Need advice...getting my first Porsche...

[z12358]

Spy4cia, congrats on the predicament!

Few thoughts...

Don't get the GREEN interior. In addition, convertibles with THREE very different colors for body, top, and interior don't look good, IMHO. Combined with the RED on the calipers, there's just too many colors. There is no "theme" there. But I may be an extremist in the "mono-chromatic" camp (triple black). If you're going to spring for a custom leather and you're dead set on the body color, at least try to match the interior to one of the available top colors. Brown, perhaps?

Forget the HARD TOP. Do you ever see snow where you live (CA)? Does water ever freeze there? For rain, you have the soft top, right?. And it's very well insulated so you won't freeze, believe me.

Now, it's so bad there for a hard-top but not bad enough for HEATED SEATS? Get the heated seats. Early morning, evening, or night drives can all use them. My fiance allows me to get the top down at night ONLY becuse there's a heated seat for her to turn on.

If you plan to take the car on the track once in a while (2-3 DE events a year) get the PASM. I don't have it and haven't tested it but I wish I had it after my first DE event a week ago. Forget the salesman's talk about it being to low. It's only 10mm lower while people here have lowered their cars an inch (25.4mm) and I don't read much complaints.

I wouldn't get the 19" WHEELS. Actually, I think I calculated that the 18" wheel + tire has a slightly larger total diameter than the 19". With the PASM nicely lowering the car, the look will be very cool but not overdoing it. People have reported that 18" actually perform better, and tires are much cheaper for them.

I personally wouldn't get the XENONS. The 987 halogens are almost as good as many have reported here.

The PCM I would only get if you plan to play MP3 files on a cd. I don't have it and I don't miss it. Honestly, I rarely want to listen to ANY music while driving this car with the top down. The engine sound is all the fix I need, and I don't want to spoil it.

Get the windstop. It helps.

Carbon package? Personally, no.

I don't lift weights but I do have wide shoulders and lats. The standard seats are some of the most comfortable and supportive seats I've ever sat in.

13 back surgeries and still lifting weights? More power to you.

Z.