981 vs 981S
#31
My last car was a supercharged S4. Talk about low end torque. And it was paired with all wheel drive.
Though the Cayman S and the S4 have similar 0-60 times, my CS doesn't put me back in the seat off the line like the Audi did. Once it gets into the higher revs, it redeems itself, though.
I can only imagine how even less low end would feel in a base Cayman.
But again, it depends what you're coming from.
#32
Rennlist Member
I think it also depends on what you're coming from.
My last car was a supercharged S4. Talk about low end torque. And it was paired with all wheel drive.
Though the Cayman S and the S4 have similar 0-60 times, my CS doesn't put me back in the seat off the line like the Audi did. Once it gets into the higher revs, it redeems itself, though.
I can only imagine how even less low end would feel in a base Cayman.
But again, it depends what you're coming from.
My last car was a supercharged S4. Talk about low end torque. And it was paired with all wheel drive.
Though the Cayman S and the S4 have similar 0-60 times, my CS doesn't put me back in the seat off the line like the Audi did. Once it gets into the higher revs, it redeems itself, though.
I can only imagine how even less low end would feel in a base Cayman.
But again, it depends what you're coming from.
#33
Instructor
Yes! I love driving them all. NONE of them have been bad or anything, just different variants.
Favorite? The TT cab was an EXCELLENT daily driver but lack finesse on the twisties. The AWD gives it a ton of understeer.
The Spyder? Subline but not great as a daily in wet weather.
Latest favorite? The one I'm driving!
As for size, this is where the 981 platform is so nice as it has the same wheel base length as the outgoing 997 but not as large as the 991. So it's bigger than your 993 and enough to make the 993 feel nice and SMALL.
I have driven 991's and I like them, BUT... not in love and not for an extra $60K. I just don't see that it's there anymore. The 981 is SO GOOD and now the 982 / 718 is even better in many ways (flat-four discussion not included). And realistically with the 991 - does anybody REALLY use the back seats? I suppose that being said that I do miss the odd time I would put the seat back in the 997 to have a power-nap in a rest stop. Nope - you can't do that in the 981.
Like I said - I love them all.
Favorite? The TT cab was an EXCELLENT daily driver but lack finesse on the twisties. The AWD gives it a ton of understeer.
The Spyder? Subline but not great as a daily in wet weather.
Latest favorite? The one I'm driving!
As for size, this is where the 981 platform is so nice as it has the same wheel base length as the outgoing 997 but not as large as the 991. So it's bigger than your 993 and enough to make the 993 feel nice and SMALL.
I have driven 991's and I like them, BUT... not in love and not for an extra $60K. I just don't see that it's there anymore. The 981 is SO GOOD and now the 982 / 718 is even better in many ways (flat-four discussion not included). And realistically with the 991 - does anybody REALLY use the back seats? I suppose that being said that I do miss the odd time I would put the seat back in the 997 to have a power-nap in a rest stop. Nope - you can't do that in the 981.
Like I said - I love them all.
-Going from no Porsche, to a compromise Porsche sooner(knowing it's temporary) is better than waiting and spending an additional ~$15k for the "right" car?
Clean 997.2's are still in the low 50's and the regular 981 can be had for ~$40k.
Going to the back seat thing, I tend to use it for my dogs so it does have use, which is why the Boxster regardless of whether being an S would probably be a stepping stone to a 997.2 coupe or cab.
The 991 is just so damn big, and no mezger, etc.
Going to the S4 thing, my stepdad has a B6 V8 6sp, and that feels like a major step down torque-wise from the Tesla.
So I'm going into this *knowing* that the torque has to be functional to get the thing moving, but almost no matter what will feel like a step down from an electric motor.
Again, I really appreciate your feedback!
#35
Rennlist Member
So would you say that the marginal value of:
-Going from no Porsche, to a compromise Porsche sooner(knowing it's temporary) is better than waiting and spending an additional ~$15k for the "right" car?
Clean 997.2's are still in the low 50's and the regular 981 can be had for ~$40k.
Going to the back seat thing, I tend to use it for my dogs so it does have use, which is why the Boxster regardless of whether being an S would probably be a stepping stone to a 997.2 coupe or cab.
