over the R8?

 

I take mass transit every day but one thing I look forward to is getting into my C2S for the last leg home. It is a short leg but I find taking a few back roads to make the trip a little longer (and interesting) gives me some serious driving enjoyment each day. (I never hunted for back roads when I had a Corvette...)

 

No........

 

I drove an R8 as a DD for a little over a year and was very much "over it." I then drove a 991 S cab for 22 months as a DD and traded it for a TTS. For me, my fascination and excitement for the 991 ( any variation) is increasing with time as a DD. I just don't want anything else, and I can afford whatever I want. Practically, I know a car with bigger back seats would be better for someone with two kids, but........nah!!!
Not everyone will feel the same, of course. And my drive is 40 minutes each way back roads and highway. I never complain about my commute. And I smile every time I walk up to my Porsche.

 

I don't think I could ever get bored with the 991. When I was commuting to and from Manhattan, the Porsche always made the trip more tolerable for me.

Best of luck with your new DD!

 

This is a great thread with some very good posts. Over the last few few months my wife and I have been discussing to either get a 911 C4 or a Panamera 4S/GTS. We would be trading in a Benz E class. We have a '12 Cayenne S and a, cough, Minivan to haul the 3 kids in.

The great debate is whether the 911 could serve as a daily driver, which multiple threads have answered with a resounding "yes!" My wife is concerned that I would get 'tired' of driving a sports car on a regular basis. I had a 2010 BMW Z4 that I traded in for the Cayenne because the 'stiff' ride hurt my back and I did get "tired" of it because I felt I should have gotten a Porsche instead.

I had a 991 911 for a day to try but didn't really make the most of the opportunity to really drive it as it wasn't mine to put through the paces. I found myself instead thinking more about the impracticalities of the vehicle as a daily driver. In essence, looking for reasons to not like it. But I really enjoyed it. Even just driving it at the speed limit on the roads and highway.

I'll be 46 this coming year and I feel now is the time to get the car I've always wanted to get. I just can't seem to convince myself that it is the right thing to do. Part of it is the winter weather here in Western PA, another part is that my wife is not impressed with sports cars. If finances were not an issue, I'd get both a Panamera and C4S but that's not going to happen.

Sorry for rambling on....its just been weighing heavy on my mind.

 

I've driven the 911 as a DD and although it's a great car, it does get a little old, for me, every day. The impracticality, the difficulty getting in and out of it repeatedly (running errands, shopping, etc.) but mostly it's the traffic. Lots of traffic around here, and it's getting to the point where I'm almost afraid to drive it with all of the inattentive drivers and their texting.

Having two cars to switch back and forth makes it easy on lousy days like today, or if I need to carry more than one person anywhere, or if I have to make multiple stops. And when I do get to drive the 911, it's more special. That said, not everyone can afford to have "extra" cars and a place to park it.

I think that's what they call first world problems?

 

I can relate to your situation....15 years ago I had a Z3 and one day when double buckling two (of my 3)kids aged eight and 10, my son suggested getting a 911 so they could sit in the back. So I got a C4 cabrio...That worked out great for 10 years ( 2 - C 4S's) and I also had an S class sedan for those times I had to drive the whole family.
Since you have the Cayenne already, I wouldn't hesitate getting a C4, and with 4 winter tires, it handles amazing in the snow...maybe there's one or two snowstorms in the year where the snow is so deep that the bottom pan would scrape the snow, but then you'd have the cayenne as a backup.
Often you can go with your three kids in the 911, and they would really like it. As for your back, I feel your pain...The 991 is definitely smoother and more refined than the BMW Z series...just make sure you get 14 way power seats so you have that lumbar support that you can push out and that makes a huge difference with your back...I say go for it ( w/ four winter tires) --and you'll be glad you did...
Worst case scenario you can always sell the 911 ... And of course wives aren't impressed by sports cars, but I'll bet she'll still enjoy it when you go out on date night

 

Thanks for the input. These are thoughts that have come across in our debates. My biggest concern is that my spouse becomes fearful of the 911 and ends up not wanting to ever drive it around on her off days from work. As a physician, she is worried about other docs becoming resentful of her having a 911 when the "most fancy" car in the physician lot is an E-Class or 5-Series. She becomes pretty paranoid when she takes the Cayenne to work.

