TG:
OK, well, here's my take now that I know a little more about your situation....
As a DD, I think the GT4 might be too track oriented. GTS or even a nicely equipped S might suit you better. GT4 has even bigger tires and that will make bad roads worse. Can't be very good for tooling around town. I do like the idea of the new rear suspension and you can only get that on GT4 at the moment.
Bear in mind that this 3.8 is not a GT3 motor but a normal 3.8L Carrera motor. That means the internals etc are going to be no more track-ready robust than the 3.4 has in the S or the GTS. This is not a track car that you can run hard every weekend without consequence....just so we're clear on that one.
I prefer the 2 way Sport Plus seats to the 18 way. Here's why: 1, they're lighter in weight. 2, they slide very quickly forward and back for getting in and out of the car. You will wait a while for the 18-way to go all the way back and all the way forward again. I put my seat fully back to get in and out, then slide forward to driving position. It becomes second nature when you've done it a few times. Takes about a second. 3, they still do the micro-reclline function which is nice for getting the backrest angle just right. 4. You get a bit more forward and back range and a bit more height adjustment with these seats than with 18-way, so if you're an extreme sort of person in any dimension, you may like these better. 5. you still get the bolsters, which are all-important on a car like this.
I'd still rather have Sport Buckets even without the ability to adjust the backrest angle (I'd like mine to be a bit more vertical, please.) They're pricey but quite a bit lighter than either of the other choices and they are amazingly comfortable and can accommodate harnesses, but my second choice is the plain Sport +.
If you're thinking of keeping this car, well, I like my Bose and my navigation. Use both a lot and probably wouldn't buy a car I was going to take on trips etc that didn't have this option. Aftermarket stereo? Get the best, most reliable you can find and buy it from a top rated installer familiar with Caymans and Boxsters.
The car comes with hands-free and a place to plug in an iPod. It also comes with Sound Package Plus, which really ain't bad from what I've heard from people who have it.
I don't like the GT4's fixed wing for DD.
I think GT4s look great in white. Can't say that for some other Porsche products, but I like this and the Spyder in white. Platinum wheels don't show brake dust. Great for a DD. White is easy to re-paint if you get some chips at the track or on the freeway.
I'd still buy it. Take some of that option money you're not spending and try to find some GT2 seats on classifieds. (My GT2 seats have red deviated stitching, btw, and Alcantara cushions. Unfortunately, NFS....Do they fit in 981s? I wonder...)
Buy an aftermarket stereo system...a really good one from a reputable installer. Chances are it'll sound better than the Bose system anyway...although Bose sounded pretty good in the 981 I tried.
PDLS is no big loss. The car comes with Bi-Xenons standard. They have the self-dipping feature. They are about the same as the bi-xenons on 987s, which makes them pretty great imho. They just don't turn with the front wheels. Not a huge sacrifice at all.
I would order climate control if I were ordering, but I have manual one-zone control and it's not awful at all. The idea of multiple zones in a car this small is really sort of silly. The real issue is auto climate. Again, you get used to adjusting and you just do it. Not a deal killer for me. Wifey and I just went on a nice car-trip through the Rockies. I just showed her where the adjustments were and let her have her way with them. All good. Some girls like a bit of control. I don't think they need their own side, just control, so giving them the full control of temperature definitely works...at least at our house.
Dimming mirrors can actually be a negative, especially in a car like this with limited view behind. I like being able to tell if the car behind me is a Police Interceptor or not. This is difficult in my A6 with self-dimming. I assume self-dimming comes in a package with rain-sensing wipers. Those are nice if they work right. I've heard that Porsches system is very good. I've also heard of people having a lot of trouble replacing windshields on 981s with rain-sensor. Something about air-bubbles between the glass and adhesive and repeated tries by the pros are still not getting the job done? Down the road, this might be a blessing not to have. These German windshields are softer glass and need to be replaced more often than our good ole US of A windshields. Probably a function of autobahn speeds and higher shatter-proof requirements in Germany.
So, color looks good on GT4, seats will probably endear themselves to you quickly or can be replaced, media system will need some attention, PDLS is really not needed at all. Climate would be nice, but really not a biggie either.
There is no way this car is not going to look and actually be fabulous. What are you waiting for?
:cheers: