I've decided to start posting mileage milestones. I've been tracking them since 2004, but I've never written about them.
This morning, I rolled 141,000 miles in the 911:
Usually, I pay close attention and love to watch the four barrels roll. This morning, I almost missed it. Solo parenting this week and also attending the Virtues & Vocations conference, I knew I was close. I was taking Enzo to a friend's house who would graciously shuttle him to school. By pure luck, I looked down and the barrels had already rolled!
Curses! I wanted to point it out to Enzo so he could watch and mark the milestone.
While he didn't get to see 141,000, I'll try and make it a point that he's in the car for 142,000.
It was a grey, rainy morning, just the two of us in the car. 141,000 happened pretty close to home, just driving around, living life.
I love my GLI. It's a phenomenal car. It's quick, quiet, comfortable, and efficient. I did a round trip from South Bend to Interlochen on a single tank of fuel. The front differential is amazing, it handles great, it's a joy to shift, and makes me smile every time I get in.
In the power department, I'd say it's sufficient in stock form. Not blazingly fast, but certainly enough power to keep me entertained, and as I've mentioned before, compares pretty favorably with the original M5. A stock GLI is enough to keep anyone happy, but recall that I had a 1998 Passat with a 1.8-liter turbo 4.
Stock, the Passat made 150 hp and 155 lb-ft of torque. It was fun, but we gave into the temptation to get the ECU flashed to let the turbo work a little harder. The car was absolutely transformed. Passing on a two-lane road in third gear was delightful, the car pulled so much harder. With more than 120,000 reliable miles on the reprogrammed engine, it made me start thinking about what one could coax out of the EA888 2-liter 4 in the GLI.
After a bunch of research and reading, it came down to Cobb and APR. Ultimately, I decided to go with the APR Plus offering, primarily because the warranty gave me some peace of mind. The APR Plus adds 42 hp and 57 ft-lb of torque, bringing the total to roughly 270 hp and 315 ft-lb in a car weighing 3,178 pounds.
For perspective, my 911 makes about 250 hp and 230 lb-ft of torque in a car weighing 3,031 pounds. So, if you do the math, the APR Plus-equipped GLI has a power-to-weight ratio of 11.8 lb/hp versus 12.1 lb/hp in the 911. Heh heh heh. I love the idea of sleeper sedans in general, and the GLI with a better power-to-weight ratio than my 911 makes for wicked fun.
From the driver's seat, third gear with the APR tune feels about as strong as second gear in stock form. The APR tune also got rid of the pesky top speed limiter, with the car still pulling hard through 140 mph in 4th gear on a race track. The car feels quite stout. While I haven't instrumented the car, those power gains should get the car to 60 mph in about 5.3 seconds and through the quarter mile in ~13.2 seconds at 111 mph. That's more than a second faster through the quarter mile, which I have no problem believing.
The downside to all of this additional power is that the original equipment Hankook Kinergy GT tires simply melted. While they did a reasonable job of coping with the extra torque in the dry, they were useless in the wet, easily spinning up in first, second, third, and occasionally fourth. After roughly 25,000 total miles, 10,000 of which were pre-tune, the tires were cooked.
While the end of a set of tires typically bums people out, for me it's one of my favorite times because I get to go tire shopping! For the new set, I was committed to getting tires that could cope with the extra power. With six vehicles to manage, over time I've grown to love Michelin tires. They're just great. The Defender2s on the vans have an 80,000 mile warranty. I have Pilot Sport All Season 4s on the 911 that have good grip and seem to be wearing well after more than 8,000 miles.
Since I have a set of Blizzaks for the winter, I thought about getting a set of Pilot Sport All Season 4s for the GLI since I'm having good luck with them on the 911. Then I thought about it a bit more, talked with my brother, and rationalized a set of Pilot Sport 4Ss for the GLI. The rationale went something like, "Well, how many sets of tires do you actually buy in your life, and is it worth compromising summer performance if you already have a dedicated set of winter wheels and tires?"
