Vicelord-

I'm choosing between cars that are available now. Time matters to me.

Hurricane-

I'm pretty much in the same place. Black without vents or yellow with-probably black. The yellow has PASM as well but I suspect the feature of being OK, but not critical. Black has 18 way seats and park assist (which has saved me a few dings in past.

Christophosphorous-

I realize that it's a Porsche thing, but too many options, especially cosmetic options, starts to drive me crazy. Your point about "smile on face" is very well taken. Think I'll concentrate on that.

Let me know if PASM is a big deal.

 

If you are OCD, black is not the color your you. It looks great when clean, but it takes a lot to keep it clean and looking great. If you never had ventilated seats, you won't miss it, but if you have, I think you will miss it (depending on where you live and how hot it gets). Did not have PASM on my first Pcar, but got it on my gts and it makes a difference. Everyone has a black porsche -- I'd go yellow.

 

Thanks. I'm definitely down to the two cars. I care about park distance control which is not on the yellow (which has a front sport fascia and sport mirrors).I worry that the front was born to be dinged. Ironically, yellow has an incognito rear (nice), but "C4S" on the doors (which would immediately be removed with a heat gun). Black has 18 way seats and camera. I may be OCD, but not about washing cars, and your point is well taken.

Did you really notice the PASM off the track?

 

I hope to own it for 5 to 10 years.

For that length of time, get whatever you like. The guys that really take a bath financially are the ones that own them 1 to 3 years.

have some hope that an AWD 911 has some chance of being useable in anything other than serious snow. Center engined RWD, even with winter tires, could be twitchy I think.

The AWD 991 is not really designed to be a 'snow car' per se, the AWD feature is primarily there to allow you to banzai corners seriously fast. An AWD sportscar will outcorner its 2WD cousin. It does carry extra weight and complexity of course, and cost.

Porsche get pretty beat up in the snow with chemicals, rocks and sand. Myself I use a truck in the wintertime.

>I care about feel on the road, but less about 10ths of seconds.

It's only that person who is looking for 10th's that will care about the stiffness of a coupe vs a cab. And that is assuming all other aspects are equal. I've been a Driver's Ed High Performance Driving Instructor since 1996 and done thousands of laps with students in all sorts of cars. I can get in a Boxster or my 991S Cab and run circles around most students because I have a higher skill set than they do, its not the car! Truth be told, I can hustle a Boxster around your average track faster and easier than a Carrera because the car is better balanced.

When you say "the vast majority are PDK" does that mean sticks are rare and valuable, or that the average buyer wants a PDK?

Most buyers want a PDK, especially Cab buyers.

Get the car you like. I have the top down on my 991S Cab about 85% of the time, I like the open air. With the top up, its nearly as quiet as the coupe due to the three magnesium solid panels in the roof. If the convertible portion of the car is not important, then get a coupe. They are less money, and coupes ALWAYS are better in the collectible markets due to the classic lines on them on any Porsche newer than a '65.

I am also concerned that the GTS has center locking hubs (

If I were buying a GTS I'd opt for the 5-lugs. That gives you lots of wheel choices that way. Centerlocks are very limiting in that respect and if you cross up or damage the splines on the car - ho boy - big problems.

I'd just like to get it right. I care more about driving it than looking at it.

Understand. It's what is right for you. A GTS has 30 HP more than an "S", but its mostly at the upper rev band. You won't find a huge difference down low in the rev range where you live (2,200 to 4,000 rpms) so unless you are taking regular trips to the redline, you can save some dough with an S as well.

Is it true that Cabs are considered generally less desirable as demonstrated by resale value.

I doubt that. The cab buyer is looking for a cab, the coupe buyer a coupe.

Does seat ventilation trump Alcantra leather on seats?

That's your call. My seats are neither heated nor vented, so neither is an important feature to me, personally. A fan in the seat is only going to pull so much air through a small leather perf anyways, most are barely noticeable.

Alcantara is not a leather, its a man-made synthetic designed to mimic suede and made in a joint venture between an Italian and Japanese company. Real suede is made from the lower half of a hide called the splits. Race teams like suede because its comfortable and grippy, but it is has poor water and moisture resistance - and has to be replaced regularly. Alcantara is water resistant, so that's a big plus. However it will pill over time no matter how careful you are with it and you don't slide on the seat surfaces like you do with top grain leather. Some people like to 'stick' in the seat, others like to slide around a little without the velcro effect on their pants. I like the feel of Alcantara on the steering wheel and shift ****, especially in the cold months, but its easier to get in and out of the seat when you can slide a little.

 

D.R.C.,

Again, I really appreciate your thoughtful replies. Also, I see that we both have an affinity for two wheeled vehicles as well.

