Matt Farah likes our car!

jimmybell said:
Tomscott - which 911? I'm browsing through some on autotrader this morning, wana decide what to go and test. I think 997.2 is the sweet spot, maybe a GTS.

Ye you would certainly be right. Its a 997 gen 1 but tbh is an incredible car on the euro trip we had a 991 997.2, 997, 981 and E85 M. The 997 was certainly no slouch and got a huge amount of attention. Probably because its guards red tho really stands out.

Just very very hard to find a GTS in a great spec been looking for 2 years for my dad and still haven't found 'the one' but being very anal on spec. But they are very expensive and low specs are going for similar prices to the higher spec cars. Also the GTS is problematic because it has the single nut release wheels so they are a pain, they are also lovely wheels but they all came in black and I hate black wheels.

The 997 we have is so highly specced and can't find a gts that has the same kit. For example can't seem to find extended leather in any of them yet a large amount of 997s have it, cruise etc. Weird. They also didn't sell a lot so many might have been dealer cars but are appreciating fairly sharpish, 65-70k is the ballpark for a good very low milage GTS. Could get a good 997.2 for 40-55k, depends what you want really.

The 997 gen 2 is the one to have but the 997 gen 1s are cheap are very very capable theres not much between them apart from the nice internal upgrades like nav and the nice LED lights which look much nicer etc but you can have the LED lights installed on the gen 1. Spend a bit of money having possible the problems solved like an upgraded RMS bearing etc and it will be a very reliable, fairly cheap for what it is and it carries a lot of kudos value. Never got the attention in the M like the 911 does.

After owning the M for 3 years and then driving the 911 for 1500 odd miles, on paper very similar, on normal roads normal driving very similar. But get the 911 somewhere that it was designed to be like the twisty passes, quick roads, autobahn and the difference is obvious. The 911 is much more comfortable its like a GT/sportscar all in one. Took two of us all our luggage 3000 miles with ease, the car was hammered and did 25mpg overall. But its the drive, the M is wooly in comparison, the porsche is very direct and feels like a much more complete package, the shift, pedal position, very easy to drive to the drivers limit unlike the M which can be tiring to drive at the my driver limit. Only thing is that the 911 doesn't have which took a bit of getting used to was that it doesn't have as much low end instead of 2000rpm it more like 3000 so you'll end up being in lower gears.

Also ensure you get the sports exhaust the NO1 feature, sounds incredible very loud and burbles pops and screams much louder than the M unfortunately in the tunnels the M was completely out voiced. Still can't beat that M noise on full chat tho.

Nothing against the M at all its an incredible car, the 911 was double the price of the M new. But you can get lovely 911s for similar prices to Ms atm and imo there is no comparison apart from the rarity factor. But the 911 is a better drivers car and on the top end feels like it has much more horsepower than it does.

19639577829_775f02dd5a_c.jpgSusten Pass, Switzerland by Tom Scott, on Flickr

19475289336_b45ebed1be_c.jpgPorsche 911, Sustens Pass, Switzerland by Tom Scott, on Flickr
 
Interesting comments - duno if it's the Imola Red but my car literally couldn't get any more attention, and i'm not sure i'd want more, it must be a red thing :D Looks v nice tho - considering i'm never really blown away by Porsche colours (I think BMW win here hands down). I'd be buying a GT3 if they werent all appreciating like mad, big fan of the 991 - thanks to pvr's tidy example.

Was in a garage on Sunday where they had a 991 GT3 for sale at 169k, even the sales guy admitted it was under 130k new. Reckon they'll make more profit on that than the swedish green Koenigsegg CCX they had in the back!
 
The thing with GT3s is that yes they are amazing… but you try doing that eurotrip in one and you would have been a very tired person. You really have to go and try one to feel the difference. They are very crashy, loud and not very comfortable on the road, yes the best of the 911s but IMO not perfect. The Carrera and Carrera S are very hard to beat and are renowned for being the best of the bunch. For what you can do with them on the road the 911 is 85-90% the GT3 and much more comfortable. I love the GT3 and always had the above opinion, as a new Cs is around 110-120k spend the extra on the GT3 and very little depreciation. But you really have to be quite a hardcore driver to buy one, if your tracking awesome get one but for the road the standard 911 is not to be understated, so capable, much more so than I thought.

Thing is we went to the Porsche factory tour and they were making them on the exact same lines as the other 991s.

We all came away agreeing about the above and being so impressed with the cars. I came away blown away with it, I didn't think the cost difference was worth it at the time when I bought my Z, but the trip really got me sold on them, dont think I would have another M now, which is weird because I loved my car to bits but the 911 is a very special car that people take for granted now I think and certainly shouldn't be underestimated.

