[hifisharu]

One of the most coveted bucket list drives was completed over the last weekend and I can gladly say, all expectations were fulfilled and will be a drive to remember for life! After I had read the test drive report from very own mods (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...18-cayman.html (Driven: Porsche 718 Cayman)) in 2016, it was a dream to drive a Porsche on the German roads; one which been long in the waiting and as they say, good things come to people who wait, the overall experience was extremely thrilling and satisfying. My son and I were at the showroom punctually and the staff at Porsche Zentrum 5 Seen were ready for us with this:

Details of the rental can be found here: https://customer.drive.porsche.com/d...d-and-vehicles

We were given a quick tour of the features of the vehicle and we were off I was a bit apprehensive about the width of the car, though in a short period of time, I got used to the dimensions and the steering being so communicative, I could place the car very well where I wanted. As we set out, it was drizzling a bit and we made quick progress on the Autobahn to our destination. As we neared our destination, the clouds cleared and we were enjoying the Top- down experience on some fantastic twisty roads.

From the very first turn, the car plastered a wide grin on my face. The way the throttle, gearbox are calibrated is just fantastic! The engine responds immediately to every input and the car is just alive. The Porschedoppelkupplungsgetriebe ( PDK) has a sense of urgency like no other gearbox and in Sport+ mode, the car just flies!! On twisty roads as in the video below, the steering is light, but extremely precise. The Porsche DNA is evident in the way the suspension is setup and the car inspires confidence encouraging the driver to push the boundaries. At 200+ kmph, the car is super stable, all the way upto 270 kmph, never ever causing any concern. The speed with which the engine revs, all the way upto 7500 rpm is phenomenal and the same engine will happily troddle along in city traffic with no jerking or other issues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q7YvGC_BdU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIVSv_lQ8Qo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MONZDkPU2JI

As any sports car should be, the interior is driver focussed and in terms of driver aids, there is the blind spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control. The infotainment is a small but high resolution screen, with basic navigation. Seats are very comfortable and have the right amount of bolstering to tightly hug you in the corners. Activate Sport+ mode and the suspension stiffens up, exhaust is louder and the PDK holds RPMs for longer. Turn the Dial back to O mode and put up the roof, everything quietens down and it turns into a Grand Tourer, a very Dr.Jekyll and Mr Hyde personality. The luggage room is surprisingly large, with space in the front and the rear, for those weekend getaways to Italy or Austria.

I'm completely smitten by the Boxter and hope to add it to our garage, sometime in the future.

The next day, we headed back to hand-over the car. The kilometers were noted and the receipt issued, my son was checking out the scale models. The staff at Porsche Zentrum 5 Seen were extremely professional and even gifted a toy model, which was a fantastic gesture from them. The entire drive and the scale model will be something my son will definitely cherish for his entire life.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[androdev]

Great report, looks like junior had a blast! Nice way to spend some father-son time!

The video grab of 250kmph speedo is very stable, that too for a sports car - speaks a lot about the quality of the road surface.

[hondadriver]

Back in 1999, I had rented a 911 Carrera from Sixt. But it started raining that day. And a 911 with summer tires and no PASM those days, it was too much power for me to handle safely.

[HighOnSpeed]

I was in Stuttgart 2 months ago and specifically wanted to get the 911 turbo from the Porsche Museum. Sadly, I was only there for two days so I had to give it a miss due to unavailability(as I didn't prebook it since I was uncertain of my exact travel plan). I'll be revisiting for the Porsche factory tour next year, and hopefully, I can experience that beautifully-sounding flat 6 on the Autobahn.
Nice to see both you and your son had that shared experience! Something he will never forget.

[n_aditya]

Superb thread, thanks for sharing, Sharath.

Enjoyed reading the thread and I am sure your little one must have had a really great time vrooming at triple digits.

Did you get to drive any other models or anything planned in the near future (hint)?

[turbowhistle]

Great report, thanks for sharing.

I’m pretty sure the little one must be so happy. Gonna be a core memory for him. I would love to know if you used a German credit card or Indian credit card to rent it and put down the 2500€ deposit? Funnily enough I still don’t have a local credit card despite being in DE for almost 6 years and that’s the only thing stopping me from renting it. In situations where I need a CC, I have been using my Indian card but don’t think it’s the best card for this.

[HighOnSpeed]

Originally Posted by turbowhistle

Great report, thanks for sharing.

I would love to know if you used a German credit card or Indian credit card to rent it and put down the 2500€ deposit?

The only requirement is it should be a credit card, it doesn't matter where it was issued. They only need the card to pre-authorise the amount(only possible in credit cards and not debit cards). The deposit amount will be blocked off in your total credit limit by your bank, and once the car is returned, the business will release the hold and your credit limit on the CC will be restored.

[hifisharu]

Originally Posted by androdev

Great report, looks like junior had a blast! Nice way to spend some father-son time!

The video grab of 250kmph speedo is very stable, that too for a sports car - speaks a lot about the quality of the road surface.

As a 911 owner, I'm sure you relate to the telepathic handling and the special Porsche-ness that's inherent in every Porsche sportscar. I look forward to trying out the 911 next.

Originally Posted by hondadriver

Back in 1999, I had rented a 911 Carrera from Sixt. But it started raining that day. And a 911 with summer tires and no PASM those days, it was too much power for me to handle safely.