With thinking like that, the choice was clear:
I have to say, I really think Michelin has figured out the sidewall branding. I love the Michelin stamp, how legible the tire model is, and the little checkered flag. I do think there is a trickledown effect from Michelin's endurance racing experience to its street tires. I have super fond memories of the 2018 "Pink Pig" class victory at Le Mans, a once-in-a-lifetime megatrip that I reveled in with my brother. Guess what tires the class-winning car was wearing?
That's right - Michelins.
Anyway, this is what the GLI looks like with its fresh meats:
I only have about 70 miles on the new tires, but my initial impressions are that these are the tires the car deserves. Full power in second gear doesn't phase the tires, and they seem like they grip well. I can't wait until I get them scrubbed in a bit more so I can explore their capabilities a bit more fully. I'm also looking forward to driving the car in the wet, just to see how these "max performance summer tires" cope with wet pavement. While I'd imagine that full-throttle pulls on the wet would cause the traction control to flicker, I'm optimistic that they won't spin worthlessly like the overmatched Kinergy GTs.
Since the 981S was in Wisconsin and it coincided with the kids' spring break week, we decided to make a bit of an adventure out of going to get it. The 911 was due for its annual service, so I worked with my brother to schedule it for when we were going to Wisconsin. One wonderful thing about working with The Exchange for service is their loaner fleet of Cayennes. The Cayenne is an excellent SUV, and made for the the perfect accomplice on this mission.
To The Exchange!
Knowing we had no hope of fitting all of our luggage into the 911, my brother graciously agreed to take some bags to The Exchange with him when he was visiting for the weekend. On departure morning, we stuffed the trunk full with our remaining luggage:
and prepared to fold our tall bodies into a pretty small space:
Once aboard, the drive to Chicago felt like a regular road trip...
...and before long, it looked like one, too!
Who says a 911 isn't a family car? I think it's perfectly practical! That said, it was nice to have a 2 hour hop instead of being in there for the 5 hours that we'd need to get to our final destination...
The Nuthorn Quest
Whenever we go to Wisconsin, we make a point of visiting the New Glarus Bakery, which is a little over 2 hours away from The Exchange. As long-time patrons, we know that it's completely worth pre-ordering nuthorns because in addition to being amazingly delicious, the sell out quickly. Since they're delicious, we ordered a dozen so we could enjoy some on the fly and save some to bring back to share with others.
After a delicious lunch, saddled up for the final ~2 hour ride to Appleton:
We got to the hotel in time for the kids to frolic in the pool, which they loved! There was no hurry to get to bed early or get up early because we didn't plan on picking up the car until after 9 the following day. Of course, I couldn't sleep.
Delivery Day
We got up leisurely in the morning and grabbed a family workout in the hotel gym before searching for a tasty coffee shop in Appleton. Allison took the time to fulfill one of my fantasies by painting her nails to match the red belts in the car (remember, I am a strange man):
Fulfilling the "taking delivery of a Porsche at a dealership" fantasy, Allison also was cool with wearing the awesome Martini Racing sweatshirt she got me for Father's Day, and I chose the F.A.T. International hoodie I got while traveling with my brother in 2024 when we visited F.A.T. Mankei on the Grossglockner Pass.
Decked out and ready, we found a coffee shop, headed in that direction, and enjoyed a good cup of coffee and some tasty breakfast:
After breakfast, it was time!!! We piled into the Cayenne, drove to Porsche Fox Valley, and with wide smiles and a lot of excitement, got ready to fulfill the dream:
Part of the joy of the purchase experience was the actual purchase experience. Nothing compares to taking delivery of a Porsche from a Porsche dealership. I did it once before, at The Exchange, back in 1997. I really wanted Allison to have that experience - of being shown the car, all the features, pairing her phone, really making it feel like it's her car. Which it is!
The kids were immediately smitten. Heck, who am I kidding, we all were. It's a really pretty car.
