TBP88's last car

[TBP88]

Honestly I'd be shocked if I've done even 500km in this winter. I know a bunch of guys are planning a run but it's likely I'll only join a few in November/December time really when my diary opens up a bit.

Not sure what the future holds, it remains a fun toy when I get the chance but of course, at some point you're paying to just look at it... My work being 4km away from home means the need for a car is pretty much nought (which ironically makes having a car that has little use more appealing!)

 

[modocrat]

This thread makes me want to cry..
I'd drive to the shops twice a day to buy milk even if I had a cow in my backyard.

 

[TBP88]

This thread makes me want to cry..
I'd drive to the shops twice a day to buy milk even if I had a cow in my backyard.

LMAO

 

[TurboLlew]

Honestly I'd be shocked if I've done even 500km in this winter. I know a bunch of guys are planning a run but it's likely I'll only join a few in November/December time really when my diary opens up a bit.

Not sure what the future holds, it remains a fun toy when I get the chance but of course, at some point you're paying to just look at it... My work being 4km away from home means the need for a car is pretty much nought (which ironically makes having a car that has little use more appealing!)

It really is just the nature of these cars in a way as well as what life is now like for many folks who own them, not really traveling far or sitting in much traffic. When it is your 3rd or 4th car as a GTx most probably is for most people, you just don't put huge mileages on them.

I think I probably did 2200km in my 4C for the whole year - and I feel like I used it quite a bit. Making a bit of an effort to use it more this year. It isn't like I am actively trying to preserve it or anything like that it just is what it is. My F90 probably did 5000? Maybe? so not a lot more either.

 

[M3boi]

This thread makes me want to cry..
I'd drive to the shops twice a day to buy milk even if I had a cow in my backyard.

He's lying, he has to put in a request with the wife 3 months in advance to come on our runs.

 

[TBP88]

It really is just the nature of these cars in a way as well as what life is now like for many folks who own them, not really traveling far or sitting in much traffic. When it is your 3rd or 4th car as a GTx most probably is for most people, you just don't put huge mileages on them.

I think I probably did 2200km in my 4C for the whole year - and I feel like I used it quite a bit. Making a bit of an effort to use it more this year. It isn't like I am actively trying to preserve it or anything like that it just is what it is. My F90 probably did 5000? Maybe? so not a lot more either.

Probably the reality. Being so close to work and been spending the weekends mostly training/recovering these days means I haven't really focused on taking the car out - having a toddler also is a *slight* time consuming activity! Haha

As @llew says though, for me this is my only car but we have the partners car for the normal stuff, and truth be told - I don't really want to go to the shops or mall in this thing. It *is* actually valuable to me and if it gets scuffed by a trolley or *again* rear ended by an idiot then I'll be put off for days after. So it does end up being a bit of a garage queen. Ironically, just as it looked as though CPT rain was done - it started raining this morning. LMAO.

 

[Sabretooth tiger]

This thread makes me want to cry..
I'd drive to the shops twice a day to buy milk even if I had a cow in my backyard.

He doesn't have a cow in his yard but @M3boi comes around to his house for milking often

 

[M3boi]

He doesn't have a cow in his yard but @M3boi comes around to his house for milking often

 

[TBP88]

He doesn't have a cow in his yard but @M3boi comes around to his house for milking often

Man says he enjoys both the taste and the texture, who am I to deny him the pleasure.

 

[TBP88]

Managed to sneak off for a Sunday GT4 run, mostly 981s, one other 718. Only 4 of us made it to the end, sadly others had other commitments.

Interesting to see a proper selection of colours out - agate, gt silver, black, racing yellow, (i think?) carmine red, 2 in carrara white, my car in gentian. Lekker mix.

Pity no blue 981GT4, apparently a few did land locally in Dark blue metallic - the best colour for the car of the default palette.

Amongst the number here, the 2nd car from the front, was a white full clubsport spec (so with cage and buckets) 981GT4 *with* extended leather. A very rare combination, probably fewer than a few dozen cars globally have that spec - I have never seen one in SA with it.

