolerable.

Mumbles

Go for it !

voiceprint1

I think PDK is great, but it's not everyone cup, I don't daily my car, as it's horrible in LA rush hours, that said it's better than any other car I have ever driven. Maybe it's time to move on?

FergusH

Maybe you should sell it to me! I'm in the market for a 997.2. Where are you located? I can't send you a PM but perhaps you can send me one with the details of your car. If not, let me know here and I'll post my email address.

dgjks6

Drive a 991 with a PDK. It is night and day.

BIG smoke

Man up, and drive the thing.
Or man up and sell it.
Don't wallow in your self-pity.
Be happy in your BMW fast van couch.
I'd mothball it for 6 months. And come back to this question.
If in 6 months, you don't drive it at all. Sell it.
Your soul sucking commute, has driven all the passion away.
Book an exorcist, or a track day.

Double_J

@kimchee and Pavster - those are great points...I absolutely love the car when I do get a chance to drive it like it's meant to be driven. The surge of the engine above 4000 RPM, how 'meaningful' it steers and feels to control, the way it hunkers down and grips under hard acceleration, and the satisfying snick of the shifter. Heck, I even love washing those damn sexy hips.

That said, I just rarely have a chance to drive it like that. When I had my M3s I lived in a place surrounded by rural back roads and scenic drives. Even going to the grocery store gave me the opportunity to run up and down the gears on a country road. I got the 911 shortly after I moved and little did I realize that the area around my new house was much more congested and that most of my driving was going to be on stop-light, strip mall packed, and traffic filled suburban highways.

I don't love driving the X5 by any means but I will acknowledge that it's super comfortable and really well suited to a suburban environment and long, traffic-filled commute. It's like the difference between a jet fighter and a 747 - the jet fighter definitely has a higher envelope for fun but I'd choose business/first on a 10-hour flight every single time.

@FergusH - I'm in Southern NJ close to Philly but don't know if I'm ready to start selling her yet. I see you have another option cooking...let me know if that falls through and maybe I'll be closer to having my mind made up.

Chris M.

I get it. My daily round trip is less than 8 miles and that includes stops both to and from the school so it's not used that often, about 1000 miles per year. I also sold one of my 911s partially because of a similar inconvenient garage shuffle like yours that kept me from driving it more.

You mentioned having to shift gears many times and while I'm not a PDK guy if I had to spend an hour every day in traffic I wouldn't drive a manual. I suggest driving it every day for a couple weeks while trying to simply determine if you want to be in that car more often (although the bumper to bumper gear shifting may make you like it less) and if so get a PDK but I suspect that by already not using it much you may have answered your own question already.

Best of luck.

FergusH

After seeing the van couch, I'm no longer in the market

More seriously, I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area, so you're probably a bit far away from me. I hope you work it out. My advice is to take your car to the track day or an auto cross day and if that doesn't light your 911-owning fire, sell it. I have a Cayman GT4 right now and I feel like a bit of a schmuck for wanting to sell it. It's great at the track but I'm lucky if I get to the track once a month and my Golf GTI is actually a more fun around the neighborhood - even on moderately sporty drives in the hills - and that's 90% of my driving. I've decided it's silly to keep a car around that I'm not driving and I'm better off chalking it up to experience and moving on. Life is too short short to worry about it.

Good luck!

malexgcab

these cars want to be driven. I'm in the area, I'll drive it for you and make sure the engine temperature is always optimal. I'll try my best to make it look like it's being driven everyday. LOL

GFCOFNJ

DoubleJ, I live in the same local as you. Take her down route 55 a couple times. Usually not very congested, nice road to just take a ride. Good luck with your decision.