[biznis32]

I’m in the exact same boat. Currently driving a 2019 992.1 MT as my second car. My winter car is a 2019 X5. The 911 is a very nice car to drive and the manual makes it very engaging but it’s really meant for open roads and not city driving. I’m considering moving to a M4 MT because I find that it can provide more of that dual personality. Comfort when I want but also fast and sharp when I want to have fun. I did get to test drive a MT M4 and I’m not sure how good that transmission is. My test drive was quick but I didn’t find the gear shifts to be very smooth when compared to my 911. Also, I found the gear lever to be vibrating when idling which I didn’t like. Did anyone else find that?

[PLF69]

Originally Posted by biznis32

I’m in the exact same boat. Currently driving a 2019 992.1 MT as my second car. My winter car is a 2019 X5. The 911 is a very nice car to drive and the manual makes it very engaging but it’s really meant for open roads and not city driving. I’m considering moving to a M4 MT because I find that it can provide more of that dual personality. Comfort when I want but also fast and sharp when I want to have fun. I did get to test drive a MT M4 and I’m not sure how good that transmission is. My test drive was quick but I didn’t find the gear shifts to be very smooth when compared to my 911. Also, I found the gear lever to be vibrating when idling which I didn’t like. Did anyone else find that?

Your findings are not surprising, the BMW M/T trans and shift linkage is not the best but it has been pretty consistent throughout the years, you could lower your expectations and try to get used to it. Solutions exist for the F series that seem to greatly enhance the experience. They should probably kreep to the G series eventually.

I switched to auto and DCT after owning 6mt 135i and many other mt cars thinking the new tech was better and more efficient only to realise later on that I greatly miss the involvement of driving MT.

I am eyeing to order a 6mt M3 and I am ready to deal with the not perfect shifter compared to Porsche or Honda etc. I think the MT trans + the bucket seats will bring back the fun I am looking for.

[translux]

I looked seriously at a new 911 but couldn’t justify 2x cost of the base M3. I’d also agree with a reviewers that mention the new M3 has some elements that are very Porsche like. For me it’s the perfect car.

[TTG]

Been there done that and here is my honest opinion. (some / most might disagree)

It all depends where you live and what you want to do with the car.

If there are beautiful open roads, good climate, little or no traffic jams and if you are going to track the car time to time, 911 will win all the time. It is fun, it is fast and its engineered perfectly. And it looks soooo good! (997, 991 & 992 cars that I am referring to)

But I live in Seattle where there are no open roads, to get to open roads, unless you leave at 5am in the morning, you get stuck in traffic, weather sucks most of the time, roads just suck period - in the city and the freeways which makes 911 a horrible experience and I don't track my cars.

When we have sunny days, roads are either jammed or there is some sort of a god awful construction going on. So you sit in traffic with your manual 500HP toy.

I constantly found myself wanting to take out the M340 or the M2C that I have access to vs 911.

I did couple of drives with some of my 911 buddies last year in the middle of the pandemic as all the roads were empty. 911 was a pure joy at a time like that.

I ended up getting rid of my 997TT (with uber low miles) after 3 years of ownership and have no regrets as I actually made $$$. I will most likely get a 991.2 TTS but the expectations for that car will be different.

If you live at a place where you can really enjoy the 911, my vote will be a 992 C2S with manual transmission and I would not throw some of the older 911 out the door either. A 997 GTS, 991.1 C2S & etc are great cars as well.

[Gizmo 335i]

Originally Posted by TTG

Been there done that and here is my honest opinion. (some / most might disagree)

It all depends where you live and what you want to do with the car.

If there are beautiful open roads, good climate, little or no traffic jams and if you are going to track the car time to time, 911 will win all the time. It is fun, it is fast and its engineered perfectly. And it looks soooo good! (997, 991 & 992 cars that I am referring to)

But I live in Seattle where there are no open roads, to get to open roads, unless you leave at 5am in the morning, you get stuck in traffic, weather sucks most of the time, roads just suck period - in the city and the freeways which makes 911 a horrible experience and I don't track my cars.

When we have sunny days, roads are either jammed or there is some sort of a god awful construction going on. So you sit in traffic with your manual 500HP toy.

I constantly found myself wanting to take out the M340 or the M2C that I have access to vs 911.

I did couple of drives with some of my 911 buddies last year in the middle of the pandemic as all the roads were empty. 911 was a pure joy at a time like that.

I ended up getting rid of my 997TT (with uber low miles) after 3 years of ownership and have no regrets as I actually made $$$. I will most likely get a 991.2 TTS but the expectations for that car will be different.

If you live at a place where you can really enjoy the 911, my vote will be a 992 C2S with manual transmission and I would not throw some of the older 911 out the door either. A 997 GTS, 991.1 C2S & etc. are great cars as well.

This one of the most honest and realistic experiences I've seen on this forum. There is so much 911 worship and slurpage that it gets tiresome. 911s and cayman/boxsters are neither practical nor particularly engaging as daily city drivers. They need open roads and tracks.

Now get off of my lawn!

[SickGTR]

Originally Posted by TTG

Been there done that and here is my honest opinion. (some / most might disagree)

It all depends where you live and what you want to do with the car.

