S seems like a pretty good deal and of course if money was not a factor one would go for it.

But the thing for me to consider is if I get the base, I can upgrade in a few years whereas if I go for the S I will probably have to stay with it a couple years longer.

I think the most important thing right now is how is the base carrera with 19" wheels. Is the ride rough?

 

If you get the regular 997 which is still a great car and drive it for a couple of years you will not want an S,, you will want the TT or GT 3 guaranteed.


It would cost you a whole lot of money for 30 HP.

I think the progression is boxster, caymen, 997 or 997S and Turbo.

Its all a conspiracy by Porsche!! sometimes i believe it.


Good luck either way


Don

 

Interesting thought. I almost bought a cayman, but pulled out recently and am not going to opt for the 911. I started thinking of turbo even, but have since backed off that and can settle for a base 911.

Darn porsche website has been a problem for a while now so I cant get my costs/trades together properly, but my thought is either a very basic carrera or a well option S...can be a pretty big difference in price.

 

I may be wrong but I cant imagine many Porsche Buyers went from a new 997 to a new 997 S.

Porsche spends a lot of money on marketing and they have some of the best ads and commercials I have ever seen. I got hooked years ago watching a very well done commercial on the speed channel.

Before getting a loaded 997 think hard about spending the extra $10K and going for the S. I drove an S for maybe 20 minutes and was so much more i mpressed with it then the non S.

I know you can get good deals now on 2007 NA 911s, most dealers have a bunch of them and I would go for 8 to 10% off list (monroney sticker).

Don

 

Replies will be biased based on the overwhelming majority of 997s being S models. I saved the cash and bought a base 997. Only regret is I would like the red painted brakes. Not for stopping power, but just for looks. Can't justify 10k for looks. Calling a 997 based should be banned. There is nothing base about its performance. I wonder if we did some double blind test if drivers could actually tell the difference.

 

I was faced with the same 'dilemma' about 2 months ago when deciding whether to go with a standard Carrera Cab or a Carrera S Coupe. Both in the same price ranges - but performance became the deciding factor for me. Was still unsure of my choice until I drove my business partner's Carrera Cab. I definitely noticed a difference performance wise between the 2. Granted, it's nice to put the top down and cruise around, but being a performance junky, it wasn't as important. Turns out, like many, I've already started doing performance upgrades to the S to make it even quicker. Definitely wouldn't want to have to start modding the 3.6 just to get it up to the 3.8 level of power.

Next one is going to have be a TT...

 

I have a Carrera with 19" Turbo wheels and I am very happy with the ride. It is much better than I was expecting, actually it's better than my 04 996 was with 18's. I live in the midwest where the roads are terrible and I can't get over how nice the ride is, go for it you will not be dissapointed.

 

True, Wbelinz, as someone who has progressed from a 98 Boxster to a 00 996 C4 Cab to now a 07 997 C4 (non-s) I feel that this is more car than I need. I just finished a track day last week feeling like the biggest wuss on the planet, I just can't trust the car to it's limits which are far beyond my ***** will allow!
:-)
That being said the 3.8 and S on the decklid do get my imagination going, but I figure I have a small step up to the S in a couple of years before I inevitably move to the Turbo.... "PORSCHE... Resistance is futile..."

 

Drive them all and then decide. I went in looking for a 997 or 997S and left with a C4. The widebody was far more irresistible to me than the extra 30hp. Buy what YOU like. Good luck. I can promise you that whatever you decide, you'll be happy. These are awesome machines.

 

Why not just get a used turbo 996 instead?

 

good point.. i missed the low end torque on the TT

 

Easy solution for that - caliper epoxy paint kit.

 

I have a non-s 997 and I'm very happy with it, 30 more hp just is not that much more. also I didn't want 19" wheels, pasm, ect. now 325 hp to 480 hp plus 460 torque now you can FEEL that. 30 hp------ what ever . my next step is 997 TT mike

 

Facing this same decision right now. Originally was going w/ a new Cayman S when they were being drastically discounted. Actually IMO the Cayman is a bit more playfully fun than the 997S or 997.

I just wish they made a Cayman RS...

The wifey made a good point though... she reminded me that if I went with a Cayman I'd always have a tinge of regret for not getting a C2S.

Since it'll only see a couple three track days a year at most I would rather rock the C2S.

After driving all three p-cars the regular C2 felt a bit weak and looked kind of 4x4ish.

Wiring the money for an CPO '05 launch C2S tomorrow.

Black/black full leather, PCCBs, Bose, Sport Chrono, Adaptive Sport Seats, PSE, PASM, Nav, etc... I'm excited!

This should tide me over until I can afford what I *really* want - a 997 GT3

 

It's not just the HP. Remember, the S is not just a tuned version of the 3.6. It's a 3.8. That means a lot more torque. (20lb-ft to be exact...now that is real and you CAN feel it)


I'm sure a Carrera is awesome, just an S is how a 911 should be, since it is far overdue for a power upgrade



Anyways, 325hp is no joke either. If you drive the S and feel it doesn't warrant $10k, don't get it. If you think you're an HP junkie who will become tired of the 3.6 and need more power, then don't make the same mistake I made (2.7l 987 over 3.2l 987) and just dish out the extra cash from the beginning.