pman3

@John Mclane, thank you for your reply! The deprecation info is interesting, thangs for sharing these insights. Regarding Carbon Fiber, (this will be very unpopular opinion), but I really dislike how it looks and I would pay more for my car not to have any CF elements, which puts me in a perfect position here, as I simply don't want CF additions. Regarding 2 vs 4 seats, I need 4! I have 2 dogs that will fit the backseats and I cannot imagine a longer trip without them Regarding the attention of people, see my additional reply below, please.

@shrimp money Regarding "Once your done with this phase of adventure, go to an F car." – what do you mean by that? Do you think that Roma should not be driven in winter / snow / bad weather conditions? Do I interpret you words correctly?

@Targa Tim Based on your nick I was feeling what would be your recommendation! Jokes aside, thanks so much for sharing the insights and posting photos of your beautiful machines!
Regarding "For straight line, Roma definitely faster than new Targa." – I was expecting that, however, how does handling feels? Driving in a straight line is not always fun, it's also fun to drive curvy mountain roads sometimes
Regarding "Sitting in, and driving the Roma, is more of an event than driving a 911" – I understand that you enjoy driving Roma more. If so, is this your daily car? If not, would you mind sharing why?
Regarding "[the central screen] went blank a few times, and sometimes bluetooth won't automatically connect", ugh, I still can't wrap my head around why such things are happening in so pricy machines. This should just never happen. I understand that software is tricky (I am software engineer myself), but this is still unthinkable to me.
Regarding "Both are amazing sport cars and you will not go wrong with either. Happy motoring." Thank you so much, Tim!!
Regarding the "low key look", see my additional reply below, please.

@RSUV, @richk, thanks for the reply! It's nice to hear that someone has no issues with F cars 14k / 4k miles is not so much for DD yet (at least for me, I made 80k miles with my current car without any serious issues). I'm wondering if there are any F cars owners who did 60-80k miles without any serious problems. Regarding attention attraction, see my additional reply below, please.

@John Mclane, @Targa Tim, @RSUV, regarding the attention 911 / Roma raises, it's a real issue for me, unfortunately. I want to enjoy my car, but I don't want everyone to spot it and I don't want to be noticed everywhere. That's why I am always considering only black or dark grey cars with no emblems if possible, just to lower the key factor here. Ferraris in general have very unique shapes, however, Roma is not as much unique as its siblings – do you think that a dark Roma will still gather so much attention everywhere?

Peter992

I had only one F car - 2012 California. Yes, that ferrari for ladies. Also had 991.1 4S in the same time. Now waiting for delivery of new 992 (May production).

What will I miss on 992? Goosebumps everytime you start that italian V8. Vibrations, nervosity, character, emotions. Driving experience is something completely different, you feel much more special even in that baby lady Ferrari (talking about Cali, no Roma).

What was the problem of F car? 30 000 km and problems with power brake modul, electronics and few small minor things. Build quality is going better and better with F cars, but still nothing you can compare with bulletproof 911.

I love F cars. There is so much things Porsche will not offer you. Buy a car is one thing. Accept their reliability and then prices of repairs is other thing and for me something I didn’t grow to yet.

If your heart is screaming for Roma and you can accept the negative site, go for it. It is great car. Based on your post sith reliability and repair cost I think 911 is better deal.

John Mclane

One thing to be said about porsche reliability. Mechanically that's still likely holding up. The electronics, blunt no. My car is plagued with electronic gizmos failing, that if they don't yield a code they don't exist, according to VW warranty policy. I don't see the 911 as having the seamless ownership of past generations. Waiting for parts, no matter how ubiquitous became the norm as they don't stock in my "premier" dealership. Maybe because I'm not in a major hub - Chicago (sarcasm). The fit and finish of the 992 improved in some areas compared to the 991, but there's a lot of new cheap plastics that don't belong there.

