WOW! My first time in a Porsche and I must say I was impressed. Very nice all the way around. Nice interior, not too plain and not too busy. Nice leather seats. The back seats were much more usable than I thought they would be. Leg room for the back seats were about the same as the 8 with the way my front seats are positioned in my 8, and the way my friend had his front seats positioned in his 911. I didn't sit back there so I can't say what kind of head room was back there but I'd imagine the 8 has much more head room considering how the roof line of the 911 slopes. My friend said his two kids love being driven to school in it.

I expected the 911 motor to be louder but it didn't seem much louder than the 8. The shifter was very snappy...I could hear it snapping as he shifted through the gears. The seat bolsters were very narrow. I'm not a big guy so it doesn't bother me but a muscular guy with real big lats might find it uncomfortable unless the bolster width can be adjusted.

The one thing I did notice was that the cabin felt very narrow. I could feel my shirt sleeve touching my friends shirt sleeve...not a bad thing if the other rider is a woman but not my idea of cozy when it's 2 guys LOL.

Considering I could buy fully loaded his and hers RX-8s for the price of one 911 it's not the most practical car but if I had $75K to blow, I could be happy in one :) I want.

As many heads as my 8 turns when I drive it, the 911 makes people drool :p

Which 911 was this, you lucky bugger?

It was the standard vanilla 911 I guess. My friend said he could have gotten the non-turbo turbo (looks like turbo, but no turbo), but same equipment and body style w/ flared fenders for $18K more but he didn't want to wait 2 months.

The 911 is a classic. It's the one car that just about every guy growing up knows about from the day he's old enough to drive. I know when I learned how to drive in 1979, I didn't say "damn I want a RX-7 when I grow up." But in 1979 I sure as heck knew what a 911 was and since the day I've been old enough to drive the 911 has stood the test of time with its classic look that has changed very little over the years.

But I'm very happy with my 8;)

I got to drive an 03 cabrio...my best friend's dad has one and let me drive it. It's pretty awesome. Maybe it's just the weight of the cabrio hindering the overall performance of the car, but in all honesty, while I was duly impressed with the suspension, engine and transmission, I think I'd rather take his son's 99 M3. More practical, less flashy, and just more my speed...Still, great car.

My father has a 991 Turbo, and ive driven it a few times. The car is very comfortable and can be easily driven daily. However, if u had sat in the back seats u would have died. Though it has leg room, the back seats are very very uncomfortable. You sit in a forward position and little head room. The flat 6 is why the car is not very loud at idle. It actually sounds like crap unless ur under hard acceleration (which it does so well). The turbo is an extremly fast car, no doubt. The brakes are awsome and the heel-toe is very good. The shifter is quite clinky, as u said. It takes a while for the syncros to line up, especial for 1-2 shift. Overall it is a very good car.

The 8 is much smoother, more fun to drive, and just as appealing to the eye, IMO:)
Note : This is the turbo, not NA, and the acceleration is a bit jerky due to turbo lag, and during traffic it is very annoying due to turbo pressure dropping during short shifts and slow acceleration.

Just got home in my 8.

The 911 felt like you were lower to the ground than the 8. The 911 motor actually felt smoother. The 8 seats were more comfortable IMO for day to day driving.

As much as I hate to do it, I have to give the nod to the 911 by a pretty big margin :(

I guess the additional $35K you pay for the 911 really does buy you a better car :p I want.

Originally posted by Modena4RE
My father has a 991 Turbo, and ive driven it a few times. The car is very comfortable and can be easily driven daily. However, if u had sat in the back seats u would have died. Though it has leg room, the back seats are very very uncomfortable. You sit in a forward position and little head room. The flat 6 is why the car is not very loud at idle. It actually sounds like crap unless ur under hard acceleration (which it does so well). The turbo is an extremly fast car, no doubt. The brakes are awsome and the heel-toe is very good. The shifter is quite clinky, as u said. It takes a while for the syncros to line up, especial for 1-2 shift. Overall it is a very good car.

The 8 is much smoother, more fun to drive, and just as appealing to the eye, IMO:)


I really don't think you can compare these 2 cars and I find it hard to believe anyone would choose the 8 over a 911 if either car were given to you at no cost.

