Decision Time --- Need your Help!

[ChinoOrtega]

The S is faster, the C2S is even faster

[niqui]

i drove a 2009 c4s 6mt and was underwhelmed, it was part of the porshce canada tour...
yes it was a great car, but i dunno i expected more after all the amazing reviews porsche gets (i always loved the cayman s)
the c4s also felt slower than my car, though it isnt, it felt it, but the precise brake feel and steering feel were nice and initially took some getting used too.
when i first test drove the cayman s, after driving an sclass for 2 years it felt great, like a handling crotch rocket.
then i bought the m and went back to porshe day and it didnt feel the same...i guess the 400hp spoiled me.

[hiimwayne]

Originally Posted by brava09

What's the mileage on the porsche?

Carrera S gets an estimated 18 City / 26 Highway while the M3 14 mpg city/ 20 mpg highway. M3 has free maintenance up to 50k miles and much more practical and more comfortable. I'd get the e92 M3 even though the CPO Porshe has a 100k powertrain warranty.

[brava09]

Originally Posted by hiimwayne

Carrera S gets an estimated 18 City / 26 Highway while the M3 14 mpg city/ 20 mpg highway. M3 has free maintenance up to 50k miles and much more practical and more comfortable. I'd get the e92 M3 even though the CPO Porshe has a 100k powertrain warranty.

Sorry, in fact wanted to know how many miles on the Porsche already, as the OP said it is a CPO.

[TLud]

Originally Posted by ChinoOrtega

The S is faster, the C2S is even faster

What you call the S is the C2S. "C" just stands for Carrera, "2" stands for the number of drive wheels (2 or 4), and "S" obviously refers to the sport model, so you have the C2, C2S, C4, and C4S, as well as the various other 997 derivatives.

All of the 997.2 models, especially if equipped with PDK, will beat a stock M3 pretty handily in a straight line. Even the base 997.2 C2 has a slight edge in straight line acceleration. I think some of you are judging the 997's based on experiences with the previous version, which are significantly slower in a straight line. The M3 is a bit faster than the 997.1 C2 and C4, but still not as fast as the 997.1 C2S or C4S.

[TLud]

Originally Posted by shift@red

Bingo! Even though the 997.2 hp increase was minimal, Porsche's put down there power very well. The 997.2 IIRC puts down 340-350 rwhp. The car with 6mt is fast, with PDK its absolutely blisteringly fast.

Yep, Porsche claims (and the tests reflect this) that the PDK shaves 0.2 s off the 0-60 time. Adding the Sport Chrono Plus package, which includes a launch control feature, knocks off another 0.2 s apparently.

[H Bomb]

so what is the 0-60 on the C2S?? i know there have been stock M3 that have done 4.1 sec or what car and driver posts. i bet that had to be a DCT. i have a 6sp and i can't see me getting anywhere near 4.1 sec to 60mph. i don't care as i like a manual better but just curious what the 0-60 is on a C2S or newer one for that matter. i think the older ones were 4.7 and the reg C was 5.1.

thanks for the info and links

[graider]

what about look? OP, which one you like better in the look department. i mean you gotta drive something you wont be bored to look at everyday IMO.

[krnnerdboy]

I really miss my 997.1 And I would get it in a heart beat over the m3 or any other car for that matter, but they sure do have poor resale over bmw. Don't rule out the cayman s w/pdk either...most likely my next car

[Silverstone]

Two great choices indeed.

I thought about both of these cars before i got an M3.

to me space was important, and i always use the extra two seats.

touch choice man...goodluck .

[stickypaws]

My 993 was 72k MSRP in 1996. I could sell it today for 45k in a heartbeat. Go figure

[H Bomb]

what is the difference btw the 997.1 and the 997.2 just year ranges?? what year started the 997.2??

also you said MUCH faster then the M3. even at 3.9 the M3 is 4.1 so i wouldn't say much faster. faster yes but only by .2 sec and the 1/4 mile is not far off either

i mean they are two totally different cars anyway but in the power department i would say there pretty close no??

Originally Posted by shift@red

This is way off. Remember that Porsche's 'quoted' times are insanely conservative.

