[Z06] Odyssey: Life with the Z06 and 997TT
11-18-2006, 10:34 PM
#261
Melting Slicks
Originally Posted by JSMDMD
Another great chapter...
How many of us "older members" remember Madman Muntz?
Those TV and radio commericals of his were on KRLA, KHJ....
Ahh the good old days of 8 tracks!!
The series is very well written! Have you checked how many hits this thread has? Almost 18.000 so far!
How many of us "older members" remember Madman Muntz?
Those TV and radio commericals of his were on KRLA, KHJ....
Ahh the good old days of 8 tracks!!
The series is very well written! Have you checked how many hits this thread has? Almost 18.000 so far!
11-18-2006, 11:18 PM
#262
Racer
Originally Posted by mastiffdog
For those of you who read the first posting of Part 10, I didn't realize I posted it before editing, sorry. I had made a few minor changes and re-posted it.
Thanks.
Thanks.
...gave me reason to read it again.
11-20-2006, 07:59 PM
#265
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mastiffdog - Great post, if I didn't know better, I'd think I was reading a 'Lee Child' novel. More twist and turns than Lombard Street in San Francisco. Can't wait for the next update.
11-21-2006, 04:55 PM
#266
Hey mods--how about making this a sticky? The view numbers are way up there and obviously many of us are following this great story.
11-21-2006, 11:30 PM
#269
Burning Brakes
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Part 11
My attention to other auto makers and desire for additional dealership visits over the next few weeks waned after the Aston Martin excursion. I decidedly had the crosshairs centered on finding a 997TT that would be available right away. If you’ve been following the Odyssey, the story behind finding the right car is documented in the earlier segments. Please fast forward with me to that July weekend after the Porsche was delivered.
The first few days I spent with the Turbo was like getting reacquainted with an old friend. It was the warmest summer I can remember in the Southern California area. One of the first driving missions was to obtain a California Smog Certificate for the car so I could register it. On my way to the Smog Station, the car’s external temperature gauge printed 117 degrees. The Turbo didn’t seem to mind its very first ride in the extreme heat. The oil and water temps remained in the normal range and didn’t budge.
“Sir, what year is that Turbo?” asks the smog technician. “Uh, it’s a 2007,” I respond with hesitation. “I’ll hook it up, but I don’t think we got the software for that one here,” explains the tech. Now I am nervous. What does “hook it up” mean? Do you mean you are going to shove one of them hot poker exhaust sniffers in my brand new unblemished stainless steel tips? Heck, that's another two grand if you scratch 'em I thought. Now I am really sweating. “We need you to pull the car up on the rollers,” instructed the tech. “You know, this is a four wheel drive car,” I told him. “Can you put it in two wheel drive for me?” he asks. Now I’m in deep trouble. Get the car off this thing like pronto and get over to your authorized Porsche dealer immediately. Danger was imminent, time to get out of Dodge. Off to the dealership, for there I would hope to find some comfort and safety.
This was an awkward moment. Imagine this scenario if you will: owner of car, not bought at that dealer, now has to meet Service writer at that dealer. Sound familiar? Here we go, I figured. I just hate having to bring a new car to a dealer that I didn't buy from, but what can you do?
“Uh, well, I tried to buy it here, but they couldn’t get me one for several months,” I uttered with shame. “I need a Smog Certificate for the car, can you help me out?” I added.
“No problem sir, you need to bring it to a smog station, we don’t do ‘em here,” offered the Service writer. “Come to think of it, because it’s new, you may need to go to a Referee”. Referee? Now what did I get myself into, what is this, a football game or something? “Okay, thanks for everything,” I replied as I was leaving the service drive.
As it turns out, the Referee was the best place to go as it is run by the State of California. They provide certificates for cars inbound from other states everyday and do not need the software to complete the tests. The shop was clean and professional. And most importantly, they respected the car and treated it carefully. I was happy to finally leave with the Certificate in hand and now I had a complete package to process the car at our DMV. Registration fees in California are anything but reasonable, but when you process the registration it entitles you to remit the 7.25% sales tax as well – on the entire purchase price of the car. When would you like to move to California?
The drive home was enjoyable and it gave me some time to start understanding the car. I felt centered and solid behind the wheel of this 480HP twin turbo beast. The car had one annoying interior rattle which I tracked down relentlessly. It was in the ashtray, in the center console, as shown in this photo I took from above:
Here’s the cigarette extinguisher bracket clip. You wonder how such a small part (about a one inch cube) could make you so crazy:
I promptly popped it out and sent this little jewel of a part to its final resting spot in my tool box. It would never be a part of my car again, and will only resurface if and when the car is sold to the next lucky owner. Let’s hope that he or she does not smoke. I don’t smoke, so the good news is that I won't miss the little guy. Rattle solved.
