i have been driving vettes/vipers for the past 15 years. i currently own an '06 C6 Z06 with light mods. i think i am reaching a point in my life (im 36) where its not all about track numbers anymore for me.

track numbers and raw power is probably why i stuck with vettes/vipers as long as i did. i am looking for a more fulfiling driving experience. im done with the brutes.

i have always liked porsches and im finally ready to put one in the garage.

i am looking for a slightly used 997 carrera S (06-08)

Questions:

1. why are there 2 different steering wheels in the 997's? i have to have the one with the circular middle section.

2. what are the pros and cons of 2wd vs 4wd? can one get a widebody in a 2wd? how do the 2 drive/behave?

3. is S vs non S just a power bump or suspension upgrade as well. is the extra power noticible?

4. where to look for best used prices and whats a CPO and is it important to have?

5. what 997.2 i read mentioned here?

6. what are some important options the car should have?

7. how is maintenance and costs?

8. are there upgrade suspensions and/or wheel packages? i would rather have a stiffer suspension and the fattest wheels/tires. my ideal set up would be a 997 GT3 but thats more money than i'd like to spend on a car

TIA

Shawn

 

SEARCH

 

Not trying to avoid assisting a soon-to-be new member of this forum, but there are many threads on the subject you cite, each one use of the 'Search' feature away. Time spent reading the multiple threads, and the op-ed commentaries will provide more depth and insight than short responses to your questions. Once 'searched', we're all here to help fill in the holes or provide pointed perspective.
Good hunting. You've had some nice cars in your past. Porsche's are not so much 'better' cars as much as radically different experiences.

 

Questions:

1. why are there 2 different steering wheels in the 997's? i have to have the one with the circular middle section.

One is a multi fuction wheel and the other is a sport wheel . I prefer the thicker sport of the two and Techart (aftermarket) above all .

2. what are the pros and cons of 2wd vs 4wd? can one get a widebody in a 2wd? how do the 2 drive/behave?

The widebody 2wd was one available in the 993 version in 1998 but not today . AWD is geared more for snow or rain but can drive very well on dry pavement too. Some argue that the 2wd is more fun and interactive to drive while others prefer the looks and handling in inclement weather . Both are great cars and you can't go wrong with either.

3. is S vs non S just a power bump or suspension upgrade as well. is the extra power noticible?

If you order the sport suspension in the 09 . The previous version 05 -08 was not avilable in North America with the sport suspension option but it can be spooted in europe.

4. where to look for best used prices and whats a CPO and is it important to have?

The best used prices are the one which place you in a reliable car . CPO is a Certified Porsche warranty on used cars extending the coverage beyond the limits of the standard warranty. It's a good thing to have but you will pay extra to have it.

5. what 997.2 i read mentioned here?
It is the recent facelift version which just came out for 09 . It has the direct fuel injection , extra hp and a few cosmetic upgrades. The main feature is the newly released PDK which is a double clutch transmission.

6. what are some important options the car should have?
Heres where opinion comes in . I like the Bose , full leather, sports adaptive seats and sport chrono . Sport chrono seems to get some debate . I do not like the Nav . It's really that bad .

7. how is maintenance and costs?

Its not too bad , Oil changes are not frequent , Rear tires are your largest expense .

8. are there upgrade suspensions and/or wheel packages? i would rather have a stiffer suspension and the fattest wheels/tires. my ideal set up would be a 997 GT3 but thats more money than i'd like to spend on a car
Get the best car you can afford right out of the box. Even if you have to keep it stock to hedge costs it gives you the platform to start .

Good luck.


TIA

Shawn[/quote]

 

[/quote]
thanks for taking the time to get that typed my brutha

i am about as clueless as one can be about the 997 but you can bet that the search button is "fixin to get a workout". im going to do some reading up in the car rags too to catch up

so is the wheel with the round center the sport?

 

thanks for taking the time to get that typed my brutha

i am about as clueless as one can be about the 997 but you can bet that the search button is "fixin to get a workout". im going to do some reading up in the car rags too to catch up

so is the wheel with the round center the sport?[/quote]

Also, may I also suggest checking out rennlist.org.......if you haven't already. There's a wealth of information there to assist you in/with your buying decision.

 

thanks for taking the time to get that typed my brutha

i am about as clueless as one can be about the 997 but you can bet that the search button is "fixin to get a workout". im going to do some reading up in the car rags too to catch up

so is the wheel with the round center the sport?[/quote]

Mine is round and that the sport. This is the Techart wheel that I like a lot.

