Sold the 996. Now what do I do?

Wow - it happened way faster than I thought it would. As of this Wednesday I will be Porsche-less for the first time in 10 years. Hasn't really hit me yet. I did take one last spirited drive yesterday out to the beach - this car has been the most reliable, trouble free car (any car) I have ever owned. It solidified my trust with the manufacturer, and the driving experience galvanized my passion for the brand. That being said, I am contemplating a non-Pcar as a replacement and I wanted your collective, genuine opinions. My motivation for a change: want something newer, faster, and more luxurious. I don't track, but I do drive and the roads in Northern Nova Scotia were designed to be driven with lots of twists and elevation changes. My budget is flexible, but I'd like to stay south of $50K. Funny, but I'm leaning towards a non sports car with an attitude. My short list: 06/07 C2S or C4 coupe or cab 06/07 BMW (gasp) 650i cabrio 06 BMW M5 08 Audi S5 Thoughts, rants, opinions, experiences are all welcome. Thanks Glenn

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10 years in the same car? if you get another P-car it will be too much like the old one. brand swap for a year... then come back - try one of those "other cars" BMW's are awsome and might be a "change" big enought to make you want to get the C2S 997 but give you a break so you stay happy with it

S5 is a sweet car or an RS4?

All your options seem very nice! An 08 S5 seems very nice for a coupe. I'm a coupe lover but for some reason I would take the M5 over the 6-Series... I really like the M5's for some reason! Maybe cause of this one I saw in Cali... I have to agree with you, I have total confidence in my cars reliability! I feel like i'm driving a very fine tuned yet rigid tank. I would eliminate the 6-Series from the list you have and make life a little easier... Good luck on the next purchase!

I would say the M5 and the S6 are the top 2 contenders. I was in the 996 for 4 years and had (until January of this year) a 1973 911 for close to 10 years.

so gong "newer, faster, more luxurious" only lasted 4 years and "older, slower, ?what's comfort" lasted 7 ? I vote 73 911S just kidding

Audi S5. Beautiful design in and out. Wonderful engine and sound. And fairly unique...as you don't see them at every corner.

The C63 AMG's are nice.

If you drive on curvey roads. Anything bigger than a M3 would feel like a pig.

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That is what I'm afraid of.

The S5 is beautiful. It is also a nose heavy pig. Don't just take my word for it: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...ac_cts-v-video Have you sat in a 997? They are as nice as any luxury car I've been in.

Ten years is not that long. I have had my 2000 C4 cab for ten years this month. Before that I had a 1982 928S for fifteen years. Have had one Porsche or another for 36 of the last 37 years. Call me crazy but I plan on having one until I am gone.

Congrats on your Porsche sale Glenn. Can you test drive any of the cars you mentioned in your list? It might be difficult to find what you are looking for based on our replies. GL with the hunt.

We were faced with the same dilema several years ago. I had a 1991 C4 but we wanted something luxurios and classy too. So...My wife and I purchased a 5 year old Mercedes-Benz E430 (Cream with tam leather and all tye bells and whistles) with 50k miles for $18k (they have horrible resale value). This alowed us to keep the P-car. Over the following 5 years, we put another 75k on the Benz and sold it with 125k miles on it for $6000 (just two months ago) and sold the P-car with 120k as well. We just picked up a 2004 996 Aero and yet another "new" Benz that is 5 years old and only has 35k miles on it! all within your $50k price range....You CAN have your cake and eat it too!