This Turbo was special to me, although many Porsche enthusiasts tend to think that this new iteration is nothing more than a spruced up version of its predecessor, the 996TT, therefore the car qualifies as just another yawn. I owned a copy of the first water cooled car back in 2000-2001, so I do have first hand knowledge of both cars. My memories of the 996TT may be weak due to my old age, but even in my worst moment of dementia I can safely tell you that these two cars are worlds apart.
Some guys focus on the engine, drive train and suspension, while others look more at the body changes and the interior appointments. The greatest difference was the overall feel of the car and I will attempt to address all aspects. Feel is different than ride for me. A feel is an impression, and it includes the ride quality, comfort, conveniences, ease of use of accessories, etc. Pointing out the specific differences between the two generations has already been well discussed elsewhere, and not being an expert on the details of the Porsche models, my assessment of those differences will serve little purpose here. I can, however, provide my bumper to bumper impression of the 997TT from a novice’s point of view.
Some say the 997TT suffers from being too much of a GT and not a pure sports car. I think it is important to understand just what a GT car is and what it means. I think I know, but I wanted to read something, because if it’s in print, it has to be true, right? Seriously, see if you also agree with the following Wikipedia definition of GT that I found:
A grand tourer (Italian: Gran Turismo), sometimes initialised GT, is a high-performance automobile designed for long distance driving. Any such car could be considered to be a grand tourer, but the traditional and most common body style is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 seat arrangement.
Grand tourers differ from typical sports cars (such as the Chevrolet Corvette or the Porsche 911) in that they are usually larger, heavier (sometimes over 3500 lb), and tend to make less compromise in comfort for the sake of driving ability. For this reason they mostly have front-mounted engines, which leave more space for the cabin than mid-mounted engines. They also tend to have softer suspension to provide good ride quality. However, grand tourers do have similarities with sports cars, such as the fact they mainly use rear or four-wheel drive, and the term sports car may be used to describe a car with grand touring qualities. Very high-performance grand tourers, such as the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren may be considered to be supercars.
In certain professional motorsport classifications, such as the FIA, It defines a GT car as "an open or closed automobile which has no more than one door on each side and a minimum of two seats situated one on each side of the longitudinal centre line of the car; these two seats must be crossed by the same transversal plane. This car must be able to be used perfectly legally on the open road, and adapted for racing on circuits or closed courses." Using the above definition, it is still valid to place sport cars such as the Corvette and the 911 in the grand touring category since they do contain many, if not all, the amenities of a grand tourer. However, this weakness in motorsport classification sometimes blurs the line of what is considered a true production grand tourer, and may lead to mis-classification.
Pure sports car enthusiasts who chastise Porsche for going over the edge and delivering a “GT” 997TT for 2007, may be correct – but is it all that bad? If this was a marketing strategy shift on the part of Porsche, it may have been a brilliant move on their part. Not all buyers are terribly upset about this perceived change. If you think you’ll suffer, then buy a GT3 or a GT3RS, if you can get your hands on one. Or, why not consider buying a Corvette Z06? And I’ll get to that part in great detail a bit later. In the meantime, let’s take a closer look at this new 997TT.
To be continued …
My attention to other auto makers and desire for additional dealership visits over the next few weeks waned after the Aston Martin excursion. I decidedly had the crosshairs centered on finding a 997TT that would be available right away. If you’ve been following the Odyssey, the story behind finding the right car is documented in the earlier segments. Please fast forward with me to that July weekend after the Porsche was delivered.
The first few days I spent with the Turbo was like getting reacquainted with an old friend. It was the warmest summer I can remember in the Southern California area. One of the first driving missions was to obtain a California Smog Certificate for the car so I could register it. On my way to the Smog Station, the car’s external temperature gauge printed 117 degrees. The Turbo didn’t seem to mind its very first ride in the extreme heat. The oil and water temps remained in the normal range and didn’t budge.