James, our salesman, was fantastic. He spent plenty of time with us, never making us feel rushed or like we were consuming too much of his time:
We all loved exploring the car, and I'll never forget how wide the smiles were!
I particularly love the red belts!
My brother, ridiculously generous person that he is, had Porsche winter floor mats waiting for us at The Exchange, so I took out the stock mats and snapped in the more durable, rubberized versions. I mean, this car is going to get a fair bit of use, so it makes sense to protect from crumbs, potential spills, etc:
After chatting and exploring the car, it was time for the first drive. I loved every second of it! It was so cool to see Allison's level of nervous excitement:
I really love seeing her excited smile:
Of course, Allison insisted we trade places so I could sample the car:
For me, the greatest joy came from seeing the wonder and happiness on the faces of my family:
And from driving lazily south, close to Lake Michigan:
We has deliciously beautiful weather for the pickup, sunny, cool, perfect top down/heated seats weather. For whatever reason, the weather gods were smiling on us, and it made the trip that much more delightful.
Homeward Bound
After overnighting in Sheboygan where we enjoyed an unexpectedly delicious Italian meal at my brother's suggestion, we cruised into Milwaukee to visit Colectivo Coffee Lakefront. I'm a massive fan of the Dark Sumatra. The weather greatest hits album kept playing, and we were able to sit outside in the crisp sunshine.
After a leisurely breakfast, we made our way back to The Exchange where the 911 was waiting with fresh oil. It was the first time that the siblings got to meet each other:
I like to observe how cars evolve over time. I think this photo from the rear is particularly telling. Look how high the bumper is on the Boxster, and how low the lights are in the 911. Admittedly, the 911 has been lowered, but you can't get away from the fact that in the 1990s, legislation hadn't gotten to the point that higher bumpers were mandated.
Afterwards, we went to one of Faris' friends house for dinner. We got to park next to each other, and I love the top view of the cars next to each other. You can see that the Boxster is longer (172.2 inches vs 168.3 inches). The difference in width is much more pronounced, with the Boxster coming in at 70.9 inches vs only 65 for the 911.
I've been reading Mom's book to Enzo as his bedtime story. In the book, he was introduced to Cat's Cradle, and has gone down a YouTube rabbit hole learning a variety of different designs. Steve, Faris' friend we had dinner with, is of a vintage that he remembers playing Cat's Cradle as a kid. His muscle memory kicked in, and soon he and Enzo were swapping the string back and forth. It was such a delight to see, such a high entertainment value from the simplest of things:
'After dinner we made the trek home to South Bend. On the way, the 911 hit a significant milestone:
140,000 miles and still running strong. Over 27 years later, the car still pushes all of my buttons. The Boxster is 11 years younger, much more modern, and the car I'd choose if I had to be in Washington, D.C. tomorrow. That said, I have super fond memories of a pre-GPS world when Faris and I took multiple days and blue line highways to get to the same destination. I really like the 911 for just driving. They're so different, these two cars. That's probably a post for another time.
After a brisk drive through the night, we got all the cars safely tucked in for the night, where they could murmur to each other through the wall:
Since the winter mats will live in the Boxster, I brought the original floor mats into the house, where two very curious animals sniffed them and felt very safe "in the box."
All in all, I can't overemphasize how truly wonderful it was to have our kids part of a magical pickup process. I love their open-mouthed wonder. Allison's smiles and laughter are burned into my psyche. And joy of joys, the Boxster is working its way into our daily life. I had the pleasure of following Allison this morning as she took Enzo to school and I made my way to the gym. I love how the Boxster is reflected in the hood of the 911:
I love plotting and planning, and top of the list is a raid to Cedar Falls to enjoy pizza at The Brown Bottle. It was a childhood treat, and I really have a major hankering for their pizza, it's outstanding. With a little creativity, we can fit the seven of us (my family and my brother) into the 911, the Boxster, and his Spyder RS! It should be epic!!!!
