Do I want a porsche?
Discussion
Not been on this forum before, but you sound like a nice bunch of chaps.
Question. I have a few cars to do different things. A cerbera for blatting, and M5 for work (fair amount of stop starts at work and unreliability would not impress my partners.
I have found there is no one car that does it all, so I have a few to fill in the gaps as it were. The M5 is a fast car, but not very exciting to drive, the Cerb tends to be exciting but not a day to day car I can use.
So the question is, does a porsche really do it all. Can I have the best of both worlds, and could a single car replace them both.
Or to put it another way, assuming money was not important, would any of you swap your single porsche for both the M5 and Cerb together?
Question. I have a few cars to do different things. A cerbera for blatting, and M5 for work (fair amount of stop starts at work and unreliability would not impress my partners.
I have found there is no one car that does it all, so I have a few to fill in the gaps as it were. The M5 is a fast car, but not very exciting to drive, the Cerb tends to be exciting but not a day to day car I can use.
So the question is, does a porsche really do it all. Can I have the best of both worlds, and could a single car replace them both.
Or to put it another way, assuming money was not important, would any of you swap your single porsche for both the M5 and Cerb together?
Julian64 said:Julian - not a chance mate....You're looking for a 996 Turbo by the sounds of it. The Cerb is quick, so you're going to need something quick to replace it with, otherwise a 996/7 Carrera 2 would fit the bill perfectly......
Or to put it another way, assuming money was not important, would any of you swap your single porsche for both the M5 and Cerb together?
A 911 is practical in terms of the rear seats, but you can't get long items through from the boot, so a bit compromised (unless you go for a roofrack).
More practical Porsches include 944/968/928 and Cayenne.
The best mix of supercar and super saloon is probably an Evo FQ-340 but not sure about that image.
As an all round sportscar a Porsche 911 is very good, but they could never replace an M5 for space. Depends on your priorities and what you need in a car. The Porsche will certainly be made more like the M5 than the Cerbera, which will be nice.
More practical Porsches include 944/968/928 and Cayenne.
The best mix of supercar and super saloon is probably an Evo FQ-340 but not sure about that image.
As an all round sportscar a Porsche 911 is very good, but they could never replace an M5 for space. Depends on your priorities and what you need in a car. The Porsche will certainly be made more like the M5 than the Cerbera, which will be nice.
Sounds like you need an Audi RS6+ Julian. 
- As many seats as the M5.
- More power than any (standard) Porsche.
- More luggage capacity than the M5, Cerbera and any Porsche (including, I suspect, the Cayenne).
- As many driven wheels as a 996 Turbo (and two more than the M5 and Cerbera).
- The same Teutonic reliability and build quality as the M5.
The only down side is that it'll likely be a few tenths behind the Cerbera to 60 ...
- As many seats as the M5.
- More power than any (standard) Porsche.
- More luggage capacity than the M5, Cerbera and any Porsche (including, I suspect, the Cayenne).
- As many driven wheels as a 996 Turbo (and two more than the M5 and Cerbera).
- The same Teutonic reliability and build quality as the M5.
The only down side is that it'll likely be a few tenths behind the Cerbera to 60 ...
If you have to ask the question, then probably not. 
If you need to get adults in the back, then definitely not (unless you count the Cayenne).
Try a 911, you'll know whether you get bitten by the bug reasonably quickly... though do try to have a go in one with a sports exhaust as stock 993 and 996 engines were oversilenced and this kills the character. If you need to go quicker than the M5 then you'll be needing a Turbo... the GT3 and RS variants won't be ideal for work!
If you need to get adults in the back, then definitely not (unless you count the Cayenne).
Try a 911, you'll know whether you get bitten by the bug reasonably quickly... though do try to have a go in one with a sports exhaust as stock 993 and 996 engines were oversilenced and this kills the character. If you need to go quicker than the M5 then you'll be needing a Turbo... the GT3 and RS variants won't be ideal for work!
domster said:Errr....I don't think Julian mentioned that he wanted a track weapon.
It would get murdered by an FQ-340 on track tho'.
I thought of mentioning the uber-audis, but the best mix of track weapon and shopping trolley is a Mitsusushi Wagamama Banzai 30000. Sorry, Jez.
In fact judging by his comments on other threads I suspect a track day is the last place we'll see him!
I'd stick with 2 cars (mind you in Australia having a Cerb is not an option - it would have to be a Porsche).
We've got a 996 C2 for Sunday blats, a Volvo R Wagon for everyday stuff (dogs/kids/travel/etc) and a Land Rover Defender for outback touring and towing.
You are never going to carry enough stuff in a Porsche to make it practical for everyday work/children/etc usage. M5 is an excellent people/gear carrier and they go fabulously for the sort of vehicle thay are.
There are a lot of places that a 'nobby' and ostentatious car like a Porsche doesn't fit in, and it's nice to have something a bit more unobtrusive that doesn't attract vandals and so on.
My thoughts anyway.
David
We've got a 996 C2 for Sunday blats, a Volvo R Wagon for everyday stuff (dogs/kids/travel/etc) and a Land Rover Defender for outback touring and towing.
You are never going to carry enough stuff in a Porsche to make it practical for everyday work/children/etc usage. M5 is an excellent people/gear carrier and they go fabulously for the sort of vehicle thay are.
There are a lot of places that a 'nobby' and ostentatious car like a Porsche doesn't fit in, and it's nice to have something a bit more unobtrusive that doesn't attract vandals and so on.
