Nope, you see, issue here is how far you want to go changing car you get. If you intend to keep her stock - get a best stock car manufacturer provides and those are: turbo, then GT3 then C4S then C2S then C2.

Same platform, different options. Only way here is to study what those options are and decide for yourself what combination of them you do want as it all makes sense only if you know what is it you want to do with that car of yours.

Potential of this platform is pretty much limitless. Despite what people may say you can put in and swap anything you want, it is just a matter of money. What to start with - up to you. If you want to keep car stock then to ease up your mind get an C2S. I started with C2 as I intend to end up with GT3 like thing in the end but did not have budget to start from 997 GT3 car plus I do need rear seats. To each his own.

 

ok now i understand what you mean, thankfully to me a base carrera should be enough, but my cousin has an amazing car shop in montreal, can do anything i want, but i will stay away from him, as he tends to convince me i need things

i see c2s around high 40's, not bad.

 

k i shouldn't have made this thread, now i'm actually considering selling my car and either getting a 997 carrera, or an e92 m3.

going nuts here, anyone driven both? for a DD? back seats not too important, my gym bag will go there at most. The dollar is too good too pass up going stateside.

which car would you think would depreciate less, logic says the porsche, in which case i rather get. then i can sell it when done and get a more depreciated m3, then a gtr etc. As you can see i clearly like depreciation, just not when it happens to me

 

When I attended the Porsche Sports Driving School I only had my boxster at the time. When I spoke with some instructors about the S vs Non-S they said go with the base and work on your drivers skills to make up the difference.

For the majority of drivers the base is more than they can handle on the track and more then they need on the street.

 

does anyone know if CPO transfers over from a US car to me living in Canada?

 

this is a great question as i am looking at the same thing. my 07 STI was no slouch. AWD 300hp 300tq quick in the corners and on the straights. for the cost it almost cant be beat. i am still not sure that the non S is as fast as i would like. i drove an 03 non S and wasnt blown away but did really like that car a lot. i hope that 997.1 non S will give me that extra bump i am looking for.

the only people that can really answer this are etheir S owners who had a non S or are in a non S now.

 

But what is it you want to know? Biggest difference you can feel is a throttle response difference between base without sport and 'S' with sport. Just to feel how car goes/starts - Ira Porsche right now I think has both 'S' and base 997.1 used cars - you can probably try them over there. yourself.

I tested both 'S' and base cars and after work done on my car her response and acceleration and power is same as on stock 'S'. 200cell cats and Softronic with sport option makes base car running more than fine.

 

you would think coming from a tuner car and doing a decent amount to my 04 WRX (i left my 07 sti stock) that i would be ok with that. in fact the cost is a huge factor. a really nice TBE for a subaru is maybe $1400 brand spanking new. On a turbo a simple tune with a better exhaust can net you gains of 60 hp and tq (tune will be about 200-300 more). for an NA car and in particular a p-car that just isnt going to happen for under 2k. actually for that 2k you will get sportier sounding mufflers and maybe 10hp at the max, which most people (and i would like to think i am not one of them) would not notice. the gains are to small to bother with and to get to where you want it to be, you end up spending more time and money altering something that in theory should be perfect the way it is, that is why porsche offers so many variants on the same car.

my payment limit is where it is, so an S is mostly out of the question. but if I need to save for another few month because the S is worth it, it gives that extra edge over the competition, is just that much nicer of a car...well then that what ill do. but if some says "well it is a bit faster but i cant really tell, the ride is about the same and i can corner just as hard on a DD basis with the non s, i have had both and trust me you wont notice the difference ever..." that is a totally different story and then i will be fine with the non S

my 04 wrx was good but i will never say it was better than my sti. its just a better car in every way. the performance difference was huge and even on the street as a DD you find a way to corner that one corner really hard or redline it in the one safe straight you knwo about. i dont want the S to be the STI and the non S to be the WRX.

if there is something better to be had i want it. cost does matter and better is subjective when it only 20hp or so.

 

I was considering both and the ///M was at the top of my list. In the end, I found the 997 more fun to drive and I love the mechanical sounds and feedback the 997 provides the driver with. The M was super slick and but there is just something about the iconic nature of the 911 that the BMW can't touch.

 

There is a HUGE difference between an 03 996 and a 997.1. Of course, a 997.2 is another notch from the 997.1, but the jump from the 996 to the 997 is quite significant.

A good friend of mine had a 996 turbo, but he sold it and is considering an "upgrade" to a 997.1 base. Of course, this is all a matter of preference; not everyone would consider that an upgrade.

It seems like a lot of people like to talk about HP, 0-60, etc, and all that is great, but IMO, a 911 is so much more than that. But to go over all the amazing attributes of a 911 is far beyond the scope of this discussion.

And I don't know if I agree with your last comment... I think the only person that can really answer the question of base vs. S is you. And that's what a test drive is for. I test drove both a C2S and a C2 numerous times, and each time was blown away by both. Couldn't really tell the difference, so I went with the C2, 997.1. But then again, there are others on this forum who'll swear that the S is worth every penny.

From what I gather, if you're a pretty advanced driver who frequents the track, an S is where it's at. If you're looking for the car with the fatter stats (regardless of whether you'll push the car to that limit or not), then an S is it. If you're like me (like to drive fast and take corners but I'm not looking to race Danica Patrick anytime in this lifetime), a base 911 is plenty of car.

Key to the decision is the test drive.

 

that is true...in the end you really are the only one who can say if it is worth it or not.

 

lol.. yup.. the only reasons i got the S was for the 'head trip' and the 'S' logo on the back...

back of GT3 or GTR?... either way, might be a fast way to make her an ex-gf..

 

Yup. My point exactly. You're not deciding between a $100 pair of Nikes and a $120 pair of Adidas, right? We're talking 50k... People buy houses for that much in certain parts of the country!

I think that one can get really carried away with this stuff. And before you know it, your budget has gone from 25k to 50k, and you're getting all this stuff you don't even need... While it's ok to hear what other people have to say, you should stay in tune with what your needs/buget are... And decide for yourself if certain things are worth the extra money to you, not the guy with 3 different Porches and a house in Malibu.

With that said, in the used market, the S cars and in much higher demand so the prices are jacked up disproportionately. So the base 997's tend to sit on the lot longer with significant price cuts, and there's more room for negotiation.

 

i like

 

has the car been dead reliable? there is the inherent fear of impending doom with a non warranty car. is it your daily driver?