BMW to Porsche - should I? What to do
Discussion
Hello fellow Pistonheaders, I require some advice please having made no progress over the last 6 months or so and now I am annoying most of my friends with this question.
I would class myself as a serial BMW fan, having owned more than 30 and since the late 70s.
Due to one reason or another, whilst I still try hard to love the brand, I am finding it difficult of late. The styling is not to my taste, peak BMW has passed (in my view) and the future does not look great too (again, my view). There is also no appetite for a supercar and instead, BMW gave us the XM a few years ago…
Coupled all of this with a superbad experience with BMW UK HQ too a couple of years ago, it has left a very sour taste in my mouth and being the stubborn person I am, I fail to forget.
I drive a i4 M50 as my daily car and a M4 as my weekend toy.
Now one brand I have always admired is Porsche. I love the brand, I love the motorsport heritage and history (yes, I know BMW has this too), I love how proud they are of their older cars too. I am not so keen on their pricing strategy and their previous shenanigans on having to buy multiple EVs just to get a GT3 invite, etc.
Which begs the question, should I now abandon my enthusiasm, which has significantly dwindled over the last year or so of BMW and go all in with Porsche? I know that it is often considered BMW M is a stepping stone to Porsche. The thing with me is I am either all in 100% or not. I do not compromise. I am one of those people who will get behind a brand strongly, if I truly believe in it.
I have the option of getting a Taycan to replace the i4 (my company mandates an EV). And a 997.2 for the weekend, which to me, are just stunning.
I look forward to your thoughts. Please be gentle with me!
Cheers!
I would class myself as a serial BMW fan, having owned more than 30 and since the late 70s.
Due to one reason or another, whilst I still try hard to love the brand, I am finding it difficult of late. The styling is not to my taste, peak BMW has passed (in my view) and the future does not look great too (again, my view). There is also no appetite for a supercar and instead, BMW gave us the XM a few years ago…
Coupled all of this with a superbad experience with BMW UK HQ too a couple of years ago, it has left a very sour taste in my mouth and being the stubborn person I am, I fail to forget.
I drive a i4 M50 as my daily car and a M4 as my weekend toy.
Now one brand I have always admired is Porsche. I love the brand, I love the motorsport heritage and history (yes, I know BMW has this too), I love how proud they are of their older cars too. I am not so keen on their pricing strategy and their previous shenanigans on having to buy multiple EVs just to get a GT3 invite, etc.
Which begs the question, should I now abandon my enthusiasm, which has significantly dwindled over the last year or so of BMW and go all in with Porsche? I know that it is often considered BMW M is a stepping stone to Porsche. The thing with me is I am either all in 100% or not. I do not compromise. I am one of those people who will get behind a brand strongly, if I truly believe in it.
I have the option of getting a Taycan to replace the i4 (my company mandates an EV). And a 997.2 for the weekend, which to me, are just stunning.
I look forward to your thoughts. Please be gentle with me!
Cheers!
I’m exactly like you. Serial BMW fan but ditched the M2 for a 997.2 C2S. Now on my third 911 which is a 992. Like you I’ve fallen out of love with BMW with the G20 and X5 being the only ones I like at the moment. Had an iX for. Year and that really put me off.
Defo try a Porsche, they aren’t as reliable though.
Defo try a Porsche, they aren’t as reliable though.
Serial BMW owner here having had most M3s and an M2 Comp. Went from an M2 Comp to a 997.2 and it was an absolute revelation in terms of feel, feedback, poise and noise. The 997 was in another league as a car, fast tho the M2 C was. Went then to a 981 Spyder which was in another league again. Yes, I have a BMW as a daily but always a Porsche as a weekend ans summer car.
Another serial BMW driver, having had 13 including 6 M cars I also had a 997.2 C2S manual which I got in 2009, it was great car completely different to an M car or anything else I'd ever driven and that took some getting used to, it wasn't that reliable though over the 50k miles I did in it nothing really bad just lots of niggles, I went back to a BMW M3 in 2012 but that was due to economics rather than not wanting another 911.
I really enjoyed the day I had in a Taycan, would be my ideal daily.
More generally I think cars created from scratch as sports cars will be both more capable and crucially more involving than cars created as saloon cars and then 'sportified'.
The 997.2 looks like a bit of a sweet spot as it comes after the chocolate engines but before the videogame steering, so is likely to hold value which will offset a bit more maintenance spend than the M4.
So rationally based on the cars involved I'd say yes, do it. And overall yes, try another brand. If you don't like it then you can go back to BMW in the future with a better-informed loyalty to it. And if you do like it, you'll avoid missing out on a whole world of fun due to blinkered brand loyalty.
