Skittles

errr you cant tell the difference between 230 vs 343bhp in the same car?????

I was also very surprised to hear that it feels cheaper then a Porsche. I mean it is only £20k or so cheaper like-for-like, what ARE BMW thinking?!?

BTW the seats on the M3 coupe are different.



[Edited by Skittles - 12/1/2002 5:08:35 PM]

sw_hunt

Seriously thinking about placing an order for the new 997 due out in 2 years time to replace the P1. Probably a C4S or equivalent.

But what about the image? At least with the P1, everyone thinks I must be a nutter and get out of the way as quick as they can. I imagine that with a 911, other road users will deliberately get in the way, not let me out of side roads etc and generally think I'm an arrogant brash to55er! (Whereas I'm actually just a to55er)

All my mates will cross the road to avoid me (nothing new there then) and see the image before the car's ability.

I'm also trying an M3 on Saturday, but the image is pretty much the same. (Brash arrogant to55er who can't afford a Porsche).

Ultimately I'll buy the car I want and to hell with the rest of the world, but are there any 911 drivers out there who can tell me how much hatred to expect?

clarence

I'm in Hong Kong, & nobody really cares abt what u drive (except if u're driving a bus or a lorry/taxi/white van, then ppl will watch out). What I found whilst driving the 996 is ppl in front of me will drive faster than they normally do, so that they won't be seen holding me up!!!
Really, there are ppl out there who buy Porsches for the reason of driving them, not posing in them.

camk

I've had a few dodgy looks when filling up at the garage but nothing else. They are not so rare here and Germans are very protective of their cars(most people rent their homes so its their biggest purchase). Like any car once you've had it a while you forget that it looks a bit special so you personally stop thinking of it as being an issue.

Cheers
Cammy

Gina G-force

Mr Hunt

As you said, you'll drive whatever car you want and to hell with the world. Life's too short to worry what others think. Count yourself lucky to be able to afford it...then do it!!
Gina G

scoobysnacks

I agree with the above in that you shouldn't let the sad attitude some people have spoil your fun. I'm sure you'll see lots of admiration for such a car as well and maybe get a few waves or thumbs up. Go for it!



[Edited by scoobysnacks - 11/28/2002 9:47:45 AM]

GCollier

I'll find out in February, when my 996 arrives....

I think a lot of this is driven by sheer jealousy, and the dislike, almost blind hatred by a lot of people in this country, of anyone who is successful. Like how many 911 drivers do the "porsche drivers are w@nkers" brigade actually KNOW, in order to come up with such an "inspired" viewpoint?

I used to own a red 944 many years ago, and that never seemed to bring out bad feelings in others. Even had one girl flash her t1ts at me once when driving it Maybe 911's are different? That said, a friend of mine who used to own a 968 had someone throw a pint glass at his car once, as he drove past a pub

Bobby Peru

My 911 says about me, that regretably I don't own one.

TomM

People who know nothing are ***** towards you because you drive one, people who know about the car repect you.

There is a certain respect mutual for performance car drivers, I alway get little nods and smiles in my M3 from other exotica drivers etc etc.

If you have the chance to own who cares what other people think.

moses

my mates carrera 2 996 says to him that im the evo's biatch

Scoob99

iTrader: (1)

Flash Git

moses

have a nice weekend everyone

P1Fanatic

Why are people such *****? I see a Porsche (well a decent one not some clapped out old one) and start drooling. There is a GT2 near me that I regularly see around. Best bit is my blitz exhaust makes his seem quite tame

Simon.

sw_hunt

Thanks for the feedback! I think the verdict is: expect to be hated by 90% of the population, but so what! Just be careful where it gets parked.

I went for another test drive in one yesterday (I last drove one about 2 years ago). It really is a brilliant car. The body control is what impressed me most - and I thought the P1 was nailed to the road! It can soak up big bumps and bad surfaces in a very arrogant German 'call zat a bump?' sort of way. On a road where an Evo would skate and hop across the tops of the crests and the P1 would flow up and down them like a roller coaster, the Carrera 4 seemed to just move though them, and at just as high a speed. All without being the slightest bit floaty or vague.

We drove to the dealers in my mate's 964 Carrera 4 which felt faster and more direct but felt a good 20 years older and cruder.

