Mine was just OK until i added the GT4 shifter and linkage ($250 from suncoast). Now I really like the MT. One thing, the shift pattern is different. Most people who have owned 1 for over a year have developed the muscle memory for the pattern. They all like the clutch and shift action. The occasional person will jump in one for the first time and not find gears in the normal place and report they do not like the 7 speed. This has everything to do with muscle memory and the human condition to resist change.

 

I have a 991.1S with 7MT so it's not exactly what you are looking for. I find it rewarding to have to downshift to get into the powerband and if you are not going to daily it, you'll probably enjoy it quite a bit as well. It's fun to downshift into 3rd (or even 2nd) on the freeway and make some passes, and the power is not lacking so much that you need to rev the hell out of it to get into the powerband.

 

(Did I just make the mistake of letting go of my '90 325is MT?)

 

My 991.1 C2 Cab has the 7MT and I like it. The 7th gear is really an overdrive and I never use it, even on the highway. I sat in a 997 recently for the first time in a long time and you forget how dated it the interior is compared to the relatively modern 991.1. The 991.1 also has rev matching, which I need. The 997 is a great car if you want a future classic to drive occasionally, But if you plan to drive it a couple times a week, I'd go with the 991.1.

 

The 997.2 is maybe the real sweet spot for a 911. To me, it has the proper size and appropriate power making it the best modern 911 and one that is closest in spirit to what a 911 was intended to be. Yeah some of the tech is dated, but that can be dealt with. Wish I had a spot in the garage for one. I'd try to wrangle away from the owner the one I saw last night - a 2010 S .2 in Ruby Red Metallic. The car was pristine and rolled a really nice spec.

 

An E30 325is superior to an E30 M3 in so many ways. Your biggest mistake was not selling it to me!

In all seriousness, we’re people of some means debating the finer points of Porsche 911s. What I think many like-minded people miss is just how incredibly engaging to drive far cheaper cars can be. We have a habit of poo-pooing things that are old and slow. But have we driven an E30 or E46? Have we driven a Fiesta ST? I have, and they’re incredible driving experiences. I commuted 100 miles today in a 19 year old car with 225hp. I guarantee I had a more engaging commute than the guy in the Turbo S.

 

Manual makes all the difference for me. Nothing wrong with PDK as I have one but in a 991.1 would make me feel like I’m along for the ride. Just the way I’m wired up.

Interesting comment about the E46. If I had upgraded my E36 M3 to an E46 version, I wouldn’t be on this forum today. The E46 could have saved me a lot of $$.

 

I cant add much as I've never driven a 3.4 7MT, but I do have a 3.8 7MT and never ever thought the gearing was too tall. I drove a 981 GT4 afew years back and that was noticably taller (and annoying).. I feel like the 7MT is geared fine. I did end up adding a numeric shifter / cables for more feel and it's been sublime. What's your budget?

 

I built this Gdoc for a friend who's entering the market soonish. He is also torn between 991.1 & 997.2 manual only. You may find it useful. One thought I have is that during the deployment of the 997 manual was still at the core of the 911 experience. Thus the 997 experience is better with a manual transmission. This thought derives from the fact that 991.1 Base has a slower 0-60 then the 997.2 Base 0-60 when comparing manual to manual. For Porsche to release the 991.1 as such I figure their main objective was PDK experience and thus the manual was a secondary objective and could even be slower then the previous gen. Not to say that a 991.1 Manual is a bad experience. There is no wrong choice here, but just an interesting thought.

 

Do you mind sharing where your facts came from? Couldn’t open the google doc you linked. I’ve never seen a new Porsche model to be slower than it’s equivalent older model and I am not sure the 997.2 manual is faster than the 991.1 carrera manual as claimed.

Thx
N

 

It's not

 

Updated the google doc permission. The source for both is Wikipedia which may not be the best source.

 

Not sure if anyone mentioned it (or if I remember correctly) but the manual boxes on the 991 are derived from the PDK transmission. I really like my 991.2 manual, but perhaps the 997 "real" manual gear box might feel better.

 

It doesn’t. I own a 997S manual and while I do like the 6-speed manual, I’ve also driven a friend’s 991.2S 7-speed manual and I liked the feel of the 7-speed more because it was shorter throw, seemed very direct and easy to snick into each gear. I have the stock shifter though.

 

We are talking about gearing. Second gear in the 991 goes to 84mph. Makes canyon driving less engaging as you will need to downshift to first when exiting certain corners to stay in the powerband. I’m used to downshifting to second for the same scenarios in most other cars. This is a large component of a car being fun.

As far as shifters go, a simple numeric shifter install in the 997 will deliver a far better than 991 shift feel.