I've moved to the dark side . . .

[paddy wright]

Congratulations Colin!

 

[ben g]

Nice work on the house move. Best investment I ever made was buying bricks and mortar especially living in the south east! Prices are crazy.

911's never used to be my thing, but as I get older I'm beginning to appreciate the subtle design more. I think they're a wise and sensible choice for anyone who doesn't want to be too ''look at me''. A bit like an Aston, before they started bolting all sorts of crap on them :lol:

 

[Marlon]

Thanks for all the well wishes fellas
I've been gradually getting used to the 911 driving experience and started exploring the higher rev range and its phenomenal cornering abilities - when I can find the words to describe the exhilaration I feel each time I get behind the wheel I'll post a review

 

[Marlon]

Nice one, Colin. Car and house look brilliant.

What’s the background to the plate? Could be worth a bit in the Chinese detailing community!

Here you go MrPT :wink:
(I purchased it off the DVLA)

Tao (/daʊ/, /taʊ/) from Chinese: 道; pinyin: Dào [tâu] (About this soundlisten)) is a Chinese word signifying "way", "path", "route", "road" or sometimes more loosely "doctrine", "principle" or "holistic beliefs".[1] In the context of East Asian philosophy and East Asian religions, Tao is the natural order of the universe whose character one's human intuition must discern in order to realize the potential for individual wisdom. This intuitive knowing of "life" cannot be grasped as a concept; it is known through actual living experience of one's everyday being.

Laozi in the Tao Te Ching explains that the Tao is not a "name" for a "thing" but the underlying natural order of the Universe whose ultimate essence is difficult to circumscribe due to it being non-conceptual yet evident in one's being of aliveness.[citation needed] The Tao is "eternally nameless" (Tao Te Ching-32. Laozi) and to be distinguished from the countless "named" things which are considered to be its manifestations, the reality of life before its descriptions of it.

 

[Smartbear]

Nice one, Colin. Car and house look brilliant.

What’s the background to the plate? Could be worth a bit in the Chinese detailing community!

Here you go MrPT :wink:
(I purchased it off the DVLA)

Tao (/daʊ/, /taʊ/) from Chinese: 道; pinyin: Dào [tâu] (About this soundlisten)) is a Chinese word signifying "way", "path", "route", "road" or sometimes more loosely "doctrine", "principle" or "holistic beliefs".[1] In the context of East Asian philosophy and East Asian religions, Tao is the natural order of the universe whose character one's human intuition must discern in order to realize the potential for individual wisdom. This intuitive knowing of "life" cannot be grasped as a concept; it is known through actual living experience of one's everyday being.

Laozi in the Tao Te Ching explains that the Tao is not a "name" for a "thing" but the underlying natural order of the Universe whose ultimate essence is difficult to circumscribe due to it being non-conceptual yet evident in one's being of aliveness.[citation needed] The Tao is "eternally nameless" (Tao Te Ching-32. Laozi) and to be distinguished from the countless "named" things which are considered to be its manifestations, the reality of life before its descriptions of it.

I think that number plate is too deep to comply with current dvla regs Colin?
Rob

 

[enuff_zed]

There was me thinking it signified the only feasible way to replace a Z and stood for The Alternative One

 

[Marlon]

Nice one, Colin. Car and house look brilliant.

What’s the background to the plate? Could be worth a bit in the Chinese detailing community!

Here you go MrPT :wink:
(I purchased it off the DVLA)

Tao (/daʊ/, /taʊ/) from Chinese: 道; pinyin: Dào [tâu] (About this soundlisten)) is a Chinese word signifying "way", "path", "route", "road" or sometimes more loosely "doctrine", "principle" or "holistic beliefs".[1] In the context of East Asian philosophy and East Asian religions, Tao is the natural order of the universe whose character one's human intuition must discern in order to realize the potential for individual wisdom. This intuitive knowing of "life" cannot be grasped as a concept; it is known through actual living experience of one's everyday being.

Laozi in the Tao Te Ching explains that the Tao is not a "name" for a "thing" but the underlying natural order of the Universe whose ultimate essence is difficult to circumscribe due to it being non-conceptual yet evident in one's being of aliveness.[citation needed] The Tao is "eternally nameless" (Tao Te Ching-32. Laozi) and to be distinguished from the countless "named" things which are considered to be its manifestations, the reality of life before its descriptions of it.

