6'2" 220# here... I have sport adaptive seats... if I was any wider in hips or lats, id suggest not getting these seats as it could feel cramped on long drives... even with the bladders fully deflated.


I looked at .1 and .2 cars, and bought mine on color and options, condition, and price. the .1 car I bought happened to hit on all the right areas for me.
I didn't think the .2 engine was that much better either, and like the .1 sound better, and rear end better too.


**EDIT** I forgot that youre looking for a Auto trans. in that case, I echo others in suggesting a 09-10 car (997.2 chassis for PDK)

 

Thank you very much. I really appreciate all your input.

I did go to the local dealer tonite and drove a 2010 Carerra with PDK. Loved it. Never driven anything like it. Now to look for the right color/options combinations!

Hope to join this club soon!

 

Get PDK for the automatic and regardless of the model it will be reliable and fun to drive.

 

While the 997 cars are phenomenal - I would disagree on it being a great daily driver. Im on my 2nd 997 (where the first was a DD) - and when you start driving 15-20K a year, the car is not all that much fun anymore day to day. I have a daily now and use the 997tt weekends/evenings.

On the freeway the car is LOUD (lots of road/engine/tire noise), and it gets tiring over anything longer than a 20 minute cruise. It is a bit better around 'city'. Talking on the phone sometimes is challenging due to the noise.

There ARE times when you do crave more room as well, and being a low, smallish car getting in and out gets to be a fumble.

Also - I found with a 997 (non s), I had to work clutch/shifting quite a bit to get the power out of it from every light. Not really a problem anymore with a turbo with the additional torque. The automatic would probably suit a DD even better as well (but then take some of the fun out).

Please consider and think ahead for some of these 'real world' situations and scenarios if you are going to DD the car. I know how exciting it can be to 'test drive' one around the block at the dealer and the 'sports car' experience is great, fun, overwhelming - but I would def advise thinking how great it would be to live with essentially a 'toy' day to day.

Just from my own experience the 'fun' of it can turn into a nuisance real quickly depending on the real world use of the car. Both my 06 911 and 08 911tt have been very reliable.

BTW - what are you driving now?

 

My 2011 Carrera S is my daily driver. Love it. If you get easily bothered by the little annoyances though, u might not love it as a daily. For me, the little annoyances are worth it :-)

 

Thanks for your comments. I did notice that road noise was prominent on my drive, especially on the highway. I suppose it would be expected to adversely affect phone conversations, depending on the road surface.

I currently drive an incredibly reliable 1999 Lexus LX 470, that I love, but it is getting old, and given me 12 mpg. Also, I would like to drive a fun car now. I drive 15000 miles a year.

 

I know the feeling - once your mind is made up for a 911 - it gets very difficult to consider anything else (there is no substitute) - good luck in your hunt!!

 

I agree with your observation. In fact, that was the biggest thing I noticed when I first got my car - in Portland, freeways are pretty rough due to use of studded tires during the winter. This translates into a lot of road noise - loud enough that when my wife and I were going out to dinner in the 911 that we'd have to almost yell to be heard clearly. And if I got a phone call and I was on a rough road, the other person can't make out what I'm saying with all the background noise. Initially I thought, why does a $100k car have so much road noise???

The answer came after a couple months: the 911 is a pure sports car. It's not a GT sports coupe. And when I realized the 911's purpose and niche, I forgot all about my concerns about road noise. It's all about the drive. Endlessly addicting. Take it out on the track and it even makes all the more sense.

For those who DO want to have a quiet smooth ride in a sports car, you'd have to look to cars like the Mercedes SL or the BMW M3/4 or M6 to fill that niche. Pcars won't.

 

Scoper, you're right on the money. My prior car was a 650i. I thought it was a sports car, but it was a sports GT. I could have a quiet conversation in it with the top down. It was fast and powerful, but it wasn't involving. I never went out just for a drive (nor did I ever sneak out to the garage just to admire it). I have a very short daily commute, so I never have a chance to get tired of the suspension or sound, and I've modded my exhaust. It is worth considering these things, but for me, it wasn't much of a trade off.

 

Yes dead on. The 997 to me in not in any way a 'gt' car (the 991 is much more of that gt car now). The 997 is a more purpose built, high strung (great term to describe one) compared to other cars, track machine.

As long as that fact is accepted, and all the downsides that come with a pure sports car - you will find it enjoyable (driving it 'as' a pure sports car).

Unfortunately for me it was too much for daily duties accepting all the downsides, hence why I find one so much more enjoyable now taking it out when I 'want' to rather when I 'need' to. But yes - nothing is as close to the drive and involvement of a 997 as a 997 (and Ive driven close to every exotic there is).

 

OP, don't come away from this thinking these cars are only good I small doses. I few cars ago, I had a 996, and a hour+ commute. It was a bone stock base model with Tipronic, and 996s have a gentler ride, but I never tired of the drive. Manual transmissions can be a chore in traffic, but since you're not going that route, don't be scared off from 15,000 miles a year. Now the lack of Bluetooth in the 997.1 is another issue . . .

 

I understand your point. I think I will love it even if it is a bit louder in the cabin. Maybe a car with 19" wheels and softer michelins will quiet it down more.

 

I'm 6'4" and don't have the seat all the way back, and I still have headroom.

I really enjoy the fun of a 6-speed. My car is not a daily driver and I wanted the enjoyment of the stick...and it's a blast.

I would recommend the sport adaptive seats if you can find them.

The previous owner of my car did some nice, subtle things to it....including a leather upgrade on the centre console and the exhaust hack with a solenoid so you can choose the noise level. Both are really nice.

Key points for me were convertible, colour, condition, and price. I'm really happy with the car.

 

I have 997.1 C4S and i absolutely love the car. It was a DD for about a month but the road noise was more than i could handle. Granted, i live in Chicago and the roads are like the surface of mars complete with the occasional craters. I reverted back to my Range Rover sport and it felt like heaven. As i drive out of the garage in the range i gently explain to the porsche how it's not its fault but the bad roads that led to it's relegation to weekends and fun days. I then roar off in the range rover, smooth driving all the way.

 

Thanks all for your input.
After driving both a 2010 997 and a 2012 991 (both were fantastic to drive, with similar miles on the odometer), I am going to go for the 991. Its more money of course, but it will be a newer car. Since it is going to be my DD, and I have to sometimes take phone calls, the cabin noise level and the upgraded electronics were important.