Hi all,
Following on from my whirlwind sale of the Maserati (see thread here http://www.sportsmaserati.com/showt...2009-59-25k-miles-white-with-carbon-£48-750) I have attached some pics and first thoughts on its replacement - the 911 Turbo. Hope you enjoy the pics!
911 Turbo (991)
So in summary, I arrived at the decision to get a Porsche more by a process of elimination rather than through specifically choosing to get one, I actually feel a bit guilty about this now I have one and realise what a car it is, the heritage behind it and so on.....
To cut a long story short, I decided to get out of the Mas and get into something new, doing so for something (a) a bit quicker and (b) a bit less temperamental - I only drive on weekends typically and the Maserati didn't like being sat all week and (c) a bit "newer" from a tech perspective, i.e. gearbox, gadgets etc and from an age perspective. Also having a warranty etc would be nice for peace of mind, the Mas didnt have one and whilst this didn't cost me anything and nothing went wrong (other than the usual niggles/electrical gremlins) it was always at the back of my mind!
A factor in the equation when choosing something new (which had to be a Supercar or similar, I wanted a step up/across rather than back) was the fact I don't have a garage, and whilst a 458, Bentley Contintental Supersports etc were all possibilities budget wise, the reality is having one of those sat on a drive of a 3 bed semi is asking for trouble. Too much attention, the Maserati definitely didn't attract the wrong sort of attention, the last thing I want is people on my drive taking selfies with my car in the background! So I whittled the choice down to an R8 V10, an SLS (despite being a supercar, it passes under the radar a little due to the badge), a Vanquish or the 911 Turbo. All scream out "look at me" much less than a Lambo, Ferrari etc in my opinion, they don't have the "badge". The R8 got quickly ruled out and the SLS did too based on the fact I would be looking at a 4/5 year old car, which thus wouldn't fit the brief. So off I went to Porsche and Aston Martin.....
On bank holiday Monday I headed to my local Porsche dealer, as soon as I stepped into the showroom, I knew I had to get the Turbo. There was a white one sat there, with the black pan roof, turbo s alloys, black side vents etc and it looked ridiculous. Much bigger than in pictures, huge presence and in a great spec. I sat around in it, asked the salesman loads of questions (this was my first ever dalliance with the Porsche brand, had always oddly overlooked them as options in the past for some reason which I can't fathom). I put a deposit down there and then, went back in on Weds to test drive it and picked it up Friday. It was love at first sight as they say! (as an aside I did briefly pop to Aston after "just in case", the Vanquish did absolutely nothing for me in comparison and I ruled it out immediately)
My thoughts on the car just under a week into ownership:
Looks
It looks incredible. Such a beautiful car, and when I had it parked next to the Mas it looked very modern in comparison. Obviously an unfair comparison, one is a new model the other is a shape that dates back 7/8 years, but I guess this was one of the main appeals in making the leap. The car is as wide as the GTS, in fact a bit wider according to Wikipedia (trusted source, I know) and it really has incredible road presence. I thought on the road it would get a lot less attention than the Maserati, but I was massively mistaken by this. Granted, less people filming it to capture the exhaust note, but all in all it really is a headturner to much more of an extent than I anticipated. This shouldn't have surprised me, it is of course one of the most desirable sports cars produced, perhaps another pointer toward my prior ignorance of the allure of the 911. The Carrera White is very white, I know that sounds odd, but it makes other white cars look cream. The contrast of the white with the black roof, side vents, red calipers etc is really quite striking. Pics below.
