550 vs 996, did I miss something
Discussion
I was thinking of switching to a 550, drove one over the weekend and was suprised.
I loved the look of the 500, stunning car. It was more nimble than I had imagined and a demon on the motorway. Could not believe the tourque but still something missing. The engine was very quiet and the drive was very much a GT feel.
Cold hard look at the maint. cost and petrol were a bit of an eye opener. I am not one to worry about petrol on a sports car but 12mpg makes you think a bit.
Jumped back in the 996 and planted the right foot on the way home and realized what a great car Porsche are. Still a good comfy GT but felt much more sporty than the 550.So, did I miss something with the 550?
It was only a test drive so maybee the 550 would come alive if you drove for a while. Should I give a 355 a try also?
I like GT's thus the 996 just need some input from 550 owners.
I loved the look of the 500, stunning car. It was more nimble than I had imagined and a demon on the motorway. Could not believe the tourque but still something missing. The engine was very quiet and the drive was very much a GT feel.
Cold hard look at the maint. cost and petrol were a bit of an eye opener. I am not one to worry about petrol on a sports car but 12mpg makes you think a bit.
Jumped back in the 996 and planted the right foot on the way home and realized what a great car Porsche are. Still a good comfy GT but felt much more sporty than the 550.So, did I miss something with the 550?
It was only a test drive so maybee the 550 would come alive if you drove for a while. Should I give a 355 a try also?
I like GT's thus the 996 just need some input from 550 owners.
mojorider said:
The engine was very quiet and the drive was very much a GT feel.
First up, the 550 is *meant* to be a GT. That it is nimble is an added bonus, but the 360 is the sports car in the range (Porsche's range is somewhat less well defined I think).
The engine note is helped massively by the installation of a Tubi exhaust.
mojorider said:
Cold hard look at the maint. cost and petrol were a bit of an eye opener. I am not one to worry about petrol on a sports car but 12mpg makes you think a bit.
You either are, or aren't bothered about this stuff
General running costs are almost certainly going to be higher than a 996, but that's much more a mass produced article than the 550 (and designed by accountants
). Running costs of Ferraris are not as horrendous as you hear tales of. But they're not cheap to run either. You need to do some research and see if you can (honestly) stomach it. Plenty of 550 owners on here who will chip in soon.
mojorider said:
Jumped back in the 996 and planted the right foot on the way home and realized what a great car Porsche are. Still a good comfy GT but felt much more sporty than the 550.So, did I miss something with the 550?
It was only a test drive so maybee the 550 would come alive if you drove for a while. Should I give a 355 a try also?
I like GT's thus the 996 just need some input from 550 owners.
It really depends what you're after, and why you want a Ferrari.
996s are OK cars (personally more a fan of 993s in the Porsche range, though the 997 looks nice enough), but as intimated above, they are designed to be daily drivers in the same way a BMW is.
Ferraris can be used like this, but it's going to cost you more to do so in almost every respect.
If you've always *wanted* a Ferrari, then owning one is an experience that pretty much no other machine can match. Just seeing it in your garage makes you smile.
But if you want something more "twist the key, point and shoot" then you may be better off sticking with the 996. This is most definitely not a Porshce bashing exercise - they are good cars. But if you want a Ferrari, nothing else will do to satisfy the itch. Only you can decide why (and IF) you really want to get into one.
I suspect, if you try a 355, that you'll be unconvinced by a whole different set of compromises. But you should definitely give one a go - try and make it one with a Tubi or Capristo exhaust. I've certainly used mine for very long trips and love it to bits.
PS I very much doubt you'll lose as much on the 550 aas you may do on the 996 (looking at your other posts).
They're definitely not depreciation proof yet, but the big hits have all been taken now and with everyone raving about them, I would expects values to firm up.
Don't be shy about looking at independents too.
They're definitely not depreciation proof yet, but the big hits have all been taken now and with everyone raving about them, I would expects values to firm up.
Don't be shy about looking at independents too.
I've just changed from an NSX Coupe to a 550. Apart from always having wanted a Ferrari, this time I wanted a "GT" car with a bigger boot for travelling abroad.
The mpg doesn't worry me at all. Since it's a second car which will do 5,000-6,000 miles a year, whether it does 13 or 23 to the gallon is immaterial.
Maintenance costs are more of an issue and you need to be aware of the various service cycles - like cambelts every 3 years or 20,000 miles, and the need for a major inspection every 20,000km/12,000 miles.
The normal exhaust is a bit muted and I've opted for a sports system for the back two boxes from Stainless-Exhaust (www.stainless-exhaust.com) which will be fitted in a few weeks. At £590 plus VAT this is a lot less expensive than a Tubi at £1250 plus VAT.
The mpg doesn't worry me at all. Since it's a second car which will do 5,000-6,000 miles a year, whether it does 13 or 23 to the gallon is immaterial.
Maintenance costs are more of an issue and you need to be aware of the various service cycles - like cambelts every 3 years or 20,000 miles, and the need for a major inspection every 20,000km/12,000 miles.
The normal exhaust is a bit muted and I've opted for a sports system for the back two boxes from Stainless-Exhaust (www.stainless-exhaust.com) which will be fitted in a few weeks. At £590 plus VAT this is a lot less expensive than a Tubi at £1250 plus VAT.
murph7355 said:
PS I very much doubt you'll lose as much on the 550 aas you may do on the 996 (looking at your other posts).
They're definitely not depreciation proof yet, but the big hits have all been taken now and with everyone raving about them, I would expects values to firm up.
I think it may take one more hit when the next model is released.
I know its technically been replaced by the 575 already. But looks wise it is still very similar. Usually there is an adjustment when a car can be easily distinguished from the current model. Especially in the status symbol sector.
A 550, then a 575, were on my wish list for some time, but after getting an invite to the Dick Loves-It showroom to test drive the 575M, no longer. Already got some stick for criticising the 550/575 on previous threads but this isn't a Ferrari or Porsche bashing exercise for me either as I already drive both. I wanted the 575 to perform, it's meant to be a performance car after all, but the handling wasn't a major plus while the pick up and in gear didn't get close. Driving home after the test drive helped me remember what acceleration is all about, and an itch was scratched that day. Still like the looks though.
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