Drtsk

1st time posting in 997 forum and newbie in the 997 world.
I'm looking to purchase a 997.1 C2 or C4. I want to daily drive it here in Northern Virginia.
What do I need to look out from?
Is high mileage okay?
Which is better 6MT or Tiptronic for DD? (BTW, I hate my DCT in my F82 and love my 7MT with SSK on my 991.1 C2S) Obviously, I am a manual guy and leaning toward 6MT. I am not familiar with the tiptronic except for my wife's 1st generation Cayenne that is long gone.
I want to keep the price down so prefer .1 , but is .2 worth the bump up in cost?
What options are a must in 997? Is it similar to 991?
As you can tell, I'm lost and need help!

jeffleept

I DD a 997 almost 45 miles/day. Manual gearshift, some traffic. Very happy with it.

Check out this forum for 997.1 issues (cylinder scoring, lower control arms, A/C and radio **** flaking), get a PPI (pre-purchase inspection), high mileage is fine as long as there are proper maintenance records.

.1 and .2 difference is subjective. In my eyes substantial. Don't have to deal with above aformentioned issues, engine bump-up, cooler tail lights.

Options also are to preference: I wanted a good stereo system and parking sensors as DD. Many like PASM, sports exhaust.

991 is a different car. There will be a bias asking similarity in a 997 forum. Natural inherent bias of what you have is great. You could google 997 vs 991, lots of info online.

JWYR

I know this is subjective, so take it for what it is...

I have a 997.1 that I use to commute to my corporate office once week. It is about 150 miles. I work from the home office other than that. I do drive my 997.1 as much as I can, so almost every day. Here is a few factors to consider.

Traffic:
Manual is fine, but you have to deal with it. I find myself sitting behind big rigs so i can just let it idle in 1st gear along with them in heavy traffic. You can idle in 1st behind other cars and build a buffer, just be okay with cars diving into that slot. You just learn to avoid the clutch workout as much as you can.

My uncle bought a 997.1 C4 triptronic for his daily driver and is happy with it. He has a 930 and other Porsches, so it is just a fun daily car for him. He lives in Idaho, so he wanted the C4 for all-weather traction.

My coworker has PDK that he uses as a fair weather DD. He loves it. He had a manual and got tired of it in traffic, so he moved to a PDK. His is a 991 and I have to say, as a DD, it is a more refined experience. I love my 997, but for a DD, the 991 it seem to be the way to go. There are threads that go over the differences.

My neighbor just purchased a Cayman GTS with PDK. He has a few other Porsches that are manual, but this PDK Cayman is his DD. I get to here is start every morning ;-)

Warming up the car:
When I drive the 997 vs my other cars, I am careful about RPM until the car is at operating temps. This is not a big deal, but it is a factor to consider. I am more careful about this than my coworker is in his 991. He avoids high RPM until his 991 warms up a bit, but he does not think about short trips around town and allowing the car to hit operational temps. For short trips, I find myself taking my other cars.

I know you said you want to keep the price down, so the 991 might not be an option. I would look at a newer PDK Cayman too. I love my 997. Reminds me of my old 911SC and 911T that I had. I would consider a PDK for a DD it I did it over again.



-J

vern1

Honestly the best advice I can give you is spend a few days searching and looking at threads where these topics have been covered many times. You will find a wealth of info once you dig in to the knowledge base here

Good luck, enjoy

jchapura

I think it's a good daily driver. I put on about 40 miles every weekday - 70% highway speed/30% stop-n-go. No really big expenses so far, except tires when I first got it, and today when I ran over some damn piece of rebar (I suspect) - a $720 accident for two new rears.

Para82

.......

sclemmons

I don't baby mine but I don't drive it every day. If I did my clients would think I was making too much money. Otherwise, my car has been trouble free. Bought here, off Rennlist, in 2008, with 9000 miles. 44000 miles today. 10 minute commute. Just under 4000 miles a year. Manual transmission 4S. Few maintenance issues. Closer to my Honda than my BMW in frequency of maintenance, but well beyond the BMW in severity of maintenance. Still can't believe what they charge for spark plugs at the dealer, with the coils and all. In my opinion, the car is way worth the maintenance. Super cool. Lots of fun. Chicks dig it. Great daily driver.