Since late 2008, my wife has been driving minivans. Minivans are great. I love minivans. Before I became a father of three (and ultimately four, and a dog, and a couple of cats...), I was a "minivan over my dead body" type of guy. But I have to say, with over 315,000 miles across two vans since 2008, I'm completely in love with them. For transporting my family of 6, I really can't imagine a better vehicle. Modern vans are powerful, fuel-efficient, comfortable, and fantastic at hauling people.
As an aside, did I mention powerful? Our 2019 Odyssey will 0-60 in 6.7 seconds and hustle through the quarter mile, VTEC screaming, in 15.2 at more than 94 mph. For perspective, Car and Driver's test of a 1996 Ford Mustang GT shows a 0-60 of 6.6 and a quarter mile of 15.1 at 92 mph. Go further back to when I was constantly reading car magazines and fantasizing about performance cars, a Car and Driver tested a 1983 Mustang GT did 0-60 in 7 and the quarter mile at 15.4 at 90 mph. It's wild to think that my family people mover can put the Mustang GTs of my youth on a trailer.
Anyway, vans are great. I really like them. However, they're not designed to maximize driving pleasure. I've been thinking quite a bit about this, and about how Allison enjoys driving a bit more when she's driving something that's a bit more fun to drive. As we continue to take care of our aging parents and witness their cognitive decline, I had my "Steve Jobs" moment. It was time to change Allison's car, and get her something frivolous and joyous and delightful.
I went into full obsession mode. I love driving, and want others to enjoy it as much as I do! I've also always had a "convertible fantasy." There's just something magical about a top that disappears. It's a bit like riding a motorcycle, except you don't lean into corners and it's much easier to talk to the person you're traveling with.
What to do?
Anyway, my obsession quickly gained a focal point - the Porsche Boxster. It started out with a passing thought, "Oh, Allison would love driving a Boxster." I put a deposit on a Boxster S for European Delivery in May of 2000, but that didn't end up working out. I figured a Boxster would be a great car for Allison to drive around in. They're wonderful, light, reliable, and for a two-seat car, quite practical. The frunk is quite large, capable of swallowing two carryon suitcases with room to spare, and the rear trunk easily accommodates work satchels and backpacks.
So, I started hunting. While completely capable of driving a manual transmission (she learned how to drive manual on our Passat!), Allison is also more at peace driving a car with an automated transmission, so I knew whatever I was looking for had to shift itself. I really wanted a PDK instead of a Tiptronic. Being a dual-clutch design, the PDK offers faster shifts than the Tiptronic, which is a traditional automatic with a torque converter.
I discounted the original 986 as being a bit long in the tooth and not quite modern enough. Plus, it only came in manual or Tiptronic. I also wanted a glass rear window, so that ruled out the 986. That led me to start searching for 987s. The 987 had two evolutions, the 987.1 and the 987.2. After a bit of reading, I focused in on a 987.2, primarily because it was the first time the Boxster got a PDK transmission instead of a Tiptronic.
I scoured the Internet for a 987.2. I looked everywhere. And I kept reading. Which led me to the 981. The 981 incorporated some pretty significant changes. First off, the wheels got pushed further out and the overhangs were shortened. The styling, always a subjective thing, got much prettier to my eyes. The PDK was improved. It lost a little weight. And much to my delight, it was with the 981 that you can operate the top at speeds up to 30 mph. OK, that ruled out the 987.2, and I now focused in on the 981.
Friendly Advice
I searched and searched and searched. I found ones I liked and plenty that I didn't. I thought the base car would be sufficient, as it has more power than my 911. Of course, I was running my thought process past a couple of my car friends, who said things like:
"but the S looks like the way to go, you can always rationalize the extra $$ by saying it'll retain the value difference so you're not really spending that much more money, just saving it in the form of a car ... a much more enjoyable form than your average investment. I've been pretty successful using that kind of 'logic' when buying cars... :)"
and
"if you get an S, you'll never say, 'gee I wish I'd gotten the base car.'"
Everyone needs friends like these to set them straight.
