Thanks for the suggestion Jack, however misguided it may be. I have read the thread from the beginning.

More importantly, I have understood what I have read, while some folks apparently have not.

 

I am a current GT2 owner. Have owned 2 993TT's, a 993 4s, a 996TT, and an SL600 in the past.

My experience is that neither is the 993 build quality as amazing as some have claimed, nor is the 996 as poor. My 993's all rattled much more, had squeaky windshields...etc. My SL600 has more problems than I care to list.

My point is that build quality comments are so absurdly subjective UNLESS you are citing statics. For example, someone I know not very well complained to me about the feel of his brand new 996 c2. I went over and checked the tire pressures -- they were each 10lbs over inflated -- he might as well be driving on stones. So while I am all for people citing recalls etc... Build quality talk has and always will be deceptive, the kind of talk that gets repeated and becomes "fact" much like the belief so many people have that the Porsche 996 GT2 is a death mobile that requires Damon Hill to successfully drive it to the corner store.

Now as for SL55 vs. 996TT -- I think compairsons are silly given the totally different goals of each car. And while I appreciate the Hoeckheim stat, 4 seconds on that track is indicative of a lot more than you make it sound.

The SL55 is in my opinion the best MB to date and an awesome GT. Having driven it a lot, I agree it is absolutley one of the best all-around daily drivers. I completely believe anyone who buys a Porsche Turbo should be buying it because they want to really drive it hard. You are not even beginning to understand the car if you don't have it at high speed in twisting mountain roads. I think the person who started this thread made a smart choice for himself -- however the one thing I found decpetive in his original post was the implicit point that it was the Turbo that didn't live up to his expectation. I think the truth is he didn't know what it was a Turbo was for -- certainly this is true if in 6 months of ownership it saw 120mph once. I don't know a single person who has been in a Turbo and doesn't open it up somewhere at least once a week! I see 120 anytime I have a stretch of open road and no police!

One buys a Porsche ideally to drive it on open roads in a spirited fashion. They can drive it around town, but it feels like using a race horse to pull a carriage. One buys an SL55 to have a car they can drive around town, and can take up to a healthy speed in a straight line. You can take it on the twisties, it does very well, but doesn't handle like a true sports car. And by that I mean feel, feedback...etc. Not just performance.

So I guess what I'm saying is where I think Porsche owners find some of these orginal remarks obnoxious is because they suggest that the SL55's virtues are more virtuous, instead of saying "hey, for what I do in a car, this is SO much better" Not everyone wants ANY radio in their car. And some people think seats which massage you are big heavy wastes of weight. Others think any car with two seats is obnoxious, as are any cars that get less than 30mpg.

I love the SL55 and would get one if it were not for the 360 Spyder, which satisfies more of my desires in a drop-top car. Does that mean a 360 Spyder is better than an SL55? I don't know. Which would you rather have?

There is no better in cars - just different. I think it is enough to just say "I love my new SL55 more than I did my Turbo". You don't have to try and justify it, really.

And as for the discussion about water-cooled vs air cooled, a few things: 1) You are throwing around emissions like it is some silly requirement. It is the LAW. If a water-cooled engine allows for greater legal performance then what is your point? Porsche should have ignored the law and ended up with illegal cars? 2) The 996 frame is light-years ahead of the 993 frame -- Totally cutting edge chasis with an entirely new manufacturing process which has since been copied by automakers you all know and love. 3) 996 cars out-lap, out-last, and out-run comparable 993 cars. 4) 996 water-cooled engines have a much more versatile platform from which to upgrade, and all of the upper limits of the engines are greatly improved. 5) The "sound" of the air-cooled engines on a Turbo has nothing to do with the fact that they were air-cooled.

 

Deanger,

I have a suspicion that you are the contemplative alter-ego of the pedantic "Some Pete Guy". My thanks for tying together the beginning of the thread with the tangential discussion concerning Porsche build quality.

 

I am going to attempt to mirror the tone of the original post, so I'll be even handed and then throw in a zinger every now and then



This statement above is misleading. The post did not receive the highest number of responses in the boards history. Nor was it your disappointment that irked Porsche owners. It was comments like many of the ones I've listed below.

Um, because I guess you didn't order the CD. Odd for a gadget guy. My guess is you thought you wanted it.

Hardly. 2 seats. 2wd. bad mpg. too expensive. See my point, complete to who?

