911 Carrera [997]

HEADRAT

HEADRAT

HEADRAT

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
21,499
Location
Cambridge, UK
Hi All,

Well I've been hankering after a new car since I sold my Z4, been driving around in a Volvo S40 LPG for the last few months, not a bad car but not very exciting ;)

So I've decided to treat myself to something special for being a very good boy and a 911 seems to fit the bill.

Budget is £35/40K, so what can I expect for my money, should I get a C4S or a C2S, I'd like a convertible but are the dynamics of the car spoilt by having the roof missing etc. What "extras" can't I live without, what are "nice to have"

I've not been for any test drives yet, that treat is yet to come, I'd like to get some feedback from Motors first.

Thanks

HEADRAT
 
I'd recommend one with a Porsche warranty:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1996926.htm

2 years of trouble free motoring.

My dad has an 07 plate one and they're fantastic cars. His is a carrera s cab and personally I'd probably get a 4S but thats just me. They're incredibly stable in the dry (but you can still get the back out turnign onto a road...) but less so in the wet ime.

They'll all have the PCM with sat nav. Options are very pricey from new and some are rather pointless (like the lap timer) but others are worthwhile such as the bits of leather on the transmission tunnel, round the gearstick, porsche emblem embossed into the head rest.

edit - and to add i didn't really notice much difference driving a soft top to a hard top either...and the soft top is ***!
 
I personally found the c4s slower than the c2s in everyday driving scenarios, it bogs down a fair bit and you need to be on your toes if you want to impress pouncing scoobs/evos etc.. I do however much prefer the c4s styling and exhaust note. the c4s feels much safer to drive thanks to the stuck to the road 4wd but that also served to scare me off the c2s is a much more involved drive and feels rawer/purer. same went for drop tops, I just couldnt get on with a convertible, just wasn't Porschey to me if that makes any sense, road noise was massive and I couldn't help feeling there was a distinct decrease in handling between the two but that could have been pseudo.

I chose the c2s, you should drive both and make a decision based on your driving style, its a win win decision especially coming from a Z4, just make sure you get a FSH and ensure you also have proper porsche warranty no second rate www.warranty.com crap.
 
911Virgin and talk to Henry or Tom, fantastic people to deal with.

Dont discount tiptronic cars they drive great, in normal driving you wont tell the difference between a c2 and a c4, but as Will said when pressing on the difference is there.

Either go for a Heartech or Sports and classic type maintenance plan or an OPC warranty, forget any other type of warranty.

Scuttle shake is there on the cabrios but not enough to put you off if you want a convertible.

Get the car inspected by a specialist wherever you buy from. Thats the best 400 quid you will ever spend.
 
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hurfdurf said:
Didn't JC in a recent top gear episode talk about extra bracing making the handing difference minimal between soft top and hard?
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Dont know but iv driven loads of both and you can feel the difference.

Wouldnt put me off if i wanted a convertible though.
 
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If Clarkson told me a car was blue id have a second look, i think the bloke is a comedian not a serious car critic.
 
agreed, funny fudger makes highly watchable telly, can chuck a car around a course but has very very narrow minded views on most cars.

still one of my favourite personalities though
 
Will Gill said:
agreed, funny fudger makes highly watchable telly, can chuck a car around a course but has very very narrow minded views on most cars.

still one of my favourite personalities though
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I think hes great to watch too, but he wouldnt be in my top 10 people to help me spend 40 lumps on a car.
 
You should drive a 996 GT3 though budget needs to go up. Very raw but much more special but as Fox said for most 997 is where to be. C2S
 
I'm going to be annoying and say..

993 Turbo!

I'd want a 4S, but that's because I'd end up backwards in a hedge within 50 ft of the dealer's if I got a 2..
 
eh? 993 turbos are still 50k+ and for that money you can get a 997 turbo, which is better in everyway unless you are helpless romantic like me
 
Will Gill said:
I personally found the c4s slower than the c2s in everyday driving scenarios, it bogs down a fair bit and you need to be on your toes if you want to impress pouncing scoobs/evos etc.. I do however much prefer the c4s styling and exhaust note. the c4s feels much safer to drive thanks to the stuck to the road 4wd but that also served to scare me off the c2s is a much more involved drive and feels rawer/purer.
Click to expand...

I am relating 996 experiences to this, but i wholeheartedly agree.

The C4's feel much much safer, for me this translates to feeling much more comfortable in the car and feeling as though i can press on with conviction. I therefore will always pick C4's, there is no point spending money on something which will not flatter you, and be as enjoyable as it can possibly be. The C2 is the faster car, but that is not the whole story.

Gearbox's are always fun point to argue on here. I (In agreement with DiamondMark) prefer the automatics. But this boils down to usage and driving style. I tend to cruise around with the odd blat, i suspect he does the same. I am not a "good" driver, i would never benefit from a manual gearbox, therefore the negatives of a manual (which are pretty huge most of the time in everyday situations) are too much to overcome. The message which should come through from this split of opinion, though, is that the automatics are very good indeed, and should be picked as personal preference after testing both. Do not listen to other peoples advice on this front, make your own mind up.
 
Knowing how he drives, and the kind of roads he drives on, when my step dad was after a 911 I highly advised he went for a 4 just because I could see him stacking it otherwise! Hew's flogging it soon, pity I can't afford it yet as seems relatively cheap for what you get.

Again I'm talking 996, but the C4S just looks so much better than all the normal Carreras in that shape, the 997 doesn't have such a contrast between the models imho.

That's excluding the turbos and GT models of course.
 
See this whole urban myth about stacking 2 wheel drive 911's needs dispelling, starting with a 993 you would need to be driving like a **** to stack it.

996 driving like a complete **** to do it.

997 driving like a complete and utter **** to do it.
 
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