The 991 is just so damn big, and no mezger, etc.
Going to the S4 thing, my stepdad has a B6 V8 6sp, and that feels like a major step down torque-wise from the Tesla.
So I'm going into this *knowing* that the torque has to be functional to get the thing moving, but almost no matter what will feel like a step down from an electric motor.
Again, I really appreciate your feedback!
-Going from no Porsche, to a compromise Porsche sooner(knowing it's temporary) is better than waiting and spending an additional ~$15k for the "right" car?
Clean 997.2's are still in the low 50's and the regular 981 can be had for ~$40k.
Going to the back seat thing, I tend to use it for my dogs so it does have use, which is why the Boxster regardless of whether being an S would probably be a stepping stone to a 997.2 coupe or cab.
The 991 is just so damn big, and no mezger, etc.
Going to the S4 thing, my stepdad has a B6 V8 6sp, and that feels like a major step down torque-wise from the Tesla.
So I'm going into this *knowing* that the torque has to be functional to get the thing moving, but almost no matter what will feel like a step down from an electric motor.
Again, I really appreciate your feedback!
And your'e right about the 991 - it is BIG, especially when compared to a 993 or even a 981.
As for the Mezger - you're into a 996 TT (cab) for the least amount of money, and that hasn't even come up in the discussion, but it is BEST bang for your buck, IMO, in the Porsche line up. It's an incredible car and your dogs will fit just fine in the back seats. I love the nice wide-body back ends in the 996 TTs and the headlights don't really bother me. I "care took" a 996 Carrera to sell for a friend wished I'd bought it myself. $18K and super fun to drive.
As for waiting for the perfect car? As I said before - I've loved them all. I wouldn't worry so much for your first Porsche about 981 Vs. S Vs. 997 etc... I would wait for something that ticks as many boxes as it can, within your budget, and go for color and interior that light's you up and jump in. You can always, like I do, trade up into something else. I seem to be on a 2-year flip.
Good luck on your hunt!
#36
Instructor
You bring up a good point on the torgue. Going to anything in the Porsche line that gets anywhere close to your Telse is going cost some serious money. So that factor is kind of out of the question.
And your'e right about the 991 - it is BIG, especially when compared to a 993 or even a 981.
As for the Mezger - you're into a 996 TT (cab) for the least amount of money, and that hasn't even come up in the discussion, but it is BEST bang for your buck, IMO, in the Porsche line up. It's an incredible car and your dogs will fit just fine in the back seats. I love the nice wide-body back ends in the 996 TTs and the headlights don't really bother me. I "care took" a 996 Carrera to sell for a friend wished I'd bought it myself. $18K and super fun to drive.
As for waiting for the perfect car? As I said before - I've loved them all. I wouldn't worry so much for your first Porsche about 981 Vs. S Vs. 997 etc... I would wait for something that ticks as many boxes as it can, within your budget, and go for color and interior that light's you up and jump in. You can always, like I do, trade up into something else. I seem to be on a 2-year flip.
Good luck on your hunt!
And your'e right about the 991 - it is BIG, especially when compared to a 993 or even a 981.
As for the Mezger - you're into a 996 TT (cab) for the least amount of money, and that hasn't even come up in the discussion, but it is BEST bang for your buck, IMO, in the Porsche line up. It's an incredible car and your dogs will fit just fine in the back seats. I love the nice wide-body back ends in the 996 TTs and the headlights don't really bother me. I "care took" a 996 Carrera to sell for a friend wished I'd bought it myself. $18K and super fun to drive.
As for waiting for the perfect car? As I said before - I've loved them all. I wouldn't worry so much for your first Porsche about 981 Vs. S Vs. 997 etc... I would wait for something that ticks as many boxes as it can, within your budget, and go for color and interior that light's you up and jump in. You can always, like I do, trade up into something else. I seem to be on a 2-year flip.
Good luck on your hunt!
I was never a 996 fan, but for the price it certainly still drives like a 911.
Last edited by Boosted330; 07-08-2017 at 10:19 PM.
#38
Rennlist Member
The Turbo, if you get a chance, takes it up a notch.
