1st day with the 997 Turbo!

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Palmball

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 9, 2009
Messages
1,463
Location
Loughborough, UK
Car
Audi R8 V10+ & BMW M5
WOW! :thumsup:

OK, with the area plastered in snow it wasn't the best day to pick up a 500hp sportscar but that wasn't going to take any enjoyment away. I arrived at 9.30am and was treated to probably the best handover I've ever experienced...not too much information but just enough to show they care and value my custom. Unlike many other experiences, it was a pleasure buying from the Porsche dealer (and a thumbs up for Sytner)!

I didn't really get the chance to do too much hard driving today despite a round trip of 150 miles to see my parents - obviously there were the conditions but also so many police around today...everywhere!! :mad:

However, my initial impressions are of quality, brilliant engineering and of course, performance.

Quality because the way my 911 feels made, the materials used and the sheer structural stiffness and integrity of the car are outstanding...easily the most impressive I've experienced to date. Inside, every switch and button has a lovely damped, positive feel and in driving, the car goes down the road without suffering any form of body flex - it has that really solid, hewn-from-stone feel that makes it appear indestructible. Is this what you pay for in a 911?

Maybe, but there are other fantastic examples of how well engineered it is. Take the gearchange - it's got huge power and torque but it still has a lovely solid, smooth and light clutch and the slickest gearchange you could imagine - a short, well oiled throw accompanies every gearchange and I don't miss the automatic one bit! Then theres the adjustable rear spoiler which pops up and down smoothly on hydraulic rams depending on speed - that impressed me too!

Inside, it has Porsche's latest touch screen nav/comms/interface which is the fastest reacting in-car system I've used to date - and it's full of mod cons like DVD player, Bose (excellent by the way unlike the terrible Bose I heard in the Datsun), iPod etc etc. This is one of the reasons I had to have a Gen 2 model as the system in the Gen 1 is some way behind.

Mine has the dynamic sports seats which are very supportive. They have fully adjustable side bolsters - not just on the back rest but the deep bolsters by your legs too! It had a lot to live up to against the C63's excellent seats and whilst not as agressively bolstered in the backrest, this is countered by bigger bolsters for your legs. They're different for sure and they do have a more solid structure, more like a racing seat, but they've been very comfortable and feel like they'll last forever!

Finally on the inside, I absolutely LOVE the instrument panel - with it's five seperate binnacles it's got a lot of information but theres just something about having all those guages showing things like oil pressure, turbo boost, oil temp etc. that impresses me. The speedo is a bit difficult to read though - it's a secondary gauge to the rev counter and and goes all the way to 225mph :D in half a dial so its a good job you get a permanent digital readout!


So, what about driving then? Oh my God....it moves so fast! Say you give it 75% throttle and think 'sh!t, this is insanely quick'...then you add another 10% throttle and it's like you've just added a rocket to jet - the acceleraton is insane and no matter how fast I thought the C63 was, this is in a totally different league. I love the fact that even the final centimeter of throttle travel gives very defined and noticeable additional acceleration...in most other cars I've had, the final 50% of throttle seemed to give very little extra over the first 50%.

The other noticable part of the performance is the torque - I'm seriously not exaggerating when I say that in 6th gear at say 70mph, it'll pull to 71mph ;) with the same ferociousness as the C63 did in 3rd. Seriously, it feels like it could drop anything in 6th gear alone!

With the Sport button pressed (part of the Sport Chrono Pack) it gives it even more torque so add about 5-10% to my description above!


Handling-wise, my best description compared to anything else I've had, yes M3 included which to date was the best handler I've had, is that this drives like a 'proper' sports car. It's stiff and VERY direct - you turn the wheel (which is so full of feel that I don't think I knew what feel was before) and the car just darts round a corner very much like a big go-kart. Yes, that's probably the best way to describe it - like a big, heavy go-kart with lighter steering! God knows what a Gen 2 GT3 RS is like if the 'luxury' Turbo is this good :eek:

You can feel the differentials and 4wd adjusting the power delivery mid corner very obviously - it builds with slight understeer which made me want to lift off but when I got used to driving through this, the power transferred rearward again and it pushed round quite neutrally. I didn't get the chance (or have the balls today) to push harder but it's time will come!