A fun day out, car still feels very solid, some of the windier bits at the top of the passes did give me some heeby-jeebys, but the twisty stuff it always feels like you can throw an extra bit of welly at it.

The week prior got some seat time in at Clarens which was extremely fun, a proper road to be enjoyed, it has one proper open straight section where the GT4 easily clears "jailtime" speeds so I can close on the faster drives in slower cars but the rest is much tighter, fortunately the road is exceptionally clean now, no dirt and no potholes for the entirety. Add in some of the best views in the cape too. Would be my choice destination for runs, but sadly it gets very busy with moms and pops, and even worse - bikers, after about 645. So you gotta get there early.

 

[Del-Bosc]

Managed to sneak off for a Sunday GT4 run, mostly 981s, one other 718. Only 4 of us made it to the end, sadly others had other commitments.

Interesting to see a proper selection of colours out - agate, gt silver, black, racing yellow, (i think?) carmine red, 2 in carrara white, my car in gentian. Lekker mix.

Pity no blue 981GT4, apparently a few did land locally in Dark blue metallic - the best colour for the car of the default palette.

Amongst the number here, the 2nd car from the front, was a white full clubsport spec (so with cage and buckets) 981GT4 *with* extended leather. A very rare combination, probably fewer than a few dozen cars globally have that spec - I have never seen one in SA with it.

A fun day out, car still feels very solid, some of the windier bits at the top of the passes did give me some heeby-jeebys, but the twisty stuff it always feels like you can throw an extra bit of welly at it.

The week prior got some seat time in at Clarens which was extremely fun, a proper road to be enjoyed, it has one proper open straight section where the GT4 easily clears "jailtime" speeds so I can close on the faster drives in slower cars but the rest is much tighter, fortunately the road is exceptionally clean now, no dirt and no potholes for the entirety. Add in some of the best views in the cape too. Would be my choice destination for runs, but sadly it gets very busy with moms and pops, and even worse - bikers, after about 645. So you gotta get there early.

Lovely images. Did the 981 gt4 owners share any information on the reliability of their cars. Gearbox, clutch, bearings any issues of that sort ?

 

[Nish_H]

Managed to sneak off for a Sunday GT4 run, mostly 981s, one other 718. Only 4 of us made it to the end, sadly others had other commitments.

Interesting to see a proper selection of colours out - agate, gt silver, black, racing yellow, (i think?) carmine red, 2 in carrara white, my car in gentian. Lekker mix.

Pity no blue 981GT4, apparently a few did land locally in Dark blue metallic - the best colour for the car of the default palette.

Amongst the number here, the 2nd car from the front, was a white full clubsport spec (so with cage and buckets) 981GT4 *with* extended leather. A very rare combination, probably fewer than a few dozen cars globally have that spec - I have never seen one in SA with it.

A fun day out, car still feels very solid, some of the windier bits at the top of the passes did give me some heeby-jeebys, but the twisty stuff it always feels like you can throw an extra bit of welly at it.

The week prior got some seat time in at Clarens which was extremely fun, a proper road to be enjoyed, it has one proper open straight section where the GT4 easily clears "jailtime" speeds so I can close on the faster drives in slower cars but the rest is much tighter, fortunately the road is exceptionally clean now, no dirt and no potholes for the entirety. Add in some of the best views in the cape too. Would be my choice destination for runs, but sadly it gets very busy with moms and pops, and even worse - bikers, after about 645. So you gotta get there early.

Nice pictures and some great machines.
Very jealous of the Cape roads and in the new year I’ll definitely be planning a trip. It didn’t work out this year.

Which proper roads you make reference to in Clarens? As you aware, some of us did that trip last Saturday and we did enjoy the passes (some potholes but nothing too major).
Just want to make sure we didn’t miss any of the good roads😅

On a side note, how far is the drive from Cape to Clarens? Or is there another Clarens in the Cape area that I’m not aware of? 😀

 

[TBP88]

Nice pictures and some great machines.
Very jealous of the Cape roads and in the new year I’ll definitely be planning a trip. It didn’t work out this year.