I'm a longtime BMW man who jumped to a 996 Porsche, just as the 997 came out.
I couldn't afford a new 997 so I was in the used market for a 996. I'd wanted a 911 for decades and was initially really excited at ownership, it was a daily driver.
On the plus side, the Porsche was ridiculously quick compared to the 330Ci that I came from.
On the negative side, in my 8 months of ownership I experienced all the main foibles that a 996 can have (rear main oil seal, header tank fracture and then a completely failed gearbox). I also found it pretty impractical. It was a heart ruling head purchase.
I bought it used through a reputable indie with modest miles and experienced about £8k worth of warranty work in my first 8 months of ownership. It annoyed me and made me fall out of love with the brand. Then little things like no glovebox and having to manually open the bonnet to put my shopping in became irritants compared to what I had come from with BMW. I began to loathe the thing and couldn't get out of it fast enough.
I replaced it with an E46 M3 which I have had for 18 years now. Marvellously capable and infinitely more enjoyable (to me) than the 996.
I think the 997 was a massive improvement over the 996 reliability-wise, and think if I had gone 997 I may have had an entirely different view, I will never know.
I couldn't afford a new 997 so I was in the used market for a 996. I'd wanted a 911 for decades and was initially really excited at ownership, it was a daily driver.
On the plus side, the Porsche was ridiculously quick compared to the 330Ci that I came from.
On the negative side, in my 8 months of ownership I experienced all the main foibles that a 996 can have (rear main oil seal, header tank fracture and then a completely failed gearbox). I also found it pretty impractical. It was a heart ruling head purchase.
I bought it used through a reputable indie with modest miles and experienced about £8k worth of warranty work in my first 8 months of ownership. It annoyed me and made me fall out of love with the brand. Then little things like no glovebox and having to manually open the bonnet to put my shopping in became irritants compared to what I had come from with BMW. I began to loathe the thing and couldn't get out of it fast enough.
I replaced it with an E46 M3 which I have had for 18 years now. Marvellously capable and infinitely more enjoyable (to me) than the 996.
I think the 997 was a massive improvement over the 996 reliability-wise, and think if I had gone 997 I may have had an entirely different view, I will never know.
I've owned BMWs continuously since 2005 so am a bit of a fan!
My current fun car is a Z4M Coupe I've had for over 6 years. I still love it but if/when I fancy a change a Cayman or 911 seem like obvious choices. While I've coped with the "M" tax I do wonder if "Porsche" tax might be a bit more painful?
But to answer the original question if you really fancy one just do it. If it doesn't work out you can always go back!
My current fun car is a Z4M Coupe I've had for over 6 years. I still love it but if/when I fancy a change a Cayman or 911 seem like obvious choices. While I've coped with the "M" tax I do wonder if "Porsche" tax might be a bit more painful?
But to answer the original question if you really fancy one just do it. If it doesn't work out you can always go back!
I’m currently on my first Porsche - a 992 GTS. I’m not really into brands as such, but there’s certainly a huge amount of heritage that goes with Porsche. I can see the appeal.
The car itself is a funny one. It’s a 7/10 at everything - even for practicality. It just does everything well, but also does nothing brilliantly, and that’s what I’ve always felt about them. They’re a brilliant all-rounder, and where an Aston will get 10/10 for the fantastic noise it makes, it’ll also get 5/10 for the way it goes around corners……you get the point.
To me they’re a fantastic daily driver that can do weekend fun and also be good on track. But I don’t think they’re special enough (GT cars excepted) for a weekend car. A 997 might be, though, as they’re supposed to be a bit more raw.
The car itself is a funny one. It’s a 7/10 at everything - even for practicality. It just does everything well, but also does nothing brilliantly, and that’s what I’ve always felt about them. They’re a brilliant all-rounder, and where an Aston will get 10/10 for the fantastic noise it makes, it’ll also get 5/10 for the way it goes around corners……you get the point.
To me they’re a fantastic daily driver that can do weekend fun and also be good on track. But I don’t think they’re special enough (GT cars excepted) for a weekend car. A 997 might be, though, as they’re supposed to be a bit more raw.
jimmsy said:
CABC said:
Can t understand being 100% behind any single brand.
Sounds too tribal, like football.
Exactly this. Sounds too tribal, like football.
I think maybe try to chill on the eggs-in-one-basket front and think what you want from two cars and maybe don't feel you need a matching set of badges.
You will soon get pissed off with Porsche servicing so I would limit your exposure to one car ideally!
