jimbo1111

At low speeds the M is going to feel sharper because the weight is over the front wheels. Equals to more over-steer and more planted feeling going into turns. Something most front engine car drivers are use to..

You will quickly notice that the handling of the 911 becomes much better with speed and takes some getting use to because of the rear weight bias. The aero probably forces the front end down more at higher speed too.

Ive taken some turns with my past GTS that scared the pants off of me. No normal person would ever attempt. Thinking this car will never make it and yet it did without a screech in the tires.

What I didn't like about the car is its unpredictable limit of traction at high speed. I attribute that to the torque vectoring system which makes the car handle so well that my senses are thrown off at the limit.
The unpredictability of its limits of traction is what really scared me. As you go faster the car gets better and better and better. I never crossed the edge of adhesion at those speeds but if one ever does that outcome won't be pretty.

Im finding that the new tech gadgets like RWS and torque vectoring elevate the adhesion of traction but reduce the drivers ability. So one needs to trust in a computer rather than natural feel of the chassis movements.

That loss of control has left me not wanting a newer 911 anymore. My 997, while not as capable gave me a much better feeling of control and believe its probably the last of its kind for a drivers 911.
The newer cars are just to capable. In a bad way of course. Engineers have figured out how to circumvent the flaws that made the 911 so great.

Capt_and

I owned an F80 for awhile and loved it, not for it's perfection but all of its imperfections. The F80 is much harder to control imo as the rear tends to get loose very easily. This makes it fun but I was always nervous to push it since I feel like the engine overpowers the car. The low end torque is also something I wasn't crazy about in the F80 since it felt like an on/off switch. I really prefer a more linear feel. The F80 felt faster for sure, but I could never wind out the engine before I was at risk of being locked up. The 991.1 engine requires a different style of driving but overall it is more rewarding. I also did not care for how the F80 sounds like a ricer.

Although it's not really and apples to apples comparison since my 991.1 is a C4S, I would say the 911 feels much more planted all around. Even when I drove the C2S, I didn't feel like to had to worry about a squirrelly rear end that might ruin my drive.

In terms of comfort, the F80 wins all day. The iDrive is superior to anything Porsche makes, the seats are more comfortable, and the suspension is very soft in comfort mode. I could put in a long road trip with the M3 and be fine but it gets a little more uncomfortable in the 991.

R_Rated

Outside of sound.... this post is also the very reason I went from Jag to Porsche. That being said, I think everyone needs to have a high torque, over steering car once. When they get that out of their system they will really appreciate the na masterpiece in th #1 cars.

eisenb11

I bought mine new 28 months ago and I’ve had squeaky brakes since day one. Complained to 2 dealers and they both said it’s normal.

You start ignoring it (mostly) eventually

pitt911

I have had F80 , and prior E92
no way that any of them is more planted than a 911 S at any speed
in all honestly the 911 is in a different league for stability, balance , steering feel, brakes etc
only thing F 80 M3 has more is torque, related to FI , and being more practical for trunk storage etc.

Code

Be careful with that pressure if you go to the track or do some canyon carving, your tires are gonna get slippery quick.

mashhype

Great response. It's like something you would read in a magazine...

mashhype

Spoke to PCNA today, regarding brake squeaking. They said its normal. The person I spoke to (and these folks seemed to be really well trained) told me that they have done trainings with the engineers about this issue. Her recommendation was to apply the brakes much harder and the squeaking should go away. Something about a break in period and where a film develops on the pad / rotor from not being used. I explained that my vehicle is CPO, not new and she said its still possible for a film to develop if the vehicle was not used regularly. That seems like it could fit my issue considering it was a 1 owner with only 22k. Its a 2012.

Also, I looked over my service records for the work that was done to bring the car up to CPO standards, and they did a brake flush. Oh darn, guess I gotta go slam on the throttle and brakes repeatedly this week, oh darn .

sticky

Nothing is wrong. It's ok to be critical of the 911. Instantly saying he is trolling is what is wrong.

mashhype I had the same initial feeling. The front end felt light. It was kind of weird. You get used to it but I get your feelings also coming from an M3 and had similar impressions.

As my 991.2 is RWD there is not a whole lot of weight on the front and an all wheel drive version would probably feel more 'normal' to you.

With more seat time you'll get used it and you will notice it is easier to come out of turns faster but the initial turn in can feel less confidence inspiring.

sticky

What are recommended PSI for the street?

Porsche had my car 38f/45r off the floor...

phow

Congrats and welcome!

I was sort of in the same boat as you. Picked up a 991.1S after owning several front engine sports coupes in a row. It felt like having to learn how to drive fast all over again since the handling characteristics of these cars are totally different.

For the first few weeks I wasn't sure how I felt. I knew it was "better" but I didn't feel better lol...

But as I got more comfortable with the car and started to understand/appreciate what it could do, I think I would have a very hard time going back.

I really wish I would have first had a proper introduction to these cars via a trained instructor or even a trip to the Porsche Experience Center.

mashhype

Thanks sticky. Its reassuring to hear alot of you guys voicing my own intuitions about the transition from M3 to 911. And to be clear, no trolling here whatsoever. Just a enthusiast connecting with other enthusiasts to understand this beautiful machinery a little bit better.

mashhype

I did the PEC bit out here in Los Angeles before I got the 991.1S. I wouldn't do it again. I couldn't get a feel for the cars capabilities since I was too worried about not braking in time or not accelerating when finding the apex. The instructors micro-manage you. Yes I understand they have no choice. But still, I wouldn't say it gave me a better feel for the car and all its ability.

sticky

I know. There's some people here who forgot how to have fun and are very sensitive.

Had the same feelings as you initially. Once you spend more time with it the balance starts to feel normal but I don't think I'll ever quite have the same feeling of confidence on initial turn it. Maybe I'll try the trail braking suggested. Probably will do AWD next time.

The best solution is to have both

randr

Rear axle steering and E-PTV provide more certainty rather than less certainty. See GT3 and GT3 RS - they add a great deal to the driving experience and reliably increase the limits, and importantly, feel at the limits e.g tire feathering. The only performance enhancement to the chassis that feels slightly un-natural to me is PDCC. However, if I was to take up serious competition again, I would spec it in a heart beat - why, because it maximises contact patch during transitions - very important in high speed transitions.

My recollection of the F80 was it had quite a lot of understeer, which obviously impacts on handling feel and corner speed, backed up with very numb steering. With the 911 you have to use a bit of trail braking to put some weight over the front wheels, there is very little understeer which allows high corner speeds and very fast exits. Once you get a shimmy on the differences between the 991 and F80 are quite large.

Oh - cold tire pressures e.g. at 20 degrees celsius - 29 psi front 32 psi rear (for lightly loaded car in comfort mode).