hello fellas!
been really enjoying this forum for some time now.
but i really needed to speak up and ask the pros here about what i should do....

here's the thing...

currently own a 2003 M5...
has intake, headers, exhaust, suspension.
it has great power and torque...

now the mistake i made....
test drove a 2006 997s. car felt like it was on rails...
felt like a true go-kart. it didn't have the torque i was use to, but it was FUN as @$#%^%$!

tried the RS4, great little car too...but i don't know...my car simply felt more refined. even the audi dealer was more interested in my m5 than selling the '07 rs4 to me. i let him take my car for a 15 min drive...fwy and all....we both came back to the dealer not sure if i would like the RS4 coming from my car. then we looked at the porsche dealer (steps away)....and we both said......now that's a car i could get use to.

now i have the P-bug.

"problem" is, we've got a new addition to the family...a 5mo old boy!!!
although i would rarely drive him in the porsche, is it possible? safe?

the m5 is my DD. i am alone 90% of the time...

man, any help/advice would be MUCH appreciated....
any other previous e39 m5 owners? i am looking for performance, safety, reliability...should i stick w/ my m5 or move on? i like sleeper cars...do you find the 997s too "bling"?

thanks for hearing me out.

-dan

 

I had an E39 M5, best car I've ever owned as far as all around vehicles are concerned. I wish I kept it in addition to the others. If you can justify it, keep it and add to your stable.

 

hey hussain....
thanks for that...

yeah, i really do love the m5....great all-around car as you said...
but i can't justify having it w/ another P car. i already own a land rover defender-90....great truck...but it just sits in the stable...sad, but true.

-dan

 

Tough decision . I can't answer you on the topic of a newborn in the Porsche (I have no kids) but your comparison of the cars is very accurate . I feel more at ease in a smaller Porsche and always have . It's gearbox , it's seamless acceleration, and style make it the car for me. I also have owned Porsches over time and feel that the 911 models feel like my little part of capturing such a significant piece of automotive history.

It's for those reasons that I had an E39 M5 for only 3 months at its launch and even though that BMW is my favorite 5 series of all time I would opt for the keys to Porsche.

I am not sure how I would feel if I had a child on the way though . In my case I do have other cars so it may be option worth considering if the Porsche bug got to you .

Good luck . I wish you the best with whatver car you decide as well as your soon to be new family member.

 

We bought our 911 on 08/06 and our son was born that Christmas. We've used Britax seats in the front with great success and no real problems with fit. The driver/passenger area of the 911 is actually a box with increased structural support in the event of an accident, so I don't have any concerns about taking my son with me in the car.

FWIW, its my daily driver when I drive alone and while the M5 is more practical (like the M3 I had a few years ago), the 911 is a deal more fun.

 

you guys are incredibly friendly. thank you for all the advice.
and yes, this P-bug can be quite intoxicating.

i know we are all car enthusiasts...but for the 911....seems to be a whole special bug in its own right.

speaking of safety....since the engine is in the rear...wouldn't a front-end collision be catastrophic?

ty,

-dan

 

i had an '03 M5 .. now have '07 turbo - 2 totally different cars. The M5 is the only car I regret gettign rid of, but the turbo is the most fun I've ever had driving.

 

This question tells me you are not ready to buy a Porsche and that you have not done your homework here. Do some reading and research and more test driving and then make an informed decision.

 

Even though National Highway safety Institute has no crash data for the Porsche 997 ,Porsche itself does test its cars and takes safety very seriously . In fact I feel safer in a Porsvhe 997 than many other cars .

Here's a good article why --it explains the structure of the body shell. http://www.redsofts.com/articles/rea...ody_Shell.html

 

I'd wait it out a little bit. Just to make sure it's the car you want. What does the wifey say???

 

I have a 997S as my daily driver, and have a 26 month old son. He LOVES to ride in "daddy's car". He's not in it often, but when he is, he's thrilled.

The seat I have is the Porsche Junior Seat ($450 at the dealership), which is a terrific seat. It is capable of being used in either the front seat (facing backwards) for infants, or in the reat seat (facing forwards). The rear seat (front-facing) option is only for once they are about 20 lbs. And the seat can be used up until 65 lbs, which is about age 6 or 7. While it does cost more than some other options, I didn't find a Britax which fit the rear as well, and because it can be used for so many years without needing to buy a booster, it winds up being a very fair price.

Plus, my wife is a chiropractor, and she sees soft-tissue injuries in her office all the time from car accidents. She sees infacts, children, etc. And she said that the unique design of the Porsche Junior Seat (which uses an "impact table" rather than traditional straps) is much safer. It is made specifically for Porsche cars. You cannot get any better than that.

From my perspective, you're clear on the child issue. On any other issue, here's how to decide: which one stirs the imagination, an M5 or a 997S?

See at the next PCA meet!
CATTMAN

 

I went from a E39 M5 to a 996TT. I loved my M5 and still get to drive it on occasion due to the fact that my brother now owns it. If I were you, I would take a good look at a used 996TT to satisfy your thirst for torque that the M5 provided.

 

guys,
your input is completely appreciated.

and yes, i do admit, i am a newbie to porsche...that's why i thought i'd ask here.
as for doing more reading/research, i have been...and the safety factor i felt was a valid point to bring up. coming from a 4-dr saloon to a 2-dr sports car can be a little intimidating, i just needed some reassurance.

as for the wifey....lol...she approves wholeheartedly....saying, "do it now, before it's too late." God i love her. regarding my baby boy, i can't wait for the day to go cruising up the cali coast w/ him.

and Ag.....yes...that's the VERY thought i have been going through...

996tt vs. 997s. i love BOTH. but i am worried about the maintainence w/ the 996tt. i am assuming the 996tt is much more costly to keep up...even more so than my m5.

i've actually "played" with a few 996 cars in my m5....it was pretty much no contest (albeit straight-aways)....but the 996tt....wow. i have raced a regular 997 with my car, and it was close...but after 80-90mph...i reeled him in quite easily.

anyhow....
it's friday!!

have a great weekend all!

thanks again.

more input is always appreciated.

danke

-dan

 

Ta Da! Finally folks. The raison d'etre of this post. He reels in 997's on the top end. How many of you did not see this coming? Don't say I didn't warn you

 

Hahaha.

Reel them in? I knew it was a fishing story!

Anyway, yeah, the M5 is a great machine. But it is not a 911. They are totally different cars.

If you only care about the straights then you need to be on Corvette Z06 board, not here. Because reality is not in a straight line- and in the curves, you'll really learn to drive in a 911.

M5 is respected. 911 is legendary.

Maybe you should try a Subaru WRX, hahaha!