I think that number plate is too deep to comply with current dvla regs Colin?
Rob

DVLA certainly didn't realise that it 'reads' (if you're aware of ancient Chinese philosophy that is)

 

[Smartbear]

Here you go MrPT :wink:
(I purchased it off the DVLA)

Tao (/daʊ/, /taʊ/) from Chinese: 道; pinyin: Dào [tâu] (About this soundlisten)) is a Chinese word signifying "way", "path", "route", "road" or sometimes more loosely "doctrine", "principle" or "holistic beliefs".[1] In the context of East Asian philosophy and East Asian religions, Tao is the natural order of the universe whose character one's human intuition must discern in order to realize the potential for individual wisdom. This intuitive knowing of "life" cannot be grasped as a concept; it is known through actual living experience of one's everyday being.

Laozi in the Tao Te Ching explains that the Tao is not a "name" for a "thing" but the underlying natural order of the Universe whose ultimate essence is difficult to circumscribe due to it being non-conceptual yet evident in one's being of aliveness.[citation needed] The Tao is "eternally nameless" (Tao Te Ching-32. Laozi) and to be distinguished from the countless "named" things which are considered to be its manifestations, the reality of life before its descriptions of it.

I think that number plate is too deep to comply with current dvla regs Colin?
Rob

DVLA certainly didn't realise that it 'reads' (if you're aware of ancient Chinese philosophy that is)

I’m sure there’s an ancient proverb in there somewhere... :?
Rob

 

[Marlon]

There was me thinking it signified the only feasible way to replace a Z and stood for The Alternative One

Ha - I like it

 

[firebobby]

Collin, we will have to start calling you Grass hopper

 

[golfgeezer]

I can’t make up my mind between a E86/E89 or Porsche 911. Every day I come up with different pros and cons of all of them. Insurance wise they’re all similar and only a tenner difference between them so that’s not a factor. I’m more interested in what would give me that sense of satisfaction both in driving and when I open the garage door. I’d be looking at keeping it for a long time so if it didn’t plummet in value that would be a bonus. I’ve been looking at the for sale section here and M cars seem to be sitting for a while before a buyer comes along. Is the market a lot slower now than it has been in the past?

How do you find the whole ownership experience with the Porsche Marlon? Is it a Carrera 2S? Prices for the 996 and 997 are all over the place depending on the miles and model but I guess that’s the same for any car whether it’s a Ford Fiesta, Porsche 911 or Z4.

 

[Marlon]

I can’t make up my mind between a E86/E89 or Porsche 911. Every day I come up with different pros and cons of all of them. Insurance wise they’re all similar and only a tenner difference between them so that’s not a factor. I’m more interested in what would give me that sense of satisfaction both in driving and when I open the garage door. I’d be looking at keeping it for a long time so if it didn’t plummet in value that would be a bonus. I’ve been looking at the for sale section here and M cars seem to be sitting for a while before a buyer comes along. Is the market a lot slower now than it has been in the past?

How do you find the whole ownership experience with the Porsche Marlon? Is it a Carrera 2S? Prices for the 996 and 997 are all over the place depending on the miles and model but I guess that’s the same for any car whether it’s a Ford Fiesta, Porsche 911 or Z4.

Mine is a 911 997 Carrera S (C2S with the 3.8 ltr flat six) 2005 gen1. Prices are fairly strong for the 997 with the gen1 obviously less expensive than the gen2 introduced in 2009.

996 prices, however, are wide ranging - not least because they are an older model with high-milers knocking around and for many they are not as desirable as the 997 for aesthetic reasons.

As for comparisons, I've never owned or driven an Z4M or E89 so I can't compare the 911 to either. I loved my E85 3.0si but honestly this is in a different league. I can't imagine going back to any other car - both the driving experience and the design is sublime, I will probably write a fuller review soon.

Keep us posted on you hunt, and if anyone else wants to chip in with a comparison feel free (Mr Wilks :wink: )

 

[MrPT]

I can’t make up my mind between a E86/E89 or Porsche 911. Every day I come up with different pros and cons of all of them. Insurance wise they’re all similar and only a tenner difference between them so that’s not a factor. I’m more interested in what would give me that sense of satisfaction both in driving and when I open the garage door.

It would be best to drive both a Z4M and 996/997 and see what you think.

The 911s are very confidence inspiring - all that weight over the rear wheels and years of incremental improvements to the handling, pedal weights, driving position etc make them feel pretty imperious to drive. Even more so for the wide body models.

The Z4M, in stock form, is the opposite. The rear axle can feel very unruly sometimes, partly because of where you sit but also because of the way the suspension and geometry are set up. There’s plenty of grip, but it can go from “stuck” to “unstuck” quite abruptly. Common consensus is that you can go some way towards remedying these characteristics with updated springs/dampers, a more neutral alignment etc, but never remove them completely. Probably a good thing, overall, as it’s an exciting car to drive and you need to be hitting higher speeds/G forces in a 911 to get the same thrill. YMMV, of course!

