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I picked up my 991.2 C4 GTS a week and a half ago. Since then, despite my best intentions, I have not been able to provide my first impressions as I’ve been driving the car when I’m able. I’d put around 500km in three days of ownership. Then, I dropped it off with my detailer for a full XPEL ultimate wrap, ceramic coating and 35% XPEL XR tinting. I just got my car back yesterday. So I now have a few moments to discuss my early impressions and thought it would be helpful to those who are looking to order model/options, etc:
Short version
Incredible and better than my expectations, especially since I’ve been one of those who has been hugely skeptical of the employ of turbos and was instead considering purchasing a naturally aspirated 991.1. Worth the wait - and I’m not just talking about the past four months, I’m referring to purchasing the car I admired as a boy.
Here are the main options of my build. GT Silver, PDK, Sport PASM (-20mm), glass sunroof, GTS interior in alcantara with rhodium silver stitching, rear wheel steering, lane change assist, Bose sound system, sunshades in alcantara, front axle lift, LED headlights in black, premium package, obviously PSE and sports Chrono are a part of the GTS build.
More details, if you’re interested...
Points of reference. I’ve driven a number of friends’ sporty vehicles and have done numerous test drives of vehicles at car dealerships. I sold my 2007 335xi as a trade-in for the 991.2 but in the past 12 months have purchased a Mazda MX-5 ND (2016) and a 2017 Macan GTS (wife’s DD). My daily is a 2017 Honda CR-V, which I absolutely love (but obviously for very different reasons). I extensively test drove the naturally aspirated 991.1, including the base and the S/4S 991.2 but not the GTS.
Colour. I’ll start with this because when you get your car, this is the first thing that hits you - whether you made the right colour choice or a mistake. I ordered GT Silver very hesitantly and this colour is the first thing I noticed when I was introduced to my car. After spending so much time and effort labouring over whether to go with GT silver, I realized that I had made the right decision when I saw it in the flesh. Yes, I’ve seen the colour in the showroom before, but I was really worried about the potentially slight bronze tinge I notice in many pictures (including my own) on forums and elsewhere. This colour doesn’t seem to get picked up accurately in most pictures I’ve seen online. I think it might be a white balance issue. Fortunately, there is no bronze tinge to it, just silver that can change slightly depending upon the lighting and surrounding environment. Overall, the 991.2 is a gorgeous car and GT silver just brings out its seductive lines. Of course, I would likely have loved carmine red - my second choice - just as much. I even considered Miami Blue, but didn’t have the guts to order that colour.
Interior. Next thing I did was jump into the car. This was my first real look and feel of the GTS interior package in alcantara. Just lovely and different from all of the other 911s I’d driven. It really does add something special apart from the everyday leather seating and surfaces. And the silver stitching is just stunning against the dark alcantara and leather. I find that the alcantara steering wheel just rounds out the look and it’s a pleasure to hold while driving (clean hands only). As with the exterior colour, many pics I’d seen of this particular interior didn’t always look good because they’re often washed out and the surfaces look grey, not black. In the flesh, however, the surfaces are nice and dark. I also noticed that there was more greenhouse in this car than I remember and visibility is pretty good. The interior is looking somewhat dated, especially considering the new Panamera touch surfaces and large screen. But overall, the current design works and has great flow and functionality.
PDK. Apart from colour choice, I struggled with whether to go MT or PDK. Either would have worked out just fine for me but I leaned in favour of PDK for a few reasons. My big fear was that it would make the car boring and I’d regret it as soon as I drove it off the lot. Fortunately, I’m happy to report that the PDK on the GTS is incredible - depending on how you use it, of course. I’d love to hear from other GTS owners but it feels like it’s programmed slightly differently than in the base and S models. Perhaps it’s just placebo. In ‘normal’ mode, it short shifts and is terrible. In fact, it feels as if the PDK is forcing lugging of the engine - something that is discouraged especially during break-in. I think this mode is great for easy/boring and fuel efficient driving but not for me. I was getting about 8-9l/100km in this mode in a mix of city and highway driving. This is actually pretty damn good considering the size and power of the engine and the weight of the vehicle. I get slightly better mileage than this with my MX-5, which weighs 1000lbs less than the 911 (sorry for mixing metric and imperial).