The above was the one that killed Porsche owners. The truth it you are just dead wrong. Very few people buy Porsches for the reasons you did. THose who do, ended up in Mercedes soon after. Heritage, status, looks? You have just totally missed the Porsche boat. Performance, feel, thrill. Not status.

Well the official times don't lie. Although MB did. Inital tests of the SL55 produced numbers that made car magazines faint. Unfortunately, they were NEVER able to reproduce them after that. Seems the SL55 given for testing against the other supercars was FAR from stock.

In any event Porsches accelrate faster, brake faster, corner faster, and do so with much more driver feel.

Another example of what pissed people off. Dream or bull**** about? Does Porsche dream of being Lexus? Do they bull**** when they say they are a SPORTS CAR.

This minor victory in the insignificant handling category could be rephased as "don't even talk about handling. A Porsche handles in a way that MB can only dream or bull**** about. Especially when they trick people into paying more for an AMG car as if somehow it is now a real sports car" Get it?

Your dealer was a local event. Try the Porsche experience next time. Moreover, and I know this may sound strange, some people actually get a kick out of driving their own car because they know the cars supplied at events often are different, and that no two cars are the same anyway. Moreover, they like to drive their car!

You do not represent the majority of Porsche Buyers. Why do you feel the need to make claims like this? Just say you wanted a luxury car. Don't try to justify it. Porsche is the most profitable car maker in the world.
The funny thing is when I read this I feel sorry for you, stuck in traffic no matter what you are in. Think of me cruising through the mountains of Malibu in my GT2. That is what a car is for -- driving. Porsche owners don't look around in there cars and say "isn't this great" -- they drive through a curve and feel 'isn't this great'!

Anyway, I hope you aren't so distracted by your gadgets that you hit someone. I'm sorry you have a bad back, probably good thing you gave up the Turbo, might have hurt yourself doing a high-G turn and you won't have to worry about that in your MB. Still, you have one of the best cars in the world in an SL55, so try to enjoy it without the need to put other cars down with specious arguements. And if you ever feel the need to figure out why some crazy loons out there actually like a Porsche more, find one of them and let them take you for a drive, maybe then you will appreciate the Porsche as well.

I'll add this PS : Try cooking FOR your wife every now and then, rather then being proud of your ability to call her up and tell her what's what

 

Damn, I'm good. I should have been a psychiatrist.

 

But seriously, when I read my first post something in it made me read the original post again and it steamed my clams! Not the preferring the MB part, but the stuff about why people buy the Porsche Brand.

I sure hope no one is going around saying the love the SL55 because of its snob appeal. It is far to good a car for that.

Dean

 

Dean, wonderful posts. I don't think I've disagreed with you on anything you've said. What did you mean by your Hockenheim comment? I posted the times to point out the huge difference in total on-track capability. Not only is the 996TT much quicker, but it's much more fun to lap in (despite the time you turn).


If you are a frequent of this board, unfortunately it is true. When some people see an AMG badge, they wet their pants and hail it as the best product out there. Often people will make fun of Lexus owners because the car doesn't hold the same "prestige" of a MB. I think some people here think the CLK55 is the best sports coupe out there (maybe it is, for them).

So what do you think, 2005 997 or 2005 Aston Martin DB8? AM is promising quite a bit, I guess we'll have to see if it turns out to be more of a sports car or GT cruiser.

 

Then where are my royalty checks dammit?

 

P.S. Enjoy the cars for what they are, each is different. Just drove my firend's '02 Porsche Turbo, nothing more exhilarating than that feeling of accelaration as if a rocket is attched to your butt. 0-114 in 3rd gear without even being close to redline and feeling rock solid like you are only doing 60. (Then drove his M5, which felt like a dog thoiugh it really isn't). Porshe, Ferrari, and AMG MB are all different. Variety is the spice of life.

 

Well said!

 

DK - but the AM looks outstanding! Think it will be a GT cruiser.

 

Brillant comparison my english friend, I agree wholeheartedly and add this...I too got out of a turbo and a 360 Modena for the same reasons you so clearly stated!!!

 

This says it all about his intellect
FLAMES

Mitch

 

Both are great cars with lots of Heritage, I prefer my SL55 because of its all around abilities. Every day driver, cool convertible top, and kick *** power. Each to his own. I would be happy to own the Porsche if not in my SL55