“Sir, what year is that Turbo?” asks the smog technician. “Uh, it’s a 2007,” I respond with hesitation. “I’ll hook it up, but I don’t think we got the software for that one here,” explains the tech. Now I am nervous. What does “hook it up” mean? Do you mean you are going to shove one of them hot poker exhaust sniffers in my brand new unblemished stainless steel tips? Heck, that's another two grand if you scratch 'em I thought. Now I am really sweating. “We need you to pull the car up on the rollers,” instructed the tech. “You know, this is a four wheel drive car,” I told him. “Can you put it in two wheel drive for me?” he asks. Now I’m in deep trouble. Get the car off this thing like pronto and get over to your authorized Porsche dealer immediately. Danger was imminent, time to get out of Dodge. Off to the dealership, for there I would hope to find some comfort and safety.
This was an awkward moment. Imagine this scenario if you will: owner of car, not bought at that dealer, now has to meet Service writer at that dealer. Sound familiar? Here we go, I figured. I just hate having to bring a new car to a dealer that I didn't buy from, but what can you do?
“Uh, well, I tried to buy it here, but they couldn’t get me one for several months,” I uttered with shame. “I need a Smog Certificate for the car, can you help me out?” I added.
“No problem sir, you need to bring it to a smog station, we don’t do ‘em here,” offered the Service writer. “Come to think of it, because it’s new, you may need to go to a Referee”. Referee? Now what did I get myself into, what is this, a football game or something? “Okay, thanks for everything,” I replied as I was leaving the service drive.
As it turns out, the Referee was the best place to go as it is run by the State of California. They provide certificates for cars inbound from other states everyday and do not need the software to complete the tests. The shop was clean and professional. And most importantly, they respected the car and treated it carefully. I was happy to finally leave with the Certificate in hand and now I had a complete package to process the car at our DMV. Registration fees in California are anything but reasonable, but when you process the registration it entitles you to remit the 7.25% sales tax as well – on the entire purchase price of the car. When would you like to move to California?
The drive home was enjoyable and it gave me some time to start understanding the car. I felt centered and solid behind the wheel of this 480HP twin turbo beast. The car had one annoying interior rattle which I tracked down relentlessly. It was in the ashtray, in the center console, as shown in this photo I took from above:
Here’s the cigarette extinguisher bracket clip. You wonder how such a small part (about a one inch cube) could make you so crazy:
I promptly popped it out and sent this little jewel of a part to its final resting spot in my tool box. It would never be a part of my car again, and will only resurface if and when the car is sold to the next lucky owner. Let’s hope that he or she does not smoke. I don’t smoke, so the good news is that I won't miss the little guy. Rattle solved.
This Turbo was special to me, although many Porsche enthusiasts tend to think that this new iteration is nothing more than a spruced up version of its predecessor, the 996TT, therefore the car qualifies as just another yawn. I owned a copy of the first water cooled car back in 2000-2001, so I do have first hand knowledge of both cars. My memories of the 996TT may be weak due to my old age, but even in my worst moment of dementia I can safely tell you that these two cars are worlds apart.
Some guys focus on the engine, drive train and suspension, while others look more at the body changes and the interior appointments. The greatest difference was the overall feel of the car and I will attempt to address all aspects. Feel is different than ride for me. A feel is an impression, and it includes the ride quality, comfort, conveniences, ease of use of accessories, etc. Pointing out the specific differences between the two generations has already been well discussed elsewhere, and not being an expert on the details of the Porsche models, my assessment of those differences will serve little purpose here. I can, however, provide my bumper to bumper impression of the 997TT from a novice’s point of view.
Some say the 997TT suffers from being too much of a GT and not a pure sports car. I think it is important to understand just what a GT car is and what it means. I think I know, but I wanted to read something, because if it’s in print, it has to be true, right? Seriously, see if you also agree with the following Wikipedia definition of GT that I found:
A grand tourer (Italian: Gran Turismo), sometimes initialised GT, is a high-performance automobile designed for long distance driving. Any such car could be considered to be a grand tourer, but the traditional and most common body style is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 seat arrangement.
Grand tourers differ from typical sports cars (such as the Chevrolet Corvette or the Porsche 911) in that they are usually larger, heavier (sometimes over 3500 lb), and tend to make less compromise in comfort for the sake of driving ability. For this reason they mostly have front-mounted engines, which leave more space for the cabin than mid-mounted engines. They also tend to have softer suspension to provide good ride quality. However, grand tourers do have similarities with sports cars, such as the fact they mainly use rear or four-wheel drive, and the term sports car may be used to describe a car with grand touring qualities. Very high-performance grand tourers, such as the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren may be considered to be supercars.
In certain professional motorsport classifications, such as the FIA, It defines a GT car as "an open or closed automobile which has no more than one door on each side and a minimum of two seats situated one on each side of the longitudinal centre line of the car; these two seats must be crossed by the same transversal plane. This car must be able to be used perfectly legally on the open road, and adapted for racing on circuits or closed courses." Using the above definition, it is still valid to place sport cars such as the Corvette and the 911 in the grand touring category since they do contain many, if not all, the amenities of a grand tourer. However, this weakness in motorsport classification sometimes blurs the line of what is considered a true production grand tourer, and may lead to mis-classification.
Pure sports car enthusiasts who chastise Porsche for going over the edge and delivering a “GT” 997TT for 2007, may be correct – but is it all that bad? If this was a marketing strategy shift on the part of Porsche, it may have been a brilliant move on their part. Not all buyers are terribly upset about this perceived change. If you think you’ll suffer, then buy a GT3 or a GT3RS, if you can get your hands on one. Or, why not consider buying a Corvette Z06? And I’ll get to that part in great detail a bit later. In the meantime, let’s take a closer look at this new 997TT.
To be continued …
A very good read!!
11-22-2006, 01:06 AM
#272
16 Vettes and counting…..
Another great episode! This is like waiting for the next season of The Sopranos...
11-22-2006, 01:11 AM
#273
Drifting
Brilliant reading, Mastiffdog; a real page-turner. As a new member of this forum, this series is a great way to pass the time waiting for the ordered Z06 to arrive.
Are you going to bring the adventures of looking for an '07 Screamin' Eagle Ultra Classic into the mix as well? I know from your comments in a thread I started last weekend that that is on your agenda too. What a great stable you and your wife are putting together.
Thank you for the great posts.
Jeff
Are you going to bring the adventures of looking for an '07 Screamin' Eagle Ultra Classic into the mix as well? I know from your comments in a thread I started last weekend that that is on your agenda too. What a great stable you and your wife are putting together.
Thank you for the great posts.
Jeff
11-22-2006, 01:34 AM
#274
Burning Brakes
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Originally Posted by JDRacing
Brilliant reading, Mastiffdog; a real page-turner. As a new member of this forum, this series is a great way to pass the time waiting for the ordered Z06 to arrive.
Are you going to bring the adventures of looking for an '07 Screamin' Eagle Ultra Classic into the mix as well? I know from your comments in a thread I started last weekend that that is on your agenda too. What a great stable you and your wife are putting together.
Thank you for the great posts.
Jeff
Are you going to bring the adventures of looking for an '07 Screamin' Eagle Ultra Classic into the mix as well? I know from your comments in a thread I started last weekend that that is on your agenda too. What a great stable you and your wife are putting together.
Thank you for the great posts.
Jeff
As you know, the Harley Davidson rider group is an amazing and diverse culture. I know and have met so many great people, just like with the cars, regardless of the make. Just spend an hour or two reading threads in the various topics on one of the popular HD forums and this place will look tame by comparison. I know many of the readers here are also HD and motorcycle enthusiasts. I think this thread will drift off topic quickly if I included bike related experiences - I'll save that one for the other forums.
For now, I am devoting my time to this forum (I also have a day job to do!).
Good luck with your Z06. It is a truly incredible car, made better only by the people who buy and enjoy them.
11-22-2006, 01:59 PM
#275
Drifting
Originally Posted by mastiffdog
Thanks for the nice word about the thread.
As you know, the Harley Davidson rider group is an amazing and diverse culture. I know and have met so many great people, just like with the cars, regardless of the make. Just spend an hour or two reading threads in the various topics on one of the popular HD forums and this place will look tame by comparison. I know many of the readers here are also HD and motorcycle enthusiasts. I think this thread will drift off topic quickly if I included bike related experiences - I'll save that one for the other forums.
For now, I am devoting my time to this forum (I also have a day job to do!).
Good luck with your Z06. It is a truly incredible car, made better only by the people who buy and enjoy them.
As you know, the Harley Davidson rider group is an amazing and diverse culture. I know and have met so many great people, just like with the cars, regardless of the make. Just spend an hour or two reading threads in the various topics on one of the popular HD forums and this place will look tame by comparison. I know many of the readers here are also HD and motorcycle enthusiasts. I think this thread will drift off topic quickly if I included bike related experiences - I'll save that one for the other forums.
For now, I am devoting my time to this forum (I also have a day job to do!).
Good luck with your Z06. It is a truly incredible car, made better only by the people who buy and enjoy them.
Jeff
11-25-2006, 02:41 PM
#278
Burning Brakes
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Member Since: Aug 2006
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Originally Posted by AP
Dude .. you are my hero (as far as car's are concerned) 
