Up until last December, I had been driving my 02 C5 S6 wagon, while I awaited the return of my v10 S6. The v10 S6 project had it’s scope grow and grow, and was a bit delayed due to a major accident that I had downhill mountain biking. Subsequently, the ETA for completion has been adjusted a few times.
Despite a close friend warning me I would regret selling the JHM tuned wagon, I sold the C5 S6 and purchased a Toyota FJ Cruiser, intentionally buying a car that I could not spend money modding. The FJ was chosen as a reliable vehicle that would maintain its resale value, and could be easily sold when the v10 S6 was ready.
However, even though the FJ was a solid vehicle, I immediately found that I really missed driving something sporty and engaging. I found driving the car very boring, and became frustrated on highway trips, as other cars whipped around me like a sitting duck. The Toyota could get you from point A to B, but wasnt any fun along the way. The truck was designed for offroading, where I am sure it would have been an absolute blast, but in the city, not so much and hard to park.
So, I started looking around for a replacement, and noticed that Porsche 997 prices were coming down to an acceptable level. I found a very nice white base model 911. I am not always a fan of white cars, but on the 911 it is one of my favorite colours, when combined with a black interior.
That particular car deal fell through due to shady Dealer practices, but in the meantime I found an 08 911 C4s loaded with options, and configured almost exactly as I would have ordered from the factory. 6 speed, sport seats, PASM suspension, Sports Chrono package, sport steering wheel, carbon package, factory short shift kit. aftermarket painted seatbacks, among other stuff.
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So, I purchased the car, threw on some snow tires and dropped baby seat in the back. It has been a real blast to drive around. This is the first Porsche I have really driven, and was very surprised to find how raw and engaging it is. For some reason I assumed that in the factory setup it would be pretty tame. But with sport mode engaged, it feels a lot like an old Audi A6 4.2 that I had, that had been heavily modded. Very responsive, lots of torque, tight suspension, precise steering, and amazing handling. I am really looking forward to getting the summer wheels on, and driving it a bit harder.
Surprisingly, the 997 with AWD and snow tires is amazing in the winter. The weight of the engine over the rear wheels really seems to help, and it feels rock solid. Not what I was expecting out of a sports car at all.
The other good thing about 911s, is that they seem to hold their value pretty well. With the manual transmissions becoming more and more rare, I am hoping that this 6speed car wont depreciate much further, and I can get a good price for it down the road, if I need to sell it off.
Driving this car around in the meantime has made the wait for the v10 S6 just a bit easier. Although, with the v10 S6 project coming closer to completion, I am really excited when I think about getting the car back. It will be interesting to see how the 911 stacks up to the v10 Audi. In some ways, I think they will probably compliment each other pretty well, although I bet the v10 header car is going to make the Porsche sound like a scared hyena.