Performance
The performance is unreal. Previous 'quick' cars I have owned include 2 x Granturismo's, a Chrysler SRT 8 (6.1 litre beast!) and an E92 M3, this completely blows them away. To be honest it is a bit scary at times. You put your foot down and everything is a blur, you look down and you're at 100+. It is actually laugh out loud funny, there are a few times I have come off a roundabout onto a dual carriageway, put my foot down to accelerate, flown past some cars in the other lane and burst out laughing due to how quick it is. With this type of performance I don't know how anyone could get bored. Not only that, but the performance is usable - the 4 wheel drive sees to that, and the car feels incredibly agile versus the longer and heavier GTS. My friend has just bought a McLaren 12c and we took them both for a blast the other day, and there really isnt much in it in terms of real world performance, the 911 is insanely quick. Also worth a mention is the PDK - wow. It knows what you want to do before you do. Out of sport mode (rare occasions) it is incredibly efficient, ensuring you are always in the highest gear possible and I imagine if you were inclined to do so you could get some really reasonable MPG out of it. In Sport you have so much power whenever you need it, it loves leaving you in third gear, third is a beast with huge amounts of pull. I drove with nothing but the paddles in the Maserati, in the Porsche I don't use the paddles at all, they aren't really needed.
Comfort
I have been in the 997 911 Turbo, haven't driven one, but been a passenger in one. The 991 is a huge step up in terms of being a nice place to sit. The seating position is excellent, and the car is packed full of tech. For example you can display what torque is being used or what g force is applied at any given time, you have launch control, you have a touch screen for sat nav, digital radio etc, you can receive text messages via the car and reply to them and so on. Some of these things aren't what you'd use day to day, but men love gadgets and this car is full of them. It feels more like a luxury car than a supercar inside in some respects, a really nice place to sit rather than a really special place to sit. I know this draws some criticism from people, but I have to say I really like the interior thus far.
Noise
Being honest, I do of course miss the V8 noise of the Masser, which is such a good sounding car! The Porsche sounds entirely different as you'd expect, it certainly isn't quiet. I think the best way to describe it is an efficient German noise rather than an exotic Italian one, cliche I know. You can hear the swooshing noise of the turbos and the noise of the engine until about 3000 revs and beyond that the exhaust really kicks in and adds to it. There is a bit of a burble on the overun which adds to it. I would hardly describe it as a cacophony of noise, but you can definitely tell something is happening as you accelerate. By way of comparison, the McLaren 12c with Sports Exhaust sounds phenomenal, I would swap the sound of the Porsche for the McLaren, and likewise would swap either for the sound of the Maserati. The Masser is 10/10 for noise, the Porsche probably a 7, so this is definitely an aspect I miss, but it is a good noise rather than a superb hilariously loud one, but you don't shift up a gear just so you can downshift unlike in the Mas!
Downsides?
Hmmmmm. Not found many yet, although as above the noise could be better compared with some of the more exotic options. Then again the Porsche isn't exotic, it is very German in every way. I think you sacrifice the exoticness for the practicality - reasonable MPG if you care about such a thing, servicing every 2 years or 20 000 miles, reasonable servicing costs etc. So it depends if this is your thing or not. Insurance is pricey, I am 29 which is obviously a factor, but paying £1700 when the Maserati was £1200 is a bit of a bugger. Flip side is every now and then when driving it and feeling the performance I have a chuckle that someone would only charge £1700 to insure me on such a bullet of a car haha. I guess the price of the car could be considered a downside too, the 911 Turbo is bloody expensive. I managed to get a bit of a discount as it was a stock car, but including the options on it we are talking about an asking price just north of £130 000. Still, miles lower than the exotics that have comparable performance I suppose, but then they are exotics and this isn't.
Does it lack the sense of occasion of the Maserati? Depends what you are after. If sense of occasion means getting in something with incomparable pace, all mod cons and great comfort knowing that you can absolutely hoon it whether in a straight line or down a country road, in the dry or the wet, then this offers it in abundance.
Alternatively if a sense of occasion means getting into something with an uber cool badge (let's face it, no-one doesn't think a Maserati is cool!), flair, fantastic "Italian-ness" and with the best sound on the road then this doesn't do it and the Maserati wins that battle. The only way I could sum it up, one is Thomas Muller, the other is Francesco Totti - both bloody brilliant, doing slightly different things but doing what they do incredibly well!
