need opinion looking to buy 2012 porsche

having owned 5 Ferrari's i am at a point in my life to try something different. I did own porsche's and had a lot of fun with with them. my f430 2005 I just don't drive that much.I have driven a 2012 prosche turbo..quick car but I am bending towards the new 911. I will say that shifting with PDK is very smooth compared to the F1 430. Totally different. I want a more driveable car that I can just jump in and drive away. There is a local porsche dealership in buffalo ny 15 minutes from my house. With the ferrari and any service I have to take it to Toronto Ont. Just looking for some thoughts on this matter. Thanks very much. Van

 

i find the trade off with a 911-equipped pdk to be a sense of loss of involvement in the driving experience.
when the pdk shifts gears, i find it almost too smooth.
the only way you can tell the tranny is shifting is by looking at the gear indicator on the dashboard.
and paddle shifting the 911 does not give the same sensory feedback one gets on the 430 or the 458, imho.
because the 911is a sports car, i believe this vehicle needs to be equipped with a manual tranny to provide a sense of feedback and passion in the driving experience.

that being said, my wife has a panamara with a pdk.
i love the way the car handles.
since the panamara is not really a sports car, i have no issue with the pdk in this vehicle.

 

I am assuming your going to look at the new 2012 "991", if so there have been significant improvements on the software on the PDK from the 997. I have one of the last 2012 997's that I use as a DD, and what you said is correct. They are fabulous cars that you can jump into and go anywhere without any hassles. But you will not get the same thrill as you will with a Ferrari. I know because I also have a 430.

 

The new 991 should provide a very 'driveable' experience. As Tony says updated PDK and the new electric steering to. The longer wheelbase and wider front track also give the driver more confidence. Weight distribution is still the same but the experience is more GT that sports car especially with the RWD versions. 4WD and Turbo will come later. I would take the new 991 over a 997 TT.
Who is the Porsche dealer in Buffalo now?
CH

 

should be interesting to try out the new pdk.
i would hold off buying an older vehicle until you have that chance.

 

I'm going to have a look at an S cabrio when they arrive,... but as I stated in a prior thread,... The car will sticker at $130K US.

Considering other choices at that price,... and the depreciation Porsches suffer,... I think the odds of me buying 1 new are essentially zero.

 

Is it worse than other high end cars? Aston Martin and Maserati prices collapse after the first few miles, and Ferrari doesn't seem much better (many used Californias, 599s and 458s coming available.)

Granted all new cars get socked...

 

No,... perhaps not,... but I'm doing apples to oranges and c/w a 2 y/o Maser Gran Cab or a 3 year old Bentley GTC to avoid a large portion of the hit on those cars.

 

See if you can drive a new one? It's hard to tell if it's going to do it for you until you get behind the wheel.

 

in this price range, depreciation is certainly a consideration.
however, comparing a bentley to a 911 really is comparing apples to oranges, imho!
while the depreciation on bentleys has been historically low (as a percentage of msrp), this could change now that they have released an updated model for 2012.
and the repair costs for a 3 year old gtc could eat up any savings gained on the depreciation.
the "fun factor" should also taken into consideration.
the bentley is a heavy touring car, and tends to appeal to an older age group.
the 911 is far more nimble, using 1/2 the cylinders to achieve similar acceleration.
perhaps you should consider getting both vehicles!

 

In this case I think we are talking about cabs, which the apples and oranges become much closer especially if you have to have someone in the back seats. My twin boys are now 7 and have grouwn up in the back seat of my 06 997S Cab. I am not that tall (5'8") and they might have another year or year and a half of seat time back there. The Bentley is better, though I do tend to think that car has to much that can go wrong. I owned The Maser in coupe form and the back seats are huge in compared to the new or old Porsche. The only other convertable I can think of that can offer fun and a sporty feeling with a decent back seat is the new 6 series

 

I agree. I'm getting a 4 seat convertible "soon"... the choices being Bentley GTC, Maser Gran Cab, Porsche S Cab, or the 2012 6-series.

Maser wins on style... BMW wins on invisibility... Bentley wins on lux... P-car wins on middle age poser... . I have a feeling the 6 will win out on practicality.

 

If it were me, I'd take a hard look at an '08 GT2. IMO the most sporting of the currently available Porsches and has taken a big depreciation hit. I know the GT3 variants are awesome, too, but I think I'd prefer the power of the GT2 (price no object, the GT2RS). The new 991 car won't have that kind of performance until the turbo, and probably the GT variants are made, a year or more out.

 

The current (997) 2012 Carrera GTS is a bargain at ~$103K MSRP (less current discounts). The price includes the $16K X51 Powerkit 3.8 F6 for the Carrera S. It has the wider (by 44mm) rear end.

The interior is very nice. Porsche says 408 bhp and 3340 pounds with a 190 mph top speed.

 

but wait until you see the updated interior in 3 months!
you may not want the older product!

 

I agree.

But the dealer is heavily discounting the 997 while you'll be lucky to get a new 991 at MSRP.

I can wait.

 

It may be a GT car in terms of ease of use and comfort, but pulling 1.0 on the skid path and 0-60 in 3.6 seconds means its sports car in terms of performance. It had a similar time to the gt3 on the Ring.

 

I have a 2012 Porsche Turbo S Cab and also have a 2009 F430 Spider and love them both. They are in fact two completely different cars however the Porsche is actually a lot faster than the Ferrari. The nice thing about the Porsche is it can be as aggressive as you want it to be or a daily driver with no problems. If you think the Turbo S is too calm, hit the launch control button and get back with me. I love to just drive the Ferrari with no place to go. Mainly because I live in Ohio and they are not very common around here so you generally can't leave it out of your sight for too long. I would test drive a Turbo S and I think you will find it is a great all around car.

 

i just did a test drive in the new (991) 911s.
all i can say is wow.
i did not like the pdk in previous 911 models.
however, the new pdk rocks.
the new 911 has a very nice auditory feedback from the exhaust.
and the acceleration is impressive.
the electronics are fantastic.
if i were to get an older model year 911, i would only consider a manual tranny.
on this new vehicle, i could live with the paddle shifting pdk.

 

I have heard the new PDK is excellent as well. I am supposed to drive in on Saturday, thanks for the great Post.

 

how is the electric steering? any feeling of being isolated from the road? does it still do that great 911 light front end patter over bumps*?

*people complain about that tendency (most notably one J. Clarkson) but I like being reminded that the engine is out back

 

the steering was perfect.
there was no way i could tell it was electric
there was no perceived difference.
however my test drive was short
i was on fairly smooth pavement and noticed no issues with the front end whatsoever.
i must say, i have had 3 911's in the past and never perceived "light front end patter over bumps".