Well.... Thought I'd mention it here....
 

I've made up my mind that I will (soon) get rid of the two E38's and get a 'fun' car ...

This is where it gets interesting. And feel free to chime in. :)

I am leaning towards a two door 'something' - don't know what yet.
I drove recently an Audi S5 (2011).... and just yesterday a Porsche 911 S (2009?) - Each was fun in it's own way -

The Audi... Kind of like the BMW's I am used to. Can soak up the highway miles like they are going out of style. Heavy car - but well mannered. Comfortable. I could see this in my garage.
The Porsche... WOW... What a kick in the pants. Felt connected to the car - but noisy. PZero tires were (supposedly) the culprit on that. Very annoying noise. A wonderful feel to it. Not much utility to that car... But then again - that is not the point. ;)

There are a couple more on the 'short list' that I am interested in. Mercedes too....

Yeah - Selling the 2002. Both newer BMW's will be going too. (No - I am NOT going to sell the E9 ;) )

Just time to change gears. I am kind of open to ideas if there is something you think I should look at. I'm thinking of jumping into this in the Spring.
SO... We'll see where this goes.

Wow, that's a lot of change all of sudden, no?

A big wow from me as well... I do think the current audis and porsches are some of the best cars on the market today (and that's where my pocketbook went).

Take more drives, think about them.... A 997.2 is noisy? Perhaps the tires were gone or you might have been on concrete. A minor tidbit is that porsche goes light or none on wheel well sound insulation. If you hit a wet patch or a bit of sand, you HEAR it, I think it's part of the design. Engine/wind noise are minimal. I really miss the engine/exhaust sound of my cayman when I drive the 911, it's too quiet for me.

Are you drastically reducing fleet size? You seem to have more space than most of us here... I'd certainly suggest a pairing similar to mine, an a4 sport and a porsche of some kind, best of both worlds.

I would push for the Porsche, but only if you're okay with daily driving one of the other vehicles you have. Audis are nice, but you've had plenty of sedans, and the S5 is a two-door sedan.

Lip, I still wish I had bought that big Mercedes sedan you had for sale a few years back - please post you for sale ad when the time comes ;)

+1

Wow!!

Over the years, you've been one of the few members not always looking for a new car! Well, I guess you finally caught the bug! :)


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I drove an S5 convertible (different engine from the coupe) when I was testing it against the e93 M3. I thought it was a very capable, smooth car. But nothing about it made the pulse race. Not as much fun as my e46 M3 and certainly not as much fun as either a conventional e93 or an e93 M3.

Too bad, because I keep wanting to talk myself into it. Cheaper than the M3, Quattro from year-round driving, soft top so roomier trunk, spare tire. But just can't get there. I know I'd be happier with a 335 convertible.

If you are looking for a fun car, get the Porsche. I like Audis and I like BMWs, but having now owned all three I can say without hesitation that the Porsche is simply in a different league from a driver involvement perspective. There's almost no comparison. And if you don't need a sedan (and it sounds like you don't), why buy a sedan wearing coupe clothes?

Do you need the little seats in the back? If not, I'd be remiss in not suggesting a Boxster or a Cayman over the 911. You'll save huge amounts of money and you'll get a dynamic package that is similar to, if not better than, the one in the 911. And if you get a Boxster, you can put the top down, which takes the whole "sports car" thing to the next level.

Have I mentioned how much I love my Boxster? I think I have. I do. A lot.

:+1

(except that I've never owned an Audi, but I did have a CTS that I really don't miss, even though it was a great car))

I love my Boxster. A lot.

Yeah, with JST on that, don't see the point of the s5/a5, personally when the s4/a4 are out there. But that's subjective, their body shape is alluring. The moonroof/headroom/backseat access suck. The audi v8 sounds good but sucks gas and is left behind compared to the 3.0T.

The porsches are truly wonderful, especially 09-onward. They are great to drive and with a smart purchase won't depreciate as much as a comparably expensive audi or mercedes. Nothing really comes close.

I've done more than 1500 miles on my 911 in three weeks, a really fantastic car, as was the cayman. I don't think the boxster/cayman and the 911 are really interchangeable as much as I used to think. While the 911 is growing on me, they really are far more apples and oranges, very different cars than I used to think. If you are an open top person, the boxster is an easy choice (and would be my choice if I wanted the top down). If you are into coupes, the 911 vs. cayman question is more involving. Having owned both, I can't really suggest one over the other so readily, so here I differ from JST.

As everyone else has written, the cayman is more intuitive to drive, has more approachable limits. Much better turn-in than the carreras and a bit of a smoother ride with the longer wheelbase and better balance. Some cons of the cayman are darker/smaller cabin, less visibility (blind spot in right rear) and less planted rear exiting turns (this could be fun as well :)).

The 911 is very fun in its own right... Power, traction out of corners, a knife-edge/motorcycle feel at times, as YOU need to balance the car, it doesn't come pre-balanced like the boxster/cayman.

A big advantage is the touring ability of the 911. This was rather unexpected for me. Yes the ride is slightly worse, but the cabin is far more comfortable for two people and the car is quieter, less tiring to drive in long stretches. The more powerful engine doesn't hurt either. The stereo situation is much better and yes, even that sunroof is enjoyable on a day like today (60F sunny).

In porsches, the options do make a difference. After "slumming" it with my bare bones cayman, I really am enjoying the loaded 911. However, I really enjoyed the hell out of that car for five years as well. It was the right progression in any case.