Ride quality is pretty good - it actually rides things like catseyes and sharp bumps like expansion joints and transverse painted yellow lines better than most normal cars but in most circumstances it is very firm but well damped - it has a particularly nice 'oiled' feel as you go over broken or rutted surfaces.

There is a button to set the electronic dampers to a harder setting but I found this too hard for normal roads - it'll be an absolutely wicked setting round the 'ring though!

My final point from my first days' driving was that in all this I still managed to acheive 22mpg....incredible given the performance on offer I think. :thumbsup:

Initially, I wasn't as excited about this car as I have been some of my others, mainly due to the looks which I'm still not the biggest fan of. But after a day with it I think this is going to be a grower - something that gets better with time....and I guess it's only time that'll tell if that really is the case.

Heres a few pics from today - I haven't got an interior shots but I'll put some more up tomorrow.


Picking it up from the dealer...

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Finally got it out of the showroom...

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On the way home - the inlaws who were following were snapping away (not sure why....they'll see it enough!)...

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And finally I got it home where it was significantly more dirty than it was 15 minutes before...

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These bloody optional alloys are held onto the hub by ONE nut....which needs to be tightened to 550nm!! Now, I like to periodically remove my wheels to clean them properly and polish up the calipers....do you know how much a 500nm torque wrench costs!!!!

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And finally, this beast was in the dealer being moved on today. It apparently won all the rallies it entered in the 80's and was worth in excess if £1m!!

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the misus looks impressed lol did you have the keys of the house in your pocket!!!!

best of luck with it,looks great
 
Nice one mate, that looks a belter!!

Enjoy it!!
 
Beautiful :thumb:

I wasn't as excited about this car as I have been some of my others, mainly due to the looks which I'm still not the biggest fan of.

What is it about the looks that you don't/didn't like?
 
lovely car.. cant wait to see it in the flesh, one of my fav cars of all time... one day... :)
 
Oh Andy what a stunning looking car, I am so pleased for you bud. As always my friend a really good write up and honest approach to your new baby. In comparison how do you rate the porker (I know its early days as you have only had it 5 minutes) to the C63 and is there a really wide gap in the way the power delivery and torque are used. As you no I picked my baby up yesterday and being that this is the most powerful car I have ever owned, I couldnt believe the torque in mine, even at very low speeds the back wheels want to spin and that little yellow triangle flashed itself to me quite frequesntly last night. Granted the weather probably isnt the best to be trying to compare cars and by the looks of things mate you had the worse type of weather to be able to do a proper comparison.:thumb:

Talking of the ring when do you think you will be taking a trip out there to see what she can actually do? I think she will be awesome around there. Do you think you will be making any mods to the car like you did with the 63 or is it worth touching it as it stands? Sorry mate knowing you and your babies I had to ask the question....ha ha ha!;) I look forward to hearing what you make of it when you get the chance to give her a proper road and track test.

Well Im rambling as usual, but a huge congrats to you Andy and well done my friend she looks fantastic and I am sure the shape will grow on you in time. To be honest the C Class wasnt my first choice of pretty cars when I first started looking at buying a new car which as you I was looking at DB9s but I must admit and me and my pal Nigel who you met said this yesterday but it has really grown on me now and I love it. It has a better looking bum than Jennifer Lopez and I hope the hype lives up to its name.:rock:
 
Me very very very jealous. That is one stunning car and I am delighted you are enjoying it so much already.
 
Congratultions on the new motor, fantastic car, fantastic write up, as ever - very very nice.
 
Absolutely stunning Andrew, I hope you enjoy it for longer than the C63!
 
Do the AA carry a suitable torque wrench I wonder?
Or is it a Porsche call-out in the event of a puncture?

PS Lovely car.
 
I love your write ups Palm, congrats on the car.

When you speak of its torque you remind me of what I used to think of forced induction cars Vs Naturally aspirated, their torque is fed through in such a beautiful way. Bigger displacement engines do it in a different, very snappy instant way that grows with revs, whereas forced induction just creeps up on you like your not expecting it or something. I'm awful with words and i'm finding it hard to describe but your reference to 6th gear pulls puts it into perspective.