The Roma is in another league in the fit and finish sense. The Ferrari software and hardware is quite laggy in both central dash and middle tablet. It's not the best execution for sure. The whole interface is still new and the number of cars out make it difficult to have a relevant evaluation from real ownership.

Drive one. My impression of the Roma is that's a fun car to drive at low speeds, because of the gear ratio and very smart turbo management. You can hear the engine most of the time. That's not true with any PDK. That's efficient but not fun.

Just think about this, 10 years ago would a thread like this exist? Porsche ramped up their prices to the point they compete with Ferrari, but in my opinion they're not there at all. Ferrari sold out the Porto production, albeit far less in numbers than Porsche, that's still something.

zelement

To me, Roma is a car in the Ferrari line up that the dealer makes you buy before they put you in line for a real F car. You may have to buy 2 or 3 of these non desirable F Cars before getting a real one.

CodyBigdog

How is an open top Targa comparable to Roma? Other than both are sports cars, both have engines (although the Roma is twin-turbot V8), both are sporty/handling well, and both cost a lot of $$. That’s it.

Apples to oranges equivalency, IMO.

All that aside, what adult bases a $200K+ buying decision on a survey from a bunch strangers? LOL, just cracks me up.

shrimp money

I don't think he's basing his buying decision on what an internet forum says. He's asking for people to point out nuances that he may not have thought of prior to making his decision.

People on here can't even decide on their own if they should spend $550 on a leather wrapped steering column.

pman3

@CodyBigdog, I was trying to explain in my first post why I am comparing exactly these 2 models. I have certain expectations and use case scenarios that I described there and both of these cars seem to fit them well. I am sorry if my explanation was not precise enough and made you confused, I was trying really hard not to cause such an effect. Also, I am not making decision based on a survey from strangers, however, I highly value this forum, more than most (all?) of other forums I am participating in. The reason for that is that people tend to express here real insights and are really helpful. I got tons of important information above and I am deeply thankful to all people that spent their time to help me. I want to make an informed decision and spending $200k is worth it, IMO. Anyway, I'm happy that this topic "cracked you up" – laugh is always a good thing

jhenson29

…you mean RL polls aren’t binding?

Targa Tim

Hi pman3,

Unfortunately I do not have enough seat time and trips on Roma to give you an informed answer.
With city driving, turn in circle of Roma is bigger than 911, also it is front heavy. I would assume that on curvy road a 911 will be more nimble, but I have not tried it yet.
I don't really have a daily car. My home and clinic is 20 minutes walking distance apart, so I always just walk to and from work.
As for leisure use/grocery shopping, I rotate through them depending on where I go.
But I am with you for the attention part, if I am going to unfamiliar places, or know I will park at a substandard parking lot, I will not take the Roma.
A friend of mine has a dark grey Roma, it looks amazing, and not as much attention seeking. That may work better for you.

dadc4s

I drive a 2020 C2S which I am very happy with and has been perfectly reliable with 9350 miles so far. About a year ago, I looked seriously at a new Roma. The dealer is abut 90 minutes away, made an appointment to see the car, went with a car buddy. We were the only people in the place on a Saturday, got a great tour of the facility and all the cars in stock as well as a “curated” collection of cars that seem to be stored at the dealer by their owners. The test drive was great, long and varied and thorough. It is a fantastic car in every sense. Much more of an “occasion” than the Porsche and I love the looks. We took time in their “studio” to configure a car (options, colors, leather, seats, wheels etc) and I priced out at about $250k. I was feeling pretty good about it and then thinks got weird. They wanted 25K down at the time of the order, another $25k when production begins, and the rest on delivery. That seemed excessive to me especially as I had put 1K down on my Porsche. Also, when you read the fine print there were some things that really stuck in my craw. For example, if you want the integrated garage door openers, standard on all Corollas, it cost $1600. Standard safety stuff on my wife’s Subaru (Blind spot warning, rear traffic warning, parking assist etc) was another 4k. Also, there was no negotiation on price. I was told that all Ferrari’s sell for sticker or over and that owners appreciate this as it protects resale values. This stuff just pissed me off. You only buy a Ferrari for fun, for a total fling, there should be nothing not fun about it and this stuff was starting to make it less fun. I told them I would pass. I have enjoyed my Porsche even more since this experience. Jay Leno was asked why he has no new Ferraris in his collection, his answer was they are great cars but he doesn’t like the way he is treated by the dealers who act like they are doing you a favor by selling you a fabulously expensive consumer item. That was my experience exactly.

