keep my F430 or switch to 997?
Discussion
I've had my 430 spider for a year now. It's an amazing car and a was a childhood dream come true. However, I've for a while been considering switching to a 997 turbo or GT3. Problem is that I'm always feeling that something is about to go wrong with the 430 and that every mile is digging a deeper hole in my wallet. Last year was clutch and exhaust manifolds replacement (latter thankfully on warranty), and some time this year will be a £2k service +whatever they find... Also I'd prefer a car which doesn't draw as much attention, to not always feel like everyone is watching and worrying about leaving it parked on streets from time to time.
So when a bus clipped my front bumper the other week and the bus company thankfully accepted liability (great that they have cctv on the busses) I got a 997 turbo as replacement while my car is being fixed. Was very excited to get to properly try the porsche and just came home from a 5 hour drive. Here are some thoughts:
- like that the porsche is narrower, no problems with traffic or width restrictors in London.
- really don't like the tiptronic gearbox, the manual mode feels nowhere near as involved as the F1 in the 430. And the gearing feels strange, it's never in first gear -not even when stopping.
- wasn't expecting turbo lag but there's plenty, I do like the kick once it arrives but my 430 is much more immediate in power. Once the power does arrive in the 997 it's great with loads of torque and definitely quicker than the ferrari.
- like the suspension choice between sport and standard, huge difference in stiffness and planted feeling. Great to be able to go into cruise mode when you don't want to be rattled around
- missed the 430 engine sound...
Unless this car has an issue with the turbos which explains the lag it's removed the turbo as an alternative, leaving the GT3 the only porsche contender but I'd miss the convertible... guess I'm answering my own question and leaning to keeping the 430. Anyone else been faced with the same problem?
So when a bus clipped my front bumper the other week and the bus company thankfully accepted liability (great that they have cctv on the busses) I got a 997 turbo as replacement while my car is being fixed. Was very excited to get to properly try the porsche and just came home from a 5 hour drive. Here are some thoughts:
- like that the porsche is narrower, no problems with traffic or width restrictors in London.
- really don't like the tiptronic gearbox, the manual mode feels nowhere near as involved as the F1 in the 430. And the gearing feels strange, it's never in first gear -not even when stopping.
- wasn't expecting turbo lag but there's plenty, I do like the kick once it arrives but my 430 is much more immediate in power. Once the power does arrive in the 997 it's great with loads of torque and definitely quicker than the ferrari.
- like the suspension choice between sport and standard, huge difference in stiffness and planted feeling. Great to be able to go into cruise mode when you don't want to be rattled around
- missed the 430 engine sound...
Unless this car has an issue with the turbos which explains the lag it's removed the turbo as an alternative, leaving the GT3 the only porsche contender but I'd miss the convertible... guess I'm answering my own question and leaning to keeping the 430. Anyone else been faced with the same problem?
williaa68 said:
How old was the turbo you borrowed? The pdk box is a vast improvement on the tiptronic and I don't think you really feel much turbo lag either (although I have only had one for a day so am not best qualified really). A new GTS convertible might fit the bill nicely...?
It's an 09 with 30k miles on it.I'm sure the PDK is much better but not really considering that due to the price of the used cars with it, doesn't feel right to pay £10k extra for the switch (mine is probably worth 85k now vs the pdk's 95k)
When my 911 turbo was damaged I got a 430 as a courtesy car and loved it but was glad to get the porker back at the end of the week as it is my daily pdrive and I kind of got tired of the attention and constant worry, also the noise from the sports exhaust was great for the first two hours of a journey then TBH it was a bit much. In summary if it was a weekend car or second car 430 otherwise for everyday use, especially in London 997.
The last courtesy car I got was a mini.
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