Exactly, it never ends. I bought a base Carrera and it's more than adequate for street driving. If I were to upgrade, I'd leapfrog the "S" and go straight to Turbo land.

 

After 2 months of having bought my Carrera S, I went in to test drive a Base Carrera for Sh*ts and giggles. IMO, they are two completely different cars. So here is my take on this.
If I were to do it all over again,
I would buy the base Carrera if:
1. I only want a good looking car
2. I only want to drive from point A to point B in a status worthy car
3. I want something that can go over bumps fairly softly than a hardcore sports car
4. I want to buy a P-Car for my female counterpart (although I am currently single J)
5. If I need something more liveable, more daily driverish.
6. I want the car to accelerate a little less than violently.
I would buy the Carrera S if
1. I want my car to accelerate violently.
2. I want PASM in my car
3. I do not want any buyer’s remorse later on.
a. I do not want to look at another guy’s S and be like, damn ! I should’ve got an S
4. I do not mind the jiggly ride. Yes, we have terrible roads in Virginia.
5. I want my automotive enthusiast friends to say, “Nice ! you got an S”
6. I might want to take the car to the track one day.
7. I want the S badge on my car

Having said all that, this is only my opinion. I am sure there are others who feel differently. But I am really pleased with my S.

 

To be honest with you,I test drove both. Coming from a 08 BMW 750il Sport I really count'nt tell much of a difference. I decided to go with a non S, and get all the options that were more important to me.(i.e full leather, nav, PCCB breaks, upgraded Bose, 19' Turbo Wheels, etc).

 

I just went from a 997.1 C2S to a 997.2 Base PDK ... and I couldn't be happier. Honestly, as the previous poster mentioned, the S has a more violent drive to it. The Base is a smooth driving, smooth performing sports car with all the prestige. And coming from the BMW, you're going to love it. You simply can't go wrong. And remember, I've had the pleasure of owning both, so from my perspective, the only advantage to owning the S model, is ... you'll have an S badge and red brakes. The rest, you won't really ever use (unless you're tracking).

 

1) .1 -.2 seconds difference in 0-60 times makes it a violent acceleration?

2) PASM is good to have...i agree with this..but if your going to seriously track as you mention in other points you will upgrade this anyway.

3) I am confident in myself and my driving ability so I have no problem seeing an "S". I see them all the time at the track. Sometimes when I get a point by..sometimes when I give a point by.

4) Ride is somewhat stiffer with 19"'s but doesn't PASM help.

5) Ok..makes you feel good.


6) Lots of base carrera's on the track...with lots of very, very good drivers that I learn from. As trackable as a "S".

7) To me the "S" badge takes away from the aesthetics of the rear of the car. But that is only my point of view.

 

And beyond that the need to mod them all. Oh the sickness............................

You can certainly mod your base to improve performance if it comes to that.

 

The difference between an 'S' and non 'S' in the used market is like $3-5K, plus the 'S' has so many standards that are optional in the non-S. It's no brainer for me.

 

I bought my used well equipped low mileage 2006 base model a year ago. At the time, the price difference between a base and an "S" was around $$6,000-$10,000. It was more important for me to find a car that had the right options, colour, mileage and condition. With the savings from the "S", you can put some money into some nice upgrades.

 

Agree but it seems like half the people in here pull of the standard "S" components and go straight to Damptronics / Coil overs, aftermarket exhaust etc. Right there we're talking around 3-5K. The S Brakes seem like a nice upgrade but for street driving are they they that much better than base brakes? The extra torque is nice though.

 

I am terribly sorry to digress, and not trying to start a war here, but i could not have stressed more, that this all was only my opinion. knowing that someone with tons of time on their hands, would come back and debate me point by point. LOL

 

As is mine..just an opinion...as we all learn in forum posting 101...but people ask questions and they should hear all sides.

you laid everything out so nicely...it was easier to do it point by point...and believe me it did not take tons of time.

 

There is some truth to this but I don’t believe the delta is that low...as you look at older cars the delta may shrink to that 5K figure and by all means look for an "S"...but other considerations such as overall options, car condition, PPI, mileage etc may make a base more attractive.

This “S” vs base has been debated so many times. Just like PDK vs 6 speed; coupe vs cab; mods vs no mods, AWD vs snow tires. It the boils down to the same conclusion: To each his own.

But no one should think that the base is any less of a Porsche; just as a PDK model is no less of a drivers car, or a cab any less than a coupe and so on.

 

Thanks for all the amazing info and input. I am in the market right now and have been leaning towards an S. Coming from the car I have now and upgrades I have done I think the S will get me to where I would like to start out instead of getting the base and upgrading a bunch more just to be at a starting point. I can't jump up to a turbo but an S is within reason for me.

 

great..good luck with your search...that's the fun part too..

 

Thanks..it is a lot of fun looking for cars. Especially because I have a routine. When I got my M5 i was on the boards reading day and night to the point my wife thought I was obsessed. Then I found the right one and got it.

Now I am doing the same thing on this forum. Not sure if there are any other ones that are worth reading but I have seen a wealth of knowledge and a willingness to help so it will make my choice of options on the car a lot easier.

The only problem is finding one that is what I want is the hard part. Seems like a White 997 C2S with AeroKit are a bit rare.