Young family 991.2 GTS Targa or Ferrari FF
Poll: Young family 991.2 GTS Targa or Ferrari FF
Total Members Polled: 48
Discussion
I have a young family, two little boys aged 4 and 6.
We currently have a late G55k AMG and an old Bentley T2...and want something with a bit more oomph, hence either the 991.2 GTS Targa, FF or 612 OTO. All in the 100k£ budget.
My wife will use it daily for school drops (Chelsea/Fulham) while I will use it for my solo (without kids, as they fly there) regular jaunts from London to the Bassin d’Arcachon in France.
Our choice (as it will be mainly my wife driving it) has been narrowed to these 3 cars only, and nothing else, it’s been very well thought of, they all have glass roofs, and I’ve had numerous Porsches (993, 993 turbo S, 964RS, 997 GT3RS) and Ferraris (360, CStradale x2, Scuderia, 575HGTC)...so know each brand very well, and wouldn’t buy anything else.
What are your thoughts? Has anyone here been here, how do you do with little ones?
Note: both my wife and I are 5’10”, and my wife has been driving the G55 daily until now (but the truck will be moved permanently to France from now on)
We currently have a late G55k AMG and an old Bentley T2...and want something with a bit more oomph, hence either the 991.2 GTS Targa, FF or 612 OTO. All in the 100k£ budget.
My wife will use it daily for school drops (Chelsea/Fulham) while I will use it for my solo (without kids, as they fly there) regular jaunts from London to the Bassin d’Arcachon in France.
Our choice (as it will be mainly my wife driving it) has been narrowed to these 3 cars only, and nothing else, it’s been very well thought of, they all have glass roofs, and I’ve had numerous Porsches (993, 993 turbo S, 964RS, 997 GT3RS) and Ferraris (360, CStradale x2, Scuderia, 575HGTC)...so know each brand very well, and wouldn’t buy anything else.
What are your thoughts? Has anyone here been here, how do you do with little ones?
Note: both my wife and I are 5’10”, and my wife has been driving the G55 daily until now (but the truck will be moved permanently to France from now on)
Edited by 911Thrasher on Wednesday 3rd February 11:13
Can’t help you with the Ferrari’s. 911 is really about how tall you are....if you are over 6’ and like the seat back there is bugger all leg room behind you. Okay when the kids are the age yours are as they can sit cross legged...when they get older not so easy. Obviously when there are only three of you it’s fine although you’ll need a car you can turn off the airbag in which an OPC can retrofit (comes with front Isofix mount option).
My kids loved travelling in the back of my 911 when they were the age yours are as they sit a bit higher relative to the windows than in a normal car.
My kids loved travelling in the back of my 911 when they were the age yours are as they sit a bit higher relative to the windows than in a normal car.
I think in the FF and 612 favour is that you can - in theory - use them until your kids leave for university in terms of rear space, while a 911 is rather small in the back.
I assume the 991 would not be a manual, so it loses its main advantage imo.
As a long distance car the FF is hard to beat - I’ve done plenty of longer trips (e.g. salzburg to south of France, to London, to Italy) and it never let me down, is very comfortable, is entertaining to drive, sounds great (rear seats down or windows open) And even goes up snowy mountains without issues
Good luck
I assume the 991 would not be a manual, so it loses its main advantage imo.
As a long distance car the FF is hard to beat - I’ve done plenty of longer trips (e.g. salzburg to south of France, to London, to Italy) and it never let me down, is very comfortable, is entertaining to drive, sounds great (rear seats down or windows open) And even goes up snowy mountains without issues
Good luck
A minor factor is that the 911 would only be an option for the next 2-3 years, say, before your elder outgrows the back seats. So if you want to use a 911 for this purpose then it's now or never. But given you've had plenty of time in 911s it probably doesn't matter.
Of the Ferraris the 612 is better looking but perhaps too long/big for daily use in London, which leaves the FF.
Of the Ferraris the 612 is better looking but perhaps too long/big for daily use in London, which leaves the FF.
Thanks guys, really helpful to hear real "lived" stories...
And it's true most of the mileage would be done by my wife on her daily school runs/errands in Fulham/Chelsea.
Keep them coming.
She is used to her G55 (been her truck for the last 7years) and it only has rear sensors: never has she brought it home with the tiniest scratch. Flawless. So i cannot put her driving as a limiting factor to the car we will end up with choosing.
I personally think the FF sound is to kill for, yet the Targa will def be a lot less trouble running/maintenance wise
note: none of my Ferraris have ever broken down, all of them were extensively tracked especially both Stradales but also extensively maintained...but they were simple engines on a chassis, no complication
my Porsches were flawless as well, and did see Spa/Silverstone quite a bit, and were slightly cheaper to run, but again they were super simple cars
And it's true most of the mileage would be done by my wife on her daily school runs/errands in Fulham/Chelsea.
Keep them coming.
She is used to her G55 (been her truck for the last 7years) and it only has rear sensors: never has she brought it home with the tiniest scratch. Flawless. So i cannot put her driving as a limiting factor to the car we will end up with choosing.
I personally think the FF sound is to kill for, yet the Targa will def be a lot less trouble running/maintenance wise
note: none of my Ferraris have ever broken down, all of them were extensively tracked especially both Stradales but also extensively maintained...but they were simple engines on a chassis, no complication
my Porsches were flawless as well, and did see Spa/Silverstone quite a bit, and were slightly cheaper to run, but again they were super simple cars
The Porsche would make the better everyday, usable, ownership proposition, especially in London.
However, Ferrari used to lend me cars occasionally, and I had an FF for a week. Four of us went to the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone in it.
