Penn4S

Hey all looking for a little insight. I am the current owner of a 991.1 4S. Have had the car for 4 years and was going to make it a keeper.
Was planning some upgrades and started thinking about long term and thought should I keep, move to a 991.1 GTS or should I go for the Turbo S.
I love my NA car but am a former 4 time owner of Porsche TT's 996 & 997 vintage. Always have loved the TT's and missed them since my last one. I have no interest in the new 991.2 Turbo type not for any disparaging reason just figured if I was going back to a turbo it should be the best Porsche makes.
My dilemma is that I have an MT and all of my previous TT's were MT also. Will I miss the MT too much and tire of the car long term in PDK mode. Any insight from other Rennlisters that may have made the same switch would be appreciated. This will be Porsche number 13 so I am very familiar with the brand and range.

worf928

I can't make sense of this. You have no interest in a 991.2 Turbo. So, that means you are interested in a 991.1 Turbo? Or a 997 Turbo and you posted in the wrong forum? But you want the "best Porsche makes" and that is the 991.2 Turbo.

As far as MT vs.PDK it depends upon intended use. For me, a pure toy car should be manual. Something that will be driven on a daily basis, not so much: a manual less desirable.

I think an MT would be useless in a 991.[12] Turbo. In manual mode it's hard enough to use the paddles for the 1-2 shift before hitting the limiter. With an MT first gear would be just a way to test the limiter.

Dennis C

Maybe he isn’t interested in going to a “turbo 911” (aka standard 911 engines in the 991.2 range) as opposed to a proper 911 Turbo. That’s the way I read it. If you’re going to go with a turbocharged car, then go with the best of the range.

I agree with your comments on PDK. That was even true in the 997 range. My 997 TT hit redline in less than one second in first year.

Penn4S

What I meant ,since Porsche is confusing us, is I would rather go with a 991.1 TTS vs the 991.2 S which is also a turbo but not a TT. I thought I was clear. Obviously not.

Penn4S

Thanks that's exactly what I meant.

worf928

Ah. Yes, getting unconfused after Porsche's deliberate confusion can be confusing.

Regardless, yup, a used 991.1 Turbo/TurboS rather than a 991.2 C4S is something I could get behind.

Penn4S

That's what I'm saying.

ace37

When and how do you like to drive it?

PDK fits a lot of usage scenarios but if it’s primarily a weekend cruiser you’ll want a MT.

I like to drive mine everywhere, and I have a separate track car. Because of the speed, ease, convenience, and excellent algorithms keeping the car in the right gear I find using PDK and at times putting the PDK in manual mode and using the shifter stalk is enough for me. It’s clearly not the same but it’s not bad. Being in the exact right gear instead of close enough is fun and involving, but it’s a different kind of fun.

I wish they had force feedback with the PDK electronics. I had a quickshifter on my motorcycle and though that had the best of both - you feel every gear mechanically but you get the high speed changes too.

My last car was a 997.2 GTS. In nearly every aspect I prefer the 991.2 turbo as a daily driven street car. It’s just a excellent at everything. I do miss the sound and steering feel of the 997 GTS. And while the turbo is a bit heavier the GTS was no lightweight so I didn’t think that was a strength for either car (and the turbo has 4wd as an excuse). The turbo’s 4wd is really a lot of fun when the traction control is dialed back and I never expected that.

Anyhow, hope my ramblings touched on something useful to you.

Penn4S

I don't winter drive my 911. Live in south eastern Pa which means the car comes out in April at the latest and goes under cover in November. During that time I drive it daily on the horse country back roads to and from work and on the weekends. We have twistie roads in great shape through some of the prettiest areas that are just built for these cars.
My wife and I like to beach weekend or go down to D.C. I usually put about 7-8000 miles per year.

Dennis C

My 997 turbo cabriolet had a manual transmission. While I do occasionally miss shifting gears manually, I never felt that transmission was well-suited to a turbo. As mentioned above, redline in first gear comes quickly. It requires effort to keep the car in the proper gear, or you’re penalized with horrendous lag. I don’t think the 991 turbo would be as good with a manual transmission. The PDK gearbox almost feels like it was made specifically for the 991 turbo. The manual gearbox in my 996 C4S was fantastic. I wouldn’t want that car any other way.

Once you get used to PDK, you’ll find things that you really enjoy about it that can’t be matched by a manual transmission, even on the street. The PDK experience is enhanced by an aftermarket exhaust system. I love the “crack” on upshifts when accelerating, especially if it echoes off of a canyon wall. I also love diving into a hard corner on a twisty road and quickly dropping down two gears. It’s good fun.

Penn4S

Thanks Dennis. I'll let you know how the test drive goes.

ace37

Your usage scenario really is tricky, I see why this is a dilemma! The honest truth is I bet you’d be happy either way but you’d definitely find different things to enjoy about the two cars. In your scenario I’d lean ever so slightly towards the MT GTS for the involvement. That said, while it was always just a pleasure to drive, my GTS never made me grin like the turbo does.

Is chasing down a 991.2 GT3 allocation and going with the MT a good option? The motor is a gem, but you lose a lot of the practical/comfortable elements of the car to get it. To me a GTS with the GT3 motor would be the perfect NA 911.

One more subtle thing that might matter to you - the 991.2 TT/TTS introduced an antilag feature where the boost is carried from gear to gear between shifts. I really like it. With PDK shifting once the power comes on it just doesn’t stop. Handling is great, I just can’t say enough good about this car.

I really think you’ll be happy with either option.

NVRANUF

Hint: GT3 Touring

KBS911

Just go with a 991.2 Turbo. I just did. Traded in a 15 GT3 for an 18 Turbo. I track and autoX on a regular basis, and am a PCA instructor. Didn't want the ceramics and 40 hp was a minor drivers difference on the track as far as I was concerned. I was a stickler for manual transmission, actually turned down an allocation on a 14 GT3 when they first came out because I wasn't going to drive no stinking automatic. Had a 10 Gt3 and 11 GT3RS. Thought manual was the only way to go. How stupid of me in retrospect! After a PDK I have to honestly say I would never go back to manual. I love to use the paddles on the street, lots of fun, but on the track or autoX it's sport plus in PDK. It's a technology thing, but no less a drivers car IMHO. Love the torque and power of the turbo....so smooth! Go test drive one. I did, and was hooked. If I want power down the road a Cobb tune is a safe and reliable option.

Penn4S

Thanks all I really appreciate the real time info. As a former TT owner I'm not turned off at all to the turbo attitude and power. Drove the car today and have to say I don't how I could effectively drive the TTS with an MT. It climbs to redline so quickly. In Sport Plus it was awesome to experience. Trying to work out the details. Will have to break it to the wife eventually.