I've got an appointment in the morning. It's down to one of two 4S coupes. Only color and a few feature differences as mentioned in an earlier post. I'm sure that I'll be happy with either. I keep going back and forth: Black with 18 way seats, camera; yellow with vented 14-way, PASM,racing trim, cool. Unique vs. understated. I may have to flip a coin.

BTW, I came to the same conclusion you did about the center locking hub-just too few options, and those too pricey.

 

I keep going back and forth: Black with 18 way seats, camera; yellow with vented 14-way, PASM,racing trim, cool.

Take a drive in both if you can, down a rougher road with some bumps in it. The PASM car will ride a little lower and may feel a bit more harsh - see if you can tell a difference and if you can - whether that matters to you.

Black has to be cleaned constantly, and waxed every other week, yellow covers a lot of detailing sins! You're going to enjoy either one. I'd probably buy the yellow, just because I think they are a bit in-your-face in that color and that's fun in sports car. Having said that, I have dull old Agate Gray on mine, but they REALLY wanted to move that car off the lot and as they say, money talks!

It's a good dilemma choice to have. See if one car has an older production date on it if your are on the fence. If one is older, you can try to get the dealer to 'thow-in' a Porsche CPO warranty on it, sometimes (but not always) they will do that to move a car that's been around awhile. With CPO, your factory warranty goes to 6 years, 100K miles, and now that is something valuable at resale time. It costs the dealer between $ 3K and $ 3.5K to CPO a new car so its not peanuts, but its a great negotiating tool.

Yes, I have motorcycle problem as well, but I'm doing really good right now with just one in the garage instead of my usual three!

 

The yellow has been around longer, and I assume that will be reflected in the cost. Also, I suspect yellow has a smaller target audience. But it is pretty.

I confess that I'd be happier if it had parking sensors, especially with that low front. It just begs for a little oops parking head in with a high curb (my personal weakness- and to think that when younger I parked every day in Manhattan by the feel method-bump bump).

Anyway, there isn't exactly a bad choice here.

I can't quite make out your picture-1200RT?

 

you can buy parking sensors and have them put in - so that is an option too

what does the yellow have - 14 ways? keep in mind that I have heard complaints about the bolsters in the 18s, depending on how wide you are, they could be uncomfortable. I have the 14s and they are very comfortable.

 

I have front/rear park assist and I'm a careful driver and still occasionally hit the front lip... good thing it's replaceable with minimal cost. My car has S-PASM and it's very low, so much so that a number of speed bumps have to be taken at angles, which remind me of my days as a teenager driving lowered-to-the-ground Volkswagens.


Just something for thought if you have bad roads in MA, which I suspect you do.

 

I will add that the sensors don't go off on my car with a curb in front. It has to be higher before the sensors read them.

By the way. Cab or nothing😀

 

Yellow has 14, black 18. I am wider than I'd like. Seems like 18's adjust where 14s are ok but wouldn't want them narrower.

 

Rupp,

Keep in mind that PASM and PASM Sport are two different things. All "S" and "GTS" variants come with PASM already.

PASM Sport, on the other hand, further lowers the car 10mm (~.4in) and results in a stiffer ride. The difference between PASM and PASM Sport is subjective; you get forum members who swear they love it, and others who comment on a "rough" ride. I have yet to decide which I'll keep on my GTS build, but I'm leaning toward PASM Sport for now.

I think you may have already known the differences, but it's worth mentioning them since people use the terms interchangeably and can result in unwanted options / confused discussions.

 

Thanks for the information about PASM; it was news to me. The yellow C4S has Sport PASM and a racing Fascia. That car will ride low. Is it really low enough to cause worry over bumps, or just a nice stiff ride. Is it adjustable while driving?

 

You will see a difference in the ride quality, that's why you should try to get some 10 + miles in both on a less-than-smooth road. As I get older, I place a high value on a smoother ride vs a cool look. But that's just me. Yes, there is a button on the console with a shock absorber image on it, press on (light is lit) to activate the stiffer ride to peel the corners, and off for more supple. Sport PASM will always be a bit stiffer than standard PASM.

That's a R1200GS in my garage.....

Duane

 

It's lower (.4in to be exact compared to a regular S), and the sport front lip sits lower, too. Some people mention having difficultly with steep driveways and garages, but it shouldn't be a BIG issue. The lip is replaceable, fyi, and costs less than $200.

It is not adjustable while driving. You have a "Sport Suspension" button, however, that activates a harder damping setting and results in a stiffer ride. This doesn't adjust the car height, though (the button comes on a regular S with PASM, too).