Originally Posted by camhabib

Not 100% sure, but special leather is anything, color or quality wise, that it outside of the normal. "Special leather" includes the naturals if I'm not mistaken. The natural is a higher quality then the remainder of the special leathers however. As it was described to me, the dying process is different, as the regular leathers have the color "painted" on in a way, while the natural leathers are dyed through and through. Hope that helps.

Originally Posted by Majestyk

After stalking these forums for over a good year now, I decided now would be a good time to make a post. I am on the verge of walking into a dealer and placing an order for something. I have a relatively good idea of what I want (Porsche Configurator = awesome) but I just wanted to see what some more knowledgeable people think would be most appropriate for my situation. My price range is around 100-110k, but further convincing could stretch it a bit more. I'm not too interested in used cars.

The first criterion is that the car remain elegant, yet visceral, and can turn into a beast instantly. I know this is pretty much what defines a Porsche, but it's what I really want, and what has helped me make color choices etc.

The car will be my only car, so it must be comfortable and PDK for me is pretty much a no brainer. It will also be driven across country, mostly from Houston to the Rockies. I don't really intend on driving it up there during the winter, however.

I am not afraid of really speccing this thing up, and am more than willing to pay for them.

I have to say, that this forum is AMAZING. The amount of information on here is like nothing I have ever seen for such a specific topic. I trully appreciate your time, feel free to ask questions, make comments about my idiocy etc.

Originally Posted by Majestyk

Alrighty. I have personally narrowed it down to either a Carrera S, or perhaps (depending on financials/ what you guys say) a GT3. The GT3 would pretty much be the base car, with navigation.

Here is what I am thinking for the Carrera S:

19" Sport Design Wheel
Your choice

Sand Beige interior
Full leather interior for me, it's a 100K sport car. I can't bear not full leather.

Aqua Blue Metallic exterior
Again, your choice.

Dynamic Cornering
Do you drive it a lot at night. I live in suburbs and I come home late, so is half day half night driving for me. A good lighting system means safe. Well worth it.

Park Assist
When you back up, how many times you had bumped into something? I don't like the beep when I focus on back up. I might had bumped one or twice since I have my licence (30 years +). My other car has rear view camera. I never look at it. I feel safer and will pay more attention by not using it. It's only a $530.00 option, but I save it.

Self Dimming mirrors
Well worth the money, safety feature. You can flip the mirror inside but not the one outside, specially the passenger side. So get it.

PDK
Check all the forum. A must unless you are a diehard manual guy. I have both manual and automatic car. I enjoy manual for sport car, but I order a PDK C4S. It is a trend for the future of automatic gearbox and you can drive semi manual too if you like. For a DD car, I will take it. I believe a 30k Honda will have double clutch soon.

PASM Sport
It is a free sporty option on C4S and $950 on C2S come with LSD. unless you do mind the 20mm lower body look, I think this is a no brainier.

Sport Chrono Plus
With PDK, 0-60 4.1 sec. Should packed with PDK together.

Sport Exhaust
This one take me long to decide. I sure know I won't go for a after market exhaust system (this is not a Civi), and I don't want to bother my neighborhood. $2500.00 sounds not justify only for the better deeper sound. Also Porsche claims there is no performance boost.
The reason of why I finally took it because I was not sure. I play safe.

Adaptive Sport Seats
I think regular Sport Seats can save you around 2K. Once you find your sweet spot. They are the same. You play with the car not the seat. Can save some $ here.

Porsche crest in headrests
$280.00, why not. This is something very easy to ask your sales to give you before you pull out your check book. I got it along with carpet and set of color wheels crest, I keep the old one for my winter wheels set.

Carbon Package
Your choice again. Full leather interior already looks very good.

BOSE
I don't expect the $1400.00 upgrade will give me excellent sound quality, you will never have it. Just imagine the tire noise of 235 front 305 rear on the highway.
But it provide 5.1 DVD audio and a surround effect which is not available on standard Sound system ( I have a lot DVD Audio so I pick Bose). Surround Sound can also mask the sound quality which make you feel a larger sound field, it is good for a less roomy car with poor stereo. If you just do casual listening, you probably don't need it.

Multifunction Carbon steering wheel
It works well with PCM together, also is a safely feature. The stock wheel is dullish to me.


Navigation system can be skip by using a $200.00 Garmin, much better.

As for bluetooth and universal audio connection. I use a $40.00 Motorola T505 (ebay) as a hand free phone connection. It does a excellent job plus it can use built in bluetooth and FM transmit whatever songs and video from my iphone to the head unit wirelessly. It doesn't load the contact list to the PCM but I can simply press a button and voice dial. For $40.00, nothing can beat it.

Forget about the voice control. My wife laugh every time I say go home and the system say "Sorry, there is no gas station near by"



Some of these things might later get removed as "unnecessary", but for plugging into my financial spreadsheet, it gives me a ballpark number for what the car is going to cost.

Thanks guys!