rodH

I know it's just "their take" so I am just responding to what my reply is regarding their take and was curious to hear from real "911 enthusiasts", you know, the kind that actually own them and talk about them on the Internet. Isn't that kind of what the Internet is for?

Asquared

Sorry for the delay in responding. Yes, it was at the Laps event (in August I believe). I don't believe they were driving at the event (they both live out west, so they flew in), though I think one of them might have gone out for a few laps in a listener's car.

I didn't talk to them during the day, but I sat across the table from Todd Deeken at bar afterwards, but Paul is the one who bought the Cayman and I didn't get a chance to talk to him because he was at the other end of the table.


Though, now that I think about it, Todd bought a Cayenne for his wife.

Asquared

errant double post

frankyluis23

I saw the video one quite and peaceful Saturday afternoon. The wife and kids were out and it was just me and my dog Boomer. I set it up on the big screen in the living room, grabbed a few snacks and got comfortable on the couch. I was really looking forward to it. Let me be the first to say, it was a complete waste of time. They ran through the different gen cars using the same camera angles and driving the same route. I even think the camera transitions were the same. In a nutshell, it's two guys driving other peoples cars and saying the first thing that comes to their mind. I got fed up, why would they even attempt to rank these 911s. They were talking from their a$$es. Do not spend the money on this video. I think Porsche should sue them for even charging for this content.

rodH

Glad I am not the only one

rherring

but at least Todd Deeken did say that of all the iterations, he would most like to own a 997.

otuA

It is possible that the 997 wasn't new enough or old enough to fit well in their narrative. The 996 and 997 are seen as transitional cars between the air cooled racers and the modern 991 luxury rocket ships. The 997 hasn't yet found its place in 911 history.

If they had a 6 speed or PDK S they would have enjoyed it more, but wouldn't necessarily change its "ranking". After 1-2 more generations I bet it'll be a different story.

Also from the trailer and thumbnail it looks like the 997 they feature is a 997.1 base coupe (in blue). I can't say if it is Tip or 6 speed though. There is a 991 cab and a 996 cab, but no 997 cab.

rodH

i don't look at the 997 as a transitional car to the watercooled. The 996 was out long enough to fit that. I guess you could be right in the sense that it isn't old enough to get the whole nostalgia comments and and not the latest to get the newest comments as well.

you could look at it that way, I guess. Or you could look at it in the same light as why the values of the 997.1 and .2 GT3 prices are skyrocketing.

Compared to the 991: Awesome manual shifting, hydraulic steering, shorter wheelbase, smaller car, great proportions. And compared to the 996: Much more HP and performance, ROUND headlights (which makes it the first round headlight version of a 911 with water cooling), more modern, etc.

i guess i could be looked at as a 997 fanboy and highlighting the best qualities in the 997 while ignoring the negatives? But I guess my point is to compare equal cars and make an opinion regarding the rankings.

otuA

It's safe to say we're all 997 fanboys, but I think we're a minority. Most of the car enthusiast population cares about the cutting edge and the classics. This is also true for most things, not just cars.

Soon the 991 will join the 997 in no-man's land.

frankyluis23

And I will be there patiently waiting, with my finger over the "Buy" button.

snake eyes

They should have drove a 997.2 PDK car...

But anyways it is just a review.
Porsche cars are all about the OPTIONS.
an S car with SPASM will out run a GTS without SPASM and locking diff
a 997.1 with power kit will run with a 997.2 6 speed vs 6 speed etc..

That said... I've driven a 991.1 2S its good but not worth the upgrade $$$
(I WANT THE 991.1 4s with PDCC, SPASM - very hard find)
would I take it over a GTS 997.2?
yes, equipped with one option can't get on GTS aka PDCC (active engine mounts and sway bars plus chassis control)

once again all the options...
like 991.2
Option can't get in 991.1 - Rear Steering-

Besides everyone hates me here for saying this but it comes down to WHO IS a better driver at the track. fix yourself first and than the car.

BTW- Thoughts on the reviewer... He bought a cayman GTS LOL kind of ruins his cred to me...
should have bought a corvette grandsport = 10 times the car for the price of a cayman.

or a 911 because a used 991.1 911 S and 4s are way better than GTS cayman for the price. 20x?!?!?! better

mpath

Too many Jeremy Clarkson or Chris Harris wannabees with a Go-Pro.

Jorge Magallon

I am confused by this thread. They loved the 997. They both literally said “love” regarding the 997. The guy named Todd picked it as his favorite of all the generations. He started off the comparison as not a big fan of 911s and after driving them has definitely changed his mind.

The self proclaimed fanboy of Porche named Paul (owned a 928, a Cayman and now a Cayman GTS) didn’t place it his top 3 911s. He still loved it. He said “your going to love” the 997, that this Carrera dispelled his prejudices about the “base” 997, he goes on to say he was impressed and then explains why, that it is a “brilliant” driver, that it is raw in a good way etc.

Maybe give these guys another chance.

kimchee411

Yeah, I'm confused too. I think OP needs to watch it again. Didn't even get the car right--the 997 they reviewed is a 6MT coupe, not a tiptronic cab. They seemed to lay some big praise on it, even mentioning that the base Carrera is impressive and fast. Bottom of the ranking? Todd put it in his (unordered) top 3 and called it the most attractive 911 ever. I enjoyed the video a lot and bought a blu ray copy.

qikqbn

I purchased this video new back in the day as well. Yes, the OP had some facts a bit off. The Blue 997 was a base 3.6 liter, 325 hp, and with 6spd Manual Transmission. All of these cars were donated by local Porsche owners and they did not have access to the "best" of each generation, but did have a nice group of cars to compare. With that said, what I found interesting was their conclusions. Todd with red shirt and longer hair is just a car enthusiast, not a Porsche fan. Yet after driving every generation of 911 Todd came away with a new found "love affair" for the Porsche brand in general. His favorite #1 pic was the base 997. Bravo to Todd.

Now Paul with blue shirt is an admitted Porsche addict. He has owned 2 caymans and his videos on the 987 and 981 show his passion for Porsche. What I found interesting about Paul is that he always raved in previous videos about old school Porsche handling and road feel. He talked about the small size and handling of Porsches too. He was genuinely impressed with the base model 997. That is why his top choice threw me for a loop and I was surprised out of all the generations he picked a convertible, pdk, porsche 991.1 4S as his top choice. One of his other choices was the 993 as well.

Every body has an opinion and has different standards. Different strokes for different folks. At the end of the day it is really all about what you personally prefer.