My introduction - From Australia
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My introduction - From Australia
Hi everyone,
I'd like to introduce myself, my name is Howie and I live in the beachside suburbs of eastern Sydney Australia.
I'm an engineer by profession and an avid automotive enthusiast, like many who are reading this! (I hope
)
I've recently purchased a new 997.2 C2 coupe and would love to share the enthusiasm and joy that I now experience everyday I start that flat-six motor!
I did consider other cars such as the BMW M3 coupe, M-B C63 AMG, P-car Cayman S and the Nissan GTR. My previous car was (and still is) a '08 VW R32 which is now a hand-me-down to the missus
but still enjoy for a quick sprint to pick up the groceries. The car before that was a '02 Honda Integra Type R for which I am still a Honda fan at heart.
I came across the 997.2 because the dealership was always on my way to the rail yards for which I occasionally have on-site visits (my company consults to the rail industry).
One day I decided to test drive it on impulse and was basically blown away... deciding that I now wanted a p-car I resolved to conduct my due diligence and looked at relevant alternatives to see what the current market was offering.
I first test drove a manual E92 M3 Coupe and walked away feeling disappointed with it. Not comparing it with the 911 I found the tractability of the engine lacking in that most of the power reveals itself after 4,000 rpm all the way to a stratospheric 8,400 rpm. I had read and heard many rave reviews of this new M3 but concluded that most of it were from on-track testing. The "around town" driveability was comparable to my chipped R32. More disappointing was the build quality; stitching of the leather bound steering wheel was rough, and in this particular example, needed trimming-off. The asymmetric design of the centre console looked daft and the infinite amount of settings of the on-board computer over-complicated. I did however liked the street-credibility and engine note, but that was before I test drove the C63 AMG.
Arguably the best sounding V8 on the market, it's 6.2L motor is apocalyptic. As Sir Clarkson said, it's not a car; it's an axe-murderer with headlights. It was everything, in my mind, the M3 needed; and appeared better built as well. The planetary automatic gearbox was impressive; fastest automatic I've ever driven, changes gears when you tell it to and downshifts when you tell it to. You almost wonder if dual-clutch technology is really needed, this box does the job just fine. In Australia, there aren't many options whereas the M3 had a long and extensive list of expensive options and was far more expensive the the M-B. I would have gone for this car, but the 911 was just something else...
The Cayman S was a dose of sanity just to make sure that the 911 was worth the extra dollars. It has an extra boot for storage, mid-mounted engine for balance and compared to the BMW and M-B, a true-blue ocre sports car*.
*(To define that last statement, I regard cars that were designed or developed from passenger / saloon cars to be 'sports cars' as SPORTY cars. Cars designed for a singular purpose such as the Elise, 911, GTR, Corvette etc as SPORTS cars. The 911 GT3 is a RACEY car and the GT3 CUP as a RACE car (only for race tracks)).
The Cayman, while possibly the best sports car that Porsche have come up with in recent years, was not quite the 911 experience. The rear mounted engine is has distinct sound and timbre, separated by the space that are the two extra seats for added practicality. The solidity of the chassis, combined with those enormous rear tyres (tires for some of you folks) made for some stupendous power down ability. I would speak about the design but as an engineer I would dare say that Porsche only have engineers and no designers. They haven't changed the basic design in 40+ odd years. Peer into the engine bay and you'll see that there aren't any tacky plastic coverings or indulgent motifs. Seems that all the money has gone into the engineering of improving the performance and ability of the vehicle. I just had to have it.
Oh did I forget the Nissan GTR?
I never test drove that car. Didn't need to and didn't want to. $5,000 AUD to service the brakes is just bad engineering (pads and rotors are changed in tandem). I am a Japanese car enthusiast and I know what the GTR is capable of, but I'll say that the GTR is just not my cup of tea; Too playstation-like to me, a temporary fad in automotive design and once you've gone Euro, it's just too hard to go back.
There would be an extensive list of how I've found my new 911 but I think I would be preaching to the converted.
My 911:
'09 997.2 Carrera C2
Meteor Grey
PDK transmission
Sports Chrono
Carrera S II 19" wheels
Interior detail in gloss black
Bose sound system
Parking sensors
Added window tint at 20%
Some photos:
I'd like to introduce myself, my name is Howie and I live in the beachside suburbs of eastern Sydney Australia.
I'm an engineer by profession and an avid automotive enthusiast, like many who are reading this! (I hope
)I've recently purchased a new 997.2 C2 coupe and would love to share the enthusiasm and joy that I now experience everyday I start that flat-six motor!
I did consider other cars such as the BMW M3 coupe, M-B C63 AMG, P-car Cayman S and the Nissan GTR. My previous car was (and still is) a '08 VW R32 which is now a hand-me-down to the missus
but still enjoy for a quick sprint to pick up the groceries. The car before that was a '02 Honda Integra Type R for which I am still a Honda fan at heart.I came across the 997.2 because the dealership was always on my way to the rail yards for which I occasionally have on-site visits (my company consults to the rail industry).
One day I decided to test drive it on impulse and was basically blown away... deciding that I now wanted a p-car I resolved to conduct my due diligence and looked at relevant alternatives to see what the current market was offering.