Following on from my whirlwind sale of the Maserati (see thread here http://www.sportsmaserati.com/showt...2009-59-25k-miles-white-with-carbon-£48-750) I have attached some pics and first thoughts on its replacement - the 911 Turbo. Hope you enjoy the pics!
911 Turbo (991)
So in summary, I arrived at the decision to get a Porsche more by a process of elimination rather than through specifically choosing to get one, I actually feel a bit guilty about this now I have one and realise what a car it is, the heritage behind it and so on.....
To cut a long story short, I decided to get out of the Mas and get into something new, doing so for something (a) a bit quicker and (b) a bit less temperamental - I only drive on weekends typically and the Maserati didn't like being sat all week and (c) a bit "newer" from a tech perspective, i.e. gearbox, gadgets etc and from an age perspective. Also having a warranty etc would be nice for peace of mind, the Mas didnt have one and whilst this didn't cost me anything and nothing went wrong (other than the usual niggles/electrical gremlins) it was always at the back of my mind!
A factor in the equation when choosing something new (which had to be a Supercar or similar, I wanted a step up/across rather than back) was the fact I don't have a garage, and whilst a 458, Bentley Contintental Supersports etc were all possibilities budget wise, the reality is having one of those sat on a drive of a 3 bed semi is asking for trouble. Too much attention, the Maserati definitely didn't attract the wrong sort of attention, the last thing I want is people on my drive taking selfies with my car in the background! So I whittled the choice down to an R8 V10, an SLS (despite being a supercar, it passes under the radar a little due to the badge), a Vanquish or the 911 Turbo. All scream out "look at me" much less than a Lambo, Ferrari etc in my opinion, they don't have the "badge". The R8 got quickly ruled out and the SLS did too based on the fact I would be looking at a 4/5 year old car, which thus wouldn't fit the brief. So off I went to Porsche and Aston Martin.....
On bank holiday Monday I headed to my local Porsche dealer, as soon as I stepped into the showroom, I knew I had to get the Turbo. There was a white one sat there, with the black pan roof, turbo s alloys, black side vents etc and it looked ridiculous. Much bigger than in pictures, huge presence and in a great spec. I sat around in it, asked the salesman loads of questions (this was my first ever dalliance with the Porsche brand, had always oddly overlooked them as options in the past for some reason which I can't fathom). I put a deposit down there and then, went back in on Weds to test drive it and picked it up Friday. It was love at first sight as they say! (as an aside I did briefly pop to Aston after "just in case", the Vanquish did absolutely nothing for me in comparison and I ruled it out immediately)
My thoughts on the car just under a week into ownership:
Looks
It looks incredible. Such a beautiful car, and when I had it parked next to the Mas it looked very modern in comparison. Obviously an unfair comparison, one is a new model the other is a shape that dates back 7/8 years, but I guess this was one of the main appeals in making the leap. The car is as wide as the GTS, in fact a bit wider according to Wikipedia (trusted source, I know) and it really has incredible road presence. I thought on the road it would get a lot less attention than the Maserati, but I was massively mistaken by this. Granted, less people filming it to capture the exhaust note, but all in all it really is a headturner to much more of an extent than I anticipated. This shouldn't have surprised me, it is of course one of the most desirable sports cars produced, perhaps another pointer toward my prior ignorance of the allure of the 911. The Carrera White is very white, I know that sounds odd, but it makes other white cars look cream. The contrast of the white with the black roof, side vents, red calipers etc is really quite striking. Pics below.