But the 911 is not about tolerating boring, fuel efficient driving. Putting the PDK in manual and using the gear shifter and/or paddles brings the car to life, even without using sport/sports plus mode and/or PSE. The engine is responsive off the line and has a wide power band in each gear. There isn’t a hint of turbo lag that I have been able to detect as of yet (although I’ve been looking for it) and the power delivery is extremely linear. Apart from a few cues, it would be difficult to recognize the use of turbos in this vehicle if you weren’t aware of their existence. I was very concerned about the change away from naturally-aspirated 911 power plant but my fears are largely allayed. The performance of the 991.2 GTS is slightly different from 991.1. You have access to gobs of power even low down in the power band of a given gear and don’t necessarily have to wind it out, although it’s still a blast to do so. I find myself mostly driving in manual mode because it’s just so much more fun than enjoying the automatic transmission. But it’s interesting that I usually would miss the third pedal; in this case, for some reason, I’m simply enjoying the PDK. Strange that is.
Of course, all of my comments above are derived from only 500km of ownership experience and by somewhat strictly observing a 4000rpm limit during break-in. FWIW.
One final note on PDK. I love our Macan GTS - the best CUV/SUV I’ve ever driven. I had found the PDK on the Macan to be quite good and certainly amazing for the class of vehicle. However, when I began to drive my 911, I noticed the much sharper response of the PDK than on the Macan and also that the gear shift lever in the 911 upshifts and downshifts in the correct direction (forward for downshifts and back for upshifts). Too bad the Macan gets this wrong. But more importantly, the gear shift lever snaps quickly to the next gear either up or down in a way that the Macan lever does not. The Macan’s lever now feels almost sluggish (not the gear change though, just the act of moving the lever itself). This makes the 911 PDK gear shifting with the lever much more enjoyable than in the Macan.
The Sound. Yes, this does not have the same orchestral output as the 991.1 (especially 991.1 GTS). But oddly, I’m not disappointed. I suspect that my expectations were set quite low on this front and the 991.2 GTS sound has actually blown away these expectations. Perhaps it’s placebo, but my GTS sounds more aggressive at speed or for a brief few times that I’ve exceeded the 4000rpm break-in limit compared to the 991.2 base or S models. Everything sounds edgier. Sports and sports plus modes also sound quite different (no backfire in sports plus but a lovely howl). There’s something special about how the car sounds in sports plus. PSE makes a big difference and with the GTS, it’s just that much better. Call me a satisfied customer.
Rear axle steering gives the impression of added agility but in a very natural, non-gimmicky manner. At higher speeds, I’ve found changing lanes to be sublime. It is almost as if the GTS just crabs and glides from one lane to the next without any effort or imbalance. I’m very pleased that I ordered this option. At low speeds, I get a slightly improved turning circle as an added bonus.
Steering. While the steering is indeed electric, I’m pretty pleased with it overall. It’s precise, responsive and relays a fair amount back to the driver - maybe not hydraulic great - but nonetheless impressive and enjoyable. Also, I find there to be slightly more weight and heft to the steering in the AWD version of these cars. It almost feels as if there’s more feedback than with the RWD versions. Not necessarily a good or bad thing, but it works for me.
AWD vs. RWD. Apart from the above, unless you really push this car, one would be hard pressed to tell the difference between either of the two drive variants. The rear wheels in the C4 are very engaged and you can really feel the push from the rear. I would have bought the RWD model due to it being much cheaper, but my family will be enjoying this car as well and we will all be driving during the entire winter. The combination of the AWD and winter tires should prove during the cold season should provide added traction.
Sports Chrono. I use the dial very frequently. I am almost never in normal mode and start every drive in sports mode. The shift pattern of sports mode should be considered normal mode for this vehicle. Sports Chrono is an option that I believe is a must in the 991.2.
Other driving impressions. The traction in this car is incredible - irrespective of drivetrain. It literally sticks to the road and is difficult to unhinge due to the massive rubber corners. As mentioned above, my vehicle was fitted with SPASM as well as rear axle steering. SPASM feels slightly stiffer than regular PASM but this is a good thing. Let me explain. The 991.2 GTS SPASM achieves an impressive balance of ride stiffness without feeling particularly harsh and compliance without feeling soft or floaty. Even on rough roads, I have not regretted getting SPASM - I was initially concerned about possible excessive harshness due to this suspension. On anything less than well paved roads, however, engaging the sport dampers does create some harshness - so best to leave this off most of the time. On good quality roads and highways, though, the suspension & chassis feel incredible with the sport dampers activated. I suspect that this would apply to a track as well. So, I find myself activating sports plus mode on smooth roads. I have programmed the Individual mode on the steering wheel dial to sports plus but with the sports chassis deactivated.
