Why don't more people drive TURBOS
#46
05-28-2014 | 02:17 AM
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The local Fire Department was on the street last night raising money (Fill the Boot campaign) for MDA. I had my top down, and I handed one of the fireman a donation. He took it, started to walk away, and came back to ask me..."How many tickets have you gotten driving that thing?". I replied "ZERO".
He started to walk away again, this time mumbling "then you don't drive it enough."
He doesn't know how true that is!
He started to walk away again, this time mumbling "then you don't drive it enough."
He doesn't know how true that is!
I have a gun, does that mean I should shoot everyone on a daily basis? Or am I okay going to the range, and maybe using it in competitions/recreation safely and responsibly?
#47
05-28-2014 | 08:55 AM
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I don't know guys, I agree and disagree.
I have a 2012 4s cab(997), that I love, it is clearly fast enough, possess' the fun factor...
But the Turbo, is in another league, it is an amazing car. If we could remove the "expense factor", I think all of us would be driving a 911 turbo. Can I give you some advice, don't test drive one.
You can enjoy a turbo in the suburbs or the city. I would consider trading out of mine for a 911 turbo cab. Also, be aware , the ins premium takes a big hike from the Carreras. That's the part that bothers me the most, the insurance premium.
I have a 2012 4s cab(997), that I love, it is clearly fast enough, possess' the fun factor...
But the Turbo, is in another league, it is an amazing car. If we could remove the "expense factor", I think all of us would be driving a 911 turbo. Can I give you some advice, don't test drive one.
You can enjoy a turbo in the suburbs or the city. I would consider trading out of mine for a 911 turbo cab. Also, be aware , the ins premium takes a big hike from the Carreras. That's the part that bothers me the most, the insurance premium.
#48
05-28-2014 | 11:21 AM
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TPC Turbo
I've followed the various threads concerning TPC turbos and there's been no reported failures that I've noticed. And I've heard the same from TPC directly. The boost is rather low at 6 PSI although I have a device that allows me to adjust that on the fly. Initially I had some anxiety about it failing, but whether it's IMS failures, engine failures, job security,health issues, you just have to let go and live. It's worked for me and I'm thoroughly enjoying the car.
#49
05-28-2014 | 11:43 AM
To answer your question, in one word: Overkill.
Just before Christmas 2013 my wife decided to upgrade her nearly 8-year-old Audi S4 Cabriolet to a new Boxster. Then she drove a CPO '11 997.2 S, and it was game over. It's her DD (about 40 miles round trip per day) and she's happy as a pig in sh*t. At 385 HP and 500 lbs. lighter than the Audi, it's both much faster and far nimbler.
If it were mine I'd put in the SharkWerks center muffler delete for the extra HP and growl, just so I could tell people "It's about 400 HP" without lying. But for her it's fast enough and she already thinks the exhaust is way loud, so no go.
We live just south of a wealthy town called Hillsborough, CA, and this place is crawling with Porsches of all types. Lots of Boxsters but many 911s, some S, some 4S. Most of them seem to be black like my wife's (bought used, we obviously didn't have much say in the matter). A schoolmate of my son's gets picked up in a Panamera, there are quite a few Cayennes, and a neighbor has a beautiful, cherry, orange-colored 914. There's a green 924 I see often as well, and what appears to be a mid-to-late '80s 911 dark-gray Targa. Another neighbor has an old ('60s?) 911 in his garage and a late '90s silver Targa 911 in his driveway.
Just before Christmas 2013 my wife decided to upgrade her nearly 8-year-old Audi S4 Cabriolet to a new Boxster. Then she drove a CPO '11 997.2 S, and it was game over. It's her DD (about 40 miles round trip per day) and she's happy as a pig in sh*t. At 385 HP and 500 lbs. lighter than the Audi, it's both much faster and far nimbler.
If it were mine I'd put in the SharkWerks center muffler delete for the extra HP and growl, just so I could tell people "It's about 400 HP" without lying. But for her it's fast enough and she already thinks the exhaust is way loud, so no go.