As we set out, it was raining and the roads were wet, couple of places I could see the Traction control light blinking when I floored it, but the electronics are great nowadays, to make sure we were out of trouble.

Originally Posted by HighOnSpeed

I was in Stuttgart 2 months ago and specifically wanted to get the 911 turbo from the Porsche Museum. Sadly, I was only there for two days so I had to give it a miss due to unavailability(as I didn't prebook it since I was uncertain of my exact travel plan). I'll be revisiting for the Porsche factory tour next year, and hopefully, I can experience that beautifully-sounding flat 6 on the Autobahn.
Nice to see both you and your son had that shared experience! Something he will never forget.

Please do book the vehicle well in advance, I initially wanted to book the 911 Cabrio, but it was fully booked out for the weeks in summer. Also, my cousin had booked a Porsche at the museum in Stuttgart, but the traffic near the Zuffenhausen area was so bad, he ended up being stuck in traffic for a really long time. Do try take the vehicle at a time when traffic will be low and I have tons of routes mapped out in the Schwarzwald area, do let me know if you need any tips.

Originally Posted by n_aditya

Superb thread, thanks for sharing, Sharath.

Enjoyed reading the thread and I am sure your little one must have had a really great time vrooming at triple digits.

Did you get to drive any other models or anything planned in the near future (hint)?

Initially the experience was a bit overwhelming for him, the acceleration, noise and all, but slowly he got used to it ( he's been riding with me on the Striple many times) and then was really enjoying himself, taking videos and pictures.

Originally Posted by turbowhistle

Great report, thanks for sharing.

I’m pretty sure the little one must be so happy. Gonna be a core memory for him. I would love to know if you used a German credit card or Indian credit card to rent it and put down the 2500€ deposit? Funnily enough I still don’t have a local credit card despite being in DE for almost 6 years and that’s the only thing stopping me from renting it. In situations where I need a CC, I have been using my Indian card but don’t think it’s the best card for this.

I used a German credit card, the entire process was extremely hassle free.

[turbowhistle]

Originally Posted by HighOnSpeed

The only requirement is it should be a credit card, it doesn't matter where it was issued. They only need the card to pre-authorise the amount(only possible in credit cards and not debit cards). The deposit amount will be blocked off in your total credit limit by your bank, and once the car is returned, the business will release the hold and your credit limit on the CC will be restored.

Yes but the only open question I have with using an Indian CC is the forex markup I will have to pay (which will be 2% of 2500/5000€), not sure if that will be returned as well. However this thread has motivated me to get a German card now even if it’s just for this one thing so let’s see.

[HighOnSpeed]

Originally Posted by turbowhistle

Yes but the only open question I have with using an Indian CC is the forex markup I will have to pay (which will be 2% of 2500/5000€), not sure if that will be returned as well. However this thread has motivated me to get a German card now even if it’s just for this one thing so let’s see.

If they only place a hold(pre-authorisation) on your credit card, the markup fee will not be charged as they are not actually releasing the amount to the merchant. If they charge your card the deposit amount(uncommon) and refund the same after returning the car, the forex fee and GST charged will also be refunded. That's been my experience so far. Anyways, it would be better to get a local CC to avoid any hassle.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by hifisharu

As a 911 owner, I'm sure you relate to the telepathic handling and the special Porsche-ness that's inherent in every Porsche sportscar. I look forward to trying out the 911 next.

I relate more to the father-son time than the car :-) I hear you say "saaku (that's enough)" in the video and it reminded me of my own drives with my son. If you ever plan to spend money on similar activity future, I highly recommend participating in a group drive events organised for sports car enthusiasts. I have done one recently for the first time after owning the 911 for a couple of years and it was so much better than all my solo drives.

[SomrajSG]

Recently acquired this one and just returned from a morning drive with my son. I can relate to you totally!

Unfortunately the weather in UAE is insanely hot and humid now, can’t cherish the car fully now. Waiting for the winter to come.

https://youtu.be/6YEEVXjew-E?si=AStKgufoflctMopF

Yours truly!

[hifisharu]

Originally Posted by SomrajSG

Recently acquired this one and just returned from a morning drive with my son. I can relate to you totally!

Unfortunately the weather in UAE is insanely hot and humid now, can’t cherish the car fully now. Waiting for the winter to come.

Yours truly!

It's truly a great experience, wishing you many happy miles and smiles with your ride.

Originally Posted by androdev

I relate more to the father-son time than the car :-) I hear you say "saaku (that's enough)" in the video and it reminded me of my own drives with my son. If you ever plan to spend money on similar activity future, I highly recommend participating in a group drive events organised for sports car enthusiasts. I have done one recently for the first time after owning the 911 for a couple of years and it was so much better than all my solo drives.

Though the Boxter is a one time thing, I've been involving my son in a lot of other automotive activities, that he enjoys a lot. And you're right, these experiences feel much more fulfilling than the solo experiences.

[AceCombatFanIN]

Honestly, I know how happy your son is and I also know very well, he will never forget this event in his life ever. It really reminds me of some fond childhood memories when my dad used to take me to car shows and would take me on long drives whenever he got a new car home. You sir, are an amazing father truly, creating the next generation of petrolheads.