But price being a concern for most of us the 8 is the best bargain in its price range. I'm sure someone will come along and say they'd take the 911 if were given to them, sell it, go buy an 8, and keep the extra cash :p

I did not say i would take the 8 over a 991 Turbo...i mean its a freakin turbo (400 bhp). Anyone in their rightful mind would take a turbo over a RX-8. And yes they are not 2 cars that can be compared, I agree. However im talkin my opinion. And the 8 is smoother, and more fun to drive IMO. The turbo is a much more demanding car to drive and though 4wd, it is still is not as forgiving on the limit. Also the interior is a pain in the ass to use. No storage space at all, cup holders are in the way of radio, and seat heaters down right suck. But it is still one of the best performance cars u can buy, and it is more practical that the 360 Ferrari (which ive also driven) on a day to day basis. hope this clears some stuff up:)

I think they can be compared. They are both top of the line sports cars. That said a 400 hp car will always beat a 238 hp car in a straight pull. But cost is a factor in everybody's decision. I have no doubts that Donald Trump / Bill Gates do ask "how much is it?" For me (and I could buy a 911 if I wanted), VALUE is my top priority, and the 8 beats all others IMO in this catagory (also I need a 4 seater). Well need is too strong of a word, I really prefer strongly a 4 seater.

A coworker of mine has a 996...I'll have to get him to take me for a ride in it. I'll offer him a ride in my 8 in exchange ;)

i3man..you have got to stop drooling. I have owned two Porsches. A 90' C2 Cab, and my current 97' 993. To us Porsche lovers, we are not fond of the "water chuggers" -alias 996 type. To me, the 97' Turbo is still the best.
Yes, It is great to own one for they handle incredibly, but reliability is a bit of a problem. Upkeep is high, - for example an oil change is $130.00 smakers..
I now use the 8 as my daily driver, and can tell you that I think for the money, there are few cars that can give us what the 8 does deliver. My kids prefer to go in the 8, than the Porsche. Again, here is South Florida a Porsche is Not a rare site. I think Porsche really lost it w/ the Cayenne. At one of the rallies we had, a dealer had two for us to check out.. What a dissapoinment to me. I personally feel the Infinity SUV has more of a "Porsche" special feel. Now, the new Carrera GT that has just come out looks like an incredible car! (I have to win the lottery for that one) For people who would like to know more about the various Porsche cars.. their version of this web site is Rennlist.com try it out.. It is very good, w/ different groups for all the "types" of cars.

I bet it had the good wax!

BILLS..........BLOW
but then again so does my team.

It all depends on the person who's going to buy the car.

I personally can't stand the 911. To me it looks like an egg on wheels. That's just me. And yes, I've been in a variety of 911's on the street and on the track.
They hold really nice on the track (especially the turbo) but I did notice a few things that bothered me. For the price you pay you shouldn't have to be rubbing elbows with your driver/passenger. Plus, whenever you shift gears you have to worry about hitting your passengers leg. Wouldn't mind if the passenger was a woman.... but.....
The 911 is no where near as smooth as the rotary. It comes really close, but not close enough. Plus it's gearbox isn't all that it's cracked up to be. It could be more refined. And everyone knows the interior ergonamics are in desperate need of a fix.

If you really want one, then by all means, get one. But for that type of cash I would like a car that's a bit more exclusive. I guess that's why everyone who has that type of cash would jump to a Ferrari... :)

I would still prefer my FD to a 911. Now if I could only win the lottery and get myself my dream cars (F50 or McLaren F1, depending on the pot!) :D

Later,

Reminds me of a (true) story. I had a patient with a ruptured brain aneurysm late at night in the ER. I called his doctor first to see which Neurosurgeon he wanted to use, then called the Neurosurgeon.

By the time the primary doctor got there, the Neurosurgeon was already evaluating the patient; he was a young guy, late 30s like me.

The primary doc asked, "How'd he get here before me?"
I replied simply "Porsche." (I had no idea what the Neurosurgeon really drove, I was just trying to be funny).

They apparently talked about it together, because the guy came up to me and asked, "How'd you know what kind of car I have?"
I replied, "Simple. If I was a young Neurosurgeon, I would drive a Porsche 911 Turbo." Turns out that was his car.

Goes back to the other thread about getting out of people's way on the road.

I got to drive a 996 Twin Turbo by myself (ower of the company has it) and it is one sick car. Very easy to drive around town town and very easy to drive way north of 100mph. The AWD only kicks in if the rear is going to break loose so getting all the power down is easy. The most disappointing thing about the car is that it's so quiet. I've driven the Boxster and that sound better! I'd get killed or arrested if I owned that car.

Speaking of exotics...

I got a ride in the new Lamborghini Gallardo a few months ago. There is a Lambo dealer near me, F.C. Kerbeck's, and they actually have a demo Gallardo. They wouldn't let me drive it unless I put down a $25,000 deposit and filled out the order sheet but they took me for a ride. Talk about they best sounding engine! The 500hp V10 sounds like a cross between a thumping V8 and a racing motorcycle. Crazy amounts of power that pins you to the seat. That was a lot of fun.

So with all the money you have/had, why didn't you just put the $25k on the table and drive???? :)

Originally posted by Sea Ray
So with all the money you have/had, why didn't you just put the $25k on the table and drive???? :)

Because you spent it for me already, remember. :D

Oh yea, hehehe