I know, she has her issues, but there is some truth to that "physician jealousy." I have my own solo, medical practice and don't have to set foot in a hospital, so I don't have to worry about those things.

I should start a new thread rather than sabotaging this one which I think is great.

So let's get back to the original intent of this thread. I think the question posed to everyone here is, "Do you get tired of driving the 911 everyday?"

Describe how it is running routine errands with the 911. What idiosyncrasies of the 911 (no cell phone bin, lack of functional cup holders, lack of higher seating position, slow traffic, tight parking spaces) wear on you the most as a daily driver?

 

I wonder If the average e class or 5 series owner knows how expensive the 911 really is? I like driving mine every day but drivers that text while driving and and do not look where they are going keep my 911 in the garage a lot. I have been hit 3 times while sitting or parked in the last 18 months in my other cars. I am a bit gun shy. Getting hit in the rear of a 911 is a whole different ballgame.

 

I've been daily driving it in Los Angeles for over 15 months. Absolutely no regrets, and it has yet to lose its appeal.

 

No cell phone bin: Mine stays in my pocket. I know the steering wheel controls well enough to make and receive calls. I don't believe in texting and driving, it can wait.

Lack of functional cup holders: Doesn't bother me as I rarely do long drives. When I do, I take a water bottle and make the cup holder work.

Lack of higher seating position: The only time I notice this is at intersections when other cars can look right over the 911, but I need to wait for them to move before I can see the traffic. (Picture two cars facing the same way, side-by-side.) Not a huge deal, just requires patience.

Tight parking spaces: I have a cab, and it either has the world's worst visibility for backing up (top up) or the world's best (top down.) I occasionally drop the top just to back out of a parking space, even in bad weather. I try to park (always in a single spot) at the end of a row where at least one side of the car is protected. Yes, maybe I have to walk a little farther, but really, the difference is rarely more than 50 yards.

In terms of running routine errands, I love it. No, you can't get 10 bags of mulch in it. Yes, you can get one or two. The frunk is perfect for an average grocery haul.

Also, do not fear the 911 in the snow. It is awesome with the right tires.

 

If a 911 is truly the car you have wanted all your life then it is indeed the car for you.

My belief is that there are those who live for a 911 and have it sorta ingrained in their soul. I'm 53 now, and the first time I saw a 911 (in retrospect it may have been a 912) in person was when a guy brought his dads (this was the late 70's) into my highschool auto shop. It was an older Porsche but it was love at first sight and I knew someday when I could afford it I'd have one. And this was still at the time where muscle car's were the thing and Porsche's were just a foreign car. It took me a lot of years but when I finally could afford one I bought it. I think Dr. Collie's porsche ad post sums it up.. and if when you see that ad it immediately resonates then you know who you are...

And then there are other folks that it is just a car selection that could be a merc, BMW, etc.. and this time they happened to buy a 911. Nothing wrong with that, but if you are that category buyer then it becomes an apple and orange discussion from a true 911 enthusiast.

If you are in the first category and can afford it.. just go buy it. You will make it a priority to figure out to make it work with kids and etc.. You will never regret it.. as a DD it is a joy to drive.. (although I live in a warm weather location so I can't comment on winter conditions)..

However if you are in the latter category and it is just trying to select the car you want at the moment.. and you can't decide between a panny or Merc or whatever and the wife's nuances are influencing the selection then maybe you should look at another luxury car that better suits your lifestyle. (Lol, I'd dump my wife before I did my 911).

I say that kinda cheeky, but my point is if you have 911 in your blood.. then you know it and don't talk yourself out of it... If you don't then eh.. doesn't really matter what you pick does it?

Good luck on your choice

 

I love this.... +1

 

Regarding parking in a physicians' lot, I would think the other docs would have more respect for your wife driving a 911. Since they can likely afford one they wouldn't be jealous...it would be my patients that I wouldn't want to see me driving it. As for those little nuances...with any car (or anything for that matter) there are always some negative aspects. If you can live with that and the good outweighs the bad then, there you go.