What's the difference between the Boxster and the Boxster S? I suppose the "typical" Porsche S treatment: better suspension, better brakes, better engine. Most significantly, the base car gets a 2.7-liter flat-6 making 260 hp and 213 lb-ft of torque. The S gets a 3.4-liter flat-6 making 315 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque. The flat-6 has a delightfully linear power delivery, a top-end rush, and a 7,600 rpm redline. As my dad was fond of saying, "It's easy to like nice things."
After the 981 comes the 982. The 982 is a great car, with the base car making 300 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. What's up with the massive torque jump? In a word, turbocharging. The 718 has a turbocharged 2-liter flat four, while the S gets a 2.5-liter turbo making 350 hp and 309 lb-ft of torque. There's no question at all that the 718 is faster. By every stopwatch measurement, it's a better car.
Call me old, or opinionated, or both, I just can't get my head around the sound of the turbo flat four. It is definitely faster, and you really notice the extra torque, but...the sound! I love the sound of a flat six, and I love the feel of a naturally aspirated engine. This is true regardless of vehicle type. The FJR revs to 9,000 and gets progressively stronger as the revs build. I like that feeling. The 2019 Odyssey similarly gets stronger as the revs build, with a delightful VTEC scream over 5,000 RPM. The 911 gets stronger as it revs. Heck, even the 2008 Odyssey has that engine characteristic. I just enjoy the way a vehicle with that kind of powertrain responds.
The GLI has a wonderful EA888 2-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder. From a drivability standpoint, it's somewhat like a 718 Boxster. Good horsepower and loads of torque. Things got even better when I did the APR Plus ECU upgrade. The difference in power and torque was very noticeable. There's no doubt that it's fast, and the torque is really fun. But because there's so much torque, there's no real need to wind the engine out to redline. Instead, you can just surf the torque and make rapid progress. I really love the GLI and enjoy driving it every time I get behind the wheel....and I just prefer the sound and feeling of a naturally aspirated engine. I like the exhilaration of the sweep of the tach corresponding to a surge in power.
I don't think I'm alone here, because Porsche also makes a GTS version of the 718 that has a 4-liter flat six, also available in the Spyder. Meanwhile, the Spyder RS gets the 4-liter engine from the 911 GT3, which revs to 9,000 on its way to almost 500 horsepower. That engine is an absolute monster and number one on my fantasy engine list. While history will be the ultimate judge, I can imagine a world where 981 values exceed their 718 counterparts. And in October 2025, the world will change when the Boxster goes EV. Porsche will still build a 2-seat roadster, and I'm sure it'll be faster than a 981, but I don't think it will be better if sound is important to you. The EV roadsters won't breathe. Think about that - they won't be alive in the same way a 981 is. What's going to happen when a kid on a corner asks an EV roadster driver to rev it up and make some noise? Nothing. While I have to believe that as a species, we'll continue to build interesting and wonderful cars, my Paleolithic brain things some of the magic dies when the cars stop breathing.
At any rate, regardless of what manufacturers are building these days, I know what I like. And I like high-revving, naturally aspirated engines. So, with my primary parameters in place, I started down the path of pursuing a 981S.
Gathering Requirements
Now that I'd made a model decision, it was time to think about other "must-haves" and "nice-to-haves." The model year didn't really matter. The 981 was built from 2013 to 2016. Instead of prioritizing a model year, I was more interested in lower mileage examples.
Color
The first consideration was exterior color. Black is a pretty common color. I like black, but somehow I don't think it fits the personality of this car. The 911 is black, which I really like and think works really well. So, black was out. There are a couple of different shades of silver, which are nice. I like dark blue, but there aren't too many of those available. The ones I did see had the beige interior, which is not my favorite. I'm not a massive white guy, but the "stormtrooper spec" white with black wheels and interior is a pretty good look. There are a few red ones out there, but red didn't fit for me.
Interior color? Black is a winner. There were a handful out there with a red interior - hats off to people who are into red, but it's not for me. Also, it was an absolute non-starter for Allison.