We live just south of a wealthy town called Hillsborough, CA, and this place is crawling with Porsches of all types. Lots of Boxsters but many 911s, some S, some 4S. Most of them seem to be black like my wife's (bought used, we obviously didn't have much say in the matter). A schoolmate of my son's gets picked up in a Panamera, there are quite a few Cayennes, and a neighbor has a beautiful, cherry, orange-colored 914. There's a green 924 I see often as well, and what appears to be a mid-to-late '80s 911 dark-gray Targa. Another neighbor has an old ('60s?) 911 in his garage and a late '90s silver Targa 911 in his driveway.
My first Porsche I ever drove was a 997 gt3RS and that alone was far to much power for me, when I shopped around for a porsche I test drove a 996 turbo, I liked the feel of it but couldnt enjoy it during the test drive, I ended up trading in my 07 aud A4 for an 02 911 Targa. Still never really open it up unless on the onramp. Doesnt last long enough.
#50
05-28-2014 | 02:10 PM
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The bay area in general is insane when it comes to Porsches. I grew up in Danville, Ca and everyone I knew had some kind of porsche in their garage (including my father). One of my good friends on the cheer team was given a 2009 (new at the time) porsche Boxter S for her first car.
My first Porsche I ever drove was a 997 gt3RS and that alone was far to much power for me, when I shopped around for a porsche I test drove a 996 turbo, I liked the feel of it but couldnt enjoy it during the test drive, I ended up trading in my 07 aud A4 for an 02 911 Targa. Still never really open it up unless on the onramp. Doesnt last long enough.
My first Porsche I ever drove was a 997 gt3RS and that alone was far to much power for me, when I shopped around for a porsche I test drove a 996 turbo, I liked the feel of it but couldnt enjoy it during the test drive, I ended up trading in my 07 aud A4 for an 02 911 Targa. Still never really open it up unless on the onramp. Doesnt last long enough.
#51
05-28-2014 | 02:44 PM
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The bay area in general is insane when it comes to Porsches. I grew up in Danville, Ca and everyone I knew had some kind of porsche in their garage (including my father).
.... I ended up trading in my 07 aud A4 for an 02 911 Targa. Still never really open it up unless on the onramp. Doesnt last long enough.
.... I ended up trading in my 07 aud A4 for an 02 911 Targa. Still never really open it up unless on the onramp. Doesnt last long enough.
#52
10-11-2014 | 06:38 AM
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I agree with your statement 100%. I did not consider any of these types of toys or extravagant purchases until both kids college accounts were fully funded and then some.
#53
10-11-2014 | 07:01 AM
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I agree also - you need to have your priorities in order before buying any Porsche.
I drove a 996 C4S as my daily driver for the last 7 years. Even with that car's relatively low 320 HP, I could get into big trouble very quickly. All 997s are fast cars.
I bought my 997 TT in August. It has been a wonderful improvement. It's much more refined than my 996 was, and I love the more exotic look of the turbo. I do agree that the lines of the C4S are about as good as it gets... but I'm really starting to appreciate the turbo. For me, a major factor was performance loss at altitude. I live in the mountains west of Denver at about 7,200 feet of elevation. The turbo has no issues at this altitude, while my normally aspirated 996 struggled a bit.
I'll never push the turbo all the way to the limit while driving on the street - that would be crazy and dangerous. That being said, I can use enough of that power to put a smile on my face every time that I drive the car. Isn't that what it's all about?
I drove a 996 C4S as my daily driver for the last 7 years. Even with that car's relatively low 320 HP, I could get into big trouble very quickly. All 997s are fast cars.
I bought my 997 TT in August. It has been a wonderful improvement. It's much more refined than my 996 was, and I love the more exotic look of the turbo. I do agree that the lines of the C4S are about as good as it gets... but I'm really starting to appreciate the turbo. For me, a major factor was performance loss at altitude. I live in the mountains west of Denver at about 7,200 feet of elevation. The turbo has no issues at this altitude, while my normally aspirated 996 struggled a bit.
