I'm getting ready to go back to work in a couple of months, maybe Dec or January. My work place will be different, rather than a 4 mile commute like I used to have, I will now have 30 miles each way. This includes a lot of elevation change and pretty twisty 4 lane road the whole way. I'll be buying a daily driver that I need to depend on and, hopefully, have a little fun with on that commute. I would love opinions from knowledgeable folks about this particular car for that duty. Also, any features not present on this particular car that you think I should look for. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2002-C4S-Factory-Widebody-Seal-Grey-Blk-30k-Mi-NJ_W0QQitemZ270040709795QQihZ017QQcategoryZ10156QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
A 996 would make a nice commuter car for a twisty route. I'm not so sure about a C4S, though you'll have to drive it and see if you like it. I'd consider a C2S if you want it a bit sportier, but the C4S may work better as an all-weather car. A C4S is a decently fast car, but it's not a turbo. I found my 996TT to have plenty of power, but a bit "heavy" in feel between the weight and AWD, so take away 20-25% of the HP and you might not be satisfied, hence it would be good to try and drive an example first. You can load up a Porsche with lots of leather, wood and CF frills, but they just raise the price, don't do much and retain low resale value. The sport seats are good, but get expensive if you get the electric motors (base sport seats are manual adjustment). Gotta-have luxury options (for me) are the xenon lights and heated seats. Nav is nice, but not necessary if you only use it for commute. Factory performance options that are sometimes configured include an exhaust upgrade and a performance upgrade, but they're usually not worth adding if the original buyer didn't opt for them. The aftermarket is very plentiful for Porsches and you can get better value and results than factory if you want to go that route, particularly since warranty isn't an issue now. A persistent problem people complain about for the standard 996 series is an RMS (rear main seal) leak, which can be expensive since it is now out of warranty; so check for oil leaks around the engine/transmission. Otherwise, Porsches are generally problem-free and make a fun commuter.
my 911 Carrera is on Ferrari ads. i need to sell it to get a lambo Jalpa. car is well sorted, everything works. ignore the price, i will fix that for you and only you . it is a euro car with a clean Ga title. dont know if you can use a euro car where you are at. i thought you retired?
Thanks for the thoughtful reply yin. Foul weather isn't really an issue, I have other things to drive during the really bad stuff. The C2S might just be the ticket, considering your comments.
What about a Maserati Gransport or Coupe or Spyder? Something a little bit different than the standard porsche, albeit unlikely not as reliable... and dealership location may be an issue. Probably not what you want... but I know my parents loved both the coupe and the spyder that we had...
I like Yin's answer, and would also add that the 996TT AWD is solid, and with a relatively simple ECU mod the power can be upped significantly to more than offset the additional weight. I always would get a bit nervous in the 360 with RWD on twisties in inclement weather. By contrast, I found the 996TT very capable and sure-footed. Additionally, it is well-behaved in stop-and-go traffic as well.
An Audi A6 with the sport suspension. Really roomy, really gets attention. Perfect match to a Ferrari in the garage.
I don't think in the realm of 911s, how about a Nissan 350Z? It's fast, sporty, reliable, and most importantly cheap! And you can get a new loaded one for under 35k. Just my opinion.
Being a Porsche guy, I have to say there is not better all-weather sportscar on the face of the planet. It sounds like you will not be using it in snow, so go with the C2s. As Yin stated above, it is noticably lighter & more nimble. Of course upgrading to the turbo is always a good idea, but if you want to keep it in the 50k range, you can't go wrong with the C2s. Good Luck, and keep us posted!!!
Doc, I brought a 2006 C55 as my daily. This is a really, really nice car. Better yet being gray/white, it flies under the radar screen. Yesterday, the trooper tagged the Porsche and didn't even look at me. In fact, the car reminds me of a F430. I'm not kidding. I'm not saying that it is as good as the Ferrari, but it drives very similar. All this, and four seats. Finally, I paid 52k for mine. Dale