Bob Z.

You can say that again! With headers and high-flow cats my wife could carry on a conversation with or without the top in my recently sold 991.2 Targa; however, I hope to rectify that on my incoming 718 Spyder.

rugu6869

I didn't say I could hear a pin drop. Comparing to many of my cars in the past including a C6 Z06, e90 330, 2001 Boxster, Golf and GTI, this car is very quiet.

To your point, it's all about personal perception. I really don't think there's a problem at all with the sound level and am surprised there's even a thread about this. Maybe there is a difference in what Porsche has done with the cars over the years with regards to sound deadening etc.
My wife and daughter have had zero complaints about the sound level in my 911. When they're in my GTI however, they do make comments about how loud it is.

I can tell you that road surface does make a difference in the sound level. Tires will also make a difference in noise levels. My wife's e90 325xi came with run-flats that were horrible for sound (and ride and handling), so I switched to no-runflat Hankook summer tires. Initially, they were very quiet. As the tires wore, they got louder and louder until they howled on the highway. I changed those out for Michelin all-season high performance tires and it was very quiet again.

My friend with the E91 was on his phone with me and he was the one complaining about the booming sound coming from the car. He said it's so loud he can't stand it. He's on Michelin all-season tires. His snow tires sound quieter.

Speed2k

This the sensation one can get in a high powered EV.

asellus

Same. This thread is proving to be a good litmus test for credibility.

An individual not having a problem with the noise does not mean the 911 is a quiet car. Objectively speaking, the 911 is a loud, harsh car. Full stop, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Any sentiment otherwise is either using an inappropriate comparison (ie "it's quieter than riding a motorcycle without a helmet on the freeway") or is spoken by an insane person. Some of the crap I'm seeing on this thread is no different than saying something like "scorpion peppers aren't hot because I can eat them without trouble"

Tier1Terrier

@Bob Z. I just cant look at you the same anymore. How could you?!?!

j/k of course. I

manifold danger

100% agree with the crazy disparity in opinions here, night and day it seems like... personally, I can live with the 991 being noisy but it's barely tolerable for my wife, who isn't really sensitive to these things (my car, a 991.2 C2S, does have SPASM and 20s on PS4S as a point of reference). Comparing to a GTI is interesting too; I have an Audi S3 which is a very similar chassis (may be identical honestly; I know it's shared with the Golf R at least...), and I would say you can almost hear a pin drop in the Audi (despite a few creaks and rattles). The Audi or Macan is my preference if I have a decently long drive on a highway, for sure.

Bob Z.

Ha! Drive one and you'll see what I mean...the car seems so much smaller and fun to toss around.

rugu6869

I wonder if the "noise level" in the 911 is a matter of tone or resonance?

Some ears may be more tuned in to and aggravated by certain tones or resonance than others. It's like how some people love a certain voice and think it's beautiful and others think it sounds horrible.
The swing from one extreme to the other just doesn't seem to be the norm. Something else must be at play here.

Read the note in the second paragraph (I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post it directly). I speaks of how loudness is how humans perceive sounds, and it's subjective.
https://www.caranddriver.com/feature...sted-decibels/

This has been discussed here before at great lengths:
https://rennlist.com/forums/991/1067887-road-noise.html

asellus

Previous Mk7.5 R owner here. I think the Audi version has a bit better fit and finish and some more deadening. My R could have used a little more deadening, but it was definitely on the quiet side of things, especially considering it's just a souped up economy car. My 2005 Legacy GT, though? That was a quiet car.

ICU991812

When I want quiet, I drive my LS430. That thing is like a tomb. So quiet, and many time, I don't even know the engine is running because no vibration to the steering wheels or gear shifter at all. We got a 911 to NOT be quiet, we want to hear that engine roar and feel it. The 18 ways seats are good feature for sure, but then engine noise doesn't bother me one bit on the 991, as this is our "beast" and we let it roar.

KWP1911

I was thinking the same thing. Lexus probably has something more to the OP's liking. LOL

jdcolombo

Why would you buy a car like a 911 and want it to be quiet? Really?

Get a Tesla Model S Plaid. 0-60 in 2 seconds. Quiet. Or if you have to have the Porsche emblem, a Taycan Turbo with 0-60 at 2.4 seconds. Also quiet.

You buy a 911 so you can hear the flat-6 sing, spit, roar, whine, and everything else. Although I will say that at cruising speed on good pavement, my 991.1 C2S Cab is quieter than my BMW 128i convertible was. But if I wanted quiet (and long-term comfort), my wife's X5 is the ticket.

Valvefloat991

You've got it exactly backwards. High-powered EVs can also have plenty of irritating tire and road noise. What they lack are the great engine sounds.

This is a simple distinction. Engine and mechanical sounds are good--like HDL cholesterol. I think we all agree about this.

Road and tire noise are ugly noise--like LDL cholesterol. It's hard for me to comprehend how anyone derives any satisfaction from such din.

What's worse is that the bad sounds mask the good sounds.

manifold danger

I think a consensus has been reached... despite a few objections, the 911 is undeniably a noisy car, in a good way and a bad way. I think my original sentiment still holds up- if noise is an actual thing you think about when considering a car purchase, best to just stay away because you will be disappointed.

I also agree that engine noise is good, but constant tire roar at highway speed cannot possibly be considered a positive. It's an annoyance that I've just accepted because the rest of the car is so fantastic, and I didn't buy it to be a highway cruiser.

One more thing I'll add though is my car seems to be quite affected by the type of pavement. Some stretches of a local highway feels like I'm in an actual airplane and it drowns out the radio... but I'll concede that's not the norm. Maybe some folks who don't think the noise is that substantial just are blessed with better roads- or I'm just cursed with some really bad roads. Nonetheless, it's more noticeable in this car than any others I drive consistently.

ICU991812

Tire and wind noise actually is what most of the noise in any car cabin is. You notice this when you drive over freshly paved and smooth roads. Most of the road noise is eliminated and then you hear more the wind noise off the car and engine. I have not yet driven on a newly paved road in the 911, but I would be curious to see what most of the cabin noise is. Right now, I really am focused more on the engine noise when I drive.