I'll never push the turbo all the way to the limit while driving on the street - that would be crazy and dangerous. That being said, I can use enough of that power to put a smile on my face every time that I drive the car. Isn't that what it's all about?
#54
10-11-2014 | 07:14 AM
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Well Said, certainly enough usable power to make almost and errand or commute a fun trip by anyone's measure.
I agree also - you need to have your priorities in order before buying any Porsche.
I drove a 996 C4S as my daily driver for the last 7 years. Even with that car's relatively low 320 HP, I could get into big trouble very quickly. All 997s are fast cars.
I bought my 997 TT in August. It has been a wonderful improvement. It's much more refined than my 996 was, and I love the more exotic look of the turbo. I do agree that the lines of the C4S are about as good as it gets... but I'm really starting to appreciate the turbo. For me, a major factor was performance loss at altitude. I live in the mountains west of Denver at about 7,200 feet of elevation. The turbo has no issues at this altitude, while my normally aspirated 996 struggled a bit.
I'll never push the turbo all the way to the limit while driving on the street - that would be crazy and dangerous. That being said, I can use enough of that power to put a smile on my face every time that I drive the car. Isn't that what it's all about?
I drove a 996 C4S as my daily driver for the last 7 years. Even with that car's relatively low 320 HP, I could get into big trouble very quickly. All 997s are fast cars.
I bought my 997 TT in August. It has been a wonderful improvement. It's much more refined than my 996 was, and I love the more exotic look of the turbo. I do agree that the lines of the C4S are about as good as it gets... but I'm really starting to appreciate the turbo. For me, a major factor was performance loss at altitude. I live in the mountains west of Denver at about 7,200 feet of elevation. The turbo has no issues at this altitude, while my normally aspirated 996 struggled a bit.
I'll never push the turbo all the way to the limit while driving on the street - that would be crazy and dangerous. That being said, I can use enough of that power to put a smile on my face every time that I drive the car. Isn't that what it's all about?
#55
10-11-2014 | 09:13 AM
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Within the realm of Porsche's two-doors, nothing says "sports car" more to me than the GT3, and or less so, the turbo. For a GT car, particularly with the PDK, pretty much the opposite. The base or S Carerras still seem to be the sweet spot. Wish they would drop the GT3 powerplant into something akin to a GTS -- that would be the ultimate.
#56
10-11-2014 | 09:20 AM
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I also lived in the Denver area and went from a Ruf compressor 997.1 C4S to 997.1 TT (2 of them) and am now back in a NA GTS. The turbo boost is a great performance experience but I was constantly fighting the redline. The GTS is a 6-speed and has the X51 power kit and I find that I enjoy the driving experience more. I'm a flatlander now so the need for FI has gone.
#57
10-11-2014 | 09:40 AM
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When I bought my 2011 S, I was also looking at a 2007 turbo. I went with the 2011 because it was newer and I didn't want to pay the extra insurance every year for the turbo( the turbo is more expensive to insure)
I would have only gone for the turbo if I was buying it just for a fast weekend car. My 997.2 is my daily driver. I have a different car for a fast weekend car.
I would have only gone for the turbo if I was buying it just for a fast weekend car. My 997.2 is my daily driver. I have a different car for a fast weekend car.
#58
10-11-2014 | 01:07 PM
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yeah, that s me. I didn t drive one for fear of wanting one. I opted for a 6 speed C2S to make it more fun for me. Mine are not DD.
#60
10-11-2014 | 04:26 PM
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I also lived in the Denver area and went from a Ruf compressor 997.1 C4S to 997.1 TT (2 of them) and am now back in a NA GTS. The turbo boost is a great performance experience but I was constantly fighting the redline. The GTS is a 6-speed and has the X51 power kit and I find that I enjoy the driving experience more. I'm a flatlander now so the need for FI has gone.