I'd love to test drive all of them - there just aren't that many examples around Halifax. I'll be able to do the S6 as its fairly new and I'll go to the dealership to try it. I have driven a 997 and while I do think the interior is an improvement over the 996 - its still not on par to BMW and/or Audi top line interiors. The driving experience is really similar to the 996 - the way I had it set anyway. I can almost guarantee there won't be a late model M5 around or a 650 around to try. Just too rare in this part of the country. There's one M5 about 2 hours away at the dealership in Moncton that is grossly overpriced. The hunt has only begun - will keep you appraised on impressions. Thanks again - G

Glenn, You asked "Now what do I do?" Do: ==> Cry!!! Don't: ==> buy a Honda! It just causes more of this ==>

I drive my Jeep more, been taking it off road on some interesting day trips, riding my motorcycles more, driving wife's Boxster a bit. I miss it and are constantly looking at P cars for a replacement. I do admit it's nice having a 4 place garage with only 2 cars in it (Jeep stays outside), not worrying about whether I'm driving it enough, and not having to insure and register a 4th car with only 2 drivers. I feel a replacement will have to be very special and hit me over the top emotionally like the one I sold did. Until I find that car, I'll go without.

everyone has a BWM.... get a sleeper like a Suburu WRX

Two friends have an M5. Great car! Lot's of power, room and creature comforts. The era of the V-10 is gone as well...so thats a bonus too.

I'll shorten the list for you. 06/07 C2S or C4 coupe or cab

I have an s5.....and a 997 The s5 is pretty boring, more of a grand touring car

I got to drive a buddy's Infinity G37 sedan. 7-speed automatic. Pretty amazing power for a 3.7 litre engine.

This is going to sound either really snobbish or naive. I don't think I can drive another Japanese car - while I respect the WRX si immensely for its performance, and the G37 for it's looks (which I do like) and performance - I wouldn't be happy looking in the garage. I want the car to be aspirational. I've done the 911 - so while still aspirational, it's now pretty expected. The M5 (I suspect) would be fun to drive - and hold its value. This last point is also something that I'm kind of sensitive to now having gone through the sale of the 996. I know there was a lot of baggage with the early 996's and gawd knows everyone had an opinion on why they got hit so bad - but all of it was totally unfounded based on my personal experience. I want something that I won't get bored with in 6 months and something that won't depreciate at $400 a month. Anyway - I'm driving an M5 and an S5 tomorrow. Will report back. Cheers G

I will second the suggestion for a Mercedes AMG. Just give it a test drive. You've got nothing to lose....

I hate subaru's the sound reminds me of a Chevy 350 with water in the distributor cap YUKK !!

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You mean the sound of a boxer engine? Yeah, I hate the sound of boxer engines too! Yukk!

HEY HEY ! VW and Porsche never sounded like that....Subi's has figured out how to mess it up

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I think M5 and S5 both fall in that category of depreciation and then some..

02 TT S5 RS4 335 CSI

I read this with lots of interest as I sold my 996 6 months ago and I have yet to replace it. I just can't find something that's fun and exciting enough to replace it (within a reasonable budget). I keep looking at 3-series, M3's and even M5's occasionally but I really have a hard time getting excited about it. I catch myself typing in "Porsche" on Craigslist and Autotrader.... I'm curious to see what you finally pick up and how you like it compared to the 996. The more I look the only decent replacement I can find is the new E90 M3. More practical than the 996 with 4 doors (I have a 2 year old), beautiful interior, fast and fun to drive.

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It's called the Scubie Warble or something stupid like that. Stock they don't sound like that, it has to be tuned in. To the OP - I was without a Porsche for a year. Worst year of my life. Spare yourself the grief...get another one. Maybe kick it up to a Turbo or something. I'm with Dharm...I'm driving Porches until I'm dead.

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buy the 2004 anniversary 996......it has everything and the price should be in your range.........personally, I think it gorgeous, fast(X51 engine) and has all the options.........anything other than another 911 and you will be disappointed...everything else is just boring......after you've had steak who wants hamburger.......

Now what do I do? change your user ID to GlennHada996

Bawhahahahaha!!!!

Glennhada996 - ouch!!! The car is officially gone and frankly - it sucks. What about the CLK500 AMG? The more I think about this, the more I'm coming back to a p-car. I'm test driving a bunch of stuff today - maybe it galvanizes my thoughts. .... Sitting at Starbucks with a very tall coffee without any wheels. Ugh.

