New to the forum and looking for some help here.

Picked up a 335i coupe last summer and have had a blast with it (prior car was B6 A4 1.8T). I made the mistake of heading to a DE event with a buddy who is a PCA instructor in a 996 GT3. He had me really pushing the car and I ulitmately left feeling unsatisfied and have been contemplating an "upgrade".

I'm now trying to decide between a mildly used 997 Carrera S (certified '05 or '06) or a newly built E92 M3 (both in the <70K range).

I'm in my mid 20s and live in Chicago - there's no where to park 2 cars at my place nor can I afford 2 cars so whatever I get will be driven everywhere. I'm guessing the M3 wont be far off in practicality from my 335i coupe but am concerned about the 997S. I'm an avid golfer but understand clubs fit in the back of a 911 so I'm over that. Don't get me wrong here I am definitely willing to suck it up here as a 911 has long been my dream car but don't want to be in a situation where I am constantly making sacrificies.

Am I being overly cautious here on getting a 911 or are my concerns valid?

I am curious to hear if there is anyone else out there who daily drives their Carrera or Carrera S in sometimes harsh winter conditions (midwest, east coast, etc.). It would be a bonus if you tote golf clubs around in the summer too!

Another plus on the 997S is I could get one before track season rather than wait on the M3 which I would take European delivery on as I will already be in Munich in September for a vacation.

Many thanks.

 

Welcome to the 6. I have to tell you a 997S as a daily in the city is gonna be hard during the winter, especially the way we got dumped on this year.

It's a tough choice, I did not pu a 911 until I moved to the burbs so I could have room for another car to drive as a daily. If you can tough it out during the winter months a 997 will give you a ton of joy for a very long time.

What DE event did you go to? I ran most of them last year.

 

Here's what I have daily driven in for the past little while:


It works exceptionally well in terms of traction, handling, drivability, in these kind of conditions. Warms up very quickly, heated seats are superb.

Other vehicles I've used in winter are 4WD SUVs with winter tires, the only thing the SUVs had over the 911 was ground clearance for handling potholes/ice bumps; and even then, I've only come across a few times when the slush was high enough to touch the underside. If you pay a bit more attention to the road condition, the only real difference is a bumpier ride (that is still very bearble). Even when you hit a hole, the suspension handles it very well, it isn't jarring nor do you think/feel something might have broken.

I'd highly recommend it

EDIT:
If you look at the sidewalk in the background, the snow on the road is slightly higher than the height of the sidewalk. The curb goes up approx. 6"-8" so the snow is fairly deep when things begin to melt. You get ruts that are driven down to the pavement but everything else is still "pre-melt" height.

The car still drives exceptionally well!

 

A Porsche can be a daily driver . I have done it many years in my past and have enjoy several of these cars. I have also owned several BMW's as well .
These are very different cars where the BMW offers two things in comparison for me : space (for passenger outings)and less negative attention (xenon light theft etc) .
The Porsche wins in every other category ranging from how it drives to how I have emotionally attached to how it looks and sounds.
The BMW is rational but the Porsche is much more emotional and visceral and there is never a day that I get tired of having a Porsche from the day I buy it all the way up until I trade it for a new Porsche . To me --it is a work of art and a significant piece of auto history sitting right in your driveway . Every time you look at it you will smile (unless someone dings it) . The BMW did not do any of this for me . It was just "a nice car" .

Since I am this attached to my car I do have other cars now . The idea of parking a my Porsche at the supermarket bothers me . The BMW did not .

You can't go wrong with either car and I feel that your decision will pit logic agaisnt emotion .

Good Luck .

 

You can drive it in the winter, you just have to be more careful.

 

Traction -- One more point --I live in warm climate --but look at this Porsche C4S taped in Finland . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dFo0HCqFog

 

Get a C4 and a good set of snows (I use Michelin Pilot Alpins) and you'll be just fine. I'm in CT and drive year round. Ground clearance is the limiting factor (as it would be with an M3). Also, the Porsche has the engine over the primary drive wheels (therefore, more traction). You don't need a C2S. Any 911 variant is more capable than you are as a DE driver, so get the one most suited to the 99% of your time you will spend on the street (i.e. a C4 or C4S). If you find you are the next Schumacher, then you can worry about higher performance, RWD variants.

As for your sticks, I just leave them at my club. For the few times a season I need to carry them, I just put a towel on the front seat and the bag slides right in the footwell and lean on the seat. Perfect fit and you don't need to fumble getting them in and out of the back (fewer scratches too).

 

I plan on using mine as a year round DD when I'm back in the Chicagoland area. If the roads are particularly nasty I'll probably use my S4 but I plan on driving the C4S every chance I get.

 

i went to school in chicago and i felt bad for my truck driving over some of the potholes in that city. worst roads in the US lol.

 

This is a really tough one. But one where i come out on saying no as a true daily driver.

Reasons -
Sure, will it handle great in the snow, etc? Absolutely, its a incredibly engineered car. However, you WILL beat up your car unnecessarilybecause of the following:
1 - giant potholes. doesnt take much to damage a rim, blow out a tire, etc
2 - salt. will corrode your vehicle over time
3 - other drivers. YOU might have full control but they dont.

And when you drive in the winter, you have to drive it like a "normal" car anyway because of the conditions. In other words, too much risk for very little upside.

Solution -
1 - buy a beater car for the winter. Since you can afford a 911, you can afford a beater car. Great suggestion from me is the "old school" Jeep Cherokee. Under $10k and they last forever.
2 - store the 911 at your pakring spot and then either park the Jeep on the street (if possible) or rent a spot within walking distance. I live in Lakeview and found a spot for $125 per month (month to month lease).

True "storage" time is four months (mid Nov to mid Mar), then you are home free. This is what I have done and it has worked out great. Let me know if you have any followup questions.

 

It all depends on the owner and how they view car ownership.

When you drive a car in summer, is the majority of your seat time spent outside of "normal" driving? I would doubt it, especially since the original poster is asking about Daily Driving.
Most people daily drive in a "normal" fashion regardless of weather. If you don't drive "normally" everyday then maybe you'd be better off putting on that kind of mileage at a track?

Why bother having a car when you won't drive it for X months out of a year?
Unless you attain equal pleasure looking at it as you do driving it.

You paid for it, so why shouldn't you be able to enjoy it whenever you want?

 

can the C2 drive on snow too?
i knew C4 should work like a jeep, but i dont know about C2?

 

Chitown335, I am selling my 2007 C2, I am near you, I'm near Stlouis, Mo. email me jnx113@charter.net for pic's and more info if interested. Thanks.

 

Can A Porsche be used all year round? Ofcourse, but it's so much sweeter when its sitting in a garage and you jump in it after not having driven it for a couple days.

I prefer the Porsche, however, I love the M3 and I believe that would a better choice for an everyday all-yera-round car in terms of space, practicality, and performance. The new one looks fantastic and if it drives anything like the last model it will be awesome.

Again, the Porsche is a perfect machine. I drove my cousins M3 last night around the back roads and I was smiling the whole time. The BMW M3 is not to be understated - it's not as refined as the Porsche is but its still a hell of a lot of fun to drive.

Make sure you buy the coupe, and not the new 4-door version they are unveiling.

 

Shank is selling a sweet 997TT in Chicago.