boutrosa

Ok, So I can only share my opinion. I will start with a question. Why Targa? Why are you comparing the Targa to a Roma? The Targa top comes off, the Roma does not. Personally, for me the Roma is a disappointment. It looks much nicer in pictures than in person. This is what I would do if I were in your shoes. Low milage CPO 911 4s or 4. You can get that now. Use that as your daily driver. If you still want a Targa, order one and trade in the CPO at the time.

As a daily, the CPO is perfect. You get whatever is left on the original warranty Plus 2 years and unlimited miles. Find something with less then 5k miles, that s better than buying new.

My solution to your issue was Panamera GTS as daily (air suspension amazing daily cruiser), and nicely specked 911 as my fun car that I bought 1 year later. Best of both worlds.
I originally wanted a targa like you. When I finally drove one for a few days, I quickly realized that I was happier with the C4S. I still love the idea of a Targa, but I put that on hold for now.

The only reason to get the Roma, is more as a status thing.

200mph

One huge criteria for ANY "daily driver" is reliability and confidence the car can quickly be returned to service if something goes amiss. It may be different in Europe, but in the US, the Porsche wins that race handily. Porsche's dealer body and parts availability is far superior.

We have a Portofino and a 992 C4S cab. Both are thrilling to drive, but very different. I'd take the Porsche anywhere, anytime. While the Ferrari has never let us down, I don't see it as a daily, and we don't use it as such... its a special occasion car, and has 20% of the miles the C4S does.

I love Ferraris, but a 992 is an extremely capable exotic sports car disguised as a daily driver. Only those who drive one will appreciate how special an experience it delivers.

Further, resale values on high-mile Ferraris are pitiful. I had a 308GTS that became sale-proof because of its 30k miles.

The answer here is Porsche.

ipse dixit

Modern Ferrari's (post 458) are as reliable as modern water cooled Porsche 911's.

The notion that Ferrari's still have the finicky and temperamental nature of Italian motorized vehicles (like a Ducati) is simply not true anymore with Ferrari's post-458.

If a person is going to base their decision between a Roma and a 992 Targa, reliability should not be a determinative metric.

dhirm5

I wouldn't pick a Roma or the new Portofino; if I was getting into an F car, it would be the F8 Spider. Alas, I drove one, and it's too small for my 6'4" frame - more legs than torso. Ferarris are all too small for me. As was my Aston Martin.

I don't know how many of you realize how unique Porsche is in how much room it provides for us inside. In my 991.2, I didn't even have the seat all the way back. I'm not sure how they manage this - it's not far from magic, looking at the cars from the outside - lol. Every other car I've ever driven, I go to the furthest back position and hope it's comfortable.

slc4s

I see the Roma as a special car. Been wanting to drive one to see it lives up to the good looks. Not for everybody but the Roma to me fills the gap of "the gentleman's ferrari". A car not destined for track days but for date nights and daily commutes. I appreciate the incredibly unique looks of it too. Yes I'd prefer an F8 spyder but in the price range of the Roma I think its a very unique car. Because it is so polarizing i'm hoping that once this current market craziness cycles out in a couple of years the Roma may be one of those ferraris that depreciates more (like how the 456 went through a period where they were steals for used cars) and creates some opportunities on low mile garage queens that you can scoop up. Because its a car I would love to own.

That said I have a Targa 4S on order but i'm 50-70k cheaper on the targa build (~$180k) vs a Roma right now.