thatg

Hey guys,

I thought i had this figured out, I thought I wanted a 997 c2s cab(California) and that was it, nothing could deter me....and then i drove one... and then i drove another, and another. And I keep asking myself do i really want this car?

I love the looks of a Porsche, I haven't always but its grown on me. My first ever ride in a porsche(apart from a Cayenne when it first came out) was my friends 997.2 GT3 a couple years ago. It didnt make sense to me how fast that car was, is it a v8?? is it Forced Induction?? I was blown away. I moved from NYC to the Los Angeles area recently and you see A LOT of Porsches out here, mostly due to the sheer amount of people driving in LA vs NYC. I'm Hooked, they handle incredible, they are so well built(minus the IMS debacle) and i know i'll have to schedule to be early places so I can just look at the car for a while after I arrive somewhere.


My current car is a 2008 335i convertible, it doesn't have the sport package(huge mistake) but is incredibly fast/ pretty reliable for how cheap the car is. Only mods on the car currently are a intake and Cobb tune and I would guess the car is making somewhere near 370w/350tq(inline 6 twin scroll turbo)

I told myself speed wasn't everything, and that I could drive a car that wasn't very fast but handled well and still enjoy a car. But the more cars I drive the more that belief is getting debunked.

Cars I've driven so far
05c2s vert
07cs
2010 c4 vert
07 cayman S

These are fun cars to drive but as soon as i hope back in the 335i I say way this is so much more comfortable, its considerably faster, and more practical.

I keep pushing my budget telling myself that if i just spend just a littttle more I can get the 997.2 c2s and it'll be enough power for me and justify what i lose in comfort and might even feel as fast as the 335i. I havent test driven one yet but I can't imagine its much faster than a 997.1s


all cars are 6speed manual so I would not enjoy the upgrade of the PDK in the 997.2


I'm starting to consider a used m4/m6 or say enough prayers to have the 997 turbo drop to $45-50k to considerate it. Is there something I'm missing here? I drove the 335 on Mulholland drive(very windy road) and still had great fun, but couldn't help wondering how much more fun the Porsche would have been.



Sorry for the long post, needed an outlet to vent, please ignore my first world /very lucky to have dilemma.

Surfer2001

I just sold my 2013 335i M-Sport, loaded with performance parts, it had 45K miles, the car included:
1. aFe intake
2. aFe Tuner
3. aFe Exhaust
4. aFe Intercooler Tubes
5. aFe Lowering kit (springs and sway bars)
6. aFe down pipe

Original MSRP was over 54K, it had everything. I ended up getting just 28K. I felt I had to give the car away to get it sold. Deprecation sucks on BMW's

With all that stuff the car showed 357HP to the wheels. Yes she was fast...
However, My 997.2 with PDK, Sports Chrono & lowering springs is faster and more fun to drive
don't get me wrong, I loved the 335, and it served me well, I tracked the car many times at Fontana & Chuckwalla, without any issues.
spend 40-45K get a Base or S 997.2 you won't be disappointed. IMO. these cars hold value way better than anything on the road

sf_c63

I dunno, you're probably not looking for a car that the 997 provides at the moment. I've been in your position before with other cars that had a huge following: M3's, RS4's, Corvettes, etc. and I couldn't see myself appreciating it like other people do so I passed.

I had a Mercedes C63 with 540hp and when I test drove a 997 base it was absolutely clear that I had to have one. Picked up a C2S and I'm surprised how content I am with the 355hp, don't have the desire for more power.

This is a somewhat crude and simple comparison, but I can see the M4 being a bit better than the 335 in every way so maybe it's the natural next move for you?

tanger

You shouldn't have to be convinced to buy a Porsche (or any other car for that matter). If you have to be convinced you shouldn't be buying it in the first place.

Drive a bunch of different model/makes and buy the one that calls to you. It's not a forever choice- when you get sick of it find another...

Rikky001

Throw the BMW and the Porsche on the track, let us know which one handles best. Your BMW is a nice and comfortable car but the Porsche is in a different league, no offence.

All depends what you want to do with the car.

JCD911S

Your mind is made up and you don't need others to tell you otherwise. A Porsche 997 isn't for you at this point in time. If you get something WE want you to get, YOU'LL regret it. Get what makes sense for you.

jsalah

This. Wise words.

(And fwiw, I came from an e46 M3 - great car, but I'd take my 997.2 C4S over it any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Just a different animal. Much more compelling in every way...)

dgjks6

Ok. I daily drive a 911 for the last 5 years. I love it. But, and no offense to Porsche, but the daily drive in a 911 sucks compared to a BMW.

It depends on what you what you want

Mike Murphy

Sounds like you need to try a 911 Turbo.

DC911S

If you have to be talked into one, you don't need one. Stick to the BMW.

ocgarza

Or a used Turbo S

r_32

Going to ask a question if you think the S was fast enough - did you have the rpm's in your he right band? If you are down around 2500 it can be sluggish. Not necessarily lugging the engine, but also not super responsive. But with rpms up around 4-4500, it is a different story. That is added if you have psm in right setting as well. When I first got my Pcar I underestimated the impact there the first few drives, but understand it more now.
As far as comfort goes, that is going to be you personal feel, and I completely echo the statements about you shouldn't need to be talked into a car. Get what is the right car for you.

Tcc1999

If you're looking for speed/hp at a reasonable price just get a 'Vette and be done with it. Porsche, or the 911, has never been about absolute speed - and few would rate it a comfortable car (compared to many other options out there). I dunno, maybe a lot of the people on this board place a lot of value in the styling, history, handling and, in general the gestalt of the 911. If you have to be persuaded that a 911 is the right car, then it probably isn't. In the end it is a money gamble. You might end up lovingthe 911 or hate it and take a loss on the sale/trade in. So, maybe your answer lies in how much money you are willing to risk on whether or not you'll like a 911 or not.

Petza914

At your price point and with your desire for power/speed, a 996 Twin Turbo is what you should go and drive. Has the Mezger developed engine that doesn't have the IMS or other motor issues.

There's no comparison between a 997 and a BMW (any BMW). You either get it and it's the car for you, or you don't, and it's not.

Ben Z

I owned 6 Bimmers, 2x 3-series, 3x 5-series, 1 7-series. All but the 7 were manuals. I've had a 997.1 base manual coupe as my DD for the last 8 years, recently added a base LS3 C6 Vette manual. To me, comparisons are mostly apples-to-oranges. There's no cold winter where I am, so I don't need a winter driver, but if I was single and had only one car it would not be either Porsche or Vette because a 2-seater (which the 997 is if you're talking adult passengers) is often a liability.