Some advice on buying a 550 please
Discussion
I currently have a prosche 996 c2 and am looking to upgrade to either a turbo or a 550.
Can I have some comments on the 550 please, is it a sporty drive, does it handle well, maintencne £, does it fell like a big car.
Has anyone made the swtich from porsche to 550 and what are their thoughts.
Can I have some comments on the 550 please, is it a sporty drive, does it handle well, maintencne £, does it fell like a big car.
Has anyone made the swtich from porsche to 550 and what are their thoughts.
I've gone from a GT2 to a 550 (albeit via a 360 Spider and Ford GT)..
Initial impressions of the 550 was that it was a big car, but as you drive it more it does seem to shrink around you and it does allow itself to be hustled along at a fair lick.
While I don't rate Evo magazine one bit, they did nominate it as Evo car of the decade.
Running costs can be hit and miss.. some people report a faultless car that's Mondeo money to run.. others have ruinous grown-man-cry type costs.
Oh, and make sure you get a red one LOL
Initial impressions of the 550 was that it was a big car, but as you drive it more it does seem to shrink around you and it does allow itself to be hustled along at a fair lick.
While I don't rate Evo magazine one bit, they did nominate it as Evo car of the decade.
Running costs can be hit and miss.. some people report a faultless car that's Mondeo money to run.. others have ruinous grown-man-cry type costs.
Oh, and make sure you get a red one LOL
Well it's not a Porsche but I'm changing over from an NSX to a 550. 550 is a fair bit wider but it doesn't feel big. Ownership costs are going to be a lot more - how can the 550 compare to my annual service for the NSX - the grand sum of £65 including VAT! However, it's a bit more practical for two up touring abroad which is the main reason for changing.
Had three 550's over the last 4 years. Used them everyday and did about 12K miles in each.
Things to look out for....
Wipers... the spindles undo themselves and then eat the black strip on the back of the bonnet, once they start doing this they keep doing it, just look at the strip and see if it has been worn at all.
Windows... If the car has been damaged or broken into there is normally a lot of wind noise and it takes several visits to the dealer to get it sorted.
Wheels/ tyres... the wheels are very soft and buckle very easily, there was a recall a couple of years ago on the early one to replace them with stronger wheels, check this was done. The best tyres where the Bridgestones but they are no longer made so you now go with the P-zero rosso, but they flat spot easily, make sure you get the car upto about 100mph to check them...
Gearbox and clutches are great, best way to see how the clutch is lasting is pull away in first with no trottle, there is masses of torque to no worries, if there is judder get it checked. They last about 25K miles it seems.
Engine, never missed a beat.
Handbrake... the button sticks on them and then people pull them hard and bend it, then it fouls the seat switches and moves everything, very annoying.
Heating/aircon... suffer from a blocked drain and steam up the car badly after a long run when the car has been stood for 30 mins, worth checking as it's a pig to get to.
If there is one available always for for the handling pack, makes a massive difference to the car.
Anything else you want to know, just ask!
Things to look out for....
Wipers... the spindles undo themselves and then eat the black strip on the back of the bonnet, once they start doing this they keep doing it, just look at the strip and see if it has been worn at all.
Windows... If the car has been damaged or broken into there is normally a lot of wind noise and it takes several visits to the dealer to get it sorted.
Wheels/ tyres... the wheels are very soft and buckle very easily, there was a recall a couple of years ago on the early one to replace them with stronger wheels, check this was done. The best tyres where the Bridgestones but they are no longer made so you now go with the P-zero rosso, but they flat spot easily, make sure you get the car upto about 100mph to check them...
Gearbox and clutches are great, best way to see how the clutch is lasting is pull away in first with no trottle, there is masses of torque to no worries, if there is judder get it checked. They last about 25K miles it seems.
Engine, never missed a beat.
Handbrake... the button sticks on them and then people pull them hard and bend it, then it fouls the seat switches and moves everything, very annoying.
Heating/aircon... suffer from a blocked drain and steam up the car badly after a long run when the car has been stood for 30 mins, worth checking as it's a pig to get to.
If there is one available always for for the handling pack, makes a massive difference to the car.
Anything else you want to know, just ask!
There are two ways to deal with the issue, the quick one the dealer or you can try first is to put an air hose on the drain pipe that hangs out next to the bell housing under the car, problem with this is the crap is still there and it will block again quickly.
The tough and real fix is to clean it out.... this means pulling the dash appart, dealer job only I'm afriad, but had it done under warranty twice.
My cars live outside so it seems to be more of a problem than normal pampered cars
The tough and real fix is to clean it out.... this means pulling the dash appart, dealer job only I'm afriad, but had it done under warranty twice.
My cars live outside so it seems to be more of a problem than normal pampered cars
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