 

Follow up from a first time p-car owner (997 C2S)...
3. is S vs non S just a power bump or suspension upgrade as well. is the extra power noticible?
I would go for the S, the bump is noticeable. Also the S has different brakes and some other bits that aren't on the standard Carrera.
6. what are some important options the car should have?
I think Sport Seats, Sport Chrono, Sport Shifter, PASM are all nice. If you have PASM you can swap to Bilstein Damptronics and keep the electronic suspension control, that's a pretty unique combination as far as aftermarket goes. We skipped NAV and BOSE and have not regretted it. We're also big heated seat fans and anti-dim mirrors. Sport Chrono is cool if you do track days for the lap timer.7. how is maintenance and costs?
Oil changes aren't bad at all, and I'd keep an extended warranty around for any major hiccups. Otherwise they seem to be well built cars that will last a very long time if kept up. As mentioned, rear tires are the brundt of the regular maintenance. Though you should be used to that in Vette's and Vipers.

8. are there upgrade suspensions and/or wheel packages?
As mentioned, you can go Bilstein Damptronics with PASM, or Bilstien PSS10 without. Not to mention a host of other suspension options from springs only to track event setups. Plenty of wheel options, and you can go 305 on the narrow body without any problems, I'm sure some perfect offset rims would work with a 315 rear. There is a lot about a GT3 that makes it different, but some of that stuff you can part on to a C2 (control arms, aero, center rad, etc.). But I second the above comment, go for the closest to perfect you can find. We searched low mile used 997 C2S' for a long time but never found the right combination, instead of settling we decided to just order new so we got exactly what we wanted.

 

that tech art wheel looks awesome. very helpful comments above as well ^^

can one install the sport or tech art wheel in place of the "multi function" wheel? if so, do the functions get deleted?

 

I don't know because I went from sport wheel stock to the sport Techart . They also make a beutiful carbon fiber wheel too . They make multi function wheels . It's not cheap though but I felt that the steering wheel (hands on part of the car) was crucial . I will search because I think I recall seeing one on the Turbo forum. Found it --great thread on how its made --https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ing-wheel.html

 

I also have a few things to add.

Questions:

1. why are there 2 different steering wheels in the 997's? i have to have the one with the circular middle section.
There are 4 different wheels, two circle, a thin and a thicker one (XPA option code), a Multi function, and a basic wheel (Triangle)


2. what are the pros and cons of 2wd vs 4wd? can one get a widebody in a 2wd? how do the 2 drive/behave?
You can get a wide body two wheel drive on the GTS RS and the GT2, other wise C2, C2S, and GT3 are all Narrow body, the difference is only about 1.5 inches

3. is S vs non S just a power bump or suspension upgrade as well. is the extra power noticible?
S came standard with PASM, xenon's, 3.8 355hp engine, bigger brakes, and a few other little options

4. where to look for best used prices and whats a CPO and is it important to have?
Lots of cars available, get the CPO if you can find the right one at a dealer, or one that has already a CPO on it

5. what 997.2 i read mentioned here?

6. what are some important options the car should have?
Sport Chrono is an option that some dislike, but I like the sport button, which has a remapped sport program for the throttle and suspension, Adaptive Sport Seats are nice, but if you track a lot, you might want more, I like the Nav and the Bose, but I might be the only one on this forum

7. how is maintenance and costs?
I find the maintenance to be very fair, this car is very reliable and mine has yet to see the dealer for any warranty work

8. are there upgrade suspensions and/or wheel packages? i would rather have a stiffer suspension and the fattest wheels/tires. my ideal set up would be a 997 GT3 but thats more money than i'd like to spend on a car
I feel the same way about the GT3, but I am really enjoying my car with all the mod's that I have done

 

great forum guys and i much appreciate the above responces.

i have been looking at cars all day today. i have pretty much ruled out the base model. def would like to have the bigger brakes and engine of the S model.

i have narrowed my search to just the 997 S 6 speed. i will consider the C4S only if its an absolute steal. though i like the wide body, i dont like the added weight and complexity of the 4wd. ie, im not going to pay extra for it but would buy it if its the same price as the 2wd for similar cars.

been running into alot of low mile lease cars at the dealers. a friend said lease cars are nothing more than extended rentals and people tend to abuse cars they dont own.

any opinions on this?

 

Not to be critical, but your comments remind me of one of the basic tenets of the VC community - known as the gift test. That is, if you're thinking of buying a company, step back and ask, 'If someone gave you this asset for zero dollars, would you want it?'. It often renders some sobering results.
So, in your comments below, 'i like the wide body, i dont like the added weight and complexity of the 4wd', it's reasonable to apply the gift test. That is, if you could get it for the identical price as the 2wd, would you want it? Doesn't sound like you would.
BTW, I know I wouldn't. Same goes for the TT (except for the high value in turning around and selling it - and then buying either a GT3 or a 997S Cab with a whole lot of mods!).
Of course, unlike the M&A/VC gig, Porsche's are items of passion, not economics. But there is some overlap...

 

I abuse (drive it like i stole it) my car, and it runs better then most Garage Queens. No warranty claims, or any other problems

 

Request a DME scan to reveal any engine over revs . This will tell you a little history on the car . Get a CPO too. Test drive it and look underneath for any leaks . Check every control . Check for paint overspray .

Question --would you consider a Turbo ? That's where the bargains are.