You're right - there is a lack of torque but I adjusted for it by looking well ahead and getting the revs up high before passing other cars etc... It made the driving all that much more fun and challenging and.... I had NO, and I mean ZERO, trouble keeping up with an 07 C2S, a 11 987.2 Spyder, a 16 Cayman GTS, and a 14 991 C2S cab. The GTS Cayman? We also swapped out each other cars and I drove the Spyder and Cayman GTS, and both we're awesomely enjoyable but did I feel disappointed getting back into my mere 275HP? Not at all.
BTW, here's the link to some of the driving routes.
https://goo.gl/maps/6Rt9TLnQPuH2
It's missing the day trip to Coeur d'Alene, ID. Where we actually went there I have no idea (folllowing the the 08 C2S) but it was a blast.
On the way home, north of Spokane, from Kettle Falls through Sherman Pass to Republic? Absolute driving BLISS. The little 2.7 is so revvy and eager to go. Incredible.
As your options, it's got a great Agate Grey / Orange interior, no nav but Sat radio, heated seats etc... There's really nothing I am missing. Don't want the 20" wheels, and I am learning to enjoy the PDK.
Last edited by Zeus993; 07-14-2017 at 01:50 AM.
#39
I had a base 981 PDK for two years, semi-daily driving it. Besides the low end torque, which is really not that deficient, it was a perfect car. The 981 base is nearly a previous gen S. If I was buying one now, I'd put less emphasis on whether it's a base or S than the individual cars' options.
On the street, even the base is plenty fast with a low 5's 0-60 time. It's enough to get you into jail easily.
On the track, only driver skill mattered. There was never a moment that I felt that the base car was letting me down. The brakes were perfectly fine for a 30 minute session. The funny thing is that there was a guy in a session with a 987.2 S that was pretty frustrated at his car since I was passing him each session. It wasn't the car he should be frustrated with; it should've been himself. The S may be faster on paper but it all depends on who is driving.
On the street, even the base is plenty fast with a low 5's 0-60 time. It's enough to get you into jail easily.
On the track, only driver skill mattered. There was never a moment that I felt that the base car was letting me down. The brakes were perfectly fine for a 30 minute session. The funny thing is that there was a guy in a session with a 987.2 S that was pretty frustrated at his car since I was passing him each session. It wasn't the car he should be frustrated with; it should've been himself. The S may be faster on paper but it all depends on who is driving.
#40
Race Car
Agree. I drove both, fully expecting to buy the S for many of the reasons stated. With PSE the exhaust note is terrific, low end torque is better, and it was worth it to me to spend a little more for what I wanted.
#41
Race Car
I went from a loaded base 987.1 to a 981 S with PDK and a lot of options. The extra 75 hp is intoxicating.
I looked at Boxsters every day for three months before settling on the S. I found that you can get a newer loaded base Boxster for less than a garden-variety S with high mileage. I found numerous base cars in the $45k range that had all the options I wanted.
I probably would have been satisfied with another base car, but I'm really happy with the S.
I looked at Boxsters every day for three months before settling on the S. I found that you can get a newer loaded base Boxster for less than a garden-variety S with high mileage. I found numerous base cars in the $45k range that had all the options I wanted.
I probably would have been satisfied with another base car, but I'm really happy with the S.
#42
Lack of low end torque can be easily overcome by quickly downshifting to the 2nd (I have 6MT).
While cruising at 50mph in the 6th gear, clutch in, blip the engine to 5,000 rpm, drop down to the 2nd gear and rev the **** out of that 2.7L engine. You are instantly in the meaty part of the powerband to overtake most cars on public road. I don’t know if that works on PDK cars in manual mode. Downshift 4 times???
For lazy drivers who just want to mash the accelerator pedal, S with the extra torque would be ideal. For people who enjoys shifting gears, base car with 6MT can be seriously fun and fast.
While cruising at 50mph in the 6th gear, clutch in, blip the engine to 5,000 rpm, drop down to the 2nd gear and rev the **** out of that 2.7L engine. You are instantly in the meaty part of the powerband to overtake most cars on public road. I don’t know if that works on PDK cars in manual mode. Downshift 4 times???
For lazy drivers who just want to mash the accelerator pedal, S with the extra torque would be ideal. For people who enjoys shifting gears, base car with 6MT can be seriously fun and fast.