[M491Cabriolet]

I don't disagree with you about getting whatever pleases you, but I do take issue with the statement that the M491 is "nothing but factory bling". Not so. The chassis of the M491 is completely the same as the Turbo. The only thing different, strangely, is that the M491 does not have Turbo tie rods, which are an easy and cheap upgrade.

Since you mentioned the 3.2 liter engine in your longhood, I'd like to say that the thing that makes the 911 interesting, IMO, is the chassis (and the Turbo is one of the best), not grunt (horsepower). I was just thinking about this today. I have a 1972 911 and a 1966 Sunbeam Tiger MK1A (a Carroll Shelby creation one year younger than his AC Cobra -- same formula: small, light, British sports car chassis with massive American V8 engine under the "bonnet".) Even though the Tiger has almost twice the HP than the 911, I am convinced that the 911 would spank the Tiger on a twisty track because the 911 chassis is so much better than the Tiger's.

The relevance of this discussion to the M491 is that the M491's chassis is really great because it was made to support the torque and horsepower of the Turbo engine, so it is very tight. It's so tight that putting bigger wheels and lower profile tires is discouraged because the higher profile tires are needed to absorb road bumps and vibrations. I guess I still defend the honor of the super cool M491. And while I do prefer the shape of a coupe, there is no denying how wonderful it is to put the top down on a 911.

Having said ALL of the above, I might still choose a Turbo to have the extra horses. Once you get used to 300+ horsepower, it's hard to go back to less, I guess even with a fantastic chassis... Hey, I never claimed to be consistent or uncomplicated! :-)