sleepless24h

I am planning to move to LA for a couple of years and the following cars seem to be the most interesting for me to buy for this period of time. I am looking for a vehicle for every day use + track about once a month + traveling once a month (ski resorts, Vegas, etc.). For some reasons I can't go for two cars, so SUV+trackcar is not an option in my case.

I am a Porsche fan and I already have two 911 in Europe. But I believe that CLK BS is an awesome car as well. M6conv also looks as not a bad choice for my list of purposes.

I understand that all of these cars are different but I'd like to hear some pros and cons from you guys, especially your comparative experience about these exact models.

Jim Brady

If your going to spend anytime in LA traffic you will want an automatic transmission so that may influence your decision. The BS will be much more track worthy than either the M6 or 911 and have a lot more space for your weekend trips.
FWIW, drop tops don't have the chassis stiffness for track use, and the weather maybe sunny in the day time but cools off at night so I'd say I'd stay away from the convertible.
There are plus and minus to all the cars you mention. The fact that the BS warrantee stays in tact even if you track the car maybe another consideration which the Porsche and BMW won't have.

JamE55

To OP,

What Jim said. Traffic here in LA is one of the worse.

sleepless24h

Thanks for your posts.

Anyone has an experience of using BS as a daily driver?
I would appreciate opinions on BS vs. 997tt comparison as well.

SMP

I own a CLK63 BS and an M6 coupe. Don't use the BS as a daily driver, but it is perfectly suited as on, but will be more of a compromise compared to the other cars you mentioned. Out of all the cars on your list, the BS is going to perform the best if you take it to the track. In my opinion the M6 convertible defeats the purpose, because it's 400 pounds heavier than the coupe and has a lot of chassis flex. Not something I would take to the track. Kind of looks awkward with the top up and has some serious blind spots in traffic. The Porsche turbo with PDK is a very nice car. Very docile in stop and go LA traffic for a car that is packing some serious performance, and the all wheel drive makes it easy to put it all to the ground. Probably the best choice if you only want to own one car.

ET550

I have used my BS as a daily driver for a little over 2 years and 20K miles and have no complaints. I personally find it more comfortable to drive on a daily basis than the porsches I have owned in the past. But you really need to test drive the cars for yourself because we all have different tastes, quirks and opinions.

transferred

4S isn't in the same perf. category as the other three...and I echo the sentiments that the M6 to have is the coupe not the bloated conv...

fwiw, i'd rate them 997TT, followed by CLKBS and then the M6 coupe but can't go wrong with either of those three as they each have many differing strengths and a few weaknesses...

-Rob

LZH

If you REALLY are planning on tracking the car once a month (that's a lot btw) and will also be using it for weekend trips, the BS is a no brainer. The 97TT would be better in the snow (and how often will you really be in the snow), but it has very limited luggage space and will not hold up as well (or be as much fun) as the BS on the track. For the purposes you listed, the BS gets the nod. Also, plan on buying LOTS of tires !!!

alexander stemer

I use my car as a daily driver thru 3 seasons. As there isn't an appropriate snow tire for the rims I have, I really can't use it when we really get bad weather. But, down to about 38 degrees and up to an inch of slush, it's a great daily driver.
It's no comparison the the 997,as it is both a better highway cruiser, faster, and has a real trunk (but no real spare). A GT3 would be the closest competitor. But, Porsche may not honor warranty on tracked cars. You might want to try a the GT3 (it's really a nice driving car),and if your budget accommodates that, it's a close call. BS is much more unique, and automatic. 997 GT3 is the epitome of Porsche.
if you like driving on the track, the BMW is a poor choice. Don't misinterpret, as it is a nice street car than can be driven fairly quickly, but it is a very compromised track car. Kind of like an agile fat girl. Moves better than you'd guess, but not really what you want for max performance. AS

sleepless24h

is it about 997tt or BS?

LZH

Think about it dude...which has the bigger trunk ???? The BS...you can barely fit an overnight bag in the 997.

SMP

You crack me up, Luke ............it's true, the all wheel drive does take almost all the trunk space away.

sleepless24h

Is BS trunk large enough to fit some luggage?

Have anyone tried to go to ski resort with BS? In USA do you have to drive on snow to reach it, or roads are clean the whole way to the hotel? Can I use chains on BS?

