Rennthusiast Radio

In this episode of Renthusiast Radio, Will and Derek get real about something a lot of Porsche owners are feeling right now. Prices are up, the hunt is harder, and it’s easy to sit on the couch every night scrolling listings and thinking “what if.”
So we talk about how to stay happy with the Porsche you already own, and how to make it feel fresh again without doing something dumb, expensive, or irreversible.
We start where most people do not. Baseline. Because a lot of “my car feels old” is really “my car feels tired.” Worn tires, sloppy bushings, tired alignment, old plugs and coils, mushy shifter parts. Fixing that stuff can make the car feel like it did when it left the factory, and that alone can make you fall in love again.
Then we get into the fun part. The upgrades that actually change the character of the car, fast. Derek’s rule is simple. If you don’t feel it in the first three minutes from the driver’s seat, skip it.
What we cover in this episode:
Touch points that change your relationship with the car
Steering wheels, what works, what feels wrong, and the safety tradeoffs
Shifter feel, short shift kits, weighted knobs, cables, and why this is the first mod Derek would do
CarPlay and PCM upgrades, why this can modernize the whole cabin
Sound upgrades, how to avoid drone, and why Porsche Sport Exhaust is worth hunting for when you buy
Why some mods are only worth it if the car is a forever car
How a road trip can reconnect you to the car more than any part you can buy
Why having two very different cars can cure boredom, even if both are Porsches
Detailing as therapy, and why a truly clean car changes how you feel about it
Track days as a reset button, even if you are not a track person
If you’re tired of shopping your own garage and you want to actually enjoy what you already have, this one is for you.
Tell us in the comments:
What is the one change you made that made your Porsche feel new again?
What mod did you regret?
Listen to the podcast:
Rennthusiast Radio is available on all major podcast apps.
Watch more from us:
Will’s YouTube channel, Rennthusiast
Derek’s YouTube channel, ElevenAfterNine
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In this episode, Will and I break down Rennlist’s “Porsche’s Biggest Wins of 2025, And the Quiet Missteps.” We go point by point and tell you where we agree, where we push back, and what actually matters if you drive your cars and pay the bills.

We cover:
The 992.2 transition and the hybrid GTS, smart move or the start of the slide
The manual squeeze, and why Porsche keeps boxing you into certain trims
Why GT cars still carry the brand, and why buying one feels like a game
Porsche EVs, great design, brutal depreciation, and what that means for real owners
Pricing drift, option creep, and why sticker shock finally hit the mainstream
Trim overload, too many variants, and why it matters when you’re shopping used
Weight gain across the lineup, and how Porsche hides it better than anyone
The hardest truth, Porsche ownership feels less accessible than it used to
Derek’s biggest 2025 miss, the Boxster and Cayman ICE pause and the messy EV rollout

Rennlist article we discuss:
https://rennlist.com/how-tos/slideshows/porsche-s-biggest-wins-of-2025-and-the-quiet-missteps-1002636#intro

Listen to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, etc.

Watch our channels:
Will - Rennthusiast YouTube
Derek - ElevenAfterNine YouTube

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Ep. 82 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shannon Harper of Harper Porsche, Knoxville, Tennessee runs a Porsche store the way most of us wish every dealer did: No games and no nonsense. We talk pricing, ADMs, and the stuff you ask us about all the time, especially allocations and why some cars feel impossible to get.
What we cover
Why some dealers add big markups, and why Shannon refuses to do it
What really happens when someone flips a new GT car
How allocation works, and why GT cars stay tight
How Porsche rewards dealers, and what the “hoops” actually look like
What a Gen 5 Porsche dealership is, and why it feels like a Porsche clubhouse
Shannon’s personal collection, and why he is obsessed with green cars
The most reliable Porsche pick for a normal owner who just wants a car that works
PLATICA, how it started, and how it turned into a serious event

Porsche PLATICA info
Knoxville, Tennessee
Sunday, May 3, 2026
Follow @porsche_platica on Instagram for ticket announcements and updates
Website: porsche-platica dot com

Rennthusiast Radio
Listen and Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Watch Will
Rennthusiast on YouTube

Watch Derek
ElevenAfterNine on YouTube

If you have a dealer experience that made you swear off a store forever, tell us in the comments!
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In this episode of Rennthusiast Radio, you hear the full ownership story behind one of the most talked-about modern 911s. Will breaks down eight months with his 2009 997.2 Carrera S manual in Guards Red. The good, the bad, and the expensive.
You hear how he found a rare manual car in a sea of PDKs. You hear what felt off right after delivery. You hear how $13,000 in maintenance and mods changed the car, and his opinion of the platform.
We talk real buying advice. What to ask sellers. What PPIs miss. Why borescope proof matters. Why cold second gear surprises owners. Why the 997.2 feels different from both older air-cooled cars and newer 991s.
If you are shopping for a 997.2, this episode matters. If you already own one, this will sound familiar.
Topics covered:
• Finding a rare 997.2 manual
• Ownership reality after 80k+ miles
• Transmission behavior and cold shifting
• Exhaust, suspension, and seat upgrades
• $13k in work, what was worth it
• Is the 997.2 really an $80k driving experience
• Would he buy another one
Watch Will’s full video series on the car on the Rennthusiast YouTube channel.
Check out Derek’s reviews and ownership stories on ElevenAfterNine.
Subscribe, leave a comment, and tell us if you think the 997 is actually worth it.
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