If you could only have one car...

[Cookie Monster]

Ok.

As much as I like Porsches, I don't think I could live with one for the rest of my life and use it as my only car. Too many sacrifices would have to be made in order for that to work.

[MrH]

What if you need to haul stuff, or need to go offroad?

How often do you go offroad?  Ever?  Because I haven't.  I'd rather have something that drives infinitely better on the road.  You know, the thing I drive on EVERYDAY.

I don't tackle dirt paths and boulders on my way to work everyday.

[MrH]

Oh, and an E90 M3 and possibly a Panamera Turbo would be on my list too.

[Eye of the Tiger]

How often do you go offroad?  Ever?  Because I haven't.  I'd rather have something that drives infinitely better on the road.  You know, the thing I drive on EVERYDAY.

I don't tackle dirt paths and boulders on my way to work everyday.

Rodeo is faster than Protege'''

[Cookie Monster]

How often do you go offroad?  Ever?  Because I haven't.  I'd rather have something that drives infinitely better on the road.  You know, the thing I drive on EVERYDAY.

I don't tackle dirt paths and boulders on my way to work everyday.

So you know that in the 50-60 years you'll have the car that you'll never go offroad?

[CALL_911]

A 911 Turbo is perfect.

-Crazy fast and fun
-Comfortable GT when need be
-All weather grip
-Baller status

That's right.

It's also classy.

[CALL_911]

So you know that in the 50-60 years you'll have the car that you'll never go offroad?

I don't know about you, but it's a pretty safe bet that I won't, at least not in my own car.

[MrH]

So you know that in the 50-60 years you'll have the car that you'll never go offroad?

I'll never have to.  That's why we have roads.  Even if I did want to a handful of times in my life, it's not worth it.  I'd have to live with the significantly worse driving dynamics of an SUV the entire time, all to just go off road a few times?

I'm much more likely to track the car than ever take it off road.  Give me a car over an SUV or truck any day.

[the Teuton]

That all-weather safety of AWD thing helps in these parts, don't you think? Sure snow tires are great, but do they even make those wide enough to fit a 911 Turbo?

[MrH]

That all-weather safety of AWD thing helps in these parts, don't you think? Sure snow tires are great, but do they even make those wide enough to fit a 911 Turbo?

Sure they do. $1280 for a set of 4 (it's a staggered setup on 19's to clear the ceramic brakes ).  235/35/19 up front and 295/30/19 out back.  That would be a bad ass snow machine.

[SVT666]

[Rupert]

So you know that in the 50-60 years you'll have the car that you'll never go offroad?

This is coming from a guy who does go off road: Most of the time, you can get by with a passenger car on non-paved roads. The only situation you are likely to be in where you need to get up a road too tough for a passenger car is for work, in which case, you have a work truck. High-clearance off-road capable vehicles are nice if you use them a lot, because they're better at it.

My parents wrote a hiking book with 100 hikes in the Oregon and Washington Cascades. Many hikes were remote, etc. They hiked every single one, and accessed every single trailhead with a 1996 Buick LeSabre. They got turned back once because of the road.

[The Pirate]

This is coming from a guy who does go off road: Most of the time, you can get by with a passenger car on non-paved roads. The only situation you are likely to be in where you need to get up a road too tough for a passenger car is for work, in which case, you have a work truck.

As much as I like having a truck, this is spot on.  You'd be surprised how far you can make it off road with a car.  And if you can't get all the way to the destination, then there's a little hike, which isn't a bad thing.  Sometimes you walk (or ride your bike) a bit farther, but I have never not gotten to where I wanted to go because I own a car.

And I gave thought to something like a WRX or Land Cruiser before I decided on the P-car (forgot about that damn Tacoma though ).

[Rupert]

Yeah, but who wants to drive that everywhere? And they're too big for northwest forest roads, anyway.

[The Pirate]

That all-weather safety of AWD thing helps in these parts, don't you think? Sure snow tires are great, but do they even make those wide enough to fit a 911 Turbo?

Meh, I almost cast my vote for the 964 Turbo (RWD).  I've said it before, but give me snow tires before you give me AWD.

[Rupert]

That all-weather safety of AWD thing helps in these parts, don't you think? Sure snow tires are great, but do they even make those wide enough to fit a 911 Turbo?

People used to drive giant RWD sedans and Porsche 356s in snow, without snow tires, and survived. AWD is nice, but it's not a safety item.

[Cookie Monster]

This is coming from a guy who does go off road: Most of the time, you can get by with a passenger car on non-paved roads. The only situation you are likely to be in where you need to get up a road too tough for a passenger car is for work, in which case, you have a work truck. High-clearance off-road capable vehicles are nice if you use them a lot, because they're better at it.