If there are beautiful open roads, good climate, little or no traffic jams and if you are going to track the car time to time, 911 will win all the time. It is fun, it is fast and its engineered perfectly. And it looks soooo good! (997, 991 & 992 cars that I am referring to)

But I live in Seattle where there are no open roads, to get to open roads, unless you leave at 5am in the morning, you get stuck in traffic, weather sucks most of the time, roads just suck period - in the city and the freeways which makes 911 a horrible experience and I don't track my cars.

When we have sunny days, roads are either jammed or there is some sort of a god awful construction going on. So you sit in traffic with your manual 500HP toy.

I constantly found myself wanting to take out the M340 or the M2C that I have access to vs 911.

I did couple of drives with some of my 911 buddies last year in the middle of the pandemic as all the roads were empty. 911 was a pure joy at a time like that.

I ended up getting rid of my 997TT (with uber low miles) after 3 years of ownership and have no regrets as I actually made $$$. I will most likely get a 991.2 TTS but the expectations for that car will be different.

If you live at a place where you can really enjoy the 911, my vote will be a 992 C2S with manual transmission and I would not throw some of the older 911 out the door either. A 997 GTS, 991.1 C2S & etc are great cars as well.

Dude, you need to move!! LOL

[KevinGS]

Originally Posted by translux

I looked seriously at a new 911 but couldn’t justify 2x cost of the base M3. I’d also agree with a reviewers that mention the new M3 has some elements that are very Porsche like. For me it’s the perfect car.

Me too. The 911s I really want are GT3 models, and even used, it's hard to find any below $120k. I'm not ready to pay that much for such a single purpose experience. Maybe later.

For now, the M offers much of what I want (and in some ways, is more playful and has more in-cabin tech than the 911), and is way more practical when I need it to be.

The new 911s are nice, but I'd only get the Carrera S...and with a few options, you're at $125,000+. Not worth it, as I find the Carreras a little too sterile for my taste anyway.

There's enough in M cars to carry me until I'm ready for a Porsche GT model.

[translux]

Originally Posted by KevinGS

Me too. The 911s I really want or GT3 models, and even used, it's hard to find any below $120k. I'm not ready to pay that much for such a single purpose experience. Maybe later.

For now, the M offers much of what I want (and in some ways, is more playful and has more in-cabin tech than the 911), and is way more practical when I need it to be.

The new 911s are nice, but I'd only get the Carrera S...and with a few options, you're at $125,000+. Not worth it, as I find the Carreras a little too sterile for my tastes.

There's enough in M cars to carry me until I'm ready for a Porsche GT model.

New Carrera S is fantastic but you’re right it’s not exciting to look at and is in someways too perfect. The M3 IMHO looks fresh and amazing. The more I drive the M3 the more I believe that its very close to the 911 and in many ways better.
Yah love Porsche GT’s. Really want a 911 R but they’re out of reach. GT3RS will have to do.

[HeelToeShift]

Originally Posted by translux

New Carrera S is fantastic but you’re right it’s not exciting to look at and is in someways too perfect. The M3 IMHO looks fresh and amazing. The more I drive the M3 the more I believe that its very close to the 911 and in many ways better.
Yah love Porsche GT’s. Really want a 911 R but they’re out of reach. GT3RS will have to do.

I’ll take precision, sound and engineering in the 911 everyday. It’s just the perfect every day all around sports car - so adjustable and playful and does track duty extremely well and fast. I also think the cabin is a much nicer place to be than anything on the 75k and up by a long shot.
That said, my GT4 is more fun than either and much more exciting to drive or look at though the 911 is a close second as they’re just pretty and agressice without being gaudy.

[picaso]

Originally Posted by picaso

I feel you. To make matters worse my wife just asked why I'm not considering the Tesla roadster and just wait and see if I'd like that. Her thinking is while she understands the thrill of petrol, gears and such - since Porsche has a premium and causes me stress, why not wait and just maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised by the roadster - I'm not keen on sound, I just want a fun car!

Looks like I'll wait. Tired of playing Porsches game. They either step up to satisfy demand or lose market shares to "younger" folks who are willing to try something new.

I really really hate dealing with dealerships. I think I'm goin all electric folks. Will put my deposit for a roadster.

Soooo…. Canceled my Tesla order.

[HeelToeShift]

Originally Posted by picaso

Soooo…. Canceled my Tesla order.

Congrats!

[2011ninja]

Originally Posted by SickGTR

No problem. His car only had 2500 miles on it or something in that range. Seems like a lot of those Porsche dudes barely drive the cars and then trade in for something diff or new. Best of luck!!

Spot on...

My buddy has a 992 with 7 speed manual

Car has been sitting for 3 months

Perhaps I can snag it from him lease end

[KevinGS]

Originally Posted by translux

New Carrera S is fantastic but you’re right it’s not exciting to look at and is in someways too perfect. The M3 IMHO looks fresh and amazing. The more I drive the M3 the more I believe that its very close to the 911 and in many ways better.
Yah love Porsche GT’s. Really want a 911 R but they’re out of reach. GT3RS will have to do.