Bose Sound. The Bose sound in the 991.2 does indeed sound considerably better than in the 991.1. I remember YouTube commentator, Nick Murray, mentioning this in one of his videos too. It’s a great sound system and I can’t imagine how the Burmester could sound that much better. Moreover, I actually find myself keeping the music off almost all the time so that I can enjoy the sound of the engine.
Lane change assist. I ordered this solely from a safety standpoint and find it both exceptionally deployed in the 911 and somewhat necessary given the driver’s side blind spot. The red colour from this system activates in a way that always gets one’s attention but is never distracting. It’s much better executed in the 911 (inside the vehicle) than in the Macan (outside the vehicle on the side mirrors).
A few nits. What are my complaints so far? I wish Sports mode was slightly more aggressive in mapping the gear shifts. I’d really like it to hold the gears a lot longer before upshifting. Also, the auto high beam function has never activated for me - not once. Similar thing to my Macan. I think Porsche has a system that is highly sensitive to external lights and so only deploys on the darkest of roads. Another issue that I have is that the auto dimming mirrors generally don’t dim well - again, I think this is a Porsche/VAG issue and I noticed this same issue on my old Audi A4. But I had found a solution to this that I will address in both the Macan and 911. The trick is to put a small piece of translucent tape on the back of the mirror over the small window that measures incoming light.
Overall, I’m over the moon with the 991.2 C4 GTS. It’s hard to imagine a better drive balanced for both street and track.
Edit: Oops. Forgot to mention that the LED headlights are fantastic. I'm not a fan of the ring daytime running lights and prefer the xenon housing for looks. But the quality and amount of light that is emitted by the LEDs are impressive. I'm also quite fond of the 'black ring' around the lights which Porsche only offers with the LEDs since the introduction of the 991.2.
linusto, great write up on your initial impressions and a big congrats to you! The car is beautiful and I really love the rhodium stitching. I have red deviated stitching on my dash and seats and it really adds an extra step of panache.
Re the high beam assist, for the life of me, I thought mine didn't work either until I realized that you have to flip on the high beams each time you start the car for it to work (you'll see the high beam assist light show up on the dash). Then when oncoming lights approach, they automatically switch off and then back on again once the lights pass. It works quite well actually, I'm always worried that I'll have to intervene manually but haven't had to yet. Sorry if you've already figured that out and they still don't work. If that's the case, I'm not sure why.
Ps. The lag is there once you open it up a bit more but very subtle. Nothing like the TT lag but heck I love that too. It's like a slap in the face to wake you up.
From a personal perspective, I've always felt that the lettering on the rear for a GTS, especially for an AWD model (ie. 911 Carrera 4 GTS) was always a bit too verbose, but this is totally a personal thing.
Excellent review, linusto. I've read every published article on the 991.2 C4 GTS and your review is far better than most of the professionals. My '18 C4 GTS should arrive at my dealer any day and you killed the little patience I had left. You car is beautiful. Enjoy.
linusto, great write up on your initial impressions and a big congrats to you! The car is beautiful and I really love the rhodium stitching. I have red deviated stitching on my dash and seats and it really adds an extra step of panache.
Re the high beam assist, for the life of me, I thought mine didn't work either until I realized that you have to flip on the high beams each time you start the car for it to work (you'll see the high beam assist light show up on the dash). Then when oncoming lights approach, they automatically switch off and then back on again once the lights pass. It works quite well actually, I'm always worried that I'll have to intervene manually but haven't had to yet. Sorry if you've already figured that out and they still don't work. If that's the case, I'm not sure why.
Thanks Rambler_13. The red deviated stitching is fantastic as well. I would have ordered that interior if I had gone the Carmine Red route.
You're right about the high beam assist. I activated them in the multifunction display first. Then I push the high beam lever forward once every time I get out in the dark, after which I see an 'A' with a circle around it indicating engagement of the high beam assist. But, alas, no dice. The MX-5 and CR-V both engage in many areas around my home but the Porsches do not, sadly.
08-19-2017, 11:09 PM
Early impressions of 991.2 C4 GTS