My thoughts anyway.
David
No, jeremy is right, I'm not much for a track weapon, and if I go for a track day I either take the Cobra because its fun to try and make go in a curve, or the R1 because its technically very challenging. but in either I'm sure the poster is right the FQ would run rings round me.
No, the reason for the porsche would be to have more excitement than the M5 and more day to day use than the Cerb. Rationalising the garage. In any one day on a drive I want comfort reliability speed and excitement of driving all in one car.
I am pretty convinced there is no such car, and think the porsche may be like a fast M5 but I know there are a few on here who have tasted Cerbera excitement (where are you nervous). And wonder if they would swap for the two.
No, the reason for the porsche would be to have more excitement than the M5 and more day to day use than the Cerb. Rationalising the garage. In any one day on a drive I want comfort reliability speed and excitement of driving all in one car.
I am pretty convinced there is no such car, and think the porsche may be like a fast M5 but I know there are a few on here who have tasted Cerbera excitement (where are you nervous). And wonder if they would swap for the two.
Julian64 said:
I am pretty convinced there is no such car, and think the porsche may be like a fast M5 but I know there are a few on here who have tasted Cerbera excitement (where are you nervous). And wonder if they would swap for the two.
You may well be right. A Turbo is less practical than an M5 and less raw/raucous/visceral than a Cerbera. However it is mighty fast (faster than either of the two?) and a very exciting car to travel in. Whether or not you would get on with it would be down to whether or not you like its unique character and whether or not its particular set of practical capabilities (load space, passenger space etc) could work given your individual needs.
I can say, though, that if you are interested you should most certainly go and try one.
I'm a big fan of E39 M5s, really special cars imho. I can't really think of anything that is as practial and fun to drive, RWD being a priority for me. Will be interesting what effect the bmw warranty increases have on residuals though. If you need a four seater, I'd keep it.
How about replacing the Cerbera with a GT3?
How about replacing the Cerbera with a GT3?
Do consider the Cayenne, I was a cynic regards this behemoth until I drove one on Monday.
All I can say is wow; you have to get past the looks of course, which upon close inspection I quite liked in an 'I can learn to love you' kind of way.
I drove an S with the tiptronic g/box; the thrust was other worldly for such a bus, and the handling very, very capable. After taking a nice twisty country road at a fair pace plus using the steering wheel tip buttons, I felt like parking in a secluded spot for some fervent self pleasure.
I had the crazy, almost blasphemous thought, that if the S is so good, the KN turbo might render a 911 unnecessary unless you had a penchant for track work? I should be birched……
All I can say is wow; you have to get past the looks of course, which upon close inspection I quite liked in an 'I can learn to love you' kind of way.
I drove an S with the tiptronic g/box; the thrust was other worldly for such a bus, and the handling very, very capable. After taking a nice twisty country road at a fair pace plus using the steering wheel tip buttons, I felt like parking in a secluded spot for some fervent self pleasure.
I had the crazy, almost blasphemous thought, that if the S is so good, the KN turbo might render a 911 unnecessary unless you had a penchant for track work? I should be birched……
Ah, a tough question. I'm currently running an M5 as my only car after having a 993 Carrera 2 for a couple of years. The M5 is real world quicker than the Porsche, but as the others have posted, it sounds like a 996TT could be the real deal for you.
I've also driven a Chimaera a bit, so I think what you will find is that the TVR is very raw, and the BMW feels dead in comparison. However, the Porsche is not some safe middle ground, it's a truly special driving experience in it's own right, and a lot more precise and nimble than the TVR or the BMW. True, without sports exhausts it sounds muted, but so does the M5, and I don't really think much compares with the noise of a TVR anyway. The biggest differences will come from the driving feel (Porsches offer a lot, and can mix comfort with true performance and handling) and capacity. The M5 eats up luggage, passengers, general junk, golf clubs, weekly shopping, random DIY items etc which a Porsche just cannot do. I used to use my 911 for carrying my kayak and/or mountain bike, but it's always a struggle to get everything in, and hidden from the prying eyes of the local tea-leafs.
As suggested above, go drive a selection of 911's and see if you fall in love with them. I miss mine lots for the 15% of the time it would be driven hard, with no one else or kit around. The rest of the time the M5 does everything.
Good luck - it's a great position to be in!
JPJ
I've also driven a Chimaera a bit, so I think what you will find is that the TVR is very raw, and the BMW feels dead in comparison. However, the Porsche is not some safe middle ground, it's a truly special driving experience in it's own right, and a lot more precise and nimble than the TVR or the BMW. True, without sports exhausts it sounds muted, but so does the M5, and I don't really think much compares with the noise of a TVR anyway. The biggest differences will come from the driving feel (Porsches offer a lot, and can mix comfort with true performance and handling) and capacity. The M5 eats up luggage, passengers, general junk, golf clubs, weekly shopping, random DIY items etc which a Porsche just cannot do. I used to use my 911 for carrying my kayak and/or mountain bike, but it's always a struggle to get everything in, and hidden from the prying eyes of the local tea-leafs.
As suggested above, go drive a selection of 911's and see if you fall in love with them. I miss mine lots for the 15% of the time it would be driven hard, with no one else or kit around. The rest of the time the M5 does everything.
Good luck - it's a great position to be in!
JPJ
Gassing Station | Porsche General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff