997 C2S as a daily - Page 1 - 911/Carrera GT - PistonHeads UK

Morning everyone, Apologies if this has been asked many times before... Recently I changed jobs and my weekly commute has dropped from 500 miles to 72 miles. Happy days, and it means that my BMW i3 doesn't really pay for itself any more so I am thinking on changing to something fun and interesting. I have always liked the 997 and am exploring the realities of running a Carrera S auto. The car would be kept outside and largely be used twice a week to drive 18 miles to work and then 18 miles back. I have read the buyers guides and aware on what goes wrong, just wondering if leaving the car outside plus the limited mileage is actually going to ruin it overtime, thereby ruining the experience. Thanks, Tony

Mileage is fine, i wouldn’t call 72 miles a week limited and the car would be warmed up enough in that time. I’d probably want to use it a little more unless i could keep it on a trickle charger, but nonetheless with some proper maintenance you’ll be fine.

TallTony said: Morning everyone, Apologies if this has been asked many times before... Recently I changed jobs and my weekly commute has dropped from 500 miles to 72 miles. Happy days, and it means that my BMW i3 doesn't really pay for itself any more so I am thinking on changing to something fun and interesting. I have always liked the 997 and am exploring the realities of running a Carrera S auto. The car would be kept outside and largely be used twice a week to drive 18 miles to work and then 18 miles back. I have read the buyers guides and aware on what goes wrong, just wondering if leaving the car outside plus the limited mileage is actually going to ruin it overtime, thereby ruining the experience. Thanks, Tony It’ll be fine

Sound like an ideal commute for a 997 daily

I’ll go against the grain and say that 14 miles per day (?) is a bit low to be good for it. Short runs put more stress on the engine and especially with the 997.1 you have to be a bit concerned about the oil being washed off the bores with short runs when the engine is running rich. That’s as much of an issue as the oil being cold for half the journey. Do you have an option to keep the i3 and get a 997 (or maybe a 996) just for the weekends? If you do go with the 997.1 (and they are great, I commuted in one) consider changing the oil every 6,000 miles at least. Edited by starsky67 on Sunday 14th May 18:05

I’ve got a daily EV, which as you’ll know, is about as point and shoot as you can get. My 997.1, manual, M030 Sport Suspension and Short Shift, if I’m honest, is a b1tch to drive slowly around town in comparison. All comes good when I open it up though, which is why I bought it! As a daily, in traffic, with a Tip and PASM in soft mode, I’d think you’ll be fine.

My 997 Turbo was totally happy with the 30 mile round trip commute across London, when I worked in Canary Wharf. It's been parked on the street for going on nine years now. No obvious deterioration, only a couple of scuffs. You'll be fine. Remember to drive it regularly on longer trips otherwise the battery might catch you out over winter. That's got me twice.

TallTony said: Morning everyone, Apologies if this has been asked many times before... Recently I changed jobs and my weekly commute has dropped from 500 miles to 72 miles. Happy days, and it means that my BMW i3 doesn't really pay for itself any more so I am thinking on changing to something fun and interesting. I have always liked the 997 and am exploring the realities of running a Carrera S auto. The car would be kept outside and largely be used twice a week to drive 18 miles to work and then 18 miles back. I have read the buyers guides and aware on what goes wrong, just wondering if leaving the car outside plus the limited mileage is actually going to ruin it overtime, thereby ruining the experience. Thanks, Tony Do you mean a 997.1 or 997.2 and are you looking at auto or PDK?

My 997.2 Carrera 2 PDK lives outside and is used a couple of times a week to drive to work, 10 miles each way. It’s modern enough to have no issues staying outside (though they *can* leak, generally easily fixed), modern enough to be comfortable and usable (climate control, heated seats, decent enough headlamps and audio) but still small and almost classic feeling compared with a 992. It takes a few miles to warm up but 18 miles each way will be absolutely fine. The PDK is a great choice for a daily (or “almost daily”), and the shifts in auto mode are smooth and well calibrated. It drives like a decent modern torque converter auto. However the response time to manual shift requests is pretty slow by modern DCT standards, so for a weekend toy I would still prefer a manual. It’s great otherwise though, and for regular use. We can just about squeeze the kids in the back still (or it’s an easy 3 seater, regardless) so it also makes sense as a 2nd “main” car for us. If you don’t use it for a couple of weeks or so it’d be a good idea to give the battery a trickle charge. You can get extension cables for the usual CTEK things and they have waterproof connections, so I can plug the charger in inside the garage, sit the charger unit on the floor in the dry then run the cable outside under the garage door and into the ciggy socket in the 997 if I need to. I can’t think of anything I’d rather have for the same use for anywhere near the same amount of money. Enjoy it if you get one.

Great response, thanks!

Hi Tony, I hope you don't mind me jumping on board your thread but I am in very similar circumstances to yourself and rather than start yet another 997 buying thread, just use some of the responses from yours (which have been useful for me too) and add a couple of questions of my own... I've been hankering for a 911 for many years and now in a position where I'm about ready to push the button. I know exactly what I'm after: 997.2 C2S with PDK (it's to be used as a daily and I'm done with manuals now to be honest) and a few other selected options (Chrono, Bose). Not fussy on colour which is handy because most of them seem to be black. It will be used as my daily, 19 mile each way commute on some decent single A's and B's but in my case 5 days per week. We have an estate as a family/dog wagon but our only child is 5 so should be very happy in the back of this anyway; this will be replacing our JCW so probably no worse than that! Will also be kept on the drive so the comments about this not being a problem is reassuring. Now my main questions are about the actual buying of said vehicle. Current prices for a decent looking sub 50k mile example with the spec I am after seems to be at around £45-48k at the moment. This is fairly well down on the peak of the Covid inspired second hand car market madness but I am wondering if this is a reasonable amount. Of course I could spend less for a high miler or more for much lower miles, but 40-50k miles seems about right - given it's to be used daily I'll probably be putting 10k a year on at least, and so I don't want too high a starting point. My other question is how would I go about looking at one of these? I am not mechanically minded, at all, I like cars but I know little about what goes on underneath. I'm comfortable with that but in order to not buy a lemon, is it worth getting a professional opinion? And if so who would one get to take a look at a car, or if not worth it what should I be looking for? All the cars I've bought in the past have been either relatively low value, relatively new (and in warranty) or brand new so not really needed second opinions previously. I know there is a lot of knowledge on here about these so any input is appreciated. And Tony sorry again for the hijack! Feel free to tell me to buzz off.