My parents wrote a hiking book with 100 hikes in the Oregon and Washington Cascades. Many hikes were remote, etc. They hiked every single one, and accessed every single trailhead with a 1996 Buick LeSabre. They got turned back once because of the road.

Oh.

Well, I wouldn't want to drive a 911 Turbo on anything more than a gravel road.

[Colonel Cadillac]

Cayenne GTS with 6 spd.

Ehh, I thought about it, but I heard the manual wasn't very good and I think the Turbo is better off-road.

I'm really mad yall beat me to the 911 Turbo. It's completely PERFECT. You can get a roof rack to put all your crap in, go insanely fast, drive around in the snow, and if need be you could jam someone in the back seat.

[Colonel Cadillac]

People used to drive giant RWD sedans and Porsche 356s in snow, without snow tires, and survived. AWD is nice, but it's not a safety item.

They still have a ton of trouble going up steep hills.

[Tave]

As much as I like having a truck, this is spot on.  You'd be surprised how far you can make it off road with a car.  And if you can't get all the way to the destination, then there's a little hike, which isn't a bad thing.  Sometimes you walk (or ride your bike) a bit farther, but I have never not gotten to where I wanted to go because I own a car.

And I gave thought to something like a WRX or Land Cruiser before I decided on the P-car (forgot about that damn Tacoma though ).

Meh--I've taken the Aveo places it had no reason to be (and I have the dentz to prove it), but I think I would be much more hesitant to do that if I knew there was 0 possibility that I'd be getting a new car if something happened to it.


Not to mention, the benefits of a larger vehicle reach far beyond offroading. What if you want to take a long trip? What if you want to just throw your crap in your car and move across the country? What if you want to buy a new chair? A big TV? What to take your friends somewhere? The original prompt mentioned that this would have to be a family hauler. What about them?

As much as I like having a truck, this is spot on.  You'd be surprised how far you can make it off road with a car.  And if you can't get all the way to the destination, then there's a little hike, which isn't a bad thing.  Sometimes you walk (or ride your bike) a bit farther, but I have never not gotten to where I wanted to go because I own a car.

Says the guy who bought an Explorer?

I have definitely had to find a ride with someone else because my car could not get to the camping area I wanted to go. I still got there, but it sucks not being able to do that stuff on your own and having to depend on other people.


The idea of seeking outside assistance every time I need to buy, move, or dispose of even a relatively small item is just not worth it. A few weekends ago I spent the better part of two hours breaking down all the cardboard boxes that I used to ship my crap to NC. I wanted to take them to the recycling drop-off but they simply wouldn't fit in my car. It would have been a 5-minute ordeal with a truck.

[Tave]

This is coming from a guy who does go off road: Most of the time, you can get by with a passenger car on non-paved roads. The only situation you are likely to be in where you need to get up a road too tough for a passenger car is for work, in which case, you have a work truck. High-clearance off-road capable vehicles are nice if you use them a lot, because they're better at it.

Is your Explorer your work truck?

[Payman]

Does this count as a car? If so it's all I need.

[sportyaccordy]

What if you need to haul stuff, or need to go offroad?

1. Rent a van or drive the wife's car

2. When does anyone ever *need* to go offroad? They made roads for a reason....

My only gripe with the 911 is that there's no back seat. If I couldn't get something practical for the wife I would go with an E39 Dinan S2.

[Raza]

Yes!

[Raza]

So you know that in the 50-60 years you'll have the car that you'll never go offroad?

You know in 50-60 years you won't know someone that will let you borrow his car or won't be able to rent a truck? 

997 GT3 for me.  Black wheels.  And a second set with snow tires. 

[Tave]

You know in 50-60 years you won't know someone that will let you borrow his car or won't be able to rent a truck?  

Depending on other people for day-to-day stuff sucks. I'm sure I could rent a van to fetch a $50 table from a seller on Craigslist; but man, what a bitch that would be.

[Raza]

Depending on other people for day-to-day stuff sucks. I'm sure I could rent a van to fetch a $50 table from a seller on Craigslist; but man, what a bitch that would be.

You buy a table from Craigslist everyday? 

[Tave]

You buy a table from Craigslist everyday?  

One day I might by a table, the other I might need to take my cardboard boxes to the recycling bin, the next I might want to take my dog to the park, then I want to take a weekend to go camping with my friends, and then a few days later I want to take a group of friends to a ballgame, and then a few days later I want to clear some brush from my back yard, and then the following weekend I want to buy a new lawnmower for my snazzy yard....


The phrase "day-to-day" doesn't mean, to me, that you necessarily do each and every one those things every single day, just that it wouldn't be unusual to find yourself doing it on an ordinary day: that it isn't some exceptional, all-important event.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Can a 911 tow a small trailer?

[giant_mtb]

Probs.