911 Variants as Daily Driver

Good Day All: My oldest has begun driving and plans are to gift her my current 4-door sedan (not a Porsche obviously) to get her through a high school commute and hopefully college. This opens the road for dad to possibly go with a 2-door coupe and of course the 911 is VERY appealing. I've never owned a 911 and was looking for input to what degree a 911 variant (Carerra, Turbo, GT3, GT3RS) can be used as as daily driver in the Midwest (heat, snow, rain in St. Louis). I do 15K-25K annually with a combo of city and highway and a manual is preferred. Any experience is much appreciated, especially anyone who's moved from one degree (say Carerra to GT3, etc.) of 911 to another. Thanks much in advance. Feff www.MVPTrackTime.com

Can't speak from experience of having driven all those models, but I do believe, and this is the great and unique Porsche selling-point, any one of those wonderful sports-cars could work as a DD. My only point would be, perhaps consider the 4WD models in preference if you're likely to encounter a lot of rain/ice throughout the year. Best of luck with your final decision, you'll find it hard to go wrong.....:dance:

I haven't driven all the 911 versions, but I can almost certainly say the GT3/GT3RS would be the LEAST suitable as a DD. It can be done but you would have to learn to live with very low front end clearance (which means scraping over speed bumps, steep driveway ramps, etc.), a very stiff ride, high noise levels, no rear seat, heavy clutch and shifter, and so on. The GT3's are really track-oriented cars, where these concerns become non-issues.

The GTS is probably going to be the one in most demand in 5-10 years if you go to sell it.

I've driven most of the variants except the targa and personally I think the Turbo makes the best street/daily driver if you want to use it in winter as well. Next of the current lineup would be a GTS/4. That being said those are pricey and probably only marginally better for dd purposes than a plain jane base carrera that you put snows on in the winter. Of course the 991 is debuting in a few months so it's probaly worth the wait.

If not tracking then a GTS, if tracking + you can find many used a GT3. if not tracking consider a Cayman S or Cayman R My Cayman was a pleasure and so predictable in its handling, my only reason for going 911 was to have a track focused machine and it was cheaper to find a low mileage GT3 than change things in my Cayman, + power difference is huge. But I am currently thinking of getting a Boxster or S to supplement my GT3.

I live in Reno, Nv. and I have over 100k on a 1995 carrera 4 and it works perfect in the snow and ice.

Funny, as I have all those same issues (scraping over speed bumps and driveway ramps) with my stock Cayman S, so I think that will be par for the course for any Porsche.

My wife used to drive a Cayman as a DD now drives a 911tt as a DD. It doesn't snow in FL but having driven in snow [ not with a 911 ] I can say that I wouldn't want any car that sits as low as a P car for use in an area where snow can get deep. A pickup with a few hundred lbs of sand in the back is probably more appropriate for snow IMNSHO. If snow isn't an issue, the Cayman and the 911TT are fine in the rain, and both work very well as DD's. Good luck! --Ed

