997 3.8S - First Impressions
Discussion
Having now owned a 997S for just over 1 week I can report some feedback. My baby is 18 months old and apart from a scare with blue smoke (I thought I had overfilled oil in the engine, but now happy all is ok and not unusal) I'm pleased to report a big bl**dy smile has been on my face all week.
My previous two cars have been a M3 CSL and Sagaris (sold just prior to recent TVR news) so to compare the products is well, interesting. I'll start my comparing with my only ever Porsche owned, 964C2. The 997 looks much larger both oustide and inside and every component seems significantly more refined. I don't think the power is substancially up but the low end torque makes a big difference day to day. I live around country roads and the handling and control over rough surfaces is fantatsic with little or no front end moevement as old.
Comparing with the CSL is a bigger test for the 997. The noise on the CSL was stunning and I liked the track focus most of the time. But the 997 has huge advantages on driver involvelemnt and it rewards smooth inputs from throttle, steering and brakes to a far higher degree than my memory with the CSL. I feel the CSL would be quicker on track (I had uprated brakes) but until I've done a track day in the 997 I will reserve judgement.
Sagaris - My TVR brought me to this forum and I have to say is was a stunning peice of kit. Every journey was an event and that was the problem for me. I can't afford to own two cars, so the Sagaris as a every day tool proved a problem. Although I never experienced a proper problem with my saggy I must say I always felt one was about to happen. Comparing with the 911 is well easy, the sagaris was a mixture of extremes, looks, engine, side exhausts, vents, interior controls etc. The 997 is a complete product of engineering. Every aspect of the car feels to work with another and as a package I can now see why it is press reviewed so highly.
So after a week I'm very happy to be back in a 911 and will post a one month update
My previous two cars have been a M3 CSL and Sagaris (sold just prior to recent TVR news) so to compare the products is well, interesting. I'll start my comparing with my only ever Porsche owned, 964C2. The 997 looks much larger both oustide and inside and every component seems significantly more refined. I don't think the power is substancially up but the low end torque makes a big difference day to day. I live around country roads and the handling and control over rough surfaces is fantatsic with little or no front end moevement as old.
Comparing with the CSL is a bigger test for the 997. The noise on the CSL was stunning and I liked the track focus most of the time. But the 997 has huge advantages on driver involvelemnt and it rewards smooth inputs from throttle, steering and brakes to a far higher degree than my memory with the CSL. I feel the CSL would be quicker on track (I had uprated brakes) but until I've done a track day in the 997 I will reserve judgement.
Sagaris - My TVR brought me to this forum and I have to say is was a stunning peice of kit. Every journey was an event and that was the problem for me. I can't afford to own two cars, so the Sagaris as a every day tool proved a problem. Although I never experienced a proper problem with my saggy I must say I always felt one was about to happen. Comparing with the 911 is well easy, the sagaris was a mixture of extremes, looks, engine, side exhausts, vents, interior controls etc. The 997 is a complete product of engineering. Every aspect of the car feels to work with another and as a package I can now see why it is press reviewed so highly.
So after a week I'm very happy to be back in a 911 and will post a one month update
nice one saggy, is yours a manual ?, ive had my 997S2 for 1500 miles 7 weeks, arctic, black leather, white dials, tip gearbox.i was comming out of a F355 GTS and A Bentley Conti GT so what comparison do these cars make, well first thing i noticed, and have now got used to was the front end bobbing about unerving at 100 mph plus, never had a car behave like that, ive had a TVR griff 500, XKR,all more composed, but then is this the sports car feedback lacking in my other cars ??, never had a 911 before.i must say that the gearing is superb, throttle response excellent and the car holds gears beautifully when under a bit of stick, all my other auto 's went gear hunting in the middle of corners, the Bentley had to be driven on the paddles but still thought it new best, frustrating, the porsche behaves great, lots of wind and tyre noise but ive got a tubi going on it this week to drown that out, and let the engine sing.
so very impressed and the more i drive it the better it gets, even the sat nav knows where it is, i still miss the exhilliration of the Ferrari but like the sagaris too impracticle for everyday ENJOY!.
so very impressed and the more i drive it the better it gets, even the sat nav knows where it is, i still miss the exhilliration of the Ferrari but like the sagaris too impracticle for everyday ENJOY!.
911addict said:
Wow,you Rich Kids! Makes interesting reading,how the other half live!
Come on now, you're reading a Porsche forum, it takes a bit of doing to earn such motors, and ok, some born into wealth but otherwise there is no other half, just grafters assisted by elements of good timing and luck.
Hmm. I run mine everyday and it isnt really a problem. I find the interior vastly superior to any Porsche of recent yrs, but then I have a loathing to God awful ruffled leather, tacky plastic buttons and silly fussy centre consols. The only time I dont like driving the 'Gris is in the wet and the first 15mins it takes to warm up. Fortunately the 997tt arrives just in time for the sh1te November weather and for the breadth and depth of talents the tt has I can forgive the sh1te interior. It goes without saying of course that it would be a cold day in hell before I specced the camp leather option on my own car!
P.S. what colours is anybody else going for on their TT's? I was a strictly Basalt Black guy, but Im warming more and more to one of the darker blues, metropole or so.
P.S. what colours is anybody else going for on their TT's? I was a strictly Basalt Black guy, but Im warming more and more to one of the darker blues, metropole or so.
Had my 997 carrera s cabrio tiptronic for a couple of months now and the front end does seem to go light when you give it some pain,but get used to it after a while.Love the interior,feels good quality,and also enjoy the tiptronic too(you always seem to be stuck behind slow drivers in this part of the world),although its not for some people.
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