I bought a 991.2 C2S

I picked up with 2017 Carrera S back in Feb and finally got around to taking some pictures. This is my first Porsche and I also have an E92 M3 which is taking most kid duties now. My comparison between the two on the items that are important to me.

Looks

First and foremost, a car has to look good for me to be interested in it, and both of these do in my opinion. The Porsche is low and sleek and looks like it’s going fast just sitting there. The classic lines, the silver, it all works for me. The M3 is more of a bulldog and muscular, it is bigger and bulkier too. Both look great, but the Porsche looks better to me.

Porsche: 1 BMW: 0

Sound

The next thing that attracts me is the sound. Electrification is the future, so I want to drive ICE cars for as long as I can, and sound is a big component in that equation. The M3 has the OEM exhaust mod to make it a bit louder, and the car when it gets up to 8300 RPMs is a screamer. It makes me smile every time and I don’t even need to be going fast for it to be enjoyable. The Porsche, well I bought 1 year newer then I should have in terms of sound. It’s the turbo engine and while it doesn’t sound bad, it’s really muted and doesn’t give that sense of occasion like the BMW. I installed headers, but still not enough sound. Maybe sport cats are next.

Porsche: 1 BMW: 1

Handling

I’m not a track guy, or a big canyon carver. I take my cars to run errands, pick up my son from school, and occasionally have a safe romp around town. With my limited experience in “handling”, the way the 911 changes direction and moves is just on another level. It’s more direct and eager to turn, which I guess I am attributing to the lighter weight and how things are dialed in. I can’t explain the specifics, but the Porsche has the edge for me.

Porsche: 2 BMW: 1

Technology

I’m in IT, so I love technology, but I also think too much tech is not good. The M3 is pretty archaic by today’s standards, it has really old maps and bluetooth connectivity. It does the job, but CarPlay has been a welcome change. Both cars have keyless entry, but the Porsche’s combination of digital screens and analog buttons is a good balance of tech for my needs.

Porsche: 3 BMW: 1

Comfort

The 911 is a sports car. I seemingly hear and feel every rock on the road, but it is gentler over the bumps than the M3. I think I’ve heard the 911 is a sports car with some luxury and the M3 is a luxury car with some sport. The stiffness of the M3 makes bumps pretty jarring, but overall the M3 has a quieter and more comfortable ride. If I had to drive one a couple hours or more, or something primarily highway, I would pick the M3 every time.

Porsche: 3 BMW: 2


I guess I could find some other things to even out the score or make the Porsche win by a larger margin, but both cars are fantastic and I feel lucky to be able to pick between them when it’s time for a drive. Both are dream cars for me growing up, so the next one on the list has to be a Ferrari. I don’t know if I can stomach the maintenance and upkeep, plus I like to keep a lower profile, so Porsche may be the best match for me.

Congrats!!
Thanks for sharing.

Nice! Personally the more I work in tech the less I want it in my car haha.

Nebo wrote

Nice! Personally the more I work in tech the less I want it in my car haha.

Amen - 20 years in tech and I fucking hate that industry.

Great summary - you have exactly the situation I have (kids, running around town, shitty roads, etc.) in the SF Bay Area so this is a great comparison.

Sriram

She's purty. I still prefer the steering and throttle response of my M3 to my 991.

The 991 is a great complement to the m3, or perhaps natural upgrade.

Congrats on the new pickup! What seats are in the car? I find that the 911 is much better in the comfort department. Longest trip ive taken in mine was a 8 hour drive and I surprisingly wasnt tired or strained in any way. The M3 isnt a brute but I recall many trips over the last 10 years of E9xM ownership where I was thankful for a bathroom break after a few hours. Have had both stock suspension and modified suspension M3's.

I believe I have the 14 way seats. Still working on finding the right settings for longer trips. I think the lumbar adjustment is what is messing me up.

Bumping an old thread, but thanks mreed for sharing your impressions! I'm curious, do you have the normal or the sports suspension in the 911?

Looks like it does have the sport suspension. I’ve been reading reviews on a DSC controller they have to improve on the feel of the suspension, but I wouldn’t say it is bad as it is now. I also liked the lower ride height, although I do scrape on a lot of driveways/entrances.

Awesome car, love the GT silver!

You left out power. The 991.2's are much faster than the E9x M cars.

Very nice car - this is very similar to what I want to do in the future.

May I ask what you paid for it approximately? And how miles, how may owners, etc. ?

From dealer, or PP, was there transferable warranty & service with it?

Thank you,
Merlin

Bought in February for $90K, ~36K miles. 1 owner CPO and all service from the dealer where I bought it. The warranty had just expired, so 2 more years with the CPO warranty.

Congrats on the purchase. Having more experience with Porsches now, I think their chasis and suspension tuning are on another level. Porsche's feel rock solid, soak up bumps, but then can generate tons of grip. That said, the rear engine setup is totally different from front engine and probably contributes most to the feel differences. Turn in is totally different, acceleration out of turns totally different- just due to dynamics of the setup.

911 and M3, great combo.

I just picked up a 2010 C4S and sold my M3 and my first thought after putting some miles on the 911 is the s65 is so damn good, it stacks up with Porsches outside of the gt cars in terms of feeling special.

However the 911 chassis, low center of gravity, lower weight puts it in a different class of handling and just being good at going fast. It is effortless in a sense that 60 in the Porsche feels like 45 in most cars. It is almost too good to have fun because the limits overall are on a higher level. Handling is not really close from a "how fast can this car go around this corner perspective". It begs to go faster than you are used to or otherwise would explore to, its a unique experience.

However it doesn't necessarily translate to more fun, ymmv.

Also, the 911 looks amazing and has a classic iconic look.

I figured at some point I'll switch over to a 911. When I picked up my very clean E92 M3 two years ago for $30k, you could get a clean 997.2 C2S for about $60k. 4 years ago, my dad looked at a 997.1 turbo when it was $65k for a super clean one. Now my M3 is worth $35-40k and a 997.2 C2S I liked was $85k. GTS' are reaching low 100s and lets not talk about what's happening with GT3s. My buddy picked up a 991.1 C2S with CPO for $60k a year ago, and just sold it to a dealer for $75k.

It just gets harder to justify a 911 these days when I could take my E92, drop in a Carbahn stroker, completely overhaul the suspension and put it on a diet for less money than a Carrera S.

Nice combo. I had a 991.1 GTS, drove the 991.2 and agree with you - its muted in the cabin especially vs. the S65.

Having an E9x as a daily, the 911 didn't feel quite "special" enough for a weekend car. So ended up moving into R8 land - hit the sweet spot of occasion, NA V10, mid engine - without the F car costs and image. At the time, the R8 was cheaper than my 911 so it was a no brainer.

So now E92M for daily and R8 V10 combo.

Enjoy!

Shrike360 wrote

I figured at some point I'll switch over to a 911. When I picked up my very clean E92 M3 two years ago for $30k, you could get a clean 997.2 C2S for about $60k. 4 years ago, my dad looked at a 997.1 turbo when it was $65k for a super clean one. Now my M3 is worth $35-40k and a 997.2 C2S I liked was $85k. GTS' are reaching low 100s and lets not talk about what's happening with GT3s. My buddy picked up a 991.1 C2S with CPO for $60k a year ago, and just sold it to a dealer for $75k.

It just gets harder to justify a 911 these days when I could take my E92, drop in a Carbahn stroker, completely overhaul the suspension and put it on a diet for less money than a Carrera S.

Yup, great cars but not worth the $$ they’re going for. 997 should be around 35-40k, but 85k?? Definitely not worth it.