I haven’t driven a later, DFI-engined 997 apart from the gen2 turbo, but the “Mezger” flat six in the gen1 is pretty special. Not as exciting as the S54 in the Z4M and E46 M3, but every bit as characterful. Porsche does exhausts and steering really well too. The steering feel on the Z4M is good but it’s not a patch on a 997. I’d go as far as saying the difference between an ///M and non-M is less than the difference between an ///M and a 997.

Also bear in mind that the price of a modestly-optioned 997 Carrera S was 50% higher than that of a Z4M. It’s a much lighter build (resulting in a similar kerb weight), individual components are higher quality and the interior fit/finish is superior. If you have a regular passenger who's claustrophobic, the Porsche cabin is larger and a bit more "airy" The two rear seats offer a useful amount of additional space (albeit not for human adults), but both cars are quite practical in that sense.

Just my opinion again, but a Z4M coupe will attract more attention than a boggo 911, especially from fellow car nuts.

 

[mr wilks]

Well MrPT has it boxed up hard to disagree with any of the above , i had had 2 previous 911s (964 + 996) before i got into Z4s , 7/8 years & 14 different Zs passed by with great enjoyment before i returned to the flat 6 & have to be honest i wasn't fully prepared for just how compelling the 997 is to both own & drive , i'm into month 5 & any excuse i'm out in it & as i did with the 964 some 10 years ago i still go in the garage just to sit in it yes really

@Golfgeezer / "I’m more interested in what would give me that sense of satisfaction both in driving and when I open the garage door."

from that alone get your funds in order then start the search for a 997 , i'm certainly never going to come on this forum slating any Z4 as they all offer a great experience but if its a choice you have then in a nutshell none of them compete with the car i have now .
The cabin , driving position ( all round vision especially good ) seats , balance , grip , geometry , steering , clutch , & gearbox ( manual ) are all a big step up from the Z4 ( all to be expected in cars that would have cost at least twice the original price)
Then throw in the flat 6 boxer engine that is a true joy , yes the S54 is legendary but so is the flat 6 & factor in its behind you & it all makes for a very special ownership .
For me the 997 was always on my radar , its got the dna perfected in every way , sitting in the middle of older generation 964-993 & newer 991-992 it will most likely go down as one of the best 911 when folks look back in 15/20 years time .
Id always coveted them , often scanning the classifieds but simply couldn't meet the £25k/£35k commitment which is where they sat for the past 2-6 years , happily that has now changed though wouldn't be at all surprised if they strengthened from where they are now , prices appear to have bottomed late last year / early this but only time will prove that .
One big downside though :roll: the 911uk forum aint a patch on this place :wink:

 

[Marlon]

What can I say, MrPT & mr wilks have nailed it there. I will say that this car gets more attention than my bright red Si roadster, which was a big surprise tbh. People come up to chat about it when I'm parking up or even at lights, and there's lots of head turning when I'm out and about. I can't explain how good it feels to drive without resorting to the old clichés, how it corners and the feel through the steering and the seemingly endless torque available in any gear is staggering. And then there's the look of the thing, to me - perfection from every angle
I'm also in agreement with mr wilks regarding the 911 community / forum - they don't come close to this forum, and that I do miss.

 

[MrPT]

Are you guys tempted by an aftermarket screen replacement? The outdated screen plus cluttered phone controls etc really date the interior, for me. The full width replacement panels look really good.

 

[Marlon]

I'm trying not to go down the Mod route TBH I didn't know there was such a thing?

 

[mr wilks]

Are you guys tempted by an aftermarket screen replacement? The outdated screen plus cluttered phone controls etc really date the interior, for me. The full width replacement panels look really good.

I'm happy how it is , not at all fussed for having the latest tech in any car tbh , just not a big deal to me , rarely even bother setting bluetooth up even if a car has the function & virtual music is lost on me i still burn my own Cds :roll:
My plan is to mirror my Z exploits in the Porsche world , 981 Cayman being the target car sometime next spring / summer , then most likely year after try a C2s to compare to my current C4 good times

 

[golfgeezer]

Thank you all for your replies. Very insightful and food for thought. I agree with this being a good forum compared to others.
Now where to look for a nice 997? I’ve looked in the usual places - Autotrader, eBay and pistonheads. Where else? Classic car auctions :?

 

[Marlon]

911uk forum is where I found mine (with help from a pal ); 911 enthusiasts and knowledgeable owners mean adverts need to be sharp and prices realistic otherwise they get slammed - just like here :wink: