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Old 06-12-2011, 09:29 PM   #3
equ
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Carmudgeonly Ride: 981S, 340i
Posts: 9,580
So I went to this thing. Despite the longish drive to and back, pretty good event.

Auto-x-ish sessions with boxster S, spyder and cayman R's. I didn't get a sense for the spyder so much. But the cayman R was very good, sounded awesome even with sports exhaust option off. Both the spyder and the R made the boxster S feel like a regular car, not as good sound and not as buttoned down. I wonder how the cayman R deals with bad real world roads, but it felt perfectly firm and creamy on a freshly paved track. Had I been a track junkie, I'd go for the carbon fiber seats. As I'm not, I'd skip them for getting in/out ease. There was no chance to feel/explore power and really only a minute per car. The cars got a bit greasy and squirmy on hard stops (end of day tired rubber and cooler temperatures, damp conditions).

The 997's were set out on a road course. Much less waiting in lines, almost all the time either driving or gf was driving. We each drove four two mile laps and were passengers for each other in lead follow format. About 4 cars following instructor. Our lap following the instructor was the best.

First car was a 997c2, then a 997c4S coupe, then a 997c2S and a 997c4S cab. Simply, to no one's surprise coupe > cab and 2 > 4 (porsche does rewrite laws of math). The turn-in on the awd models was worse. The cab's grip was noticeably worse. The c2S positively shined with the c2 behind it. Going from the c2S (best car) to the cab4S (worst) was eye-opening. I was much closer to traction edge. Not sure about tire wear on these.

I had never driven a 911 cab before. Wow, they are really not for me. Might not matter in any other car, but when the coupe drives so well, that small loss of grip/tightness just ruins it. Same with the awd. Perhaps the r8 and turbos are good (as I know the rs4 is the awesome)(and perhaps the 911 turbos, never driven them), but on regular carreras it just adds to already present understeer.

A long long time ago, in '04, I drove a couple of boxsters, loved them. Before I pulled the trigger on one, I decided to drive a couple of 996's. I found a silver c4 and a blue c2. Drove them back to back and bought the c2 on the spot. The same livelier feeling persists to the 997.

Cliff notes: Cayman R (in red) and 997S rock. Did not get enough seat time in spyder, also likely rocks. Regular 987S under-impressed (not enough of a leap over what I have).

Not that I'm shopping, but hypothetically, would it be the 987R or the 997S then?

I cannot call that at this point. Both are very good. Then there is the generation change in '12 too.
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