Immediately afterwards we went to try an M3. No coupes available so had to drive the convertible. The dealer sat me in a 330 Coupe, saying the seats are the same (is this true?), so that I could test the headroom (I'm 6'3"). Good job the demo was a convertible becuase I didn't fit in the coupe. I always thought Germans are generally bigger than Japs - there's 2 clear inches above my head in the P1 and minus half an inch in the M3 coupe. Surpisingly, the convertible was fine. Not the car for me though. Too much like a souped up saloon. Probably because it is!

Do the coupes have a different exhaust? The convertible was very quiet until about 5k revs andthen it sort of buzzed and hissed a lot. Not a pretty noise. My old 2.8 30v Quattro sounded better. The handling got quite ragged on the bumpy stuff (probably more due to the convertible's lack of rigidity, despite it's strut brace). It really does feel a much cheaper car than the Porsche (OK - it is!) and didn't feel any faster than a 330, though I'm sure it is. Very dissapointing.

Now if I can only get the dealer to figure out how to get my left hand and left leg in the 911 at the same time, I'll place an order. Does anyone else have this problem? It's ok when cruising, but if I raise my leg enough to cover the clutch, I can't run my hand round the wheel becuase my leg's now in the way! Does anyone know of ways to get round this short of amputation, like smaller wheels? Are the sport seats any better?

Cheers

sw_hunt

Torque and weight generally have a greater effect on acceleration than just looking ath the bhp figures. I can't be bothered to get off my bum to fing the lb-ft figures, but in the price list, it says the 330 has 300Nm torque to the M3's 365Nm, about 20% more. Factor in the additional weight of all the convertible gubbins and M3 goodies and the difference narrows. It didn't feel very fast to me.

Thanks for pointing out that the seats ARE different in the M3. So much for the knowledgeble sales staff. I'm sure you're right and I should try the coupe. The lower weight might make it feel faster too.

Re the 'cheaper' feel...maybe that's a bit unkind...if I put my finger on it, it's the ride composure that really let it down and made it feel less like the Porsche which did feel carved from the solid. Again, probably just the wobbly convertible. OK, I'll try the coupe if I can find one (Cambridge area).

Skittles

The sales guy is half correct. The coupe has different seats. The cab uses the sports seats from the 330 - this is due to the seatbelt mounting points.

PS try an SMG and use the launch control!

Warped Chris

A word on the BMW dealerships in Cambridge - avoid the one near the A14 (Scothalls?) as I found them to be a bunch of useless arrogant tossers, even by BMW salesmen standards. The service department are even worse - uncommunicative and don't return calls.

Carrs up in Bury St.Edmunds are similar in sales (maybe I'm detecting a pattern here..) but the service department is fab - the forgot to call me to ask if they should change the front pads as they were worn, so didn't charge me for the pads or labour - I was stunned... They also appear to do the things they're supposed to do on the car, and if anything was a warranty fix, they just did it, no messing.

Oh, and you should go and buy an Evo VII instead Although not from Marshalls, as they are even worse than Scothalls. I think they run a customer hatred course somewhere.

Chris

DavidBrown

It varies. It's true that less people will let you out of a junction.. quite why, I don't know. They probably think "ha, all that money, and he still has to wait for my Vectra".

I'm not a great 911 fan (even though I own a GT2) but other than Vectra driving jealous types not letting you out at junctions, most response has been positive. On more than one occassion people have even done the "we're not worthy" grovel on their knees infront of the car (quite embarassing in a petrol forecourt).

The laydees love 'em too.. far more so than any Scoob, Skyline, Ferrari in my experience.

As P1Fanatic says, the exhaust is quieter than a max muppet scoob exhaust, but who cares when you're a dot on the horizon infront of him

Gina G-force

Quote :

"I'm not a great 911 fan (even though I own a GT2)"...

GASP!


Gina G

sw_hunt

You're right about Scothalls Chris. I've complained to the manager there in writing before. Very arrogant and unhelpful. Somehow, this time I've found a salesman who is helpful, if not too knowlegable. It turns out he's an ex-Scooby salesman!

I've considered an EVO VII, as I considered a VI when I bought the P1, but I want a car that'll stick to the road rather than skate across the tops of the bumps - I'm sure they're great for the track but not for real life roads. And if I had to fill up every day rather than every 2 days (which I would) , It'd be quicker to get to work in a 2CV as the nearest SUL station is a 12 mile detour.

I will try to get hold of an M3 coupe though and give it a second chance.