Steering Wheel
The standard steering wheel has thumb toggles for shifting the PDK manually:
I'm not sure why Porsche ever went with the thumb toggle design, as most manufacturers go with a paddle behind the wheel on the right side for upshifts and another paddle on the left side for downshifts. Porsche did offer a SportDesign steering wheel with more traditional paddles:
So, a sport steering wheel went on the "nice to have" list.
Suspension
I like a well-set-up passive suspension. I think with the right combination of suspension damping, wheel size, and tire choice, it's possible to design a suspension for the street that works in almost any condition. Passive suspensions reduce complexity, and can also reduce weight. In this case, I was looking to minimize complexity, so I was looking for a car that did not have Porsche Active Suspension Management.
Wheels
I also don't understand the industry trend around wheel design. Bigger wheels are not always better. In my opinion, the size of the brakes are what should dictate wheel size. Wheels should be just big enough to fit over the brakes, no need for anything bigger. One of my pet peeves is giant wheels exposing what look like little bicycle brakes. The 981S came standard with 19" wheels, with 20" wheels being a popular option.
Thinking about how the car would end up being used, I wanted 19" wheels. Generally speaking, 19" wheels weigh less than their 20" counterparts. The tires fitted to those wheels have a bit more sidewall, which should smooth out the ride. The car I was looking for will never see a race track. It will become Allison's daily driver for nine months of the year, taking kids to school, going to Whole Foods, date nights to Venturi, and generally just improving the fun of every errand. The improved turn-in of a 20" wheel will not be missed, and 19" tires are generally more economical than the corresponding 20" version.
Headlights
I love great headlights. I'll never forget the adaptive LED headlights on an S-class my brother and I drove through France - those were amazing lights. For me, headlights are a safety issue, and I really wanted a car that had Porsche Dynamic Lighting System (PDLS). Basically, PDLS swivels the headlights through corners. On a curvy road, it means the headlights shine where you're going instead of straight ahead. PDLS wasn't an absolute must have, but I really wanted it.
Miscellaneous Considerations
Porsche is well known for the ability for customers to customize its cars. You can put leather on almost any interior surface. I wasn't going to seek out a leather-clad car, but I do like leather, so if a particular car had it, that would be fine. You can also go a little crazy with deviated stitching, colored seat belts, etc. Any of those would be delighters in my mind.
The 981 has a number of seat options. Sport seats, 14-way power seats, and 18-way adaptive power seats. I don't have a strong seating preference, other than I did want seats in the car....that said, I do like heated seats quite a bit, so heated seats are kind of a must, especially considering the Boxster is a convertible that is sure to be driven top down in cooler weather.
The 981 was available with ceramic brakes. Not many cars out there have them, as they were quite the expensive option. If I came across one with ceramics, that would be great, but not a must have. During my searching, I came across precisely zero cars with ceramics.
In terms of audio, I mainly listen to the engine in sports cars. That said, it is nice to have music as a viable option in a daily-use car. The base stereo isn't that great, and Porsche did offer a Bose system that improved sound quality a bit. A car with Bose would be nice, not a deal breaker, but certainly a positive. One thing the Bose system does is add a USB-A port for an "iPod' in the glovebox. Somewhat hilariously, the display in the car shows "iPod" as an input source.
These cars were available with a navigation system from the factory, but that wasn't really a consideration for me. What I really want is CarPlay in the car. While there are aftermarket options, I'm inclined to wait for what I imagine Porsche Classic is working on - a PCCM system for their older cars. Currently, they have systems available through 987.1, and I'm optimistic that when the 981 gets old enough, they'll develop a factory developed replacement unit. Until then, a USB-A to -C cable can connect modern iPhones, and the cupholders work pretty well for holding a phone if navigation is needed.
The Hunt
I spent weeks scouring the websites, auction sites, dealer sites, the Porsche Club of America classifieds, basically any internet site that had 981Ss listed. I found a beautiful black car in New Jersey and another black car in Kansas City. The New Jersey car was super clean, the KC car had some questionable rough spots that weren't easily explained.
