I went through the striped down 911 vs. fully loaded Cayman S decision tree a few years back and chose the Cayman. But without having the ability to drive both cars back to back right now, it is a tough call. Depreciation on both platforms is probably about the same, but the point that extra options add little to the resale value is valid as well. From a purely financial perspective you may have been a little better off with the bare bones 991. But I think both are really exciting cars, and you are going to be happy either way.
I have sport crono w/ PDK and love it. If you are getting PDK then you need sport crono, otherwise you just need to make you own decision on the MT vs. PDK debate.

Keep us posted on the new ride it sounds like it will be a blast!

 

I would dump the PTV , full leather, 20 inch wheels and PASM, but keep the Sports Chrono if you are getting the PDK. If you dump the Sports Chrono i would dump the PDK as well. If you get 19 inch wheels you will not need PASM and tire are less expensive and last longer. I would also stick with the 981 vs 991.

dave-t

 

Full leather and the 20's are not going. Full leather "makes" the interior of the car. It's the part of the car that you see and touch everyday and, IMO is worth every penny. I had the plain interior on my 997 and regretted not springing for full leather every time I drove it. The 20s are purely cosmetic but 19s on these new models look too small and the wheel designs, in typical Porsche fashion, leave much to be desired.

 

Here is what I think I am going with:

Racing Yellow/Black Roof
Sport Plus Seats
Full Leather Interior
Infotainment Pkg
Convenience Pkg
PDK
20" Carrera S wheels in Platinum gray matte finish
PASM
Sport Chrono
Smoking Pkg
Embossed headrest crests
Sport Design steering wheel with PDK paddles

 

That will be a great build!

I suppose the Infotainment package includes the Bose system? That is a must... (Here in Sweden, they don't offer packages, you select everything from the list)

When do you get delivery on an order placed now? I'm picking up my own 981 in about a month, I'll give you a fresh review when I have it.

 

Thanks - Infotainment includes the navigation module for PCM, Bose, Satellite radio and HD radio. The convenience package includes heated seats, dual climate control and a wind blocker. My dealer has gotten me a June build allocation with delivery in July/early August.

What did you order? I can't wait to hear your review. In the U.S. the first cars are not supposed to show up until June.

 

This is my 981 S build:

Carrara White
Black top
Black interior
20 inch Carerrra S wheels
PDK
PASM
Sport Chrono Package
Wheel caps with color Porsche crest
Sport Plus seats
Automatically dimming mirrors with integrated rain sensor
Deletion of model designation
Wind deflector
Floor mats
Seat heating
2-zone automatic air conditioning
SportDesign steering wheel
Porsche crest embossed on head restraints
BOSE Surround Sound System

The official introduction at the Swedish dealers was this weekend, so I got to see the 981 in the flesh for the first time. Looks wonderful, they have really done a great job with the design. What strikes me is how much more aggressive it looks from the front, the headlight arrangement and wider track makes it look both wider and lower. The entire stance of the car is much more aggressive too, due to the higher rear end. I was also impressed with the interior quality, this is a huge leap forward, now it really looks a high end car.

Seeing the new top also shows a huge improvement. The profile of the car with the top up is much better, that really shows when you see it in real life. I also got the impression that the top is a bit smoother now, the frame is not as visible through the canvas when the top is up.

I ordered my car in Januari, just a few weeks after the press release. My dealer had two cars in their first allocation, I got one of them. The build is next week, then it takes about three weeks until I get it delivered. I can't wait!

 

Nice - White was among my three final choices but I currently have a white M3 and my wife has a white Cayenne so a change was due. Please post some pictures and your impressions once you take delivery. For now, I'll just continue to stare at pictures the the ones attached.

 

After spending some time with a manual base 987 today, I dropped the PDK and went with a manual. The PDK is brilliant and shifts faster than humanly possible but I like the connection that the manual provides. I have DCT in my current M3 and I enjoyed the paddles for the first few months and then found myself driving in automatic cursing the car and its incessant desire to upshift into 7th gear. Plus, as others have noted, this may be the last opportunity to get a manual before Porsche goes the way of other high performance manufacturers and drops the option.