If you’re not sure what you’re looking at, take a knowledgable friend if you know someone (this can also help ensure you make decisions at least a bit with your head, rather than heart), or to de-risk a lot further buy a car from one of the many reputable Porsche specialists. It’ll be checked over thoroughly, though of course 997s are still getting on a bit now regardless. You will have some come back or warranty too. You will pay a few £k more than you might haggle on a private sale, but a couple of unexpected bills could easily make the difference. Either way, read all the buying guides and threads on here so you know some of the care points to look for (not that many yet on a 997). Good luck!

Just to add my 2pence: Don't discount the humble C2! Especially for your intended purpose. I have a 997.1 C2, albeit manual. It is more than fast enough and especially in todays circumstances, the power difference to an S model is negligible. Especially the 997.2 C2 with a PDK is an absolute peach to drive and in the real world will be quicker than a 997.1 C2S. You have a bit of a difference in spec, mainly the PASM which comes standard on a S model. I'm more than happy with a classic passive damper setup and there are many vastly improved suspensions setups for these cars available, should you want a suspensions refresh. Brakes are a bit bigger on an S model as well, but I never felt my C2 ones where lacking in stoping power. And this includes prolonged drives on the german Autobahn @ 200+ km/h speed (where you have to brake from 240-120 km/h ever so often because of slower cars pulling out in front of you).

TallTony said: Morning everyone, Apologies if this has been asked many times before... Recently I changed jobs and my weekly commute has dropped from 500 miles to 72 miles. Happy days, and it means that my BMW i3 doesn't really pay for itself any more so I am thinking on changing to something fun and interesting. I have always liked the 997 and am exploring the realities of running a Carrera S auto. The car would be kept outside and largely be used twice a week to drive 18 miles to work and then 18 miles back. I have read the buyers guides and aware on what goes wrong, just wondering if leaving the car outside plus the limited mileage is actually going to ruin it overtime, thereby ruining the experience. Thanks, Tony I’ve just bought a 2007 C2 manual and echo the sentiments above. I’ve also got an SLK 55 and a BMW I3s, both autos and perhaps a little easier to drive on a stop start commute although perhaps not as engaging. The C2 is plenty quick enough so I suggest you don’t ignore the base model, although auto might be rare in this guise. Mine is either parked on a drive or in a garage. Leaving it on the street will not be easy - it should be fine but you’re likely to worry about it - or not. Great cars, mind.

TallTony said: Morning everyone, Apologies if this has been asked many times before... Recently I changed jobs and my weekly commute has dropped from 500 miles to 72 miles. Happy days, and it means that my BMW i3 doesn't really pay for itself any more so I am thinking on changing to something fun and interesting. I have always liked the 997 and am exploring the realities of running a Carrera S auto. The car would be kept outside and largely be used twice a week to drive 18 miles to work and then 18 miles back. I have read the buyers guides and aware on what goes wrong, just wondering if leaving the car outside plus the limited mileage is actually going to ruin it overtime, thereby ruining the experience. Thanks, Tony I’ve just bought a 2007 C2 manual and echo the sentiments above. I’ve also got an SLK 55 and a BMW I3s, both autos and perhaps a little easier to drive on a stop start commute although perhaps not as engaging. The C2 is plenty quick enough so I suggest you don’t ignore the base model, although auto might be rare in this guise. Mine is either parked on a drive or in a garage. Leaving it on the street will not be easy - it should be fine but you’re likely to worry about it - or not. Great cars, mind.

TallTony said: Morning everyone, Apologies if this has been asked many times before... Recently I changed jobs and my weekly commute has dropped from 500 miles to 72 miles. Happy days, and it means that my BMW i3 doesn't really pay for itself any more so I am thinking on changing to something fun and interesting. I have always liked the 997 and am exploring the realities of running a Carrera S auto. The car would be kept outside and largely be used twice a week to drive 18 miles to work and then 18 miles back. I have read the buyers guides and aware on what goes wrong, just wondering if leaving the car outside plus the limited mileage is actually going to ruin it overtime, thereby ruining the experience. Thanks, Tony I’ve just bought a 2007 C2 manual and echo the sentiments above. I’ve also got an SLK 55 and a BMW I3s, both autos and perhaps a little easier to drive on a stop start commute although perhaps not as engaging. The C2 is plenty quick enough so I suggest you don’t ignore the base model, although auto might be rare in this guise. Mine is either parked on a drive or in a garage. Leaving it on the street will not be easy - it should be fine but you’re likely to worry about it - or not. Great cars, mind.

Another daily 997 user here. My 997.2 S is used for commuting and school drop off / pick ups (my two kids are both under 10 so fit easily in the back and love being picked up in it). Mine has some modifications from when I used to track it such as brakes and suspension and it's still usable for daily stuff. The best change I made was to add a DSC PASM controller which in comfort mode is leagues better / more supple than the standard unit and really makes the car easier to live with on normal journeys.