I looked on Bring a Trailer and thought about bidding on this car, even though I wasn't crazy about a gray interior. I created a Cars and Bids account and bid on this stormtrooper. I didn't win the auction, but that didn't prevent me from loosely making plans to fly out there with Allison and drive back together! My mania was at an all time high as I route planned to drive through Winslow and get the famous picture. All that mental energy for naught!
There was a platinum silver car in the Boston area that looked good. One downside was that it had a front license plate. I really wanted an intact front bumper since Indiana is a no-front-plate state. I know you can get bumper plugs and they do a decent job of filling the hole, but ideally any car would be intact. It pains me to see the beautiful front contours of any car scarred by drilling holes for a front plate mount. We bought both of our vans in Illinois, and it drives me a little crazy that they came with pre-drilled bumpers.
With my brother's added sleuthing skills, he turned me on to a Porsche Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) car in Wisconsin. Logistically, this was the most convenient. It could be an easy day trip from home instead of doing the fly/buy/drive thing. The prospect of having a CPO warranty was a plus, as it is a two-year, unlimited mile warranty with genuine Porsche parts and zero deductible. That adds a little peace of mind, and I think it's a testament to the quality of Porsche's products that they'll CPO cars up to 13 years old! I'm not sure how many other manufacturers do that!
Looking at the specific of this car, it looked great in rhodium silver with a black interior:
It had PDLS, the SportDesign steering wheel, Bose, and 19" wheels, all of which made me excited. It had a brand new battery, a brand new original equipment windshield, and Hankook N-spec tires in great condition. It had the 14-way heated power seats, so it had seats, which is good! It also had some "delighters," including:
Leather Package, which adds leather to the dash, arm rests, and door handles
Smoking Package, which adds a storage bin and additional 12 volt power socket
Ventilated Seats, which I have in the GLI - not a make or break feature, but nice to have
Wheel Center Caps with Painted Crest, a small nerd detail that replaces the monochrome Porsche crest in the wheel center with a version in full color. This is a tiny detail, but one I really like. The 911 had colored center caps on the stock wheels, it's a small touch, and I think it's cool.
Red seat belts, which I just think is super cool!
Clear front side marker lenses, which I think looks great with a silver car. Stock (orange) lenses:
Clear lenses:
The bright silver with red belts made me think of 356/1, where it all started:
I think the bright sliver and red accents are a bit of an homage to 356/1:
Allison and I talked and debated and pondered. I lost plenty of sleep, while she slept like a stone. Ultimately, we decided together this was the one, so we went for it!
The salesperson was professional and wonderful and easy to work with. We were able to handle everything asynchronously and electronically. He took the paint meter readings I requested, and even waited until the car was cleaned up to do a walkaround video:
The video just hyped me up even more, it looked beautiful, and confirmed my believe that the car has no bad angles - it's gorgeous from any perspective, top down or top up:
We committed to the car and set about planning the trip to Wisconsin to retrieve the car on a Friday during spring break so two of our kids could be with us for the experience. We were super excited, and I barely slept.
The Friday before we were set to take delivery, I started thinking about grill guards to protect the front and side air intakes. My brother's car comes with them from the factory, and I'm not sure why all air-breathing Porsches don't include the mesh that protects against damage. I did some quick Internet sleuthing and came across the Radiator Grill Store, which makes protective screens for the 981.
After a quick exchange with our salesman, I ordered the grills to be drop-shipped to his Porsche dealership in Wisconsin, where a technician would install them prior to delivery. I was a little worried about the timing, as I was ordering exactly one week prior to delivery. Just one more thing to loose sleep over!
In the end, it all worked out and the guards were installed by the time we went to pick up the car:
I really don't understand why Porsche doesn't put this kind of protection on all cars of this type.
I suppose I'm getting a little ahead of myself - the purchase experience was absolute magic, and merits its own post. More shortly.