And what do you guys think about driving 997tt stick-shift in LA? Do stop-signs and traffic make it a real pain in the ***?

P.S.: Some of my questions may seem stupid, I understand that. I can imagine that driving and roads in Europe differs much from ones in the US. And I do not have enough of US-driving experience and have never had a BS. So I will really appreciate if you make these things clear to me. And thank you for your posts and opinions. ))

JDB

I think that the addition of using the car in the snow really confuses things.

Personally, I would rent an appropriate vehicle to take to the snow and save the BMW / Porsche / CLK63 BS for all other occasions.

Don't forget that in the U.S., during snowy seasons the roads are coated with de-icing chemicals ("salt") that will accelerate corrosion. If you care about your vehicles at all, I would not take a nice car out in the snow.

JDB

alexander stemer

I don't find the salt to be an issue. I drive a 996ttX50 as my winter car (on 4 mounted snows) and the salt does not effect it (8 years, 70,000 miles)
I have not driven a 997tt DSG, so hard to say. The 997tt tip and manual were not enough better than my 996tt to warrant a change, but you can see that even with a tt parked under the carport, I use the BS exclusively. It's a much better highway car, and more fun when the road turns. Gas mileage has been the same. tt is more enjoyable in the snow. Wouldn't a 2010 997tt cost as much as a BS plus another car? AS

SMP

Forget about taking the BS to the snow. Besides the obvious traction issue, the car is too low and it will turn into a snow plow when entering driveways. Neither do you want to drive a manual transmission in LA traffic. I like shifting through the gears, however, it get's old very quickly when you have to shift 5000 times from first to second during a 30 min. drive in rush hour traffic. The BS has an automatic, the BMW and the new 997 TT a sequential gearbox which makes daily commuting much easier. I took the BS on some trips, and there is plenty of space for luggage in the trunk....................which makes my wife very happy. When I had a Porsche, she had to bring the bare minimum.

sleepless24h

But do I really have to drive in the snow to get from LA to a ski resort? Any LA locals here?

JDB

Yes, you will have to drive on snow covered roads to get to ski resorts during the winter. In California, when the roads have snow on them, chains can be required, and the speed limit when a vehicle is equipped with chains is 25 MPH.

JDB

LZH

If you want to do any REAL skiing, yeah. Mammoth is amazing and I've driven there many times when highway 395 approaching the exit for mammoth lakes exit is snowpacked and pretty nasty. Thinking back, that's the last place I would want to be in my black series. First for safety reasons, second because I'd be limited to about 25mph while guys in their 4wd's blast by me doing 55mph. Sure, you can drive the black series in the snow, but I wouldn't suggest it.

SMP

I am European and live now in LA. The ski resorts in Europe are different as they are in towns where people live year in and out, so the streets are maintained all the time. Here you have to drive quite far as the ski areas are in remote locations. Not something you would want to take a BS to. It's not like Kithbuehel, St. Moritz or Lech am Arlberg where you have relative easy access. I don't know how many times you are planing to go skiing, but for those occasions I would just rent a car.

LZH

Sacha - I see absolutly NOTHING wrong with that
When I had my 993TT and 997TT, she would b!ich and moan about not being able to take enough crap and I had a standing rule - no luggage behind the seats either - lol - that caused a few arguments...and a few times, I even got to go by myself !!!

sleepless24h

SMP - where are you from in Europe? St.Moritz is good))

And what can you say about 997tt in terms of snow-driving?

LZH

Hey Sleepless - Alexander made a very good point you may have missed:

So why not get the BS and another daily driver ???? You said in your original post you can go for two cars ? Why not ??

SMP

Luke, I'm getting older and don't feel like having the same conversation about "what to bring and what not", and most importantly what fits in the car. Why do you think I bought the BS in the first place . Now it's only down to my driving style and the rebound settings, but I can live with that.

My last Porsche had a rollbar, which makes it impossible to fold the rear seats down and luggage on the leather seats is a no go for me. Besides, I didn't feel like being a mobile Louis Vuitton display case and get the car broken into. Try to explain that to a woman...............

sleepless24h

I have noticed that post before. But I am not talking about 2011 997, I meant 2008 low-mileage 997 (tip or manual), wich is almost the same price as BS. And unfortunately I can't go for two cars anyway as I said in my first post.