Enjoy it!
 
Looks like there are two Porkers in that first photo ;)

Car looks amazing though, I am trying to imagine how fast it actually is if you say it blows the c63 away.

Enjoy
 
the misus looks impressed lol did you have the keys of the house in your pocket!!!!

:D

Looks great though, especially those wheels - I didn't notice them before but I relaly don't like the standard bling turbo wheels. Those are much nicer.

But it sounds like you'll be having your tyres replaced at the dealer......


S
 
the misus looks impressed lol did you have the keys of the house in your pocket!!!!

best of luck with it,looks great

The door was open - if she wanted to stand in the cold and be miserable that was her choice :D She was fine - I have the most patient and understanding other half you could ever imagine (helps that she's a bit of a car nut too)!

Beautiful :thumb:
What is it about the looks that you don't/didn't like?

Not sure - just never been attracted to the classic 911 shape I guess :dk:


Oh Andy what a stunning looking car, I am so pleased for you bud. As always my friend a really good write up and honest approach to your new baby. In comparison how do you rate the porker (I know its early days as you have only had it 5 minutes) to the C63 and is there a really wide gap in the way the power delivery and torque are used. As you no I picked my baby up yesterday and being that this is the most powerful car I have ever owned, I couldnt believe the torque in mine, even at very low speeds the back wheels want to spin and that little yellow triangle flashed itself to me quite frequesntly last night. Granted the weather probably isnt the best to be trying to compare cars and by the looks of things mate you had the worse type of weather to be able to do a proper comparison.:thumb:

Talking of the ring when do you think you will be taking a trip out there to see what she can actually do? I think she will be awesome around there. Do you think you will be making any mods to the car like you did with the 63 or is it worth touching it as it stands? Sorry mate knowing you and your babies I had to ask the question....ha ha ha!;) I look forward to hearing what you make of it when you get the chance to give her a proper road and track test.

Well Im rambling as usual, but a huge congrats to you Andy and well done my friend she looks fantastic and I am sure the shape will grow on you in time. To be honest the C Class wasnt my first choice of pretty cars when I first started looking at buying a new car which as you I was looking at DB9s but I must admit and me and my pal Nigel who you met said this yesterday but it has really grown on me now and I love it. It has a better looking bum than Jennifer Lopez and I hope the hype lives up to its name.:rock:

Thanks Benjy...and I am delighted your loving the C63!

Comparing the two cars is unfair and largely irrelevant (not to mention theres a 100% difference in cost when new :eek:).

As a sports saloon, theres nothing IMO to touch the C63 (although M3 comes very close) and when it comes to all-roundness even the 911 can't compare - it doesn't have the space or refinement (the 911 is quite bumpy and bloody noisy, in particular with road noise!!).

It is however, a proper 'sports' car and just feels like a more 'direct' car to drive. The performance differential surprised even me - the C63 is fast, the fastest of it's type by some margin but despite sharing similar BHP figures and having 0-60 times within a few tenths of each other, the 911 is in an altogether different league. It seriously makes your stomach feel odd as you accelerate such is the ferociousness of the thing and it pulls hard in every gear, at any speed. It could have just one gear (6th) and still be quicker than almost anything (other than the fact you'd never get it off the line ;)).



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Is that Chris Evans riding shotgun? :bannana:

That is my girlfriends dad - erm, I think he'll be delighted by that comment :rock:


Looks like there are two Porkers in that first photo ;)

Car looks amazing though, I am trying to imagine how fast it actually is if you say it blows the c63 away.

Enjoy

You cheeky sod! Although I see what you mean and had to look a couple of times as even I don't remember being that wide. It's actually Vicki sat behind where I was standing which appears to make me look wider....honestly!


0 - 62mph 3.7 seconds = a lot faster than a c63 !!

Ahem....I think you'll find it's just 3.6 seconds with Sport Chrono Package :D

That 0-60 just doesn't do it justice - more relevant is the 0-100 time of circa. 7 seconds :eek: Evo just tested the C63 PPP at 9.7 seconds at 0-100 and that was FAST....much faster than most other saloons at any price so that gives you some perception and an indication of what I mean when the 911 makes your stomach feel 'odd' when you accelerate!
 

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