Hey everyone,

I am new to the forum - my name is Tim, I am 23 and live in South Africa. I currently have a 2005 BMW M3, but after much deliberation, I have decided that it is time to get into something new. My choice is between a 2007/08 BMW M6 and a Carrera 997.

The market for Porsches, or any exotic for that matter, is far more stable where I live due to limited supply, hence my decision to pay a premium over the BMW M6 to get into a Porsche instead as the 997 will hold its value for 2 years. That being said, my choice is down between a manual 997 Carrera or Carrera 2S Coupe. There is 1 interesting 2006 Carrera and 1 x 2006 Carrera 2S that fall into my price bracket. The 2S is speed yellow and a tiptronic with 16 000 km without NAV - I am not a fan of the tip and the colour, however it is a good price. The std Carrera has 10 000 km on the clock and silver in colour with NAV at the same price as the 2S. Another option is to wait and look for a better priced Carrera 2S in the spec & colour combo I want (black/black, manual, Bose, NAV, Sports Crono).

What makes this decision a bit harder is that I would "need" to invest some $ into the std Carrera for me to be happy with it . I love cars and power so if you went for a std Carrera, I would need to up the power. I would look into adding the following:

- 19" Lobster style "S" wheels + spacers
- lowered springs
- xenon head lights
- Aftermarket exhaust + cat-less pipes
- ECU tuning

The power differential between both cars is 22 kw - could I get that power out of some mods to create that 2S power & acceleration? Any other suggestions to achieve this objective?

I need your help to decide - could you list the differences between a std Carrera and a Carrera 2S? (I tried searching, but no result)

Should I go for the Carrera and mod it, or wait for a 2S?

I would appreciate any insight any of you give to make this decision easier - thanks in advance

Tim

 

Carrera S will have more power among other things (bigger brakes?). I would definitely hold out for an S that has a better color and transmission if you're hellbent on getting a 911. It will eventually pop up.

To me, it seems like a waste of time and money trying to make a standard Carrera into an S.

 

From what I understand most mods to a 911 will not equal a 911 S unless you spend a lot of money. My suggestion is to wait for the 911 S. Besides you would be able to get lobster 19's, bigger brakes, lower stance, and ofcourse more power. Definitely try to get sport chrono if you can. I too came from an E46 M3 and the driving experience is sig better, handling is tighter, car (stock for stock) is faster, etc. You'll love it. Good luck. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of modding to be done to this NA engine. Go for an older turbo 996 or 997 if you want the great power.......

 

Seems like you have a lot more studying and thinking to do if there is any ambiguity between a manual and a tip. That difference, more than anything else you've cited renders these two cars much much different animals.
I would also mention that adding significant power to a na Porsche is pretty limited. Perhaps 10%-12% as the maximum upside (short of adding a SC) but you should not have unreasonable expectations that you can change the fundamental nature of the cars power output.
GL

 

I would wait. This quick synopsis highlights the differences. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_911

Be sure you get the car that you want most in the color and with options you can enjoy . Do not get the Tip if you want the manual . Do not get the base 997 if having 30 more Hp suits your taste .

 

It'll probably cost you more to upgrade the standard Carrera than to get into a properly equipped C2S right off the bat. IMHO, you should definitely wait for the right car even it takes a little more time and $$$. And if you want a Tip, you might as well just go with the M6

 

I agree with the others. Take the C2S or wait for another. You can get the base car and spend $10,000 US on it and it still won't be the C2S that you really want. Then you'll get a C2S in 6 months or a year, lose the $10,000 and then wonder why you didn't just get what you wanted in the first place. Alternatively, you could get a base 997 and simply enjoy it for what it is - a fantastic car that you will probably never use to it's full potential. Just look at the performance figures for a 997 vs. 997S - not much difference at all.

So, if you want to create something interesting and unique, think about a 997, de-badge, put on some other wheels (unique, not just lobsters to make it try to look like an S), modify the exhaust for a wonderful deep growl, and enjoy. These cars don't need xenons, my 2007 GT3 had halogens and they were fine.

 

Hold out for the "S", you'll be glad you did. Sport chrono is a must. Full leather sport seats and manual trans are also a must for me.

Good luck!

 

Hey Tim,

If this is your first Porsche 911, then I will suggest the manual base 911 will satisfy you for a few years.

As good as the 997S is, you will not feel the 0.2 second difference from 0 to 60.

My club coupe has X51 package. I had a 997S before it. I could not feel any acceleration difference in city driving, but only at the track during the long straight.

Good luck with your search.

 

When I bought my 997.2 I had was deciding between the C2 and C2S. I liked the C2S as it had more goodies and was more 'suited' to my personality. But the asking $ was a lot more and I couldn't justify the money. A base 997.2 C2 still ticked all my boxes and 2 months down the track I have no regrets.

If you can, take both for a test drive and see if the C2S is worth the extra dollars.

 

Not sure why you want to add all these extras in your first Porsche before you have it, but if this is the case, look for it in the one that you are buying, instead of paying full retail you benefit from the depreciation from the previous owner.
But if 19" wheels and Xenon are a must, go for the S, it is impossible or stupid pricy to get these standard S features as an aftermarket (Xenons are about $4000)
Lowered Springs: not sure why unless you do a lot of tracking, but standard springs on the 911 (even the non-S) beat both the M3 and M6 hands down on the track
Exhaust: accoustic Viagra, but little power gain
ECU: easy enough to do, but will not make an S out of the standard.

I think you have two routes to go:

• if the yellow S is really such a bargain price, buy it, drive it for a year and sell it for a 'regular' price and you have had very little depreciation and a terrific car that tells you exactly what you want to have in your 'perfect' future Porsche
• Come up with a list of your perfect car, i.e. color, options, aftermarket stuff and start looking with a lot of time and patience - it might take you six months to find the right car and cost you, but you have then exactly what you wanted.

 

First off, happy new years!

Secondly, thanks for all your insight everyone! It really is much appreciated and I value your opinions. I went to Porsche 2 days ago to test drive both cars to make this decision a bit easier - I have decided to hold out and look for a C2S as I was very impressed with the car. I think, just like some of your comments, that it will be the right decision to make in the long run as it will most likely be an "easier" sell down the line. I may get lucky, as there is an incoming trade for the exact spec'd S I am looking for next week - just a matter of price, so will see what happens

Thanks again everyone - I am looking forward to joining the 997 family shortly!

Tim

 

This might help: Difference 997S vs non S:
·Engine, Brakes, Suspension different
·PASM standard on S
·Bi-Xenon standard on S
·19" & wider wheels/tires (rear) standard on S
·S rides about 1/2" lower
·S is about 55# heavier, gets 1 mpg less
·different steering wheel, different instrument dials and dashboard trim
·different exhaust tips,
·S is .2 to .3 sec quicker in straight line 0 - 60 mph
·Standard will ride a little bit smoother on the 18" wheels and withstand pot holes a bit better.