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Is this a quote from Stevie Wonder?
I have yet to speak to any Porsche enthusiasts that don't find the 997 an aesthetic improvement over the 996, inside and out. Although at least the 996 C4 had a better looking back end than the 996 C2.
But hey, it's all subjective.
Any info anyone has out there would be much appreciated. Thanks.
I've seen it speculated that, if the Cayman S gets a bump in power, the 911's will follow. But heck, the Cayman has only been out for a couple of months and Porsche is supposedly bringing out a non-S Cayman next in that line.
I also understand from a friend who has a 2001 911TT that the new Turbo is going to have an option tied to the sport chrono package that increases the horsepower from 460 +/- to 520+/-. I think that car will be getting all of the attention from the power hungry crowd and the 911 and 911S will continue along in their current format.
His recommendation was simple: Under 4,500 RPM and no cruise control (vary speed) for the first 1,500 miles, and, most importantly, don't turn the key on unless you are going to dive the car for at least 20 minutes to allow all components - not just the radiator water temp - reach full operating temperature. You have two temperature guages - the oil temperature takes a lot longer to heat up and that is the one you want to be checking during break in.
Speaking of glossy UK magazines, I saw 911,"nothing else matters", for the first time and was impressed.
Incidentally, Habitat1, I came across an old post of yours re: the E Class Diesel which made a lot of sense: while the engine may last forever, the electronics will kill any savings over the long run.
I am thinking of adding the following options:
Full Leather
Sport Exhaust
Extended Nav
Power seats
Bose Hi end sound
Module for cell phone
Sport Chrono
3 spoke multi-function steering wheel
CD changer
Tire Monitoring Pressure System
Park Assist
Heated Seats
19 in Carerra Classic Wheels
self dimming mirrors
porsche crests in headrest
Handset for cell phone
Wheel caps
Floor mats
Options I am not sure about are the power seats (still thinking about adaptive sports seats instead) , park assist (don't know if I will need this, but am thinkin it could pay for itself if there is one scrape backing up), TMPS ( I have seen posts here that it may not be reliable), sport exhaust (it does not add to performance and there is no way to disengage it if driving in sport mode, the stock sound of the S is pretty good without it), and telephone hand set (may not want it if it is not removable. )
The colors I am thinking about are Seal Grey with stone grey interior and black top, Atlas Grey with Stone Grey interior and Black top). I also like the GT Silver with Black interior and black top or cocoa interior with cocoa top.
If anyone can offer their thoughts on these options, I would appreciate it.
Thanks
As for the sport exhaust, it would be nice if there was a way to separately engage it. I would like to be able to utilize the sport setting on the sport chrono for the faster throttle response, without waking up the neighbors. As it is, sport chrono "on" means sport exhaust is "on".
2. It escapes me why anyone would pay to have a commercial put on their headrest . . . but it's your $$.
3. Don't forget arbitrage theory . . . you seem to think that you're "getting away with it" in your depreciation avoidance strategy. I'm not sure it's that simple. And, while you are waiting, many of us will be enjoying our C4s all summer long . . .
Best of luck!
And, maybe I am a "dream customer" for Porsche. But it is really more not wanted to settle for something that is not everything that I want. I really like the CS4 and want to get a loaded car. I plan to keep the car for a long time. It is my "dream car". I don't see a few hundred dollars for Porsche crests in the headrest being a big deal. I do mind paying an extra $5,000 for depreciation for a few months of use. If a dealer had a 2006 C4S on the lot with the options I want, I might go ahead and buy it. But they are not available the way I want. I am not interested in Carbon fiber or lots of extra aluminum. I also do not want a stipped down car. I could have gotten a pretty loaded 2006 C4S for $8,000 under MSRP but the car did not have the sports chrono option which I wanted. Some options if not gotten at the factory are difficult and much more expensive to add later.
My dealer said that If I placed my order now, I would get the car sometime in June. If I wait and place my order in July, the dealer said I should have the car by September. Two to three months fly by quickly and I do not mind waiting for a 2007 equiped the way I want it.
One of the things that Porsche provides its customers is the ability to configure their car the way they want. I am not aware of any other car company that lets a customer select any exterior color paint to match.
You suggested getting a Turbo instead of a fully loaded C4S. While I would not mind having a Turbo, many of the options I want would still be extra $. So I think a Turbo would cost me $30M more than I am spending. It sounds like some options on the C4S may come standard on the Turbo, like a leather interior, but I would imagine many of the other options are extra $. I saw the photos of the new Turbo on Porsche's website today, and it is a beautiful car. But I am not prepared to shell out $150M +, so I will stick with the C4S Cab.
