Crown

When I first saw the 997 Facelift, I didn't recognize it. The car was parked with the front towards me and I really had a hard time to spot the difference.
This is actually a good think since the 997 is in my opinion the most beautiful and clean designed 911 Porsche ever built. Even the good old 993 can't take this crown.

Moving to the back of the facelifted 997, things look different. Most people will still have problems identifying this 997 as something new but most 997 owners will see the difference and although most people seem to love the new backlights, not everybody is pleased.

The LED backlights look cool, they look good but there is a question which immediately pops into my mind after looking at them: why the heck didn't Porsche use these lights from the start on the 997 when it came out back in 2004? It also seems that somebody at the Porsche design center seems to have moved the 996 frontlight design to the rear of the car. The new backlights look good and they fit the 997 but I slightly get the feeling that these "japanizing" backlights aren't really perfect for the former clean exterior shape of the 997. Yes, they make the 997 look more fresh and up-to-date but is it really necessary to make a very successful and over 40 years old design shape up-to-date?

The answer to this question is difficult but I can't hide the feeling that somebody in the Porsche design department just wanted to play around with the 911 shape, not for the classic design's sake per se but to prove a point and to make the 997 look fresh and modern to be able to cope with the competition.

Competition? Truth is, I doubt that the 997 has a competition. This is also the reason why I don't understand why Porsche had to "japanize" the rear of the 997, there was no need for it. The new day running lights are also a matter of personal preference and taste. The look cool, no doubt about it but does a Porsche 911 really need that "look, here I come" front? Maybe Porsche should have taken the day running lights to another dimension by integrating them a little bit better into the overall 997 front design but like they are now, they look as if they are a retrofit item, not an OEM feature. A bit too much for my personal taste but they work well and I leave it to others to truely hate or love them.

The refined interior is also worth mentioning, simply because it looks like it should have looked from day 1 of the 997. I never understood why Porsche designers use that ugly silver plastic stuff in the 997 and 987, it looks horrible. Maybe it has to do with the fact that this is the only way to convince 997 buyers to go for expensive leather, carbon or wood packages to cover the ugly and cheap looking grey/silver plastic parts but I have to admit that every time I look at it, I kind of feel ripped off by Porsche.

The 997 facelift has black painted plastic parts and it looks very good. Unfortunately Porsche still leaves some of the old silver/grey plastic parts in their old original colour, like for example the air inlets. I get it, Porsche, you want my money to cover these air inlets in fine leather or whatever expensive material you have to offer. As a customer however, I feel betrayed and ripped off by this sales strategy.

After looking at the refined and(almost) all-black interior, again the same question pops into my mind: why not from the start, why didn't the first generation of 997 have the same interior? Change of mind from the design department? I doubt it. Very clever marketing strategy(which of course includes the LED backlights too)? Much more likely.

Which brings me to the next(design) issue: day running lights, LED backlights but no LED blinkers like on the "old" 997 Turbo? Weird design choice. I can't hide the feeling that Porsche left these out to keep them as some sort of Turbo design feature only. While I definetely understand this from a marketing point of view, I don't understand it at all from a design point of view. Again the 997 facelift isn't perfect but I guess this is exactly what Porsche wants. I wouldn't be surprised to see a 997 Turbolook shortly before the 998 or whatever the new 911 internal model designation will be, shows up.

Despite the ups and downs of the facelifted exterior and interior, the 997 is still a beautiful car and definetely worth the 911 model designation. Most people won't even notice the difference and this is actually a good thing.
There has been a lot of praise for the new interior and I agree. Besides the mentioned black painted plastic parts, the new PCM and the new steering wheel(which like the day running lights looks a little bit Audi-like, sorry Porsche) also add a fresh air to the interior design. What I don't like too much is the look of the PDK shifting stick, it looks like the old Tiptronic, way too "massive", way too unsporty. It disturbs the fresh look of the refined interior, the same applies to the PDK shifting buttons who may have a thumb-friendly shape but look like a Colani design study.

