I sold my 987.1 Cayman S back in April. I spent a lot of time researching my next car purchase online as well as poring over my library of print magazines. I wanted a reliable DD that could handle weekday (heavy) traffic commutes, while also capable of delivering big visceral thrills on the open road or at DE event.

With these criteria, I finalized my list down to a handful of cars - Cayman S PDK, Boxster S PDK, E60 M5, 996 TT Tip and C63. I couldn't find any Cayman S/Boxster S PDK cars in my budget range, so they were crossed off the consideration list. I thought hard about the M5, having been impressed by a previous test drive, but I did have a few concerns. The BMW is such a high-tech wonder that I was scared about the financial magnitude of potential problems once out of warranty. Fuel mileage was another factor. The M5's EPA combined number of 13mpg fell below the threshold, given my intended DD usage.

I lined up test drives of both the cars left standing. First the 996 TT Tip. I found a low mileage 2003 for sale locally and made the trek out to the selling dealer. The car sat in the open back lot. It had not been washed since the last rain, but the car was still a beauty in Seal Grey. I didn't feel the same way about the interior. It was equipped with supple leather seats which, although in decent condition, had not aged very well. In fact, the interior generally looked and felt very dated compared to the cabin of my recent 987.

On the drive, I was impressed by the 996 TT's on-boost acceleration and incredible traction. I was disappointed with the automatic transmission. It seemed to excacerbate the turbo lag, especially when pulling away from stops in second gear. The placement of the shift buttons on the front of the steering wheel didn't encourage use of the manual mode, as grabbing downshifts required moving your thumb into an awkward position. The chassis setup made the car feel more GT than sportscar. I didn't explore the edge of the handling envelope on my brief 20-minute test drive, but did get the chance to sling around a couple of freeway onramps. The Porsche was undoubtedly a very quick, competent car. On a twisty unfamiliar road it would be a supreme point a to point b speed tool. But it would not be my top choice for fun weekend driving. It just lacked drama. I know a manual transmission car would have been more entertaining. However, no clutch pedal was a requirement I set for the purchase.

The C63 looked so right. I thought the transformation from mild-mannered Euro sedan to DTM muscle car gave the C63 some serious visual presence. The seats looked like they were designed for serious driving and this was confirmed the first time I sat behind the wheel. Wow! Talk about lateral support. These seats reminded me of Porsche's optional sport seats that were offered in the '80s and early '90s.

The 6.2l V8 impressed me greatly. It had fantastic torque right from the bottom of the rev range, but could also stretch past 7,000rpm. The best thing about the motor, though, was the sound. Imagine combining Sprint Cup car with WWII fighter plane. I discovered that the paddles behind the steering wheel could be used to play some beautiful engine music in manual mode - throttle blips on downshifts and throaty gurgling on liftoff.

Like the engine, the chassis seemed to be set up to entertain. The C63 was so easy to steer on throttle. After the drive, I got the sense that the MB AMG engineers were willing to sacrifice fractions of a second in track performance relative to the rival M3 in exchange for bigger fun factor and greater drama.

I chose the C63 and I am loving it!

 

Great choice. Any reason you didn't consider the BMW M3? I'd still rather have the Mercedes anyway.

 

Good choice. MB makes the most wonderful passenger cars with a high safety factor. They are not track machines, but for street and highway use the straight-line power will be nice to have. I've always wanted a Porsche turbo and probably would have gone with that, even with the auto, but your C63 sounds like the right car at the right time for you. Good luck with it.

 

I could only find manual-equipped M3s in my price window. Also, I'm not a great fan of how the M3 looks. It doesn't seem as visually differentiated from its lesser powered bretheren.

I'm really enjoying the C63 so far. This past weekend, I was on a fantastic Colorado mountain drive with the Porsche club. I was sandwiched between two 911 Turbos (a 996 and a 997) and had no problem running with the pack over some of the most exhilirating roads I've ever driven. The little AMG performed respectably and was incredibly fun. I loved taking big bites of full throttle and savoring that wonderful sound over and over again.

 

A Porsche with a tip has always been a bit of a disappointment. The C63 was a better choice if you wanted an autotranny.

 

Good choice, the C63's look great and drive great!

 

Congrats on your purchase. Im really considering a c63 also as a daily driver, what would be a fair price for a 08-09 with low miles?

 

Nice choice! I'm shopping a daily toy too. I like the C63 but wonder if I'd miss the drama of a real sports car.

On a different note, how does the C compare to your E55?

 

I would guess $45k-$50k based on my recent experience.

 

The C63 is a much more entertaining driver's car than the E55. The E55 has impressive accelerative thrust and makes big power gains with simple mods. However, the fun ends there. The E55 doesn't like to be hustled through corners. It feels imprecise and a little sloppy over twisty tarmac. The C63 may not be a track special, but its on-road handling is very engaging. I seek out the twisties behind the wheel of the C, but never thought to do so in the E once I got familiar with the big car's cornering behavior shortcomings.

The E55's supercharged V8 sounds pretty sweet, but the 63's normally aspirated motor is in a whole other league when it comes to sonic goodness.

 

nice write up!! and congrats on the hot ride!! gotta love the sound of German muscle car

 

Congratulations on the new acquisition. Enjoy in good health! Any plans for it?
Those engines are perfect for tuning.