To start with they can feel a little antiquated, but its a matter of getting used to it. Once you do and you get into your groove with it, just an incredible machine. I don't think you can get anything better for less than 30k, and like I said it punches way above its weight. We went to the Lamborghini factory and pulled up to a super car cafe and the 911s got more attention than the Lambos we drove in and people came out and surrounded the cars getting pictures of with them, and was the same everywhere we went, so much love for cars on the continent. Was such a great experience one il never forget.

If you haven't done a eurotrip its really worth doing one really makes you realise how capable the cars are.
 
tomscott said:
... very easy to drive to the drivers limit unlike the M which can be tiring to drive at the my driver limit...

...But the 911 is a better drivers car...

It's so interesting how different people have such different opinions, I found exactly the same that the 911 (Porsche's for that matter) are very easy to drive.

For me though this made it completely dull after a year or so and definitely not a drivers car for me. I love the effort required in the M to peddle it quickly down twisty roads :driving:

Not really related but worth while a post I believe.

Disclaimer - this does not apply to GT3s they are a different beast altogether and much more of a handful :evil:
 
I would love a 911 i think, but the fear of 8K + Vat Hartech engine rebuild puts me right off.

I think a 997.2 with the DFI would be ok, but i wouldn't go 996 or 997.1 for the fear of it personally.

I would love a Mezger engine 911, but cant afford unfortunately.
 
I like the 911's too but the mainstream models are too ubiquitous for my liking. They aren't exactly an unusual sight on our roads are they? As the GT3 (or maybe a GTS) is the only one I'd be interested in and it's sky rocketed out of my reach I'd be looking elsewhere next time. At the moment my replacement shortlist is a very short list - consisting of an Exige S3 (maybe a Cup version but probably standard) or a Cayman GTS (assuming the GT4 will never come down to sane prices). I really love the 981 Boxsters too but again they are just very common these days. A well equipped S (like Jax's car on the euro trip) or GTS is a lovely, lovely thing though.

Edit: Meant to say - thanks for posting the video Jimmy. Enjoyed watching that.
 
The problems are inherent and well known. But I would argue you run that risk with most high performance engines as discussed numerous times the S54 is in the same boat, plenty of engine failures there too.

It may put people off, but spend a few grand having a re engineered IMS fitted and some cast cylinder liners, and while its there have other bits and pieces updated and replaced. There will be many miles and many smiles. Same with a Z, if i were to buy one now I could easily spend a few thousand having bits a pieces replaced simply because of their age and milage, worrying about the same issues.

The main thing is to look after it properly, regular oil changes and its pretty standard these days to have an oil analysis done. If there are signs of issues get it sorted… Life blood is usually the problem or general abuse, they don't have dry sumps and take a while to warm up so let them warm up and don't rag them cold.

To put it into perspective for you… My 2014 Mini Cooper S has just had a new engine and gearbox because the crank shaft sheared… nakard the whole car, 4.5k 9 months old. Can happen to any car.

I would take the risk but buy a good warranty to ensure.

I understand the ubiquitous comment… especially down south, but up north you don't see any at all, infact I think there are 4-5 in my area. But at the same time its nothing but praise being ubiquitous, the cars are fantastic people buy them… unfortunately now a days you can't really buy anything rare unless your in the stratosphere. The M is an anomaly and it is because its a quirky car released at the beginning of the recession and its taken nearly 10 years for them to become popular. They are fantastic cars no doubt, but there isn't really anything in the same boat in terms of rarity without spending an extra £100k and a 911 is the natural step. The step from a Z4M to a GT3 is huge couldn't be more different, not only in price but in every respect, they just aren't usable in the same way. The 911 fills the gap with like I said being 85-90% of the GT3 on the road.

I had the opinion that 911s aren't particularly rare or special anymore, and tbh pushing to swap it for something different, but doing this road trip has completely shifted my perspective. The love for all our cars on the continent was amazing people would stop, watch, wave. When we arrived at the Lamborghini factory people surrounded the cars wanting pics etc was brilliant something I won't forget. They are so understated and underrated these days. Its the experience, the noise, smell, feel, capability just on a different level imo. Just have to take a look at Zermatts car… Barely a Targa 4S for sale in the UK, and being behind that car with the noise and those wide arches… not much more that can beat that..

You don't need a GT3 to get to experience what a 911 is all about.

But everyones different and want different things, the 911 for me is about as good as it gets.

Dont underestimate the 'normal' Porsche models… Jacks boxster sounded the best out of all the cars on the trip, honest to god sounds like an F1 car in the tunnels that sports exhaust is insane. I know what your thinking reading this… but trust me that thing sounds unreal, I'm sure any of the guys on the trip will back me up on that, made the 911 sports exhaust sound timid and was drowned out and thats saying something. The Boxster was probably the most impressive car of the trip, probably because of underestimation.
 
