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A Porsche will float by the way....
I'm interested in a 997 S Convertible. Two local dealers I've tried so far have said "take a number", meaning Novermber - December 2005 at the earliest. Also, expect to pay full MSRP ($100k +/- for the S convertible).
Waht is the situation up your way? Any other comments / suggestions? The wait on a base, non-S convertible might be a bit shorter, but they are still indicating at or near MSRP.
I was offered a new 2004 996 convertible that stickers for $93k (Including hardtop) for $82k. But even with the savings on the 996, I think I'd rather have the 997.
Good luck.
Porsche engines are really hard to blow up. You have to want this to happen.
Regarding the wheels, the 19" wheels are completely superfluous for the street, and in fact will compromise ride somewhat. On the track, they will offer a slight advantage, but without a sport suspension setup you won't be able to explore the car's absolute limits. 19" wheels look good imo, but that's a separate issue.
Since you're looking at a cab, anyway, I suggest you'll be happier with a base 997 cab with 18" wheels, as it's plenty fast and offers a little more comfort. Cabs are meant more for fun than for lap times, anyway.
Another wheels question: a friend who has moved to CA has offered me his set of 17" Turbo wheels with snow tires--will they fit on the 997?
Go with 18".. Chances are, the car will handle worse with 19", as they are probably heavier..
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Chassis - Very supple ride, far more than I expected, but in "Normal" mode the car pitched and bobbed and generally felt unsettled. Hit the PASM button for "Sport" mode and the car settled down a lot and still had a supple ride, so I guarantee I'd never have it in "Normal." ...but could it have been even more buttoned down? Yes. So I need to drive one with the -20mm sport suspension...I probably could handle the extra firmness (the 997 suspension seems sophisticated in terms of handling road imperfections) to be more planted to the road.
Acceleration - 1st gear was too short for my liking. Nail the car in second at 3K RPM and it flies. Very fast as it gets rolling. I wish the car were a little sharper in throttle response, so the Chrono would be a must for me.
NVH - This car is a tank, no creaks or rattles of any kind, low road noise, no wind noise, great-sounding engine. ...but at idle, it rumbles and pulses up-and-down like a 60s muscle car. For an 80K German car, I didn't like that AT ALL. I felt sort of silly bouncing up and down, actually....It might even give me motion sickness on a long trip. Not sure, although at speed I didn't notice the rumble at all.
Transmission - Easy, sharp. Thought the throws could be even a little shorter. Think I'd add a sport shifter.
Interior comfort - Excellent. Standard seat was very supportive, great visibility and room for a sports car.
Having to add a "sport suspension" and "sport shifter," etc. to a $69k sports car sort of gets to me, though. Add all-wheel-drive and I'm sure I'd have a sticker north of $90k. So I drove a BMW 330ci coupe next, for comparison, and needless to say, the fun-per-dollar was off the charts in favor of the Bimmer. And there was no rumble. I thought the BMW ran out of steam too early, so there's clearly a power difference. Hmmm...need to drive an M3 coupe and Boxster S next.....
Hope ppl find my test drive helpful.
These are the 4 options I am looking at right now:
Option 1 Same size tire all around 225 40 18.
Option 2 Same size tire all around 205 50 17.
Option 3 Smaller tires in the front and bigger tires in the back
225 40 18 in the front
255 35 18 in the back.
Option 4 Smaller tires in the front and bigger tires in the back
205 50 17 in the front
255 40 17 in the back
Are 18's too big for the 944 and is it better going with the same size tire all around the car or smaller tires in the front and bigger tires in the back?
Also I am looking at low profile Yokohama or Kuhmo tires at the moment. Not sure which brand of wheels I will buy yet still looking.
Thanks for any advice in advance
ClaireS
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1) I don't think 18" wheels will look natural on the car.. I think you'd have to lower it, to make it look right, and then you might really have clearance issues..
2) My first inclination is to recommend 16".. That is what I had on my '84 911. Although, you would be spending a lot of money for not much of a change.
3) I wouldn't stagger, unless you have to.. On my 911, you had to, as the fronts couldn't handle the larger widths.. I don't think that will be the case with your 944.
4) I wouldn't go any bigger than 17". If they fit, I'd put 225/45-17 on either 17 X 7.5 or 17 X 8 wheels (17 X 8 if they fit). If that turns out to be too wide, then the 205/50-17 on 17 X 7 wheels should be okay. Both sizes preserve the stock tire diameter.
There are a lot of good choices for tires in those two 17" sizes...
One warning.. Even though the tire will be the same height, the shorter sidewall and bigger wheel will give the illusion of a bigger gap between the tire and fender.. BMW owners that go with a bigger wheel usually end up lowering their cars to counteract this illusion.
regards,
kyfdx
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kyfdx you mentioned 225 45 17 or 205 50 17. I think what you suggested and what I was thinking about going with in terms of the 17's are in the same ballpark. Do you think the same size all the way around is better or smaller tires in the front and bigger in the back? Also your thoughts on the Yokohama and Kuhmo tires.
Thanks
225/45-17 is a wider, more aggressive size.. If they fit, they will look better than the 205/50-17.. This is from the front or behind... You can't tell any difference between the two from the side..
If you do decide to stagger, the 255/40-17 is a good choice for the rear, but you'll need to run 9" wheels back there..
My choices, in order of preference:
1) 225/45-17 all the way around, assuming they fit upfront
2) 205/50-17 all around, if the 225/45-17 don't fit upfront.
3) 205/50-17 upfront, 255/40-17 in rear, if you want to stagger.
Caveats: The base 944 doesn't have a lot of power/torque.. You'll really need to look for some lightweight wheels, because these are all heavier tires than you have now, and if you add 7-10 lbs. per corner, you will notice a loss of off-the-line acceleration.. Also, make sure your suspension/shocks are up to the task.
Kumho and Yokohama make good tires in their price range.. I think that is where I would be shopping for a 20-year-old car.. If price is no object, then Pirelli, Bridgestone, Michelin, etc.. might be a little better.
regards,
kyfdx
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I am going to go to one of the local shops and look at the TSW Montage wheels. They have the hyper silver on display but they don't have the chrome on display. I will go with either the hyper silver or chrome, whichever I think will look the best on a Porsche 944. I will look at the kumho ecsta 712 tire as well while I am there. Right now I am leaning toward going with the 18's. Most people think they will fit but if there is a fitting problem I will go with the 17's.
Whatever I do will be in the next 2 weeks. I will keep you posted and if there is any way to show you pics online I will let you check it out once I buy the wheels and tires.
Thanks for your input!
P.S. The Porsche dealership I visited this afternoon has taken back a 2005 911 Convertible with under 500 miles for a pinhole leak in one of the engine gaskets. The purchaser is getting a brand new car and the entire engine is being replaced on the original. That indicates to me that your request for a refund/credit, under the circumstances, is not unreasonable.
Has anyone else had this problem, if so what can be done?
I've also found an incoming seal grey 2005 911 Cabriolet that stickers for $89k that the dealer is willing to "work with me" on the price.
What is realistic to shoot for on a discount on a new 2005 911 Cabriolet?? Consider that I could order a 2006 for delivery in October, at $1-2k under MSRP.
Also, if I were to order a 2006 model, the 911 S appears to be a relatively better deal. When you equip both cars similarly and compare apples to apples, the 3.6 to 3.8 liter engine upgrade is only about $6k, (under 8%). The Boxster S carries closer to a $10k premium (almost 10%) over the base Boxster. I am sure the performance of the base 911 is very adequate, but would the "S" be a better investment, in the event I elect to trade or sell it in a few years?
Any comments/opinions on the pros and cons of the 911 vs the Boxster S would be appreciated, as well. I certainly like the fact that the 911 can carry my two kids in the back seat, although that's also where my golf clubs would need to go.
Thanks in advance for any feedback.
911 S Cab--fantastic blow you away car.
I bought my 2005 911 S Cab about one month ago (Midnight Blue/Sand Beige, no options except Bose sound upgrade, Navigation, heated seats, metallic paint) and I have not stopped wondering in amazement how I got hold of this beast. I think that there is nowhere else to go in terms of the absolute best convertible that you can buy (if money is no object--we are talking at least 93-95K without tax). Sure, there are Ferraris, Lambos, etc, but consider that with a 911 S Cab you have a near supercar that you can drive to work, lug the kids around in, and (yes) store you golf clubs in in rear seat. I have done all three with my 911.
At the same time you can take it out by yourself at 10-11 at night after the kids are asleep on a warm summer night, drop the top, put in a MP3 disk of your favorite tracks (yes, after late April builds the CD player plays MP3 disks, 120 tracks per disk, and the Bose package to my surprise sounds excellent with the top down), and find your local twisty road with noone on it. With the rear engine behind you spooling up in second and third gear, and with the near perfect balance engineered into this car, you feel like you are a rally driver in the German Black Forest. Sounds ridiculous--but true.
Alternatively, keep the top up. Find your local stretch of smooth highway. Put the PASM (Porsche Active Stability Management--basically an adjustable suspension, among other things) into sport (firmer) mode. Without noticing it, in 5th and 6th gear you are going near triple digits feeling like you are at 55 mph. You think (if you have never been there before)--"this is what the Autobahn must be like!" Sounds ridiculous--but true.
The Boxster S is a great car, and does much of what I have described above. But if I had the choice (I did) I would choose the 911 S Cab. Why? It's hard to put my finger on, but I guess it is because the 911 is the distillation of everything Porsche has been trying to do for the past 40 years. They have had 40 years to get this right--and in this car, they do. Engine sound, shifter feel and placement, car balance, gear ratios, power curve...I could go on. Maybe in 2020 we will say the same thing about the Boxster (although right now it is a damn good car).
There are very few 2005 911 Cabs left in the US to sell (probably less than 200 nationally at this point) and you will have to give up some options to get what you want. I gave up Sport Chrono (a very interesting option, changes the throttle response and the PASM response by pressing a button) to get my S Cab now, as oppsoed to waiting for a 2006. I suspect that a discount of $1-2K is possible, but not a deal breaker for most. The $1-2K off that you are getting for a 2006 build is not a bad deal (but you have to wait for October....).
I am happy I got an S instead of the base cab at this point (although I would be happy with either). You get 355 hp, PASM, slight lowering of the car, and a few more subtle interior options (aluminum look dials and trim). If you surf the Porsche boards (Rennlist and Rennteam are two that come to mind) you will find that most are choosing the S if they have the choice.
In terms of options, I am very happy with what I have. I do not have full leather or adjustable sport seats, and to be honest, I do not really need either--I am too involved in the performance of this car while I am driving it to notice. If you want them to feel like you are in a $90K car, go for it.
Sorry for the long post, and I hope this helps...