Hello all!

I've been lurking for quite a while and decided to sign up. I do not currently own a 911, but I am considering buying one. I've wanted to own a Porsche for as long as I can remember. I'm now finally in a financial position to be able to pick one up.

That being said, I still have many questions about the different configurations of the Porsche models. I've narrowed my search down to the 06-08 997's. I'm undecided if I want a coupe or a cab. I have a 9 month old daughter, so I have to consider her. Although I have read a few threads on here about installing car seats in the 911 so I don't think that will be a problem.

Can anyone tell me what are the exact differences between the base model 911's and the "S" models?

I'm inclined to pick up a manual trans car, but I'm curious about this "PDK" transmission?

What's it like to own a Porsche and drive one on a semi daily basis?

 

Welcome aboard. I am sure with a little searching you can find the answers to many of your questions.

As for driving a 997 on am almost daily basis, well, it always gets me to smile.

 

The main difference b/w cab and coupe is back seat. Cab has much smaller back seat if you are planning to use it. I test drove it 2 weeks ago and I decided to go w/ coupe as I can't stand the looks of it when top is up. This is just my personal opinion. If you are planning to get older model, you must get S if you can afford it. S has higher HP. I think 355HP still isn't enough for my speed addiction but should be good enough for first time Porsche owner. PDK is for people who can't drive manual or people who doesn't feel comfortable shifting. If the acceleration matter more than fun of driving, get PDK as it will shift faster than you can shift yourself. PDK has 7-speed and manual has 6. PDK is best automatic that is out there....but make sure you get paddle shift as option. PDK is only available in 09 and up. It's prob out of your price range if you are looking at 06-08 S. 09 is still very expensive. Once you go Porsche you will never think about other sports car the same way.

 

Welcome.

For the coupes:

MSRP - +$12900
Top Track Speed - 186mph vs. 178 mph
0-60 (PDK, no SC) - 4.3s vs. 4.5s
Displacement - 3.8L vs. 3.6L
HP - 385hp vs. 345hp
Torque - 310lb-ft vs. 288 lb-ft
Bi-Xenon Headlights standard
Curb Weight - 3219lbs vs. 3164lbs
Fuel Consumption (PDK) - 19/26mpg vs. 19/27mpg
Drag Coefficient - 0.30 vs. 0.29
Twin dual tailpipes vs. dual exhaust
Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), with 1cm lowered ride height, standard
19" Carrera S II wheels vs. 18" Carrera IV wheels
Brakes - S has "four-piston aluminium monobloc calipers that are larger, reinforced and have a striking red painted finish. The front axle has larger brake pads and thicker brake discs"

PDK is a dual-clutch manual transmission with an optional automatic mode. The PDK can perform a shift change in less than half the time of a manual gearbox. It does so with almost no power loss. Adding PDK will decrease the 0-60 on a C2S by 0.2 secs. Adding the SC package and launch control will decrease the 0-60 an additional 0.2 secs on top of that (4.1 vs. 4.5 secs). PDK eliminates the need for manual rev matching, and it almost eliminates the chance of human error causing engine damage (overrev) or a less-than-ideal shift. Many people will trade all of these things for the more traditional and "fun/engaging" manual gearbox.

 

It's tough or perhaps impossible to install an infant car seat in the back seat of a 911 cab.

PDK is only available in the 997.2 series starting with MY 2009.

 

Many people will trade all of these things for the more traditional and "fun/engaging" manual gearbox.[/QUOTE]


Very well said. If you care about going the fastest, the PDK has no equal. If you want to drive a sports car just like you dreamed of rowing through the gears as a kid, then a manual has no equal. If it is not a manual, then I refuse to call it one. I guess in theory a minivan technically is a manual (2-3-4-D) if you want it to be.

 

welcome.....

when u r ready got 2 Hoehn......

 

When I was comparing the cab and coupe, I didn't notice that much difference between the back seat of the two. It's tight in both, though we can get our 9 yo daughter back there for local trips. Also, having the top down in the cab makes it easier to get in and out of the back seat.

If I'm not mistaken, the 991 will have more space in the back?

 

blissful.

btw, get the faster carrera S with manual tranny since no pdk til 09..and tiptronic is not so great (IMO).

BOL

 

Consider an 09. That gets you DFI, an HP jump, and an updated exterior...and also the option of PDK if this is something you want.

 

Wow! Fantastic advice thankyou to everyone. I'm currently driving a manual trans 2010 Camaro SS so I'm pretty sure I'm going to skip the tiptronic/PDK and go with a manual. I feel like rowing through the gears is so much more of an engaging driving experience. I don't need .2 seconds faster to 60 since I'm not a racer. I think I will go with a Carrera S instead of a base model. Sounds a lot more fun!

 

Those are specs of the 997.2, he's interesting in the 997.1. Since you are going with the manual, I'm not going to talk you out of the tiptronic. Base hp is 325 and S model is 355. The S model has Bi-xenons, PASM, and other things standard. Read up, http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/ov...sche&model=911

 

Yeah an 09 997 would be fantastic, but that is a bit more than I'm looking to spend. Of course for the right car, I could probably be persuaded to change my mind.

Luckily for me, I'm pretty sure my wife would NOT disagree with me.

 

As a general suggestion, I'd really encourage you to test drive lots of 911's. Though they all bear a family resemblence, there are many variants when you consider 997.1 vs 997.2, base vs S, manual vs tiptronic vs PDK, RWD vs AWD, etc., and these things do make a significant difference. It's possible to like one 911 much more than another, so there's some trial and error involved in finding the one you like best.

When I took my wife on her first 911 test drive, she hated it: 2008, bright yellow, loud, wide rear due to AWD, and tiptronic. Now we have a new macadamia 911S cab with RWD and manual, and she absolutely loves it.

 

Sound advice for sure. I've never driven a Porsche before, so yea I'd definitely like to test drive a couple before I commit. I'm used to the big v8 in my camaro though. Does anyone have any experience going from a car like the 2010 camaro SS to a Porsche 911? And yea, totally understand those are two cars built for two different purposes. For one thing, there is a 600 lb weight difference between the two. It's interesting that the 911 weighs less than a Corvette!