I read and search and use this forum a ton thought I should contribute.

I had a 2000 996 carrera that I loved, but when it came time to let it go I moved into a Cayenne Gts. For the first year it was great but I found myself longing for the feel of a 911. Every time I saw one in a parking lot or on the road I just felt horrible for driving what was a great SUV but was never gong to be a 911. So, I ended up recently getting a 2012 carrera white 911, black 20 inch wheels, 7 spd manual loaded up machine. Just fell in love with it, and so glad to be back in the driver seat of my dream car.

Overall I love the car. Maybe it's one of those things where you just know you are at home in the car you were meant to be driving. Sure, everyone has an opinion... But I think the Bose system rocks. I truly love how the sport seats comfort you whether you are driving aggressive or just commuting down the road. This is my daily driver and it makes going to work worth it. The nimble calm car under 3k rpm that comes to life like a screaming banshee at 4k just makes smile. The sound of that porsche motor is the best music you can blast from the car. So it's not a turbo, not an S... I have had performance cars and bikes all my driving years and this car just is perfect.

The manual is smooth, and although there are now some die hard PDK folks out there, there is a great feeling of being in a drivers car and really driving it. The simplicity and luxury of shifting through the gears, and coordination required etc are another reason I just enjoy it.

What I have found disappointing at 2300 miles:

Had it at the dealer for 3 things:
1- sunroof rattle (fixed although they needed to drive it 25 miles over 3 test runs to figure it out).
2- awful noise backing up and turning the wheel in a cold morning or evening. Diagnosed as "tire hop". Found similar results searching this forum. Still disappointing as the 996 never did this
3- harmonic buzz from the rear at 3100 rpm in low gears. This they also said is consistent with other cars. I have searched tirelessly to see if anyone else experiences this but had 0 luck. To be honest it drives me nuts because I think something is loose.
4- small chirp/squeak from the starter on a cold start. Hadn't had this at the dealer yet as I just hate taking it in form something like this. I tend to think a belt is slipping or the starter isn't quite disengaging right. It's quick, almost like a beep sometimes , nonetheless for a brand new car it bugs me. Found a similar problem on another forum but on a 996; turned out for him to be a loose spark plug.

Overall satisfaction at this point with the car is an 8.5 out of 10. The nuances above are just that. If anyone has guidance on items 3 and 4 and I can fix it my satisfaction would be higher.

Thanks for reading.

 

Had it at the dealer for 3 things:
1- sunroof rattle (fixed although they needed to drive it 25 miles over 3 test runs to figure it out). I can't say that mine has any sunroof rattle, now at 9000 miles and no a creak, squeek or rattle from the sunroof.


2- awful noise backing up and turning the wheel in a cold morning or evening. Diagnosed as "tire hop". Found similar results searching this forum. Still disappointing as the 996 never did this This is very normal for summer tire when they get cold. You probably didn't get it in the 996 because the tire were not as large (wide/sidewall profile) and the rubber compound was not the same 12 years ago. I had the same thing (also running 20" summers), when I changed to 19" winters it went away. As soon as it gets warm again this will dissappear.


3- harmonic buzz from the rear at 3100 rpm in low gears. This they also said is consistent with other cars. I have searched tirelessly to see if anyone else experiences this but had 0 luck. To be honest it drives me nuts because I think something is loose. I get something similar, the change in the pocket in the center console vibrates like crazy. It started at about 300 RPM and as the car has aged it is now happening closer to 4800 RPM. Servoce tech is going to look at it Tuesday during regular service but he doesn't think it is abnormal.


4- small chirp/squeak from the starter on a cold start. Hadn't had this at the dealer yet as I just hate taking it in form something like this. I tend to think a belt is slipping or the starter isn't quite disengaging right. It's quick, almost like a beep sometimes , nonetheless for a brand new car it bugs me. Found a similar problem on another forum but on a 996; turned out for him to be a loose spark plug. Have not had this issue.

 

They finally fixed the sunroof noise in my base. They lubed it. No noise now

 

i will be taking mine in for a rattle detox in the coming weeks. the rattles have really been the only disappointment about the car. there are rattles coming from the sunroof, instrument cluster, and driver's door.

 

Best of luck with the car; I hope you get the issues resolved so you can focus on enjoying the car for what it is--an awesome machine!

 

Sounds to me like we got almost the same car. I now have 1900 miles on mine and it has no problems. Mine is not a daily driver and I still haven't even opened the sun roof. A usless option in my opinion. I bought it out of dealer stock otherwise I would never order a sun roof. This is our 2nd P car the last one being a 944 bought new way back when. So far the car has been everything I ever thought a 911 would be. It is great to be back in a Porsche.

 

Thanks for the responses. The practically rebuilt the sunroof on mine, and it is perfect.

I wish the buzzing noise was from change in the car somewhere, but if for sure is coming from the engine area. I find it hard to believe the dealer telling me it is normal, when others haven't experienced it. To be honest, it sounds as though the wing is buzzing or potentially there is a heat shield that just isnt seated properly. Not sure if that is even a potential since I havent been under the car to look around. I checked the license plate and that is tight.

The starter chirp only happens on a cold start in cold weather, so my guess is still a belt.

 

No sunroof here. I think the roofline actually looks cleaner without it. And no worries about squeaking or breakage.

I am only just past 1000, so have yet to experience the power in the upper torque range. I can't wait...

 

Harmonic buzz from the rear? Not sure what you mean by that. If at all possible can you further describe this sound?

20,000 kms on my car and with PSE on I get a transient flutter from the rear at times, usually during spirited acceleration. This is the only slightly abnormal sound I have heard so far and that occurs only when pse is on. I got dealer tech to check it out, he said it's normal.

 

I have just more than 11,000 miles on my C2 with PDK. Other than a few minor quirks, the car has performed flawlessly and gets 28-32 mpg on the highway, 25 mpg in mixed driving with the winter tires. Summer tires seem to yield greater mileage. I know, I know, if you spend that much for a car, what's a few cents on gas...it's not the fact of the mileage but the efficiency of the car that is impressive. It's pumping 350 hp and efficient!

As far a performance, it's a monster. My turnpike "on ramp" adventures are to say the least, exhilarating. To say the most, this is the most amazing car I have driven in the 42 years I have been licensed, and the 44 years of driving (the applicable statute of limitations on that offense has long expired).

When I was purchasing the car the sales manager talked me out of the C2S and the alphabet soup of chassis options, saying that the base is all that I needed as I had not track ambitions. He was right. The car satisfies.

 

I too have a glass moonroof squeak that the dealer does not know how to fix... The lube didn't work.... Porsche's is going to get wacked at J.D Powers new car owner experience for sure....

 

Doubtful.

 

i agree. there is a small part of me that wishes i had gotten an S, but that stems solely from pure "S" envy. i have never driven anything like the base carrera, and my other daily driver is a lifted jeep on 35" tires that just lumbers about. needless to say, the 350 HP in this car puts a huge smile on my face.

 

The harmonic buzz happens when accelerating. From a stop rolling out in 1st gear, as the rpm reaches about 3k you hear a sound from the rear. Imagine a car next to you at a light with a loud stereo and the base note rattles the trunk or license plate. Similar sound but only at 3k as it accelerate on the sound is gone. Just sounds like there is a point in vibration or frequency that causes something to rattle against something. Hence "buzz". I've checked the license plate,
the rear bonnet is secure. I'm going to try it with the wing manually up and see if it changes the scenario

 

If it is the spoiler, it has adjustable rubber 'feet' that you may want to look at. The feet screw in and out, adjusting how far they protrude.