Which proper roads you make reference to in Clarens? As you aware, some of us did that trip last Saturday and we did enjoy the passes (some potholes but nothing too major).
Just want to make sure we didn’t miss any of the good roads😅

On a side note, how far is the drive from Cape to Clarens? Or is there another Clarens in the Cape area that I’m not aware of? 😀

Hahaha, Clarens in this sense is "Clarence Drive". Basically the road just after gordons bay to rooi els.

It's a bit of a mission in summer to get there, ~ 80km from home so you need to leave *well* before dawn to get there for sunrise to enjoy a few squirts up and down the road. But the road quality is exceptional and clean, of the passes (and having done most of them in the immediate vicinity over the last few weeks) I think it's my favourite to drive.

Lovely images. Did the 981 gt4 owners share any information on the reliability of their cars. Gearbox, clutch, bearings any issues of that sort ?

Nothing to note, I didn't hang bout for too much post driving chatting. AFAIK only one of the guys has had a serious issue with his car, not sure what exactly went wrong but it went into limp mode on a run a while back?

I think the general consensus is reliability is solid. I've said before that the real tell will come if/when the plan expires. I'm about to hit yr3, so I've got 2 and a bit yrs left of cover before it's time to start extending, I'll see what they charge, if I can do a one time longer extension and save money perhaps that's the way to go, if it's marginal I'll just go year by year. Most of the 981GT4s are now either ending plan or in the final throes of their plans (it was a 2015-2016 car when new).

 

[Nish_H]

Hahaha, Clarens in this sense is "Clarence Drive". Basically the road just after gordons bay to rooi els.

It's a bit of a mission in summer to get there, ~ 80km from home so you need to leave *well* before dawn to get there for sunrise to enjoy a few squirts up and down the road. But the road quality is exceptional and clean, of the passes (and having done most of them in the immediate vicinity over the last few weeks) I think it's my favourite to drive.


Nothing to note, I didn't hang bout for too much post driving chatting. AFAIK only one of the guys has had a serious issue with his car, not sure what exactly went wrong but it went into limp mode on a run a while back?

I think the general consensus is reliability is solid. I've said before that the real tell will come if/when the plan expires. I'm about to hit yr3, so I've got 2 and a bit yrs left of cover before it's time to start extending, I'll see what they charge, if I can do a one time longer extension and save money perhaps that's the way to go, if it's marginal I'll just go year by year. Most of the 981GT4s are now either ending plan or in the final throes of their plans (it was a 2015-2016 car when new).

Ok that makes more sense. LOL.

 

[M3boi]

Lovely images. Did the 981 gt4 owners share any information on the reliability of their cars. Gearbox, clutch, bearings any issues of that sort ?

981 GT4 reliability seems to be very good, the most common thing that seems to pop up is the cats failing. So you either need aftermarket catless headers, or if you're under plan, Porsche replace them. Has happened to two 981 GT4s that I know of (in our circle).

 

[Del-Bosc]

981 GT4 reliability seems to be very good, the most common thing that seems to pop up is the cats failing. So you either need aftermarket catless headers, or if you're under plan, Porsche replace them. Has happened to two 981 GT4s that I know of (in our circle).

Sorry to derail this thread, I have read in the us forums second gear becomes an issue and fails. The 981 gt4 is a good buy if it’s reasonable to maintain. I also think a the OP car is fantastic value. @TBP88 what mileage you doing now ? Any clutch chatter ? I picked some clutch chatter recently don’t drive the car that often and certainly don’t abuse the clutch. I do feel it is related to the auto blips, since I started using sport mode I hear little chattering sound. Sport + does not auto blip for you and I never heard the sound before.

 

[TBP88]

Sorry to derail this thread, I have read in the us forums second gear becomes an issue and fails. The 981 gt4 is a good buy if it’s reasonable to maintain. I also think a the OP car is fantastic value. @TBP88 what mileage you doing now ? Any clutch chatter ? I picked some clutch chatter recently don’t drive the car that often and certainly don’t abuse the clutch. I do feel it is related to the auto blips, since I started using sport mode I hear little chattering sound. Sport + does not auto blip for you and I never heard the sound before.