Definitely has more spacious rear seats - big car though. I would describe it a ‘shooting brake’ - practical (for a Ferrari), but extravagant for day-to-day use
Actually, one of the best sports coupes with generous rear space is the Maserati Gran Tourismo. A few years ago Ferrari gave me one to deliver from London to Modena (coals to Newcastle
).
For the money, these are surprisingly good and a proper mile-munching GT.
From Geneva to Modena we were 3-up with luggage for three, and rear-seat accommodation was no problem for 1.8m adults. I even slept in the back part of the way.
However, Ferrari used to lend me cars occasionally, and I had an FF for a week. Four of us went to the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone in it.
Definitely has more spacious rear seats - big car though. I would describe it a ‘shooting brake’ - practical (for a Ferrari), but extravagant for day-to-day use
Actually, one of the best sports coupes with generous rear space is the Maserati Gran Tourismo. A few years ago Ferrari gave me one to deliver from London to Modena (coals to Newcastle
). For the money, these are surprisingly good and a proper mile-munching GT.
From Geneva to Modena we were 3-up with luggage for three, and rear-seat accommodation was no problem for 1.8m adults. I even slept in the back part of the way.
braddo said:
Full marks to your other half. 
A 612 is probably a metre longer than a G55 though 
so if parallel parking is an everyday thing it could be quite a bit more challenging compared to the Merc. Parking sensors will be a must-have!
I know your size comparison was tongue in cheek but the FF isn't that much larger than the G55. It's only 23cm longer and 9cm wider. Parking sensors are standard A 612 is probably a metre longer than a G55 though so if parallel parking is an everyday thing it could be quite a bit more challenging compared to the Merc. Parking sensors will be a must-have!
We have a 5 year old and had a 992 coupe. We were going to change to a targa but went to look at one and concluded it was pretty unworkable because of the width at the bottom of the targa hoop. Anyone in the back ends up with no side window and headroom is restricted directly over where the car seats go, it's not a nice place to be. The B pillar in a coupe is pretty thin in comparison and there is a decent view out for anyone in the back and it worked brilliantly as a daily driver.
Sadly I can’t comment on ownership experience although my sensible side says if you’re going with the Ferrari vibe the newer model will be a better car for your needs. I know someone whose in the motor trade & the last time I saw him he was in an FF....he said for the £s they were a fabulous car (although his was well within manufacturer’s warranty & had a service pack) & his eldest was 5 yrs old & his reason for the FF was that it could be deemed a family supercar the 4 of them could use together or that he & his son could go for a blast out in 
I’d agree that the back seats of a 911 would limit your period of ownership as your family grows up & the Porsche is the more common sight on the road.
Keep us informed on your purchase journey if you can
I’d agree that the back seats of a 911 would limit your period of ownership as your family grows up & the Porsche is the more common sight on the road.
Keep us informed on your purchase journey if you can
FFS, you've now got me looking at FFs. And my wife loves them. Just to note, the Targa and the Cab 991s are much worse in the back than Coupes. The seats are very upright and the kids did not like them. I got the glass roof in the GTS and the kids love being in the back and my eldest is 15.
Iknownothin said:
We have a 5 year old and had a 992 coupe. We were going to change to a targa but went to look at one and concluded it was pretty unworkable because of the width at the bottom of the targa hoop. Anyone in the back ends up with no side window and headroom is restricted directly over where the car seats go, it's not a nice place to be. The B pillar in a coupe is pretty thin in comparison and there is a decent view out for anyone in the back and it worked brilliantly as a daily driver.
Didn’t think of the targa hoop width indeed...we only tried a convertible, the rear seats being more vertical weren’t such an issue, but indeed didn’t think of the hoop, might have to be a coupe with sliding glass roof.OP's choice, obviously, but surely there are far better choices for the 'school run' and nipping around Central London?
I had a Panamera loan car for a couple of weeks, a few years back, in London, and after a week I asked the dealer if I could change it for something smaller, and they gave me a Mini-Cooper S. Night and day more usable and fun.
Not questioning the relative merits of a V12 Ferrari or 991 on the right roads, but when I see so many women (and men) struggling in the narrow traffic congested London streets in their big SUVs and luxury limos, I do thing there are better alternatives for urban use.
I had a Panamera loan car for a couple of weeks, a few years back, in London, and after a week I asked the dealer if I could change it for something smaller, and they gave me a Mini-Cooper S. Night and day more usable and fun.
Not questioning the relative merits of a V12 Ferrari or 991 on the right roads, but when I see so many women (and men) struggling in the narrow traffic congested London streets in their big SUVs and luxury limos, I do thing there are better alternatives for urban use.
Koln-RS said:
OP's choice, obviously, but surely there are far better choices for the 'school run' and nipping around Central London?
I had a Panamera loan car for a couple of weeks, a few years back, in London, and after a week I asked the dealer if I could change it for something smaller, and they gave me a Mini-Cooper S. Night and day more usable and fun.
Not questioning the relative merits of a V12 Ferrari or 991 on the right roads, but when I see so many women (and men) struggling in the narrow traffic congested London streets in their big SUVs and luxury limos, I do thing there are better alternatives for urban use.
my wife has no issues at all and hasn't had with either the G55 or Bentley T2 we have in central london...and she racks thousands of miles per yearI had a Panamera loan car for a couple of weeks, a few years back, in London, and after a week I asked the dealer if I could change it for something smaller, and they gave me a Mini-Cooper S. Night and day more usable and fun.
Not questioning the relative merits of a V12 Ferrari or 991 on the right roads, but when I see so many women (and men) struggling in the narrow traffic congested London streets in their big SUVs and luxury limos, I do thing there are better alternatives for urban use.
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