Sport Exhaust: Again, because it's tied to the sport chrono on my car, it's impossible to tell if the sport exhaust adds any power/performance. I would not be surprised if it really does add 10+/- hp. One thing is for sure, the $920 sports chrono is a MUST HAVE option. The increased throttle response is dramatic and, even though Porsche claims no added horsepower or performance, that's really hard to believe. It certainly makes spirited driving more enjoyable. I would never buy any Porsche without S/C, even if they doubled the cost.
Performance Package: At $17k, that seems like money that would be better spent towards just getting a turbo.
C2 vs. C4: You didn't ask, but I'll volunteer that, when I reconsidered this decision for the 2006, my sales manager (former racing team member) pointed out that, notwithstanding Porsche's published performance figures (which do not show much/any "penalty" for the 4), in actuality the C2 is as quick as the C4S and the C2S is as quick as the C4S w/X51. As he explained, it's not just the added weight of AWD, it's that the C2 drivetrain is more direct and efficient in getting HP to the wheels. He wasn't trying to discourage me from the C4S, he just wanted to forewarn me of the perceived power difference since I was coming out of a C2S. He also pointed out that with the PSM of the 997, you have to really push the car to the edge to get a transfer of power to the front wheels (unlike the 993 and previous). I figured that I wouldn't be driving much in rain or snow, so opted to stick with the C2S. But I wouldn't kick a C4S out of my garage.
2007 vs. 2006. Clearly, you are better off with a later model year on resale. But how much depends on what you pay. I'd expect another 2-3% price increase. If your dealer is discounting a 2007 order the same as a 2006, I'd go for the 2007, price increase notwithstanding. But if you can save another 3-5% by going with a 2006, the economics become a wash or even in favor of the 2006.
The park assist will leave unsightly bullets at the front and back of your car. The car is small enough to park in tight spaces, and I tend to park my car in the back 40 acres on any parking lot. I have silver with full natural leather,(baseball glove color). Love it! I do like the Cocoa however. At the Detroit Autoshow, I really liked the Black leather dash with Terracotta thread, and a lower dash in terracotta. The doors were two tone to match the dash, very cool! I bet the sport exhaust is nice, however the S exhaust lets out a great note while in Sport Mode, sounds like an F1 under bridge at high RPM.
C4SLover thinks that the difference between a new '07 and a used '06 911 will be $5000 plus a two month opportunity cost. I don't think so. Sure, maybe for one magical day in August, that might be the case. But at the midpoint of the model year, say in March '07, clearly there will be a bigger gap between an '06 and an '07. I think that the gap will be much more than 5K plus a potential 2-3% price increase. Afterall, the depreciation curve on a 911 has got to be similar to other vehicles in its class: steep and downward sloping. (As a side point, the car as now envisioned, may drop like a rock with all those hard to residualize options.) The real world gap in September between an '06 and an '07 has got to be 15K without considering all of the options that C4SLover is going to hang on. Before anyone snorts that 15K is chicken feed and not too much to pay to have a Porsche in early summer, let me suggest that if you had put 15K into an emerging market bond fund last year you would have 30K today.
All in all, at this late point in the year, C4SLover should buy an '07.
Allow me one comment on options . The list seems overdone. Why for example, TWO options related to cell phones? Don't most people just stick the damn thing in their jeans or shirt pocket when they go for a ride? Or if they are upscale they buy a nice, leather (not plastic) holster from Orvis?
It is March 2006. I have a 2005 C2S with 5,500 miles bought in September 2005. The 2006's were just arriving when I purchased it off the showroom floor. According to my dealer, it is worth approximately $5,000 less in trade in value than an identical 2006 model would be (i.e. also 6 months old, 5,500 miles). So, yes, the model year makes a difference. But so does mileage and time in use. And the moment you drive any car off the lot and it becomes a used car, you take a 10%+ hit, regardless of which model year.
The actual difference in what I paid for my 2005 vs. the best deal I could have gotten on an identical 2006 was about $8,000, reflecting a much bigger discount and the 2.8% price increase. I would have saved a couple of thousand on options that I wouldn't have ordered, but that would have reduced resale a bit as well. Overall, it's damn close to a wash.
If you chekc Edmunds or NADA, you won't find anywhere near a $15k difference between successive model years of any 911, with the possible exception of 2004 to 2005 when it went from the 996 to the 997.
My dealer thought I should be able to sell my 2005 w/ 5,000 miles for about 13-15% under it's original MSRP (not the current/increased 2006 MSRP), and thought that would be a "fair" price for both parties. He thought I should be able to get on the lower 13% side of that range, since it is only 6 months old and has 3.5 years left on the factory warranty. A one and a half year old 2005 would probably go for more like a 20%-25% discount with correspondingly more miles (15k). However, there are no 1.5 year old 997 Cabs, since they didn't come out until last spring.