Y'all come see us.

Drtsk

Thank you for the info.
I am definitely pulling the trigger.
The few times I drove 997, it felt magical.
If anyone wants to part ways with their 997, please let me know.
Less option the better and no GT silver (my 991.1 C2S is GT silver).

168glhs1986

Just picked up a 2006S 6 speed in carrera white with full tan leather interior. Despite having a newer jeep SRT as a daily I want to drive the 997 everyday. Amazing car and value right now. If it's been well maintained you will love it.

Drtsk

I know what you mean. My daily is a BMW 135i and M4.
I drive my 991 more than the BMWs.
I promise my daughter the 135i when she turns 16 and that is this summer. And I'm going to sell the M4 for 997 4 or 997 4S. I am sick of DCT jerking in 1st gear. I am sure 4 or 4S would be a blast in the mild winter here in Northern Virginia with DWS tires.. Im a little hesitant about C2S in the winter and I cannot stand winter tires.

LIFE IS TOO SHORT, YOU SHOULD DRIVE WHAT YOU WANT ALL THE TIME.

jaybr

I lived in NOVA for 24 years. During that time I had three 911s. The first was an 84 Targa which I kept as a garage queen. After 6 years I got practically what I paid for it...what a waste of fun driving! The next two were C4 cabs and DDs. (60k miles each) Put on winter tires Nov to May (a must even in NOVA) and enjoyed both cars.
I'm in NE now and on my second C4 cab here as my DD. The current one is a 997.1.
Even though I love the 997.1, if you can afford it go for the 997.2. It has better electronics and a new engine design which avoids the 996/997.1 engine issues.
My current 997.1 was purchased CPO from a Porsche dealer. After one month, it needed a new engine because of a scored cylinder. It was obviously scored when I bought it but was missed when the dealer CPOed it. Got a new short block for free so I can't complain

Ben Z

I've been DDing a base 6MT 997.1 for 8 years, got it with 20K on it, now have mid-60s. Is it a good DD?

From a user standpoint, yes. Admittedly my daily commute is only 7 miles each way through residential neighborhoods, no rush-hour traffic jams, and no hills. If I had a commute that was unfriendly to manual transmission use I would get an automatic...but it wouldn't be a Porsche. My other car is a C6 Vette, also manual. As to the Tip, driving it in auto mode and not tracking it, I don't feel like it gives up much to a PDK, but some will disagree. I just don't happen to want a sports car without a 3-pedal manual.

From a mechanical standpoint, it has been very expensive to maintain. I had a full warranty up until right now, and it paid back several times over. I'm one of the unlucky ones with major engine problems (scoring). The mitigating factor has been very low depreciation compared to other cars I've owned.

SJP3003

I used to DD my first 2006 C2S in Miami when I bought it new. Great commuter car, and it was a stick. My commute was about 20 minutes each way. My current car is a nearly identical 997S w/X51, and I avoid commuting in the 997 because the rush hour traffic is absolutely crazy and slow here in the tropics. For commuting I use a Mini JCW to zip through holes in traffic and avoid the attention a Porsche draws from corner vendors.

BHMav8r

I dd my '05 997.1 for about three years 5mi each way to our shop, mostly residential and light urban. Very pleased although I didnt like the fact that I rarely got over about 50 mph, but felt I got to enjoy it every day.
Didnt work for about three years and only used it to run errands and take my daughter to/from school. Still very pleased. Waiting in the pick up line in a 911 is a whole nuther story.
Now working about ten miles away and have residential, some highway (not interstate) and some back roads and really enjoy it. Redlines, gears, brakes, corners - what the car was made for.
Very pleased with it as a DD. Wish texting distracted tailgaters would esad!