Speaking of PDK: this new option is definetley one of the technical highlights of the facelifted 997. I drove PDK on the base engine equipped Carrera Cabriolet and I was impressed, truely impressed. First let me say that you need to forget everything you heard about manual and automatic transmission systems. PDK can do both and to my surprise, it does both very very well. The manual mode works well and fast, only upshifting doesn't live up to my expectations but it is fast and definetely much faster than with the "old" Tiptronic. Of course the "old" Tiptronic isn't a good comparison since PDK has technically nothing in common with the good old auto tranny but some of you guys will be very surprised of what I'm going to tell you now: the PDK auto mode works actually best. Apparently the PDK auto mode had a very high priority in PDK development because it simply seems to work perfect and very fast. While in manual mode, upshifting takes a tick of a second from the moment of pressing the button til the actual upshift, in auto mode it works pretty much instantly.

Another nice feature: although the PDK is no automatic tranny, it still engages a slow moving mode similar to a real auto tranny when you release your foot from the brake pedal. This comes in very handy when you have to park the car or when you just want to roll out very slowly out of a garage. It is also a nice feature to have in very slow traffic during rush hour. This feature is absent on the BMW DKG for example, a real pity.

Manual mode works fast and downshifting happens instantaneously. Upshifting isn't perfect but apparently the BMW DKG has the same issue. Shifting systems like PDK or DKG are a treat for sporty drivers IF they learn how to use the brake and throttle accordingly. The shifting levers/buttons are also very important because they decide how easy a shifting system can be operated. The PDK solution is a bit weird to say at least, the left button isn't for downshifting and the right button isn't just for upshifting. I don't have a clue why Porsche has chosen to allow down- and upshifting from the same button(front button upshifts, rear button downshifts) but personally, I prefer the BMW DKG solution with the downshifting lever on the left and the upshifting lever on the right but even this solution isn't perfect since it can happen sometimes that you confuse the turning signal stick with the DKG shifter. Unfortunately this mishap can result in a serious downshift problem at a too high rev figure.

There is even an issue with the Porsche solution: if you keep your thumb on the button(like most people will do while driving in manual mode, simply because it allows a more comfortable and faster shifting), you actually "counteract" the downshifting process because when you press the rear button, the front button moves too and vice versa. Stupid solution for spirited drivers in my opinion and sooner or later, it will be the major cause for unwanted gear changes and even dangerous driving situations but apparently somebody at Weissach liked this solution and went for it.

Like I said before, the BMW DKG shifting levers aren't perfect either.
Driving the 997 Carrera Cab is the usual 911 routine, nothing spectacular here, just the usual understeer in fast and narrow turns. What surprised me a lot was the sound range the 997 Carrera Cabriolet facelift is working in. From almost non-audible up to a wild and throaty roar, this engine/exhaust sound has it all. While standing still at a stop light, I sometimes got the feeling that the engine has shut off but of course it was still running.

As soon as I pressed the throttle halfway down and as soon as the rev figure was passing 2000 rpm, the engine/exhaust tone changed to a throaty and very sporty sound. Not the typical 993 engine sound but good enough to love it. I can't say much about the Coupe since I haven't had the chance to drive it long enough but the 997 Carrera Cabriolet definitely doesn't need a sport exhaust. Some people will even complaint that the engine/exhaust note is too loud when driving with the top open. Trust me though, there is no more sexy sound, if you can use this description for an engine/exhaust tone, than the one produced by this engine/exhaust combo. Very sweet indeed.

In comparison, the BMW M3 Cabriolet delivers a throaty and classy V8 growl which reminds me of those older US muscle cars, just toned down in loudness a little bit. Although the BMW M3 Cabrioet engine/exhaust sound is very addictive too, the 997 Carrera Cabriolet engine/exhaust sound is playing in a class of it's own. It may be a bit too much for some folks, especially if you the type of person who drives a 911 in a suit but otherwise, the sound is just something which keeps the driver smiling all the time. As long as he keeps his foot on the throttle of course.

Which brings me to the next surprise: power. When I picked up the keys for the 997 Carrera Cab, I wasn't sure I've chosen the right car for the first facelift review. Of course the 997 facelift base model has 20 horses more but usually 20 HP more power don't mean much. In this case, for the first time ever, I have to say that the current 345 HP of the 997 facelifted Carrera engine is just enough to make you happy. You never get the feeling that you need more power and this is something new for me. The 997 Carrera facelift is fast but although it can't outrun the new M3 Cabriolet, it also FEELS fast.

