OT: porsche 996 911

[healtoeit]

Well... I never thought i could find a car I liked better then the e34... I never thought I could! Honestly!
I went to an autocross event and my instructor drove a 996 porsche 911, it handled amazing and was just a blast to get bounced around in! From the passenger seat I thought it had the feel of an e39 540.
now...
I've driven a e39 540i (for over a year)...
It's steering response was like my parents and I trying to have a conversation...
It's engine revved like me trying to get out of bed in the morning...
It felt heavy in corners
BUT
accelerated like a bat out of hell!
and was comfortable

I say this because that ended my search! I thought any car OBDII or later had too many electronic gizmos and too much insulation to give me the driving experience that I receive from my e34, the e34 was the car for me!

Then...
one day last week....
My friend invites me over and his Dad lets ME :D(yes ME) take out there Porsche 911 (just your run of the mill porsche 996 911, not a turbo or a 4)

!HOLY JESUS!

from the driver's seat this was no e39! The car was amazing! it had the feeling of my e34... I can't put my finger on it but it felt very similar. It's steering response had the same, ok i'll admit it, better, feeling then my e34, I felt at home right away! and the handling! OMG!!! amazing, hitting the apex right in that car, you felt the rear outside wheel PUSH the car out of the corner, never I have I driven in a car that has handled like that car did!
plzplzplz help me stick with my e34 b/c I love my car, but the fact that I can have that model Porsche for under $20,000 is causing my mind to think... yea I could afford one!
HELP!!!!

[Rick L]

Definitely cannot compare pure sports car like 911 to a four door sedan like E34. It's day and night difference. I thought my E46 m3 handles well but after driving 911, 911 feels like it would do circles around my M3. It feels very agile and nimble. If I wanted a track car, that would be it!

[Sam-Son]

nothing like a 911;)

[repenttokyo]

the trouble with a 911 is, everyone has one.

[Sam-Son]

who cares? that doesnt take away from the fact that theyre incredible to drive...**** everyone has an M5...you still want one dont you?

[repenttokyo]

who cares? that doesnt take away from the fact that theyre incredible to drive...**** everyone has an M5...you still want one dont you?

everyone does not have an M5 - at least not in North America. I am lucky if I see one every 2 months in Boston - in Montreal I saw two a year. I see 5 to 10 911's every day.

I prefer to drive cars that are less common, so it does matter to me.

[healtoeit]

Definitely cannot compare pure sports car like 911 to a four door sedan like E34.

good point!

i'm still not convinced though... lol... I did circles around a shelby mustang at the track in my 525i so its all how you choose to drive

[healtoeit]

the trouble with a 911 is, everyone has one.

I hardly see them, point is everyone may have one but noone drives them, plus the ones that people have are the convertible or the 4... I like rear wheel drive THANK YOU!!

[healtoeit]

everyone does not have an M5 - at least not in North America. I am lucky if I see one every 2 months in Boston - in Montreal I saw two a year. I see 5 to 10 911's every day.

I prefer to drive cars that are less common, so it does matter to me.

I see more m5s then I do 911s...

[repenttokyo]

I see more m5s then I do 911s...

no idea where you live - maybe if I lived there my opinion would be different. Even at track events, 911's outnumber M5's, I didn't see a single M5 at track event all summer.

I am not disparaging the car by any means, just commenting on how it seems to be the car people buy as soon as they come into a little money - like a 3 Series, almost. Corvette Z06's have the same sort of commonality issue.

[healtoeit]

no idea where you live - maybe if I lived there my opinion would be different. Even at track events, 911's outnumber M5's, I didn't see a single M5 at track event all summer.