Obviously, the more non-standard options the car has, the greater the discount. In my case, even though the car had $12k in options, most are considered reasonably desireable. He considers the basics: power seats, Bose/CD changer, Xenons, heated seats (cabs). Navigation and sport/chrono are starting to become standard as well. Sport exhaust, full leather interior are not and, in some cases, custom paint and interior to match actually reduce resale.
Because the Porsche option list is so long, it's tough to give a single fair price for a used 2005/2006 C2 base coupe. Even Edmunds is limited, in that they don't list the Porsche options. That's why my dealer suggested using the original MSRP and discounting from there.
Good luck. I still know of a 2005 seal grey cab S looking for a good home in 4 weeks to make way for a 2006 Speed Yellow one
Thank you for any helpful replies regarding buying a new 911 since this would be my first.
In my view, a car ISN'T an investment--and while it may be important to analyze it financially with bond math, ultimately it is a gut decision: "will I enjoy this--and do I want it now?"
-BS
I am looking at a price of $101,600.00 I was hoping to get 5%-6% off that price...Is that reasonable, OR, should I be asking for more?
Thanks for your help.
I have driven my 911 Cab 150+ miles on the highway at 75+ and it's quite comfortable, but obviously there is a fair amount of wind noise. I did NOT use the windscreen that comes with the car - it fit's over the back seats (folded) and runs up the back of the front seats. Supposedly, this reduces wind noise, but limits your use of the rear are for storage.
My kids have endured about 70 miles in the rear seats at 65+ mph with no ill effects. I need to remind them to wear a sweatshirt and their "Porsche" caps, even if it's 70+ degrees out.
bpm69,
Repainting a nearly brand new Porsche??? :surprise:
I like Speed Yellow, but not that much. The paint finish that comes from the Porsche factory is about the best in the world. I took my car into a highly recommended body shop to have a scrape in one of the rear wheels removed. I jokingly asked how much to go to Speed Yellow. About $8,000. And they would not claim to be able to replicate the factory finish process, but could get as close as humanly possible.
cayenneslook,
Not sure where you are from, but getting 5-6% off a new C4 Cab would be a heck of a deal in the DC area. Unless it's an odd color and been sitting for awhile. If you are a first time buyer, ordering a car like that heading into convertible season, I would be surprised if the DC area dealers gave you more than 3-4% off. A year ago, when the Cab 2 S had just come out, they were selling at MSRP to $1,000 off. I went to Baltimore and got a better deal in September on a late arriving 2005 that was loaded.
I just did not know how realistic that pricing is...That is why I wanted to check with other owners.
Thanks
I have a great looking Seal Grey that I'm now on the verge of trading for a Speed Yellow. I would have gone with Speed Yellow last year if I followed my instincts (and daughter's wishes). But I went limp and rationalized that the more conservative Seal Grey would be better for a 911.
The lesson is: get what you like and the hell with other's opinions. (That said, Seal Grey is a little less ubiquitous than silver, and Atlas Grey even less so.)
Thanks for the information...where are you located?
I am hoping to get 5-6% off my car and I am in no rush so I hope that gives me some leverage.
Do Porsche dealers have Internet sales people? I thought that was for other lower end cars?
I plan to use it sparily, probably 8,000 miles per year or so, and would like to keep it 10 plus years.
Can anyone tell me what I might expect to pay per year or in total over the 10 years for maintanence expenses?
Do you think the amount would be appreciably higher than the maintanence expense for say, a Corvette.
From a prior post of yours I thought you also might have a sense as to what the upper limit age range would be for kids in the backseat before they might start pummeling one another senseless due to too cramped quarters?
Also, anyone have a rec for best radar? Someone told me Calibre(sp?) was the top of the line. I'm asking only out of curiosity of course!
My daughters are 8 and 11. The 11 year old is about 4'9" ands sits behind my 5'1" wife. The younger is about 4'2" and sits behind me (5'7"). I would say that they have about another 2-3" of leg room to spare before it would start to become a case of child abuse. If you and/or your wife are much over 6', the rear seats will be tight for anyone in the back for longer trips. This is one of the few instances where being vertically challenged pays off.
-BS
It does get GOD-AWFUL HOT and HUMID in Raleigh. I'm sorry I can't help you other than to say I was torn between the coupe (cleaner lines) and the Cab (more versatile); very happy I got the Cab. I'm sure there will be days even in the mountains when it's just too hot to put the top down. I guess you have to ask yourself how many Spring, Summer (on the not so hot & humid days - there are always cool nights right?), Fall, and even Winter days (I had my top down many Winter afternoons this year - get the heated seats option) will you be able to go topless?
Hope this helps.