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I posted awhile back about not driving my 2010 C4S nearly enough for various reasons and came to the conclusion via forum feedback that it probably made sense to look for something with PDK.
Since I still adored my 997, I figured that I'd take my time with the hunt and look to buy after the Northeast winter. No rush - I could afford to wait for something perfect that would suit my needs.
Anyway, perfect just happened to fall into my lap this weekend. I visited a few dealers in my area with the intent to start my hunt by comparing the new 718S and 991.1 C2S. Turns out that they had a decent mileage CPO 2013 Carrera 4S for sale with the right options and color for me (agate grey, PDK, sport chrono, premium plus).
Long story short, the numbers worked out pretty well for a number of reasons and I ended up trading my 997.2 on the spot.
Driving-wise, I can see where the complaints about the GT-ness of the 991 generation comes from. The 2013 feels much more relaxed than the 2010 on the highway. Steering in the 991 is heavier and less lively than the 997 though it doesn't impact accuracy or confidence at all - it's just makes it a little less fun to carve up a back road. Best comparison I can think of is the difference between writing with a standard plastic BIC ballpoint and writing with one of those ballpoint pens with a layer of cushioning on the outside. It doesn't make a difference to your penmanship but you lose the tactile sense of the pen point on paper (though I guess for today's generation the more relevant comparison is the difference between a physical and virtual keyboard!).
That said, the PDK transmission and slightly more relaxed nature of the 991 (when not in sport plus mode) suit my needs perfectly. In fact, today is the first time in a long time that I drove my 911 to work, despite 10 miles of bumper to bumper traffic and wearing stiff leather soled dress shoes. I was just as relaxed on the drive as I would have been in my daily driver.
Quick aside...991 C2S steering compares very well to the 997 C4S. They're very close in feel.
Anyway, if anybody is on the lookout for a lightly optioned, low mileage, manual transmission 997.2 C4S, one will likely pop up for sale soon at a great dealer in PA. She's a peach. I spoiled her and would be more than happy to let you know her history (Michelin Super Sports are barely broken in, plugs and battery replaced last year, and all maintenance is current. I even had the 6 year service done this year despite the low mileage). I hope she'll find a good home...
Congrats on the purchase! I'm actually in the middle of something very similar right now. If it all works out, then I will end up with a 991 in my garage fairly soon. Glad to hear that you are enjoying the driving experience.
I would not attempt to do that in a manual 911 C4S in heavy traffic.
Absolutely agreed...this is one of the reasons I didn't get to drive the 997 as much as I would have liked to.
Here are some unflattering pics of the new one. Clear markers are incoming. It's a 2013 C4S, PDK w/Sport Chrono and the normal ICE/tech options you'll find on most of the non-enthusiast builds. Just under 25K miles and CPO through mid 2019.
I'm not usually a fan of brightwork on the window trim but I think it works surprisingly well with the agate grey (especially once the clear markers go on).
If anybody knows the story of this car I'd love to hear it. I'll admit it was a bit of an impulsive buy and that there are probably some details in it's history or condition that will make the car 'less than perfect' to some. That said, I'm happy enough with the deal I got that most of those issues probably won't matter too much to me. Could there have been better examples out there in the same price range to be found with a little hunting? Absolutely. Do I think this car drives great, looks a stunner, and will be something I'm comfortable having in my garage for years to come? Absolutely.
if you don't mind...what was the price? I'm guessing mid to high 60's?
About $10 grand higher than that. Comparisons were a little tough to do on the fly because nation-wide asking prices are all over the place but I ballparked like for like prices based on mileage and options and figured a reasonable price for a CPO model optioned like mine was somewhere in the mid/upper $70's plus an allowance for the fact that there are surprisingly few 2013/2014 C4S available nation-wide. I don't think I necessarily got the deal of the century but I can say that it was very good especially when considering the lack of time and headache involved to get there.
That said, I'm admittedly not the haggling type. I have friends who will wait months or longer and agonize over every single penny in a deal. I'm more of the 'get me to 99% and let's get this over with in 5 minutes' kind of buyer.
This seems to be a pretty fair post comparing the 991 and 997. And I understand your comments about the GT-ness. People complain about how the 911 has become more GT in feel... but the peopel who are actually paying their money to buy a new 911 are the ones who want the GT feel. And I'm assuming Porsche cares more about satisfying their actual customers than internet chatter.
there are surprisingly few 2013/2014 C4S available nation-wide.
Very true. Not many 997.2 C4Ss around either. Lets see how much your goes for at the dealer. Sounds like the 991 fits your needs much better. I only drive on weekends for fun mostly so I can stomach traffic for that. But I would not DD a manual 911 in DC or Northeast city traffic every day either. Does the 991 feel more powerful?
Very true. Not many 997.2 C4Ss around either. Lets see how much your goes for at the dealer. Sounds like the 991 fits your needs much better. I only drive on weekends for fun mostly so I can stomach traffic for that. But I would not DD a manual 911 in DC or Northeast city traffic every day either. Does the 991 feel more powerful?
I'm guessing that the dealer will list the 997 as a CPO model assuming they don't run into any limitations on number of years since the initial in-service. It's a no-brainer on their part since they won't have to do anything to it to bring it up to checklist standard. Free money at the expense of however long it takes a technician to complete the inspection.
I'm guessing that they'll list it at $62K with the intent to sell at no lower than $58K.
Butt dyno would be hard pressed to tell any real difference in power between the 991 and the 997. That said, the 991 feels faster because of the transmission. The power is so easy to access and shifts are fast & seemless. Also, the 991 feels a bit more hectic in sport plus mode during spirited driving than the 997 because of the way the exhaust noise is piped into the cabin. It's a much more visceral experience.
10-31-2016, 11:15 AM
Well, that was unexpected...
