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Old 08-21-2007, 05:00 PM   #1
TT
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Default Porsche 997 Carrera 4S

Porsche 997 Carrera 4S

This was my last testdrive for 2006 and boy I realize this was a great year carwise, sitting behind the wheels of so many nice rides!!
This was no exception, especially now that I kinda become a Porschist


More pics :arrow:

Specifications

Engine - 6 cyl boxer, 3824 cc
Power - 355 hp
Torque - 400 Nm
Weight - 1460 kg
Fuel Tank - 64 l
Max Speed (declared) - 280 km/h
Acceleration (declared), 0-100 km/h - 5.3 s
Fuel economy (out of town / town) - 8.4 / 17.9 l/100 km
Tranny - Tiptronic S (5 gears)

Seats - 2+2
Doors - 2
Lenght / width - 4427 / 1852 mm
Height - 1300 mm
Boot - not much



Exterior

First of all, you could notice this particular C4S isn't at the best of its form. It was mounting winter tires/wheels when I got it, ence the weird rear wheels placed deep inside the arches. Sadly, could do nothing about it.
Despite that, I think the 997 is a close second, after the 993, in the 911 history, as far as look goes. It's really sexy, muscular yet elegant, stealthy yet agressive. Perfectly proportionned and with no wrong detail. Every inch is spot on IMO: Porsche at the top of its game: managing to re-design a shape they were using since so many years, into something so damn classic and modern at the same time.



Interior

Inside, it's a nice car, with all the stuff you need, where you'll need it. Many buttons, sure, like most modern cars, so can't complain. Good seats, good build quality and driving position.
But then, well, it's as said a modern car, and I am sorry but I need to stress as I always do, about the fact the pillars are too damn big, covering BIG portions of the world outside...
That said, it's a cozy place to be, despite the German touch that could make it appear a bit cold.



How does it drive?

Sadly, here too, there are positive comments but a damn negative one too. Let's start with the latter one. It's the (IMO) awful Tiptronic tranny. It is often praised as a pretty good option on any Porsche, and we know the Turbo is sensibly quicker with this option rather than the manual one. Well, rubbish! To drive a 911 with this damn Tiptronic is like having sex with a shemale. He might have a perfect body, round tits and lovely face but she still has a fucking dick between his legs. That's what the Tiptronic is IMO, a dick on a female body LOL!
Seriously, I am sure you get used to it with time, but the way it works is plain frustrating in the short term. The usual comments: slow, not precise, not feeling in control, never and so on. Also, the buttons on the steering wheel are not practical at all, compared to paddles behind it. I had the car for a few hours, drove it on any kind of road and it just doesn't make sense. Yes, it probably does on the highway, but then again, on the highway you just put a manual stick in 6th and you will be happy anyway.
Definitely cool if you are lazy, or old, and don't want to be stressed in traffic jams and such; oh yes, could be handy in traffic jams... meh; but if you have two legs and want to fully feel and exploit such car, bloody hell, save your money and have a real manual tranny!
Ok, the Tiptronic matter is out of our way and we can focus on the rest of the experience, which is heaps better.
I was already passenger in a 997S and by now I drove a couple other 911 (my 964, uncle's 996), so I knew pretty much what to expect from this C4S. The soundtrack, the chassis firmness and so on. But being at the wheel is always important to really get the full picture. To compensate the winter tires and damn Tiptronic, this particular car had the factory sport exhaust installed, which improves an already great soundtrack. After the first meters, from the weight of the steering wheel, you feel there is an AWD system at play. It's someway reassuring and the car always feel surefooted.
The soundtrack, even at low revs, is encouraging you to plant your foot as soon as possible, so it's just a matter of waiting some minutes or km for the vital parts to be hot, look for a long straight stretch of road and go for it. The surge the big 3.8 liters boxer engine is quite something. We are talking about a 5 seconds car afterall, which isn't bad at all. The roaring engine underlining the acceleration process is quite something and really adds to the experience.
Definitely a car that takes you deep into three figures and outlaw territory in a few frantic moments.
Addictive.
In the corners the car is brillant and makes you feel much more confident than in my 964 or even than the 996. It's impressive to notice the big engineer effort done by Porsche to make the 997 behave totally different than previous 911. You really don't feel the big weight hanging from the back, and when driving, there is no obvious masses movements keeping you in your toes and waiting for the back to snap out of line. Either all of this is brillanty reined out by tricky electronics, either it's really a chassis marvel!
Drive it without knowing it's a 911 and you would probably even guess it is one! Thumbs up because it's so much easier to take this car by the scruff of its neck and just go. On the other side, part of the magic is lost, because, while challenging, the proper rear engine set up is for sure something funny to experiment in first person.
Anyway, all the controls are heavy. Not too heavy, just heavy enough to let you feel what's going on. The fat steering wheel, the pedals... great ergonomics and well judged resistance in them.
It was just a bit difficult to modulate the braking pedal at low speed, with some strong bite right away from the first cm of travel.
So, all in all, once you get used to the delays caused by the Tiptronic and to it's general slowness, it is a great drive, with endless grip even with those skinny tires, great soundtrack and plenty of oomph!



What are the most positive features of the car?

Soundtrack
Steering feedback
Grip

What are the most negative features of the car?

Tiptronic
Could easily have 50 hp more

How do you think this car compares to its direct competition?

Well, I will sound like evo's journos, but like them, I firmly think the 911 is the queen of its class. Any 911 model can top the direct competition if we are considering the car as a whole: useability day to day, performance, user friendlyness and so on. This 4S makes no exception.

Conclusion

You must really have strong will not to buy this car, given the money, because as most other 911 models, this C4S brings the game to very high levels and everything it does, it does it close to perfection. Sure, it's some serious money, but for it, you get a pretty complete package that will never make you regret your choice.

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Old 08-21-2007, 05:31 PM   #2
Svensson
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Nice to read your driving impressions! This part in particular cracked me up:

To drive a 911 with this damn Tiptronic is like having sex with a shemale. He might have a perfect body, round tits and lovely face but she still has a fucking dick between his legs. Seriously, I am sure you get used to it with time, but the way it works is plain frustrating in the short term.


While I'm not so sure about getting used to having sex with a shemale, apart from that, I share your views on the Tiptronic. A few years back I drove a few km's with a 996 Carrera 4 cabrio tiptronic and was also irritated by it. It just doesn't belong in a 911.
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