I first test drove a manual E92 M3 Coupe and walked away feeling disappointed with it. Not comparing it with the 911 I found the tractability of the engine lacking in that most of the power reveals itself after 4,000 rpm all the way to a stratospheric 8,400 rpm. I had read and heard many rave reviews of this new M3 but concluded that most of it were from on-track testing. The "around town" driveability was comparable to my chipped R32. More disappointing was the build quality; stitching of the leather bound steering wheel was rough, and in this particular example, needed trimming-off. The asymmetric design of the centre console looked daft and the infinite amount of settings of the on-board computer over-complicated. I did however liked the street-credibility and engine note, but that was before I test drove the C63 AMG.
Arguably the best sounding V8 on the market, it's 6.2L motor is apocalyptic. As Sir Clarkson said, it's not a car; it's an axe-murderer with headlights. It was everything, in my mind, the M3 needed; and appeared better built as well. The planetary automatic gearbox was impressive; fastest automatic I've ever driven, changes gears when you tell it to and downshifts when you tell it to. You almost wonder if dual-clutch technology is really needed, this box does the job just fine. In Australia, there aren't many options whereas the M3 had a long and extensive list of expensive options and was far more expensive the the M-B. I would have gone for this car, but the 911 was just something else...
The Cayman S was a dose of sanity just to make sure that the 911 was worth the extra dollars. It has an extra boot for storage, mid-mounted engine for balance and compared to the BMW and M-B, a true-blue ocre sports car*.
*(To define that last statement, I regard cars that were designed or developed from passenger / saloon cars to be 'sports cars' as SPORTY cars. Cars designed for a singular purpose such as the Elise, 911, GTR, Corvette etc as SPORTS cars. The 911 GT3 is a RACEY car and the GT3 CUP as a RACE car (only for race tracks)).
The Cayman, while possibly the best sports car that Porsche have come up with in recent years, was not quite the 911 experience. The rear mounted engine is has distinct sound and timbre, separated by the space that are the two extra seats for added practicality. The solidity of the chassis, combined with those enormous rear tyres (tires for some of you folks) made for some stupendous power down ability. I would speak about the design but as an engineer I would dare say that Porsche only have engineers and no designers. They haven't changed the basic design in 40+ odd years. Peer into the engine bay and you'll see that there aren't any tacky plastic coverings or indulgent motifs. Seems that all the money has gone into the engineering of improving the performance and ability of the vehicle. I just had to have it.
Oh did I forget the Nissan GTR?
I never test drove that car. Didn't need to and didn't want to. $5,000 AUD to service the brakes is just bad engineering (pads and rotors are changed in tandem). I am a Japanese car enthusiast and I know what the GTR is capable of, but I'll say that the GTR is just not my cup of tea; Too playstation-like to me, a temporary fad in automotive design and once you've gone Euro, it's just too hard to go back.
There would be an extensive list of how I've found my new 911 but I think I would be preaching to the converted.
My 911:
'09 997.2 Carrera C2
Meteor Grey
PDK transmission
Sports Chrono
Carrera S II 19" wheels
Interior detail in gloss black
Bose sound system
Parking sensors
Added window tint at 20%
Some photos:
Last edited by Howie; Nov 23, 2009 at 07:18 PM.
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 78
From: Boston area
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Welcome, really nice car and nice pictures as well.
I am sure you will enjoy your car. Every time you drive you learn something new about the car, a real thrill to drive.
Have fun and be safe
I am sure you will enjoy your car. Every time you drive you learn something new about the car, a real thrill to drive.
Have fun and be safe
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 574
From: Oakville
Rep Power: 48
Looks great, i always love that color, the more i see it the more i think this will be my next color choice
On a seperate note, i can never get used to the seeing a right side drive car, especially a 911, but those with right drive must think the left side drive looks weird as well
w
On a seperate note, i can never get used to the seeing a right side drive car, especially a 911, but those with right drive must think the left side drive looks weird as well
w
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Registered User
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 230
From: Melbourne, Australia
Rep Power: 30
G'day Howie!! Nice to see another 997 owner down under. There are a few of us on the forum - mostly in Sydney from what I can tell.
Nice car as well. You'll really enjoy it for sure. The bumpy OZ roads can be a little unkind to them but looking at your spec it looks like you don't have PASM which I reckon from personal experience is better here.
The wheel is on the "right" and not the "wrong" side!!
Nice car as well. You'll really enjoy it for sure. The bumpy OZ roads can be a little unkind to them but looking at your spec it looks like you don't have PASM which I reckon from personal experience is better here.
The wheel is on the "right" and not the "wrong" side!!
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Registered User
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 154
From: Sydney, Australia
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So far I'm finding the ride quality GREAT! It doesn't jar or crash over bumps. It feels more like a controlled thud. The only problem would probably be the tyre roar from those 295 treads! It's almost as loud as my Type R with Toyo R888 road semi-slicks. When I took it up to the Hunter Valley region for the weekend it was almost deafening on the coarse stuff, I had to double the volume on the stereo.
I read in Wheels magazine in the "911 around Australia" article they used ear-muffs.
I read in Wheels magazine in the "911 around Australia" article they used ear-muffs.