911R, OMG, yes. But the 991R figures are stupefying now (like $500k+). The GT3RS is indeed a bargain comparatively. Hec, I'd take a 2018 manual GT3 base model, but not quite there yet. Need my investments to do a bit better. And the prices on all GT3 models just keep going up. **sigh** So M3 it is, for now.

....though I never forget that this is a true First World Problems.

[bmwdrive]

Ok. So I can't even get a 2 minute test drive of a G8x. On the other hand, I've been able to take very extended drives of the 992. I don't know about previous 911's but the 992 has a definite dual personality. You can easily drive it very comfortably around town and it's composed and relatively quiet. Open it up though and it's so good to drive. I test drove an F8x M4CS last year and that was a complete beast all the time. I would take the 992 over that M4 any day. I wish I knew how the G8x compares.

[Dr. Ice]

Originally Posted by BimmerMan33

Cars are generally fun when driven close to their limits. Both M cars & Porsches these days have such high limits that they're difficult to enjoy on the streets in a safe & legal way. Of course, lots of fun on the track but few people track their cars & that too for 5-7 days a year, rest of the times we expect the car to be fun on the street.

I prefer base versions with narrower tires for street use as the limits are lower & base engines could be revved out more, both are fun!

Porsche ride is more compliant and sporty at the same time compared to M cars because P car is designed as a race car first, so the chassis is more rigid, therefore allowing suspension to be softer, while M cars are street cars first with not so stiff chassis which necessitates stiffer suspension tuning.

If looking for a sporty feeling car without need for 4 door/4 seats, Porsche makes perfect sense (Cayman or 911). If 4 seats are needed, M cars are the only sporty option!

I sold my 991.2 C2S just two weeks ago in order to gain a little more versatile car with the M3 Competition Xdrive. I have never had an M car before so I will see how I like it. If I don’t, I will go back and get a 992 C2S. I loved my 911 but didn’t drive it much. Was a 2017 with 9,500 miles.

[KevinGS]

Originally Posted by picaso

Soooo…. Canceled my Tesla order.

wow, you got a GT3 allocation????

[solstice]

Originally Posted by picaso

Soooo…. Canceled my Tesla order.

Sick.

[Limegrntaln]

Here I am, trying to just get a 922 C4S allocation, and I couldnt even get that. Im going to start working on this, while I have my M4. I think for my 50th, just in time for my M4 Lease to expire. Im getting a 992, something. Even if its a Turbo S. If I could get a 992 GT3 at MSRP, I'd cancel my M4 order.

[bmwdrive]

Originally Posted by Limegrntaln

Here I am, trying to just get a 922 C4S allocation, and I couldnt even get that. Im going to start working on this, while I have my M4. I think for my 50th, just in time for my M4 Lease to expire. Im getting a 992, something. Even if its a Turbo S. If I could get a 992 GT3 at MSRP, I'd cancel my M4 order.

That's in a completely different league than me. I've been debating endlessly if I should get the M3C or the 992 Base. Even the Base is 50% more expensive than the M3. I don't think I can justify the premium. I'm sure the GT3 is a completely different animal.

[Limegrntaln]

Originally Posted by danf72

That's in a completely different league than me. I've been debating endlessly if I should get the M3C or the 992 Base. Even the Base is 50% more expensive than the M3. I don't think I can justify the premium. I'm sure the GT3 is a completely different animal.

Im sure it is. My G82 is $103K. I can probably get close to getting a no optioned 992 Base, but I couldnt even find an allocation.

[hatepotholez]

This is just the thread I was looking for.

Since I have positive equity in my F80 I'm getting the itch to sell and save. I've been through 2 f80's since December 2015. This might be the longest I've been with the same platform excluding my classic cars. Im leaning towards the new Corvette Z06. In addition the wife wants the new X3 to replace her 128i.

I have the following cars that need my attention and have been on the back burner:
1972 Alfa Romeo GTV(needs full restoration)
1972 Datsun 240z needs minor body work. Extremely enjoyable car the way I set it up.
2002 Mitsubishi Montero Limited want to turn into a off reader.(needs minor work to run flawlessly)

Part of me is saying sell everything, invest the positive equity, keep the 128i as a daily and later on get the Z06 or a 911. Another part of me is saying, for the f80 get some nice coilovers, suspension bits and brake bits and it'll perform significantly better(I shaved almost 2 seconds at LRP with NT01's and Ds2500 pads). I'm also married and have one kid, or I would have ditched the 128i if I got the Z06. There are other options that are interesting like the GT350, and the SS1le, I'm a big American V8 fan but the f80 to me is in a higher class with usability and comfort.

I don't know, I'm stuck. The f80 I got for a great deal and nothing can compare at this price point.

[dynamic]

Originally Posted by Gizmo 335i

This one of the most honest and realistic experiences I've seen on this forum. There is so much 911 worship and slurpage that it gets tiresome. 911s and cayman/boxsters are neither practical nor particularly engaging as daily city drivers. They need open roads and tracks.

Now get off of my lawn!

Very true, 911s do not make good daily drivers and neither do Boxsters which are chic's cars and way too small.