Actually the 997 Carrera Cab with PDK feels much faster than the new BMW M3 Cab DKG and this may have to do with the excessive weight the new M3 Cab with fixed roof is carrying. Alhtough both cars hit 200 kph(125 mph) in about the same time(aprox. 17-18 seconds), the 997 Carrera Cab seems to be faster and sportier. You always need to keep an eye on the speedo in the M3 Cab because you're simply too fast all the time. The 997 Carrera Cab is a different beast, it isn't only fast, it actually feels fast, something missing from the M3, probably because of the 1.8 ton weight.

Driving dynamics are comparable though, the M3 Cab seems to have a more neutral setup and doesn't show any understeer but also the rear is very calm and doesn't get out of control easily like it did on older M3 models, making them sometimes a little bit unpredictable. The M3 Cab is a very fast car, I'd say that similar to straight line performance, the 997 Carrera Cab can't outrun the M3 Cab on the track either.

Speaking of race tracks and spirited driving, the 997 Carrera Cab is more fun to drive, simply because it sounds louder and because it FEELS much faster. I don't know how Porsche is doing this miracle. The M3 Cab is a different beast, it sounds great, especially when you pass 3000 rpm and the engine rev range is spectacular. However, it feels more like a very fast GT, not a true sportscar. The test results speak a different language but unfortunately the driver gets a different feeling.

I was also surprised to see how stable the M3 Cab seems to be at top speed(308 kph on the speedo, 291 kph measured with GPS) but to be honest, it felt a bit strange around the rear part, the 997 Carrera Cabriolet delivers a more "confident" drive feel at similar speeds, even if the steering feels lighter compared to the BMW M3 Cab.

There isn't much room for a driver error on the M3 Cab at that speed, people who are going for the Vmax raise should be aware of that. The 997 Carrera Cab is a bit more forgiving at very high speeds.

Another surprise was fuel consumption. I never got the low fuel consumption figures achieved in various car magazines, maybe I was doing something wrong but I didn't even come close to these low figures. I won't tell you guys how much fuel both cars ate when hitting top speed but driving at various speeds around the city and on deserted country roads, I got a fuel consumption of around 17 litres/100 km for the 997 Carrera Cab and around 20 litres/100 km for the BMW M3 Cab. Half of the time I was driving in auto mode but I can assure you that the fuel consumption was practically the same, no matter if I was driving in manual or auto mode.

I was able to achieve something around 13-14 litres/100 km in the 997 Carrera Cabriolet but only when leaving PDK in auto mode and driving very very relaxed.
Trust me, unless you don't have a bit of fuel in your blood, you will never drive that way, so don't expect a very low fuel consumption, especially the BMW M3 Cab doesn't seem to react too much to driving behavior, the fuel consumption is almost the same all the time.

After returning the 997 Carrera Cabriolet, I somehow started missing it. PDK was working great, I didn't expect it to be that good. I also didn't expect the auto mode to be that well programmed, whoever wants to shift manually is free to do so but unless you're trying to break a new record on the track, the PDK auto mode can do everything better than you can. Especially upshifts work much faster in auto mode, do the math. One thing seems for sure though: the days of Tiptronic are coming to an end. There is no justification for Tiptronic anymore, so I guess that this option will vanish into thin air more sooner than later. Unfortunately I have bad news for manual lovers too: PDK is also working great in manual mode, so the days of manual transmissions seem to be over too. There are still some glitches regarding software and maybe hardware but PDK is very new and I'm pretty sure that the second generation will wipe out the existence of any other transmission choice, unless Porsche wants to make extra money with the option PDK which of course will be the case over the next couple of years.

What about BMW's DKG? Well, it works well but there are a couple of things which I don't quite understand and what is worse, they could lead to disaster.
Why doesn't change the DKG into P mode when you open one of the doors? It stays in N mode, meaning that the car can start rolling if you don't pull the parking brake. Why doesn't DKG auto mode have the same slowly moving feature similar to a classic auto tranny or how Porsche adopted to their PDK? Why is it possible to easily engage N mode accidentally? A couple of things about DKG don't feel right, BMW needs to review them, especially in auto mode. There also seems to be a software glitch with DKG when the engine shuts off completely at very slow speeds, something which should never happen on such a system, even in manual mode.

That said, I think that both DKG and PDK work well but I liked PDK much better, simply because it feels better and it feels better set up during development. Only the shift buttons are weird, especially since they move to both sides(front/rear).