Can't say I've noticed any clutch chatter at all? Closest I've come to hurting the clutch is forgetting I'm in 3rd once and pulling off in that gear? Can't imagine that did *too* much damage, mileage around 8xxx now only though! I'm pretty much always in sport exhaust mode seeing as if I'm driving the car I'm almost always driving it to be driven. It's a bit droney so maybe off on highways, but I can't see how that could effect clutch? It's always a bit jerky from standstill, the clutch is relatively heavy so generally I feed 1-2 changes quite gently, but most of the passes around here can be handled essentially exclusively in 2nd-3rd, with maybe the longest straights hitting 4th/5th - top end of fifth is well over 200, more like 260km/h... You'd need to be *really* sending it to see that.

718 and 981 only really differ in engine and gearbox, suspension wise it's both 991 era derived. Subjective but I prefer 718 interior, 981 the racier looking and sounding car (certainly at stock at least).

I think weight it's a sub 80kg difference, 718 also picks up an extra ~40hp so it's *mostly* mitigated, again, you'd need to be on the *VERY* ragged edge to be able to detect this sort of difference, but again, I've never had even a moments wheel time behind a 981.

On the subjective aspects I do prefer the slightly more sedate look of the 718 wing and overall more "mature" lines, especially from the rear.

But I'm always tempted to go all out and buy risers or something silly like that, until I see what 2 pieces of metal cost and decide I can wait a bit longer. I did order some colour-coded key casings. Porsche charges something absurd like R5k for this option from new, and it invariably chips anyway. Aliexpress has 2 on the way with shipping for about R400, will post pics when they arrive and see if the fit is good, I saw a racing yellow one on this run and that looked pretty decent, but gentian is a bit "more".

I've also fitted a carlinkit4.0, this enables wireless android auto *and* apple car play. Those who own this generation of porsche (mid 2010s to early 2020s) will know it *ONLY* comes with wired apple carplay. A huge las, and obviously just outright useless for those who aren't inclined to spend gambia's gdp every 2yrs on a new cellphone, for around R500-600 or so landed it's solved that problem! - wireless is just a bonus perk!

 

[TBP88]

Thought I'd add some thoughts on value/cost of these.

I've been extremely open about the process to buy, and the cost, my car landed around R2.2m as spec'd with all the increases along the way.

Another driver on the run also has a 718gt4, similar spec (probably half the options cost, so say knock R50k or so off), he paid R1.65m, his car landed RIGHT at the start of 2020, so an early model. Mine landed mid 2023, so a late-ish model (the last models are 2024, potentially marked as MY2025 cars).

So of course he's seen insane appreciation, I'd imagine retail on his car is around R1.7-1.9m, so probably a 150k gain on paid price in ~5yrs of ownership, not bad

I'd guess my car would retail around R2mish, based on what I'm seeing them asking in lesser spec, older and (subjective!) worse colours. There are a few on AT right now asking north of R2m, both materially older, worse spec and worse colours. I'm reasonably ok with that, I have beaten the drum about depreciation being a killer for BMW ownership from new - for comparison the current spec M3/4 launched in 2021, those had a base price at the time of around R2m flat, today 2021 models are asking around 1.6m, so ~20% depreciation in 4yrs, I reckon I'm on about 10% depreciation in ~3yrs.

I'm unfortunate in that by the time I could afford the car the price had risen RAPIDLY, these were drastically undervalued at launch, honestly if you had this sort of money and bought something else new, it was a wild decision - launch base price was R1.4x million - at the same time a BMW m2 was ~300k cheaper only! So I didn't catch the undervalued but I think I paid about right on a relative basis. Of course, given the amounts we're discussing there's no rational basis, I've said it 100000x at this point but is this car even close to 4x better than a z4m (and a R500k z4m would be pretty sorted...)

 

[Del-Bosc]

Thought I'd add some thoughts on value/cost of these.