Nice review...fully agree with your view. However, because the new ones are just so good I find them of little interest, going to crazy speeds to create some sideways movement isn't so much fun to me. I like the skittish handling of the MC and the challenge to drive it at pace through twisty roads.
 
Angelus666 said:
Nice review...fully agree with your view. However, because the new ones are just so good I find them of little interest, going to crazy speeds to create some sideways movement isn't so much fun to me. I like the skittish handling of the MC and the challenge to drive it at pace through twisty roads.
Couldn't agree more as said earlier but in all fairness it's not just Porsches that are so competent they are boring, most modern performance cars are? :x

The thing not to confuse here is that a car can be really good, can be really fast and handle amazing but can still be boring - this is my problem

I've spent the last few months looking for a replacement for my Zed and apart from a V8 F Type nothing else out there really gets me going and even then it's an auto...wtf
 
TomK said:
Matt, large annoying american who I personally can;t stand and also can't understand why he does car reviews since he can barely fit in most of them or drive them by the looks of it. Sorry was that harsh?

Interesting point of view.

I enjoyed that myself. :thumbsup:
 
I quite like Matt but then again I'm not british.
He did leave a lot of it out sadly, mainly exterior etc. Also he (understandably) waited too long before he revved it!
 
What an absolute load of rubbish. He doesnt know what he's on about. Does he just drive random people's cars? Why do they let him?
 
I'm not sure what is a load of rubbish.

Yes, he drives random (we're talking numbering in the hundreds now, and has driven MANY high end performance cars in reasonably serious testing fashion) people's cars. I'd argue he probably has a more balanced view than .. 99.5% of z4-forum members.
 
jimmybell said:
I'm not sure what is a load of rubbish.

Yes, he drives random (we're talking numbering in the hundreds now, and has driven MANY high end performance cars in reasonably serious testing fashion) people's cars. I'd argue he probably has a more balanced view than .. 99.5% of ///M Owners.

Fixed that for you :thumbsup:
 
jimmybell said:
I'm not sure what is a load of rubbish.

Yes, he drives random (we're talking numbering in the hundreds now, and has driven MANY high end performance cars in reasonably serious testing fashion) people's cars. I'd argue he probably has a more balanced view than .. 99.5% of z4-forum members.

Couple of points that I think are rubbish:

Exhaust - "oh youve only changed the mufflers - gone for the standard look"?? Surely the mufflers are the only part of the exhaust system that would CHANGE the look.

His gear selection too low for a lot of the corners.

"its got the adjustable redline thing" - no explanation necessary as to why that is bollo*cks

The Crown Victoria is brilliant???!!!

It was never the engine that bothered him on the M3 or Z4M - very strange considereing I am not aware of any other common failures apart from the engine even having a recall in the states for cams, followers and bearing shells.

He doesnt really tell anyone about that great road that he was talking about - he just bloody broadcasted it on the internet

I wouldnt describe the S54 as a "smooth engine"

I make that more than one stupid / untrue statement every two minutes which, in my opinion doesn't make him very good and proves that he talks a lot of rubbish.

Yes I do have too much time on my hands.
 
I don't QUITE have as much time as you and I suspect I didn't wake up on the wrong side of the bed.. but...

AndrewZ4MC said:
Exhaust - "oh youve only changed the mufflers - gone for the standard look"?? Surely the mufflers are the only part of the exhaust system that would CHANGE the look.

His gear selection too low for a lot of the corners.

"its got the adjustable redline thing" - no explanation necessary as to why that is bollo*cks

I think he's referring to the fact the remus system looks very similar to the standard backbox, there are others that do not. I'm sure he's familiar with the concept that the rest of the exhaust system is not visible.

He's new to the car, i'd not expect him to A. drive it perfectly in the first 5 minutes, and B. redline a donor car from a member of the public

and 'adjustable redline'... surely he's just noticed the redline on the dials adjusts based on temperature. I'm not sure why that's bollocks.

These one-take videos are just his initial impressions of driving random cars on roads he knows, they're not EVO style in-depth researched reviews designed to appease M-fanatics who are more interested in the angle of the headlight washer spray than the grin-factor of simply driving the car.
 
hahaha, I'm not angry in any way - just my view. I can see why it may come accross that way though. Actually in a pretty good mood today.

I take your point though - maybe i am just being harsh - wouldn't be the first time it has been said.

Even though he is a plank I always enjoy watching videos that feature the M.
 
I'd be a bit more lenient if i were you, remember.. Americans have only just learnt that corners exist, and it's possible to traverse them. They're new to this driving thing...
 
Anyone else noticed every car he drives he manages to way over rev during heel and toe down shifts? It's got to the stage where any fumbled heel and toe or gear change is now greeted with 'Alright Matt Farah!' amongst my friends... Also how he somehow manages to make every car look like a Fisher Price kids toy with a gorilla sitting in it? Bit bitchy but it does make me laugh a little :P
 
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