FORENN

Agreed. If a sports car adds comfort and luxury, some people start to think it is a GT. It's still a sports car -- just more comfortable. But at the end of the day, it really doesn't matter whether one considers it a sports car or GT. If you like it, buy it, drive it, smile.

Mondrian

Sure, at the end of the day its up to us to label our cars how we like, but i do think that the term "Grand Tourer" is one of the most used and abused terminologies in the industry. i love the idea of a grand tourer and in actual fact was headed in that direction till i came across 50th, i had to make a huge sacrifice in that for me 991 was not a grand tourer, i won't be able to take my wife and 2 little girls for a long weekend trip across the continent to the Alps or one of the lakes in norther italy. When I think of a grand tourer, I am thinking Aston Martin, Bentley continental GT, BMW 6 gran coupe, Maserati Gran Tourismo ...... All are front engined, excel at Motorway high speed cruising, have a proper boot are bigger and offer a far more comfortable ride than a 991 but they'd all suck big time on a track or twisties unless in one of their sporty offshoots such as M6. 991 has nothing in common with any of those except that it is a bit more comfortable than 997 and not as scary to drive as a 73 RS. So yes for me GT is a lot more than a tag, I know as I had to kiss it goodbye when i pulled the trigger on my 991.

StudGarden

^^^ that's probably not enough to win the internet, but its more than enough to win this thread.

MarcusG

Yea, I second that!

My buddy just bought a new M6 and while I love the comfort and the million options like 360 degree camera on the screen it feels like a big, heavy GT car. It plows in the corners as well. I do love the amazing amount of torque it has and his Akrapovic exhaust and downpipes but after being in his car and getting back into my car it feel like getting into a shifter cart.

OldGuy

Less than an hour ago, I just let her rip for the first time in sport plus. OMG it pulls SO HARD from 4 to 7 I missed the lever the first 2 times from 2nd to 3rd. This is the fastest car I have had in my 5 911s. That includes 2 GT3s of the lastest (not including 991) and a turbo. I just drove a Turbo S a couple weeks ago and the violence is not unlike each other.
But when the air starts to whistle in the intake you better be holding on. But jeesh if you cant or dont want a GT3 man this is a great option. The wheels broke loose a couple times from 2nd to 3rd.
Its laughable that Porsche is saying this is a 4.0 0-60 car. Maybe they didnt let it get over 3000 rpm!?

996tnz

True - after all, as a 2+2 (or 2+2 based) car it has always sat firmly betwixt and between.

We run gymkhanas here down under, which are like a tighter autocross course where you never get over 2nd gear, with 180s around single cones etc. My 996 Turbo was still in the workshop at the last Porsche Club one I went to so I had to take my 2001 2.7T Audi Allroad. It placed fourth, against 19 Porsches, but it sure wouldn't have done that without a manual e-brake.

Porsche made many leaps forward with the 991 (direct injection, 4WS etc) but also a couple of leaps backwards - losing the handbrake/e-brake lever being the worst of them in my book (steering the next). Very impressed by the handling and track performance of the 991S though - and it's not too far shy shy of a stage 1 996 Turbo in a straight line either.