I've been extremely open about the process to buy, and the cost, my car landed around R2.2m as spec'd with all the increases along the way.

Another driver on the run also has a 718gt4, similar spec (probably half the options cost, so say knock R50k or so off), he paid R1.65m, his car landed RIGHT at the start of 2020, so an early model. Mine landed mid 2023, so a late-ish model (the last models are 2024, potentially marked as MY2025 cars).

So of course he's seen insane appreciation, I'd imagine retail on his car is around R1.7-1.9m, so probably a 150k gain on paid price in ~5yrs of ownership, not bad

I'd guess my car would retail around R2mish, based on what I'm seeing them asking in lesser spec, older and (subjective!) worse colours. There are a few on AT right now asking north of R2m, both materially older, worse spec and worse colours. I'm reasonably ok with that, I have beaten the drum about depreciation being a killer for BMW ownership from new - for comparison the current spec M3/4 launched in 2021, those had a base price at the time of around R2m flat, today 2021 models are asking around 1.6m, so ~20% depreciation in 4yrs, I reckon I'm on about 10% depreciation in ~3yrs.

I'm unfortunate in that by the time I could afford the car the price had risen RAPIDLY, these were drastically undervalued at launch, honestly if you had this sort of money and bought something else new, it was a wild decision - launch base price was R1.4x million - at the same time a BMW m2 was ~300k cheaper only! So I didn't catch the undervalued but I think I paid about right on a relative basis. Of course, given the amounts we're discussing there's no rational basis, I've said it 100000x at this point but is this car even close to 4x better than a z4m (and a R500k z4m would be pretty sorted...)

Yeah wouldn’t pay too much attention to the price speculation as you have a low mileage, well spec’d car. I was one of the dummies who passed on the “Covid discounted specials”, literally have the stock list from Jhb Porsche on email. 3 cars were on offer 1 spyder and two Gt4’s. In your drive way at 1.5mio. Spyder with buckets at 1.550mio. Needless to say I passed and ended up keeping the low mileage cayman R I had at the time, only to sell it back to Porsche at 100k above my initial purchase price. As you say at the current car prices , there is no rational reasoning, you buy on preference. Enjoy your ride and if things work out you don’t lose money on your weekend toy. I think it will be hard to replace your car with something new in the next year or so at the same money you paid. I have gone down this path ended up looking at a spectacular 599 recently for M5 money. Bottom line drive, enjoy and be happy you fortunate to drive something many never will.

 

[TBP88]

Yeah wouldn’t pay too much attention to the price speculation as you have a low mileage, well spec’d car. I was one of the dummies who passed on the “Covid discounted specials”, literally have the stock list from Jhb Porsche on email. 3 cars were on offer 1 spyder and two Gt4’s. In your drive way at 1.5mio. Spyder with buckets at 1.550mio. Needless to say I passed and ended up keeping the low mileage cayman R I had at the time, only to sell it back to Porsche at 100k above my initial purchase price. As you say at the current car prices , there is no rational reasoning, you buy on preference. Enjoy your ride and if things work out you don’t lose money on your weekend toy. I think it will be hard to replace your car with something new in the next year or so at the same money you paid. I have gone down this path ended up looking at a spectacular 599 recently for M5 money. Bottom line drive, enjoy and be happy you fortunate to drive something many never will.

Actually had *THIS EXACT* chat the other day. A 458 speciale is ~ 8-10m locally, even a normal one is ~4-5m.

For the super rich, whatever, but if you have any financial limitation in your life (i.e. net worth <say 150m), how does a car like this make sense? You can have a *VERY* nice collection for that money - for 10m you're into a 992GT3 touring as a daily (say 6m spec'd out), a GT4 for 1.5-2m (981), and 1m left for a nice spec golf or equivalent as a daily driver and 1m left for a project car.

ASSUMING money is no consideration then whatever, but the world north of like R8m on cars is so rarified - and the returns so marginal (Hell, I'd rather have a gt3 touring outright over a 458speciale, I think it looks better, sounds better, it's probably as fast)...