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yea, I hate their coffee too

at the risk of being shunned and being considered a pariah, i bought myself a 2011 mustang GT with brembo package. i've had it for 2 weeks now. impressions: very nice fit and finish on the interior. yes there are some cheap plastics, but a much higher quality plastic then found in most cars. leather interior isn't has luxurious as a 911, but the quality of the stiching is nice. i really like the custom lights and footwell lighting. the colors are driver selectable. the Sync system is great and works well. i have an iphone 4 and no problems hooking it up via bluetooth and using voice dial. it even worked well with unusual names. i'm thoroughly impressed with it. much nicer than the BMW idrive, imho. straight line driving is a blast. but what do you expect with 412 HP and 390 torque with a 7000 RPM redline? the mountains of torque makes cruising in any gear pretty fun. also there is something to the sound that a 302 cubic inch V8 makes. i've got a 3.73 rear end. car comes with p-zeroes and 19" wheels. brembo package also comes with stiffer suspension than a standard GT. handling is about the same as 3 series BMW in my testing (i test drove the 3 series and GT the same day). my car does have the optional HID lights, which work as expected. rear camera works just like on a lexus with the screen being integrated into the rear mirror. the cars interior at speed is very quiet. apparently it was so quiet that ford had to build a resonator pipe that pipes some engine noise into the cabin. it's funny that they had to do that, but i can attest to the solid feel of the interior, lack of creaks and noise and almost zero wind noise. you can see all the exterior tricks they pulled to minimize wind noise. most of which are on our 10 year old p-cars, which shows how advanced they were. the car is very stable at speed. so much so that i often have to keep an eye on the speedo to keep from hitting triple digits. i like the short throw 6 MT. not quite as smooth as my p-car, but really nice. shift points are nearly identical. clutch is super, super light. it took me a couple of days to get used to it. honestly i was looking at a bunch of other cars (bmw, audi, cadillac (CTS-V is fun)) and test drove them all, but decided on the ford. the 2011 is worth a look especially for those that hate mustangs or domestic cars. and no, i don't work for ford or the automotive industry.

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I have to agree that the 11 Mustang GT is a tremendous car for the money. It is head and shoulders above the Camaro with the new powertrain. It's probably not something that is commonly cross shopped with the OPs list but all in all a great car. Great performance (0-60) great fuel economy and higher quality material (then the camaro) make it a solid choice. And I don't even like Fords......

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I agree with you. Unless you have money to burn or MUST have brand new, getting a vehicle that is a few years old, but properly maintained I must add, is great. While the first owners did not pay full MSRP for either of these vehicles, it does show how much value they lose. 996 40th Anniversary - $96k sticker - I paid $30k -35k last year Touareg v10 TDI - $70k sticker - I paid $30k - $35 this year. OP. Sorry to HiJack the thread. OP - Have you thought about an E55 or E63?

993

The heck with these conservative suggestions. Get a rain suit and an Allard. http://www.allardj2x.com/

Just smuggle in a Tuscan S and you'll be well off!

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They roast common beans extra to burn them a little to ride the edge of a finer coffee. Kind of like pouring a ton of salt on fries. A good columbian is always the best. I've seen and heard lots of mustangs. It seems kind of funny being the exhaust sound you'ld think is a high performance car taking off and the car is still there making noise not going much of anywhere. Non sport? Seeing the newer lotus that looks like a sports car but only does 110 or so, does that count as non sport Would be nice for messing around town if grocery trips are spread out or you don't mind piling things in like I do with the 996.

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Man I love the TVR. Its the 21st century muscle car.

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no damn arabica beans for me

The good thing of the BWM ..is that great Button like a Washing Machine. You feel immediately like at home, ..in the laundry room.

washing machine - really? Have you ever driven the M5 or was that just a Porsche is better than everything remark? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvZCYH37DBQ

So what were your test drive impressions? The M5 is sure tempting.

