Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

In my motoring bucket list I have Range Rover, Porsche 911 and Rolls Royce or Bentley. It's now time to move on to the Porsche.

No doubt it will offend some purists but I do not want a manual. I have heard some unfavourable comments about the sluggish performance of the Porsche tiptronic gearbox. Fortunately the budget will reach PDK models. I do not want a convertible. I am not into racing so no GT2 or GT3. Frankly, having decided I want PDK my budget will not stretch to a turbo and anyhow the "basic" Carreras seem to have sufficient performance for my "needs".

So a relatively new Carrera or Targa 911 with PDK is about all I have actually decided.

I know there is no right answer to some of these questions but I would welcome some opinions.

1) Is Targa just a personal choice, ie is there any objective reason not to choose one? Obviously they are less common.

2) I'm not grossly obese but 38" waist and someone very kindly suggested that I may prefer basic rather than sports seats. Sounds sensible, but I cannot say I have found the sports seats uncomfortable on a test drive.

3) Should I go for a 3.8 S? (I suspect that this question is related to the following, but I wanted to ask it separately.)

4) What extras do you consider to be the ones to seek? Now, this is a very subjective and could be a long list. Any reply will be appreciated, but if it helps might I suggest you list those (the top three/four?) that should help value when it comes to re-sell and (if different) maybe the same number that tick you wish list?

5) Why on earth are so many Porsche buyers obsessed with black, silver and just maybe, if radical, white or grey?

Any further comments would be appreciated.

Hi and welcome I'll try and give you my opinion, but like you have said, it's all subjective and as per the answer to question 1, all about personal choice.

1) yes is a personal choice. The older ones have become harder to keep water tight, but a new one will be ok.

2) by the sound of it I'm maybe a wee bit bigger than you, and I love my sports seats. I drove from Reims to Lanark last year, only stopping for fuel and the Chunnel, and walked away without any back pain. The new 991 has great feature that retracts the steering column and seat to help you get in and out.

3) get the best you can afford.

4) get the most you can afford, but since you asked, PSE is the main one I'd pick. Then sports seats, the rest will have very little effect come resale time.

5) again, colour is important at resale time. The sales guys will influence someone when buying a new car and the colours you've mentioned are easy to resell. I personally like cobalt blue and guards red. I think my next car will be a cobalt 997 turbo with a PDK box. I don't think they're obsessed, just aware that they're not buying the car to keep forever, they will sell it. Only someone who can afford to throw the car away will buy one they know will be hard to sell, and possibley loose money on the resale.

I like the PDK, but that's why Porsche make versions of all their cars and gear boxes. It would be pretty boring if we all had the same car, in the same colour, with the same gearbox and the same body style. You should buy what you want, can afford and will enjoy.

As above, the colour is a farce if I'm honest come resale time..

I've had a 'different' from the normal colour and that come trade in time was less because it was different, I then had a Black on Black and come resale time it was worth less because they have so many of that colour combination..- but they do resell quicker..

I went Meteor Grey and Cocoa last time and on trade in there was no comment different from before.. however that car went on the forecourt and was sold within 4 days- because someone else was a bit fed up with the safe option and wanted something different..

My advice would definitely be buy the colour you want- come resale it will be the wrong one anyhow.

OK the answers about colour made me smile. My father was in the motor trade and his salesmen told me similar stories years ago. Colour X was extremely popular if they were selling and the devil's spawn if you were trading in.

The question I forgot to ask was the advantage or disadvantage of four wheel drive (apart from the obvious).

I'm old enough to remember stories (in the 1970s? 1980s?) of 911s regularly reversing off the round just after a significant bend in the road. Now I assume board members are all brilliant drivers and those crashing their cars all wore red braces. Also, I understand that the handling problems have now been sorted.

So over to those with the knowledge, would you go for 4WD? (I may have answered my question ….. please read on).

Moving on I have had two test drives. The first was a Targa 4 PDK obviously the 3.6. I found this quite depressing. The combination of black interior and exterior did not excite me and the car clattered around like a horse and cart. Now don't get me wrong, I was not expecting a Citroen magic carpet ride, but this was worse than I expected. The vehicle was quite basic – no sports chrono package so this could not be the reason.

Sod this I thought and started looking at Bentleys on the internet. However, something was niggling me so I thought I would give it another go and tried a 2WD GTS. Ignoring the obvious fact it was, this appeared to be a completely different car and converted me.

So why the difference? Presumably the large sun roof of the Targa does not affect handling much? Is the 4WD the reason for the big difference?

Targa, isn't really the place to start to be fair.. all that weight up top and not the best drive unit out of the lot, however my Mrs loves them and I can understand why people choose them - but it's not the sports version of the 911 if I'm honest... saying that I know a few Targa owners who can pedal them quite well..

The GTS is by far the best VFM Porsche out there at the moment, it offered a lot of car for its price being something of a run out model.
The 2wd is the Porsche feel with the light steering and slightly bobby front end- wonderful experience.
The 4wd has the extra weight over the front and stops the bobbing quite a bit and Yes it has some wonderful traction out of bends - push it and it'll still wiggle it's tail for you!!
You do lose some boot space on the 4wd if that is of a concern..

I had a 997 Turbo and loved pushing it around bends, using the understeer to make the bend and having a hoon doing it at the same time
The 911 is a different driving style to anything else I owned in order to get the best out of it, once you click you get to feel that grip and power out of bends and then you'll 'get the 911'

All IMHO

If your budget stretches, do test drive a 991 Carrera PDK....I have an S but reckon the non S would have plenty enough power. These were launched 18 months ago and with the arrival soon of the GT and turbo models, some should appear on the market. I also have a 38 waistline (although attempting to reduce) and have no problem with the sports seats. These cars in 2 wheel drive are not "tail happy"...... I tracked mine at Blyton and was pushing hard (although with stability controls engaged) and managed to get the tail sliding on a couple of occasions but this was easily caught. In the wet and on public highways all these cars should be driven with respect. I am not a huge convertible or targa fan, the coupe shell is stiff and rattle free. Colour is irrelevant in my opinion. Go with what is available on the "right" car.

Good luck with your search

997 3.8S gen 2 is all the car you'll ever need, really quick and feels like a 911, values holding up OK at the moment.

Avoid Targa, lots of body flex and weight up top affecting the feel of the car, not to my taste having tried one. Also you loose the lovely rear window curve to a sharp point in the Targa.

Options, forget about the colours as said, sports exhaust nice but rare in this model, normal seats offer good support other than that nothing really.

Well the deed is done.

Next week I pick up a 911 Carerra GTS PGK in white.

Comes with some bits I had not necessarily sought such as PSM, Sports Chrono Plus and Sports Exhaust. No doubt essential for popping down to Sainsburys to see what I can no longer fit in the boot, or is that bonnet!?

well done! congratulations, I am sure you will enjoy

Very nice, enjoy it!

Have fun!

congratulations, a fine example to have and to drive..

Well done, great car the GTS

Umm decisive, sounds like a good move. I am sure you'll enjoy it.

We really need pictures as soon as.