Mark: My silver '06 Cayman S was at your Autobahn track event. It's got room for 2 and my wife, who is not a car person, and I tour with it. I also drive in weekends and Tuesday nights all year around. I'm putting a lot of miles on the thing...any excuse to drive it and I'm there. The front and rear cargo spaces hold quite a bit of stuff. I've had to do a lot of mods it to make it track-worthy, but if you don't care about pushing it hard, these '06 to '08 cars can be found at great prices, under 40K, and require only occasional maintenance. They have hydraulic valve lifters and oil change interval is 20,000 miles, although most of us change before 10K. I owned an '83 911SC in the late 80's. I like my Cayman S a LOT more. Mid engine is just better if you ask me. There were other things that bugged me about the 911 SC that have been fixed on the newer Porsches. 911s not bad cars...fun to drive on the street, but I find them frustrating for sporting driving...track and autocross stuff. I just don't like the extra thrill having all that weight in back gives you. 911's have their charms, though. You also get a back seat big enough for little kids or just to use for handy storage and a feeling of more spaciousness inside the car. The Cayman is a little tighter inside, but not much and has plenty of headroom with stock seats. Both cars have that Porsche driving position and cockpit thing going on that I just love. They also have excellent hvac and creature comfort. Options available are staggering. Got to the Porsche website and "build your own" online. It will blow your mind. As others will tell you, '06 and newer Porsche offerings are all built very well and have very good rustproofing. It's not uncommon in Germany to see them driven around all year long. I see a few driving around in Chicago too. I drive mine in winter and really love doing it. The only thing that stops it is the limited ground clearance. If you don't lower the car, it's OK for all but the very worst snows. The bottom of my car is covered in heavy gage plastic panels with well plated screws holding the interlocking panels to the bottom of the car, so corrosion is really minimal and the car doesn't get beat up underneath. The front of these cars, both 911s and Cayman/Boxsters, are magnets for stone chips and the like. What ends up on the vertical plane on a "normal" car, and doesn't show much, finds it's way to the sloping hood of a Porsche. Clear laminate paint protection is very popular among Porsche owners. I don't have it and may have to have my car resprayed some day. My car is silver. Caymans look pretty good in that color although it was not my first choice. I found out that this color is very forgiving for stone chips and other flaws. If my car were a darker color, it would not look as great as it does now because those stone chips would show. Think about that when you purchase one for a daily driver. I went through the same process...looking for a cool car to drive and thinking M3 or other , then realizing I didn't need a 4 place car and, after owning M3s for the best part of 20 years, I just didn't want another one. Once it dawned on me that 2 seats was enough, my mind went immediately back to Porsche because I'd owned one and loved certain things about it. Then I went to a Putnam school and saw a Cayman S on track dicing with the big boys...with a trailer ball sticking out the back. I knew that was the car and the rest was just shopping for the right one. Still don't have my trailer ball, or a tire trailer, but I'm poking around. This Cayman S is the best car I've owned but they are particularly vulnerable to oil starvation and some other nasty symptoms when driven hard on track. Either drive something else at the track or go through a long mod process like I did on '06 to '08 Caymans and Boxsters. If I were buying a Cayman now, I'd look for an '09 or newer one because of the improved engines (stronger oiling system for track use) and newer electronics for cell phone, ipod etc. These newer Caymans also ride better on bad streets. For a daily driver 911, I would not fixate on a new one or a GT3. I think a base Carrera with a stick would give a lot of joy. They are quite stout and a low mileage, clean car coming off lease that has CPO warranty might be all you need. I was parked next to an '04 GT3 at Putnam this year. This guy told me he paid about $55K for it. It came with two sets of wheels, a roll bar and real Porsche race seats. It was gorgeous and pristine...but I don't think it would make a good winter car... Too low. (He lives in Louisville, where they get about 2" of snow annually...STL is about the same, correct?) He sure had fun driving it on the track, though, and also drives it to work when weather is OK. No weaknesses at the track with a GT3. They're good at that stuff....Engine is in the wrong place, but those cars seem to deal with it. I'm not big on giant wings. I think the Carrera and Carrera S look a lot better than GT3 personally. Make mine forest green or cobalt blue with natural tan leather interior. I'll even drive it like a sane person most of the time!!! Hope at least some of this is helpful. Happy hunting! :cheers:

When I was living in Kuwait (U.S. Army contractor), I got duped into buying his 2004 911 (best dumb decision I ever made). It was just the base Carerra, but a dam nice car. Getting on to base there were hideous speed bumps almost 8" tall and about as wide. With 2 200lbs+ guys in the car I never had a problem, the same speed bump would bottom out a Toyota Camry with 3 guys in it. It was a gulf spec vehicle, so not sure how that compares to A/C for a U.S. spec vehicle, but it did fine in the 125+ Fahrenheit heat over there. For a sports/race car it had a surprising amount of carrying capacity. At 5'10" and 200lbs I did fit in the back seat prior to buying the car. VERY cramped & I will never do it again, but it is doable if you need to, or reasonable if somebody is small or young. I will be replacing my baby here someday soon. I keep thinking about a Caymen, but the practicality of the back seat on a 911 is hard to ignore. I would have no problems putting the dog back there or what not (and the wife in the passenger seat), which you just can't do on the Caymen. The only major change I'd make would be really thinking hard about getting a Targa or possibly a C4. I'll drive my Toyota Tacoma 4x4 here in Colorado in the winter, but the all wheel drive would be nice to have as a safety net for nasty weather.