Ok - so I'm about to pull the trigger (drum role please) on the M5. My impressions: S5 - pedestrian, conservative, nice design but a bit too sheepish 997S - I love it. Really I do. But, I need more utility right now and I'm consolidating a bunch of vehicles into one. It'll be the next acquisition in a couple years. 650i - i like the look. Probably the best adaptation of BMW design vision. But, it was kind of uninspiring to drive. Heavy and felt big. For ****s and giggles I drove a Vantage. FYI - the M5 is a 2006, Indianapolis Red with 6250 miles on it. Will be flying to Boston next week to drive it back to Nova Scotia.

Screw "aspiration".. nowadays looking "poor" is in! How about a Mini Cooper S with the JCW package!

me? I vote 997 or 650. Audi would be last on my list, I just think they look cheap inside. they will all be pigs except for the P-car (in my opinion) but the 650 looks sexy. the M5 is a beast, but with a boaty/sedan look

The first run of Panamera's for dealer demo inventory are starting to come up for sale. Just saw Hurley Haywoods personal Panamera at the dealership, up for grabs. Should be very afforable, still a Porsche, meats the lux/utility requirements, this one has some "provenance"...

I actually saw a Panamera here in New Glasgow a couple days ago. I still can't wrap my head around the design - it just looks awkward.

Glenn, No, you did not understand me. Not at all. In fact, we still have a BM these days. And, btw, in my driver life, some long time ago, I bought two brand new Serie 7, ..may be you are too young to remember the e23 (The Designer at that time was Paul Bracq). My alusion was about the beautiful iDrive button, ..that make me think that I'm at home, in the laundry room. (May be this is a good as the P-Car standard PDK levers ?) Nothing at all against the quality of the rest of the car.

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I'd say you made a great choice with the M5, have fun in Boston, but have a better ride home. GL

Here she is. Can't wait to drive it home. ; )

Wow, very nice Glenn. When will you pick up your new car?

Hi Steve - looks like I'll be flying into Boston Friday next week and driving through your fair state of Maine the same day. Crossing over at Houlton into New Brunswick which does take me through Kittery from Boston.

Glenn, nice looking ride! Good for you!

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Damn, Glenn was that a M5 BMW? Guess I don't know that much about them, but THAT sounded sweet. But I didn't know that much about Porsches when I bought mine either, definitely won't buy another 996 but don't get me wrong I like it but I really like the older widebodies alot better, the 996 just came about at the right time & the right price & even thats gone south big time. So if I was you i would think about something that you know will at least hold some kind of value unless you plan on keeping it. If i see something i like i usually buy it without doing a whole lot of homework & that's not good, I've just been lucky so far. Good Luck, I know its hard but be patient & don't jump into anything your not sure about.

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You'll be driving North on rte. 95 then...I'll keep my eyes peeled for a red BMW flas next Fri. Best of luck, enjoy your new ride.

Hey Glenn, Wasn't aware that you're a Rennlister too .... and (pleasantly) surprised when you turned up for our PCA run today in that striking M5!! Apologies if my 30 year old slug of a 928 slowed you down anywhere ... but if so, I'll swap for the C4S next time with a guarantee that will not be an issue . Impressive closing speeds from that M5 when you choose to snuggle up a bit BTW, when I signaled left, departing the train near the end, it was to drop Donna off so she could feed the horses .... I zipped on to the restaurant hoping to rejoin the group - only to find myself alone: spoke to Rick later, determining that he added an impromptu 10 Km loop that had everyone arriving there a half hour after I had left. Anyway, bring that M5 back for the next run.

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I agree.

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Thanks Garth - had fun yesterday too. You didn't slow me up at all. The M5 is a complicated beast to drive - I need more seat time to get the feel of it- any time you're in Northern NS let me know. glennanddenise@hotmail (dot) com Would love to see the C4S too. The 993 is on my pcar wish list. Thanks again - Glenn

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Perhaps you already have: I organized & led the 'Valley Run' in a midnight blue C4S this past spring .... recall a silver 996 being 2-3 cars back, thought it was you. If you have vivid memories of the decreasing radius curves on the segment named Deep Hollow Rd .. that would be confirmation.