2013 Carrera S
Hi,
So I currently have a 2010 CS, do love the car and the way it handles, what I miss is some power!! thought of the TPC turbo, and it looked very appealling but basically not sure of the long tern affects of my right foot and the engine.
I am thinking of buying a 2013 Carrerra S or a lightly used 2012 Carrera S. Any issues postive and negative I should know about? BTW I have not yet driven one yet. Will do sometime this week, to see if the extra money for the Carrera is worth it.
thx
Re: 2013 Carrera S
I was an '08 Cayman S owner and I went the lightly used '12 Carrera S route. There were a number of reasons I went this route, although power was not high on the list. I'll ask a few clarifying questions:
1. Have you owned a 911 before?
If you have then the experience must have been favorable and you lready know what you are getting. If you haven't then part of this thinking is a desire to experience a 911.
2. Do you intend to track the vehicle?
I always felt my '08CS was a risk to take to the track and required mods to survive there regardless of how I drove it. I do not feel that way about the Carrera S.
3. Is power the highest priority?
Since you own a Cayman, I already am certain the answer to this is...no. In MT's Best Driver's Car Competition, the 911 was the 2nd lowest car of the bunch in HP, yet it won.
For me the desires were PDK, less cabin noise, better electronics, and ease of track readiness. The cost of a CPO 991S turned out to be not a great deal more than a new 981S (although you do need to shop for this to be true). The principal negative of the 991 is the need to learn the car (it IS a different experience) for myself and my wife. We have not encountered any mechanical negatives to make us regret our decision. Track preparation looks to be a simple matter of braided brake lines and pads.
Re: 2013 Carrera S
No have never owned a 911, the CS was my first Porsche, was a Vette guys for years. I think an article in Motor Trend changed my mind, also sitting in the Cayman at the car show was a real head turner, I think that sold me the most.
Track my car, no never. My concern over having an accident would prevent me. Although I tracked my bike in earlier days.
Exactly reading that MT article ws also an eye opener. Best driving car, and that was quite an assembly of cars to beat and the vote was totally in favor of the Porsche.
There is a 2012 loaded for slightly more than a stripped 2013 Carrera S with only a sunroof.
The loaded 2012 is also a CPO car. Hard choice there.
Re: 2013 Carrera S
I have had a similar car history to you. Started with an 08 C6 Corvette for three years which I enjoyed. Then traded that in and ordered a 12 Cayman R because I wanted handling, high quality craftsmanship, and history. That lasted 13 months before I traded that in and ordered a 13 Carrera S due to the need for more seats. Turned out to be a great decision because out of all the cars, this is racking up the most miles per month over the other two cars. It is a different beast than the Cayman. I missed the hydraulic steering for about half a day and now I think the steering is just as good. The exhaust is great sounding and I don't even have pse. The handling is great but I can tell that I'm in a heavier car. And the power is always a nice thing to have. But on the highway, the 991 is superior for a nice smooth fairly quiet ride over the Cayman R. Overall, I think it was a good decision.
Re: 2013 Carrera S
I own an 09 997CS and have been looking at a new 981 CS or a slightly used CPO 991S. After much soul searching and a few test drives, I decided to go with the 991S. The driving experience in the two cars is similar, yet different. The 991S, to me, is a bit more car and is still an icon. The 981S is a beautiful design and performs more like a sports car than does the 991S. But I found that the 991S would be, again for me, a better daily driver. It is a bit quieter inside, even with PSE and the ride seems more compliant. That being said, I found a loaded CPO 991S with only 3000 miles coming off a lease for 9K more than the price of my 981S build. It was immediately available, did not have to wait for it to be built and included options that the 981S did not have at that price. It was not an easy decision but I have no regrets. I love the 981CS but the 911 still says Porsche to me. The 991S was over $125K new and like all Porsches, the original owner takes most of the depreciation. I thought that since this one had already lost almost 30K, it would stabilize in value while a new 98CS would be worth much less than I paid after one year. Good luck with the decision.
I also went from a Cayman to a lightly used 991S (1000 miles), and am very happy I did. The power of the Cayman always bothered me. The 991S is amazing not just on power, but all around. If they made a Cayman with this engine, I might consider it, but the 991 feels more refined than the 981 when driving around town, especially with the PDCC.
