First impressions with the new 991 TT
 

I went by my dealer this morning and they had just gotten in a new TT. Perfect timing as I had hoped they would have one..

I know the salesman well and he said "Good timing.. We just got in a white Turbo yesterday".. I thought "Oh boy.. White my favorite"

The car is a base TT in white with a black interior and red belts. It has steel brakes and 20 inch rims..

I studied the car from all angles. I sat in the car and scrutinized the interior and the ergonomics..

Here are my impressions..

The cars is beautiful from the outside..It's not as big as I had heard.. I'm not too keen on the front bumper design..Looks a bit Japanese.. The back looks great (except for the badging of course.) To me the exterior quite impressive. The sticker on this car was $163k.

I was so excited to get in it..

When I sat in the car one word came to mind. "Cheap".. The seats are awful and look and feel cheap..It even smells cheap. I could have been sitting in a Boxster, Cayman or 991 Carrera and I wouldn't have known the difference. I'm not sure about seat options on the 991 but these were horrible..

In my opinion when you sit in a Ferrari, McLaren, Lambo, Jag, etc they feels very special inside..They feel "expensive" and "exotic". The new TT is generic and boring. In my opinion they dropped the ball on this one in a big way.. Especially since the car (Especially the S which by the way has the same crappy interior.) is selling near the $200k mark..

The steering wheel is bland..The PCM is bland..It's like a Mini Van.. Nothing in the car feels like an exotic sports car.. It feels like a Lexus. I was so underwhelmed.

The interior does not feel like a sports car costing $170k.. In my opinion the seats and functional design in the 997 interior are far superior. The center console in the 991 gets in the way. Very much like in an Aston.. It just feels "wrong".

I will drive the car next week.. Of course the salesman wanted me to "trade up" and buy this car. Not a chance.. I think he was shocked that I wasn't that impressed.. I remember the first time I saw the 997 TT when they came out.. I had a 996 at the time. I was drooling..I wanted one sooo bad...

I'm sure the car (the 991 TT) will be very fast and handle better than mine.. But when I got back in to my TT just filled with race gas I got a big smile on my face. My car still smells new inside.. Actually better than the new TT I was in.. My interior is so far superior to that Horrible 991..Just my opinion.. It seems that Porsche found away to increase margins by offering cheaper, "Plastic like" leather substitute..

Being a stock and options trader I'm always thinking of "risk/reward".. In California we have a 9.75 sales tax. So that car would end up costing about $180. They would probably offer me less that 50 for my TT.. That is a "bad trade" for another depreciating asset. At least for me anyway..

If history repeats itself that car will sell for around $85k in 3 years...

I will do a l follow up once I drive the car next week. It kind of makes me sad that I don't want one really badly... I believe my next car will be another 997 TT probably an 09.. Or maybe a 997-2 S...

Perhaps after the drive I will change my mind? We'll see..

Please keep us posted. Nice write up.

Chris Harris sure seems to feel it's superior, at least on the track...but it definitely isn't the step-up from the 997.2 TT as the new 991 GT3 is to the previous GT3...

I know that Chris Harris liked the car a lot.. I respect him tremendously.. I'm sure the 991 is amazing on the track. Especially in the hands of Chris. But how many of us track our TT's?

I just don't understand why Porsche didn't make the TT more special. The GT3 has the same awful interior as the TT..No doubt an amazing car though!

It just seems to me that the GT3 and the TT should have been a in a class of their own and not share the same components of the "entry level" Porsches like the Boxster and Cayman.. Especially for 150 to 200k..

My critique is not about performance.. It's about style and feel..

Less special and mo money.....awesome!!

This is why I buy a new Porsche every 10 years, drive it about 160K miles, wash rinse repeat. Only when a special one comes along.

Evolutionary is not good enough for $180K or so.

At 67 with 2 new hips I am probably on my last one anyway.

Hookers and blow sounds like a better investment if I could get away with it.

Insightful write up Phillip, I just wish you wouldn't have taken a shot at Lexus interiors, my DD is a Lexus LS460 F sport and it has a really nice interior with quality materials, LOL. I'm really looking forward to your driving impressions. Your point on depreciation is really valid, I'd rather let some other guy spend his $$ for those first few years of enjoyment and I'll wait for the lightly used example at half price or so. That why I bought an 09 TT rather than a 2011 TTS (with their better PDK software), but they just weren't depreciated enough for me. Perhaps in a couple more years, but as another LA guy I share you pain on the sales tax rip off. It's OK though we have high income and property taxes to go with it…..

….details of my positive experience deleted as OP was upset with my contradictory experience.

For those interested, whilst I can't comment for the standard 991TT my conclusion after test driving the 991TTS was that it was (to me) unquestionably the superior car in every way over my well sorted 997tt.1. Just my own personal experience..and sorry for this bad news which has upset certain members of "the clan".

Think about the weather in LA today and almost everywhere else in the country and we can see why they can get away with charging us those taxes in CA....

br911, As my friends point out, "quit complaining and write the check, it the price you pay to live in So Cal" Took my car today for a couple of laps of Palos Verdes Drive East, if anyone know's the neighborhood, they'll know why I was smiling ear to ear, the 75 degree weather with the beautiful views of Catalina didn't hurt either.

Nope it's definitely more special, and, removing money from the equation I would seriously question the legitimacy/rationale behind anyone saying the contrary.

I think the TT lost its place in the top of Porsche's product list, given the simultaneous launch of the TTS. The interior of any Porsche can be made special, but one would have to spend perhaps over $10K (US prices) more in additional leather, crest, CF, center console in leather, stitching, etc... If I had to go the 991 route, I would not spend the additional money to upgrade the interior of a TT. I would then go all the way to a well equipped TTS, which would bring it to almost $220K. In essence, in order to achieve the exclusivity that the 993, 996 and 997.1 Turbos used to have, you are forced to pay extra for options, plus $ 30 K for the difference between TT and TTS (that includes PCCB's). Individually, options don't seem to cost a lot, but by the time you finish with your nice car, you are in (slightly used) F and Mac territory (I agree with Speed21 that the Mac interior is quite spartan), SLS63, Aston, and others. Still, I think Porsche is able to charge a premium for its cars since so many of us tend to prefer it to other brands as a DD, reliable, efficient and to an extent, stealth. Still not a great deal.

Looking forward to phillipj's driving impressions.

The rules are certainly different in a price no object world, I'm guessing, I don't live there….

I agree with Phillip's comments...that's why I am not getting a 991TT although I am due for one. Really nice cars...for sure...so is a Lexus as pointed out earlier and will make a lot profit for VW (or Toyota)

I will take the high road and won't repeat my negative comments (mostly driven) about no manual... I wonder how much of the cookie cutter mentality is coming from VW? Corporate executives on job rotation through Porsche?

Did I mention that I bought a '72 911S this week? 2.7L, dual plugged, 6 X Webers, Giken, ...Now that thing is awesome!!

Know it VERY well, and I'LL now be able to join you. I JUST picked up a 12 GTS.