I am not disparaging the car by any means, just commenting on how it seems to be the car people buy as soon as they come into a little money - like a 3 Series, almost. Corvette Z06's have the same sort of commonality issue.
true, but at least the porsche drivers are taking there cars somewhere to actually DRIVE their cars... I love my e34 to death, but that porsche was jsut godlike... as for a Z06... other then the sounds an American v8 makes they do nothing for me. Plus I like the sound of a Ford over a chevy... but that would be choosing the lesser of two evils

[attack eagle]

try a short wheelbase 911 (pre 67). If you can keep the rear in the rear, it is a complete blast.

I've always loved driving older narrow tired sports cars.

[leicesterboy15]

I see more 911s than M5s of any era here in London. mind you I see more Bentleys than M5s! My friend had a 996 911 and it was reliable, incredibly fast and great fun but the running costs were crippling! Tyres alone cost a fortune particularly as you are supposed to change both tyres on the same axle, a puncture could cost £500 for new rubber alone. I believe the water cooled 996 was cheaper to run than the earlier (993?) air cooled version but the air cooled one has to be the coolest (no pun intended). Any he sold his 911 and did a straight swap for a e60 530d which he said was like driving a boat compared to the 911 although in a straight line it was immense. He has a Boxter now which is a good compromise between use-everyday reliability, drive-ability and running costs, they say its the poor mans Porsche but I have to disagree, its still an event driving one. A 5 series is not a poor mans 7 series so why is a Boxter different?

[Paul in NZ]

hardly a fair comparison!For what its worth any manual 996 porche is worth ten to twenty times the current value of my 535 im in my country!

[healtoeit]

hardly a fair comparison!For what its worth any manual 996 porche is worth ten to twenty times the current value of my 535 im in my country!
I know it's not fair, but what is the first thing you do when you hop back into the e34 after driving another car, you compare!

As to the worth, prices are all over the place, and the Porsche is worth more, so it is pointless to think about it

[Rick L]

Oooh!!! Those older 911s are scary... Just the same for the 70s and the 80s 911s too... That rear end comes loose in a blink of an eye! ;)


try a short wheelbase 911 (pre 67). If you can keep the rear in the rear, it is a complete blast.

I've always loved driving older narrow tired sports cars.

[Rick L]

You know, mid-engine design of Boxter is much better design than the 911. Balance of the car is so much better. Porsche knows this so what they do is put LESS powerful engine in Boxter so they can sell 911s at higher cost! Just imagine if you can get the same engine options in a Boxter as the 911s? It will out perform 911s. All modern 911s has all kinds of tracking controls to keep that rear end in check. But Boxter don't...? That tells you something... I don't think Boxter as a poor mans Porsche, especially the S models. But many people who cannot afford 911s do buy Boxters... :)



He has a Boxter now which is a good compromise between use-everyday reliability, drive-ability and running costs, they say its the poor mans Porsche but I have to disagree, its still an event driving one. A 5 series is not a poor mans 7 series so why is a Boxter different?

[healtoeit]

Balance of the car is so much better.

The balance if a 911 is different from a Boxster. Neither is better or worse, it's all opinion.
On that note, I would rather have the weight over the rear so I could accelerate earlier out of a corner. The weight distribution of a 911 is unique and I like it

[Rick L]

Current weight bias is like 35 front to 65 rear for 911. Porsche uses all kinds of stability control for 911 to keep the rear end under control. I guess if you are a good driver and know how to handle rear engine car like 911, going around sharp turns would be a big plus. But not many average drivers are comfortable with oversteer. And most auto manufacture purposely make cars to slightly understeer so it is easier to control the car. I think 911s are great cars and blast to drive but you have to be on your toes and alert. For me, I prefer mid-engine over rear. And most have to agree that mid-engine design will give you the best balance on a car. And I really do think if Porsche offers all the performance options you find in 911 for Cayman (hard top Boxter), Cayman will outperform 911. At least in my opinion... ;)


The balance if a 911 is different from a Boxster. Neither is better or worse, it's all opinion.
On that note, I would rather have the weight over the rear so I could accelerate earlier out of a corner. The weight distribution of a 911 is unique and I like it