If you have an itch for a 911 I would probably get a 991.1 rather than a 997.2. Interior build quality was a step forward on the 991 and they are just as raw (ie not very raw compared to anything earlier, but still a genuine 911 experience).
The Taycan is nice, but I would only entertain getting a Gen 2 car. But I m still not convinced about Porsche EVs yet. Too many stories of woe about reliability and dealership inability to fix them. Not to mention s
tty after sales customer support beyond the nice cappuccino and biscuits. They will try to rip you off at every opportunity. So you ve been warned, but I think a 911 is worth it to tick the Porsche box. Personally I would look elsewhere for your daily driver.
Edited by uktrailmonster on Tuesday 10th March 23:43
"and go all in with Porsche?"
You mean buy a different car?
Yeah, do it if you fancy it, but at some point you'll want another car. And who knows what brand it may be.
And unless you get divorced and go bald you won't need the branded baseball cap and watch to go with what is simply a mode of transport.
You may be overthinking this.
You mean buy a different car?
Yeah, do it if you fancy it, but at some point you'll want another car. And who knows what brand it may be.
And unless you get divorced and go bald you won't need the branded baseball cap and watch to go with what is simply a mode of transport.
You may be overthinking this.
Crumpet said:
I m currently on my first Porsche - a 992 GTS. I m not really into brands as such, but there s certainly a huge amount of heritage that goes with Porsche. I can see the appeal.
The car itself is a funny one. It s a 7/10 at everything - even for practicality. It just does everything well, but also does nothing brilliantly, and that s what I ve always felt about them. They re a brilliant all-rounder, and where an Aston will get 10/10 for the fantastic noise it makes, it ll also get 5/10 for the way it goes around corners you get the point.
To me they re a fantastic daily driver that can do weekend fun and also be good on track. But I don t think they re special enough (GT cars excepted) for a weekend car. A 997 might be, though, as they re supposed to be a bit more raw.
The 7/10 at everything is a great description and why I can't get on with the 911/Cayman. Not sharp enough to be a sports car and way too much road noise to be a GT. Practical, easy to own and not a bad car just too compromised.The car itself is a funny one. It s a 7/10 at everything - even for practicality. It just does everything well, but also does nothing brilliantly, and that s what I ve always felt about them. They re a brilliant all-rounder, and where an Aston will get 10/10 for the fantastic noise it makes, it ll also get 5/10 for the way it goes around corners you get the point.
To me they re a fantastic daily driver that can do weekend fun and also be good on track. But I don t think they re special enough (GT cars excepted) for a weekend car. A 997 might be, though, as they re supposed to be a bit more raw.
If you can buy a 997.2 in manual with less than 80k miles, it won't lose money over time.
But, be warned, the ownership proposition for these cars is not for the faint of heart. There are constant scare stories; bore scoring, PDK rebuilds, coolant pipes, yada yada. It gets tiring after a while.
The 991 platform is a step up from 997 in every way, but I'm not sure that the 991.1 with its 7-speed manual will appreciate as much as a 7.2 over time. The PDK is better, though.
Good luck
But, be warned, the ownership proposition for these cars is not for the faint of heart. There are constant scare stories; bore scoring, PDK rebuilds, coolant pipes, yada yada. It gets tiring after a while.
The 991 platform is a step up from 997 in every way, but I'm not sure that the 991.1 with its 7-speed manual will appreciate as much as a 7.2 over time. The PDK is better, though.
Good luck
maz8062 said:
If you can buy a 997.2 in manual with less than 80k miles, it won't lose money over time.
But, be warned, the ownership proposition for these cars is not for the faint of heart. There are constant scare stories; bore scoring, PDK rebuilds, coolant pipes, yada yada. It gets tiring after a while.
The 991 platform is a step up from 997 in every way, but I'm not sure that the 991.1 with its 7-speed manual will appreciate as much as a 7.2 over time. The PDK is better, though.
Good luck
The 997.2 DFI engine was a LOT more reliable than its 996 / 997.1 predecessor (known as the chocolate engine). But I would still prefer a 991.1 for overall build quality. Would also choose a PDK over manual box on these cars. I wouldn’t worry about depreciation on any of these cars and only garage Queens will appreciate significantly in the long term.But, be warned, the ownership proposition for these cars is not for the faint of heart. There are constant scare stories; bore scoring, PDK rebuilds, coolant pipes, yada yada. It gets tiring after a while.
The 991 platform is a step up from 997 in every way, but I'm not sure that the 991.1 with its 7-speed manual will appreciate as much as a 7.2 over time. The PDK is better, though.
Good luck
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