The 997.1S ran 0-60 in ~4.1-4.2 seconds on average. R&T actually had the best time of 3.9 seconds, with a 6mt.

Here is a 997.2S Cabrio with PDK That ran 0-60 in 3.9 seconds.
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...pdk/index.html

Heres a test of the 6mt 997.2S coupe. 0-60 in 3.9 seconds, 12.4@114 quarter mile.
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...take_road_test

"The extra gusto made for a 3.9-second 0-to-60 run, which lopped 0.4 second off the time of the last manual Carrera S we tested. The quarter-mile was dispensed in 12.4 seconds at 114 mph. And all that comes without the PDK’s brains and optional launch-control setting."

The Carrera S with PDK is going to be faster than both.

Just for reference, here the specs on the new 2009 Boxster S with PDK

R&T: 0-60: 4.1 seconds
1/4 mile: 12.6 seconds @ 110.2
.98g skidpad

[H Bomb]

good info thanks. the 997S was always a choice for me, they were just to much money at the time and i felt the M3 would be a better DD for me as well. maybe next time around seeing it looks like the new M3 won't be NA

Originally Posted by shift@red

The 997.2S has direct injection, 30 more hp, more tq, optional PDK, the engine sits lower. Those are the prominent changes. 997.1 is 2005-2008. 997.2 is 2009-?.

0-60 is affected largely by A) a cars ability to launch, B) its traction off the line, and C) its tires (see B). 0-60 isnt really worth much these days.
As far as quarter mile, the 997.2S has faster ET's and trap speeds.
If you look at what a 997.2S does to an M3 on a track, or from a roll on race, its much faster. By your same caveat (0-60), you wouldnt expect a ZR1 to be much faster than either the 997S or M3, but thats not even close to the truth.
As speeds increase in a straight line race, the 997.2S will only pull away more and more. A base 997.2 with PDK will edge out the M3 to 150 mph by about 1 second (due to aerodynamics mostly), and its down 70 hp and some tq. That I would consider close, a drivers race. a 997.2S with PDK will hit 150 mph ~2.5-3 seconds faster than an M3. Roughly speaking, 3 seconds at 150 mph is 660 ft (~1/8 mile). This difference is not very close.

They are two very different cars in nearly every aspect. Looking at just power numbers alone doesnt tell the whole story. Look at the crank hp/weight, where the 997S comes in at 8.57 (3300 lbs/385 hp), compared to 8.7 for the M3 (3600 lbs/414 hp). And if you look even more at wheel hp they put down about the same hp to the wheels. So at wheel hp to weight, the 997S comes in at 9.7, and the M3 at 10.6.

[graider]

Originally Posted by stickypaws

My 993 was 72k MSRP in 1996. I could sell it today for 45k in a heartbeat. Go figure

one thing people forgot is 72k in 1996 is not the same as 72k today.

[stickypaws]

Originally Posted by graider

one thing people forgot is 72k in 1996 is not the same as 72k today.

Actual 2009 dollar value of 72k is 98k. ($1.00 in 1996 had about the same value as $1.35 in 2009. Inflation from 1996 to 2009 was close to 2.45%.)

But 50% is the drop is over 13 years. 98k in 1996 minus 45k today.

A car that sold for 99k in 2006 is the same as 106k in 2009 dollars. If I can pick up a used 2006 for 50-60k, the value has dropped almost 50% over just 3 years.

I guess the real question is what will a 996/997 be worth (in respect to its original MSRP) in 13 years?

[FStop7]

I would take the M3 over the 997S unless its' a 997.2

[graider]

Originally Posted by stickypaws

Actual 2009 dollar value of 72k is 98k. ($1.00 in 1996 had about the same value as $1.35 in 2009. Inflation from 1996 to 2009 was close to 2.45%.)

But 50% is the drop is over 13 years. 98k in 1996 minus 45k today.

A car that sold for 99k in 2006 is the same as 106k in 2009 dollars. If I can pick up a used 2006 for 50-60k, the value has dropped almost 50% over just 3 years.

I guess the real question is what will a 996/997 be worth (in respect to its original MSRP) in 13 years?

I think the the 997 gt3/rs or some special model liek the boxter rs will hold it value well. the rest of the current porsche line, not so much.