Is PDK worth switching from the 997 to the 997 facelift? I'm not sure about it. If you had a 997 Carrera before and you want to switch to a Carrera S facelift with PDK, maybe. Otherwise I'm not sure the changes, with the exception of PDK, are worth spending so much money for a facelift. If you're still driving a 996 or even 993, the change is definitely worth it, you won't regret it. Even the 997 Carrera facelift with the base engine is a lot of fun to drive, the engine feels very powerful and you never think "gosh, I wish I had more power". The power level feels right and this is what counts, the new direct fuel injection engine feels great and sounds great, definitely a step up regarding driving fun.

So what about the new M3 Cab, is it worth buying? Well, difficult to say. As much as I really like the new BMW M3 Cabriolet a lot, it isn't the same beast as the 997 Carrera Cab facelift. The BMW has the advantage of the additional two seats in the back which are very comfortable, even for adults. The seats in the back of the 997 Carrera Cab are suitable for kids up to around 6 or 7 years of age. Older kids won't be happy in the 997 Carrera Cab and adults, well, even midgets would complaint. The BMW also has the advantage of the fixed retractable roof and the less attention attracting exterior, not to forget the much lower price tag.

Without kids, I would always choose the 997 Carrera Cabriolet facelift over the new BMW M3 Cabriolet. These two cars are actually not comparable in my opinion, they satisfy a different kind of buyers. The BMW is more of a daily driver than the 997 Carrera Cab, at least this is the first thought which comes to my mind. Surprisingly, the 997 Carrera Cab feels much better during daily driving, especially since the M3 Cab is extremely low in the front part and the 19'' rims don't have much of protection if you hit a boardwalk. The high fuel consumption of the M3 Cab also kills the fun a little bit, this car eats only 2 liters less fuel on 100 km than a RUF 997 Turbo 550, just do the math.

For the first time, I started to understand why Porsche is charging more for their cars. It is about the FEELING you have while driving them. Numbers don't impress as much as your own butt-o-meter feel does.

The M3 Cab impresses with a superb high rev performance engine but unfortunately this fine engine is trapped in a heavy weight body. While the M3 Coupe or even the Limousine may be a different story, the M3 Cab is definitely too heavy and the excessive weight is always present, BMW didn't succeed in hiding it, even if the M3 Cab achieves the same performance and track times like the 997 Carrera Cab facelift. You can be extremely fast in the M3 Cab but it doesn't feel that way. A pity.

So why did I go for the M3 Cabriolet instead? Simple answer: after the 997 Carrera Cabriolet, the new BMW M3 Cab is probably the best choice if you need to have a powerful fun car with two full sized rear seats. I tried hard to find something similar from a different car manufacturer in the same or a lower price range but the 997 Carrera Cab and the M3 Cab are very special cars which have their own character.

You can't go wrong with either of both but if you want to experience a true sportscar feeling without compromising comfort too much, the new facelifted 997 Carrera Cabriolet is just the right car for you. There is no need for the 997 Carrera S Cabriolet if you're looking for more power, wait for the facelifted 997 Turbo Cabriolet instead. The 997 Carrera Cabriolet with the base engine feels powerful enough to deliver a lot of driving fun without regretting not going for the S version.

Btw: both cars attracted a lot of attention from people and surprisingly, most people recognized the M3 Cabriolet. Only very few recognized the facelifted 997 Carrera Cabriolet, so if you own a 997 and you're happy with it, KEEP it and wait for the 998 or whatever model designation it will have. PDK would be the only technical reason to go for the facelifted 997 if you already own a 997, even if the facelifted interior and the improved engine are also worth mentioning. In the end, it is YOUR money and your decision but I don't think it is worth losing thousands just to get PDK.

The new M3 Cabriolet is a different story. If you need four full sized seats(and there is even some storage room in the trunk left for a short vacation), the new BMW M3 Cabriolet is a great car with a treat of an engine. I don't actually see any alternatives to this car if you have one or even two older kids. None of the major car manufacturers offers such a sporty four-seater Cabriolet for the whole family in the same performance class. The best bargain would be the M3 Limousine anyway but if you want a Cab, the M3 Cab it is.

I'm happy to answer all your questions, sorry for my bad English, it isn't my mother language.