Performance
The performance is unreal. Previous 'quick' cars I have owned include 2 x Granturismo's, a Chrysler SRT 8 (6.1 litre beast!) and an E92 M3, this completely blows them away. To be honest it is a bit scary at times. You put your foot down and everything is a blur, you look down and you're at 100+. It is actually laugh out loud funny, there are a few times I have come off a roundabout onto a dual carriageway, put my foot down to accelerate, flown past some cars in the other lane and burst out laughing due to how quick it is. With this type of performance I don't know how anyone could get bored. Not only that, but the performance is usable - the 4 wheel drive sees to that, and the car feels incredibly agile versus the longer and heavier GTS. My friend has just bought a McLaren 12c and we took them both for a blast the other day, and there really isnt much in it in terms of real world performance, the 911 is insanely quick. Also worth a mention is the PDK - wow. It knows what you want to do before you do. Out of sport mode (rare occasions) it is incredibly efficient, ensuring you are always in the highest gear possible and I imagine if you were inclined to do so you could get some really reasonable MPG out of it. In Sport you have so much power whenever you need it, it loves leaving you in third gear, third is a beast with huge amounts of pull. I drove with nothing but the paddles in the Maserati, in the Porsche I don't use the paddles at all, they aren't really needed.
Comfort
I have been in the 997 911 Turbo, haven't driven one, but been a passenger in one. The 991 is a huge step up in terms of being a nice place to sit. The seating position is excellent, and the car is packed full of tech. For example you can display what torque is being used or what g force is applied at any given time, you have launch control, you have a touch screen for sat nav, digital radio etc, you can receive text messages via the car and reply to them and so on. Some of these things aren't what you'd use day to day, but men love gadgets and this car is full of them. It feels more like a luxury car than a supercar inside in some respects, a really nice place to sit rather than a really special place to sit. I know this draws some criticism from people, but I have to say I really like the interior thus far.
Noise
Being honest, I do of course miss the V8 noise of the Masser, which is such a good sounding car! The Porsche sounds entirely different as you'd expect, it certainly isn't quiet. I think the best way to describe it is an efficient German noise rather than an exotic Italian one, cliche I know. You can hear the swooshing noise of the turbos and the noise of the engine until about 3000 revs and beyond that the exhaust really kicks in and adds to it. There is a bit of a burble on the overun which adds to it. I would hardly describe it as a cacophony of noise, but you can definitely tell something is happening as you accelerate. By way of comparison, the McLaren 12c with Sports Exhaust sounds phenomenal, I would swap the sound of the Porsche for the McLaren, and likewise would swap either for the sound of the Maserati. The Masser is 10/10 for noise, the Porsche probably a 7, so this is definitely an aspect I miss, but it is a good noise rather than a superb hilariously loud one, but you don't shift up a gear just so you can downshift unlike in the Mas!
Downsides?
Hmmmmm. Not found many yet, although as above the noise could be better compared with some of the more exotic options. Then again the Porsche isn't exotic, it is very German in every way. I think you sacrifice the exoticness for the practicality - reasonable MPG if you care about such a thing, servicing every 2 years or 20 000 miles, reasonable servicing costs etc. So it depends if this is your thing or not. Insurance is pricey, I am 29 which is obviously a factor, but paying £1700 when the Maserati was £1200 is a bit of a bugger. Flip side is every now and then when driving it and feeling the performance I have a chuckle that someone would only charge £1700 to insure me on such a bullet of a car haha. I guess the price of the car could be considered a downside too, the 911 Turbo is bloody expensive. I managed to get a bit of a discount as it was a stock car, but including the options on it we are talking about an asking price just north of £130 000. Still, miles lower than the exotics that have comparable performance I suppose, but then they are exotics and this isn't.
Does it lack the sense of occasion of the Maserati? Depends what you are after. If sense of occasion means getting in something with incomparable pace, all mod cons and great comfort knowing that you can absolutely hoon it whether in a straight line or down a country road, in the dry or the wet, then this offers it in abundance.
Alternatively if a sense of occasion means getting into something with an uber cool badge (let's face it, no-one doesn't think a Maserati is cool!), flair, fantastic "Italian-ness" and with the best sound on the road then this doesn't do it and the Maserati wins that battle. The only way I could sum it up, one is Thomas Muller, the other is Francesco Totti - both bloody brilliant, doing slightly different things but doing what they do incredibly well!