I think a Carrera or Carrera S will make great daily driver's. You have two small seats in the back for children or groceries/packages. Even a Cayman or a Boxster will make great daily driver's (and you get one extra trunk, but loose the small seats). You live in St. Louis, and your winters are much milder than ours up here in Chicago. I drive my Boxster year around (with snow tires for the winter) and love it. This past winter I was snowed in for only three days right after we got 20+ inches of snow (the one that closed Lake shore drive). Other than that, I drove my car everywhere, performing better with snow tires (PA2s) than my previous all-wheel-drive Subaru Legacy with high-performance all season tires. I had a grin on my face at all times, even in the winter. Porsche engineers their cars to work under all conditions (with appropriate tires). I say go for it, you will not regret it.

WOW! Thanks everyone for your honest input. Looks like the GT3 is out due to clearence(snow - St. Louis gets 20 to 30 inches annually & speed bumps)/ride issues and I already have a great track car (Radical SR3). Do love the looks of the GT3 though. Cayman and/or base 911 with no additional body kit is a little bland (ducking head) for my taste and I still need to decide about rear-wheel VS. all-wheel drive. If I opt for a turbo, that question is answered but not so easy with normally aspirated. Need to drive both for a while. Pseudo back seats of 911 are appealing more for storage of a brief case and suit jacket (yes I wear a suit every day) instead of on front passenger seat. Until my oldest leaves for college, my current 4-door sedan will be at the house as backup if needed. The upcoming new chassis is not an option. So it's down to an early 997 or late 996. That's the only way my wife will buy into (and I quote) "your mid-life crisis" . Thoughts on 996 VS. 997 other then appearance?? Thanks again. Feff

Feff, 997 was a real improvement on the 996, IMO. Looks prettier and definitely a sharper tool driving-wise.

I'd go for a 911 Targa 4S with PDK for a DD.

Looking, looking, looking. The 996 turbos aren't too big of a jump in price above the 20002-2004 Carerra. Anyone with a higer mileage 996 turbo want to share the ownership experience (issues, maintenance, durability, etc.) with your's truly? As noted in first post, looking at a daily driver. Feff

I would encourage you to look at 997-- 2006 and higher, and 987-- 2007 and higher. the 997 was a vast improvement over the 996 series. drive both platforms. It all comes down whther you want a mid engine platform or a rear engined platform and the horsepower; but it looks like you are set on a 911. you can find really good 2006-2008 997 carrera's (non S version ~ 345 HP) in the high $40-$50K range, and good 2007 cayman's (non- S version ~ 265 hp) in the mid-high $30K; cayman S slghtly higher. for example: 2006 carrera S; red/tan; $46K; 24K mi; private sale in STL; looks VERY nice: Cars for Sale: 2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 2S Coupe in SAINT LOUIS, MO 63131: Coupe Details - 297930250 - AutoTrader.com there are many options for you to chose from close to your area. go drive them. good luck.

Used an '08 Cayman for 3 years as a DD - and it was great, fitted with winter tires during the seasons - as long a snow was under about 3-4 inches it was fine. Have had a '10 Carrera C2 as my DD since December - and I find it even better, mostly because of the occasional need for the rear seat - have yet to get a winter tire set up but see no reason why it would not perform as well as the cayman.

Last March for $50k, I bought a 2007 CPO base Carrera coupe, 16,000 miles, forest green with 19" wheels, tiptronic transmission and power all leather seats. I find it to be a fine daily driver. I watch out for speed bumps and road imperfections. They can jolt you. Also, the frunk can hold an amazing amount of stuff in it. I get 8-10 Publix plastic bags in it with no sweat. The base Carrera is amazingly docile on streets, doesn't urge you to push it and the 325 hp on the highway is more than adequate for passing.... and the sound of that engine when you floor it... Urgently recommended!

See my signature. I have another car but this has become my DD!

As said earlier in the thread look at the 997 if you can it is a much better looking car and is improved over the 996 in many ways.

I have a 996 Turbo S (2005) Cab as a DD. It is an outstanding car. Incredible fun. No issues. No lust for 997 (and I've driven several of them). Maybe the NEXT model... Good luck!!

I am seriously considering the current 997 911 turbo S as a car to own in a few years time....when I'm older and wiser