Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Two months into owning my first Porsche, I thought I'd write up a quick review and see if others have the same views.

Having spent much of my childhood and early career dreaming, and my late twenties seriously considering, I found myself in a strong enough financial position to turn the dream into reality. Months of trawling finally revealed to me a bog-standard black 993 C2 manual. I had hoped for a midnight blue targa, but I'm now so in love, I know it was the right choice (as they say, buying a porsche is an emotional decision).

Took a couple of weeks to get over the "what the f**k have I just done? I've just dropped more cash on a 15 year old car than many people put down on a mortgage deposit" guilt feelings, it was onto enjoying the car.

So, after two months, and 2.5k miles (it was a weekend toy but the weather and daily drive...just too good to resist!), here's my summary of the good and the bad...well, not really any bad, more 'not-so-good':

The Good
+ great looks...walking back to it in the car park just makes me smile
+ great looks...turns more heads than my MkIV Golf GTi
+ great sound...I (think) I have RSRs, it grumbles and purrs at low revs
+ great sound...hit 5,000rpm and it's like, well, you know what I mean
+ even after 15 years and 70k miles, it's solid, no squeaks or rattles, well built. You don't get that in a Golf!
+ it's a 'nuts and bolts' car
+ the handling just impresses me the more and more I test it, must get some tuition so I learn where the limits are before she bites me
+ I love the fact that other porsche drivers wave (well, except for boxsters/cayennes!), you don't get that in a Golf!
+ I love the fact that I can go to events like Gaydon and Silverstone Classic, you don't get that in a Golf!
+ Got dirt cheap insurance through admiral multicar...actually cheaper to insure than my Golf (lower mileage and in a garage)
+ I love that fact that when I think senior management at work come over and say "Did I see you in a black porsche the other day?", when I'm expecting the old "Please don't bring it to work you flash IT contractor", I actually get a "Cool...I've always wanted one, what's it like to drive? Can I have a go in it?"
+ Did I mention that it looks amazing?
+ And sounds amazing?

The Not-So-Good (but not really that bad!)
- It drinks fuel (but that's to be expected!)
- The suspension, manual gearbox, brakes etc can make the commute to work a little tiring (but strangely make the commute home *much* more fun!)
- I could easily drop a few grand on it on top of normal running costs...chip, suspension upgrade etc etc
- My non-varioram is not torquey enough between 2-5k rpm, could really do with a varioram
- Suspension is a little too much of a hard ride for my day-to-day liking
- Interior is now looking very dated, externally she hasn't aged, internally she has hit 'classic' status already!
- windscreen wipers...nice clean car, driving down road, bug hits screen, windscreen wipers/washers on, no more nice clean car!
- headlights...well documented, not sure I can be bothered to upgrade to litronics
- I used to wash the Golf every couple of months (my ZR160 before that every 6 months). Now I'm into the two buckets double wash/clay/pre-cleanse/polish/wax/post-wax not-quite-detailing-but-close-enough-for-my-mates-to-think-I'm-a-bit-OCD cleaning regime
- Every time I get back into a 'normal' car (like the Golf) I expect the brakes to have the same resistance, and end up doing emergency stops 20 yards from the junction...apologies to anyone following me!!
- Every time I get back into a 'normal' car, I yearn to be back in the 911. It's the first car I've ever owned that I actually miss

There you go. I know what people mean when they say "Every mile is a smile". I'm hooked. Addicted. Found myself looking through the classifeds the other day for my next one...("...perhaps a 996 to cover off the daily commute duties...". Two months in and I'm looking at buying another one as well. My mates -will- think I've lost it if I have two 911s! But now I'm looking at houses with double garages to fit them both in. Then perhaps a 964 and a 997 to complete the collection. Then a lightweight. And perhaps a RUF as a curveball. Then again, 993TTs are holding their value at the moment...snap out of it! (/wakes up to reality/)

Hi

An absolutely cracking motor.

The Good,

Yes agreed and more. My car has the optional sound pack. Sounds exotic but I think all you get is a silvered rim on the start of the thoat on air intake to filter and loads of drillings in air filter housing together with different exhaust tips. However, the sound is great together with popping on the over run.

After a good run you can fry eggs and bacon on the rear wheel arches or thaw out your hands if it's a cold day. However, all the cracking noises from the rear end when you switch off are a bit disconcerting

The not so good

Here we have a few issues. 18 mpg initially but now have managed to get up to 22mpg but that's taken two years to achieve.

Bumpy and a bit uncomfortable but only on "not so good roads". However, on decent roads with the tail up and you are moving it's fabulous, hugs the tarmac like sh1t to a blanket; usually!!?

It's a tippy s, varioram. Some people ridicule the tippy but I think its great, reminds me of a sheep in wolves clothing and peddled along by a hooligan dressed as a gentleman

Headlight upgrade is definitely worth it. It's akin to candles and lighthouses, you know you want to indulge yourself so spend even even more on this upgrade. The only problem I had here was that one insurance company refused to insure the car when advised of the modification to the lights. Crazy, you get an OPC to make the car safer and then can't get insured

It's hells own problem to get the flies off the screen, and just about everywhere else forward of the screen

Rear tyres last no time at all

Discs last 40 to 45k miles

Paint disappears too quickly from the wheel arches if you spend to much time on "B" roads, or perhaps it's the softness of the paint.

Would I swap it, now what do you think,

Headlight upgrade is a given, did not know of insurance issues, although my car has litronics anyway, so no problem. agree about the varioram, think you guys could do better on the fuel economy issue, although if its not a daily drive, who cares ? go for it. find the ride can be a little harsh, I am on 18" rims though. Into my fourth year on my car still only has 50K on the clock, would not change it for anything later, well after 1998 that is