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I know you can't compare a V8 (N/A or Turbo) to the flat 6, but I think the PSE (991.2) is pretty quiet in the vehicle. I much prefer the sound of my former C63 and my current E63 AMG to the 911.2 with PSE.
I went to a Soul Trackback with highflow cats, and loved how they sounded, but the cold start was not popular with my neighbors. I went back to the OEM PSE to keep my neighbors happy. I head to work at 530am, and it definitely was not appropriate to be waking up the cul de sac each morning.
Now I am looking at other valved PSE options that are louder than the OEM PSE setup.
There are options for upgraded / louder versions of a valved PSE exhaust.
Make sure you drive the cars you are wanting to buy to ensure that your 'needs' are met.
The C8 has been on my list, the sound of an NA v8 is hard to beat... but the 911 seems more special and is more practical
I'm not surprised to hear you think the PSE was too quiet, modern luxury cars are too good at noise isolation. I had an m340i with some mods and you could barely hear it unless the windows were down...
I've had some fu NA cars that are a blast to rev out but not the most exciting if you're racing stoplights, but the 991.1 seems to have a healthy powerband and decent torque down low, I'll have to test drive one but I'm thinking it's probably plenty.
I've had so many turbo / supercharged cars that I just want something different and although I love turbo wooshy noises, I think NA exhaust is the best.
One thing I'm wondering about is if the sport exhaust is worth it or if aftermarket is decent.
Im also wondering what price I should be aiming for. I want an S coupe or cabrio, sport chrono, PSE, any other options are a bonus. I plan to put some miles on it so I don't need anything low mileage, I figure something in the 30k to 70k range. Looking at BaT I see a wide range for examples in the $55k to $90k range.
Other than mileage and condition, some of the biggest variables in 991.1 pricing are going to be 1- 7MT (+20-30%) vs PDK, 2- Coupe vs Cabrio (-10-20%), 3-Color, 4-Options (PSE, PASM/SPASM, CCB, No sunroof, 18 ways, sport design/aerokit, full leather,.... all big +'s). This is why the price ranges you are seeing are so broad.
Other than mileage and condition, some of the biggest variables in 991.1 pricing are going to be 1- 7MT (+20-30%) vs PDK, 2- Coupe vs Cabrio (-10-20%), 3-Color, 4-Options (PSE, PASM/SPASM, CCB, No sunroof, 18 ways, sport design/aerokit, full leather,.... all big +'s). This is why the price ranges you are seeing are so broad.
Thanks - makes sense. I can see why color is such a big factor, almost every 911 I see is black/grey/white... why does everyone order the boring colors??
Thanks - makes sense. I can see why color is such a big factor, almost every 911 I see is black/grey/white... why does everyone order the boring colors??
ironically, I just saw a few minutes ago this one pop up. It checks almost every box.... S Coupe, 7MT, slicktop, 18 ways, full leather, SPASM, PSE....and it's not silver, white, or black. I think this is a good price for this car. I would have bought it sight unseen 6 months ago.
When we were looking at getting our 718 Cayman (S), we looked at 911’s - our 718 with delivery and all was 109k, so that gets you a decent lightly used 991. But I will say, coming from a Miata, consider a cayman or boxster 100% - it’s like a grown up MX5 really. Personally, I prefer the look and the upgrades that the .2 give, so I’d probably go that route over a 991.1. However, the sound of the NA engines are really awesome, so if that matters to you, go that route. I eventually would love to own a 4S, 4 GTS, or Turbo S coupe. Maybe some day
I will say, if you want a convertible, get a boxster vs. a 911 cab. The 911 doesn’t look quite right as a cab, whereas the boxster atleast looks decent (but to be perfectly honest, I never thought any Porsche was best suited as a drop top.. sue me, but I think convertibles are best suited to something you drive leisurely and are first and foremost luxury cars.. i.e. a 560SL… I think a 911 coupe with a sunroof is a happy medium, however a slick top is sweet!)
TDLR; you can’t go wrong with either - I think find one with sport chrono, PASM, and PSE. Other nice things to have are manual (or PDK, both are great) 18 way seats, leather, heated cooled seats, rear axle steering, front axle lift, etc
Last edited by PunsGalore; Mar 7, 2026 at 10:54 PM.
The C8 has been on my list, the sound of an NA v8 is hard to beat... but the 911 seems more special and is more practical
I'm not surprised to hear you think the PSE was too quiet, modern luxury cars are too good at noise isolation. I had an m340i with some mods and you could barely hear it unless the windows were down...
2020 was the only year you could really hear the exhaust note on the G20 M340i - 2021 onwards they added a mild hybrid system and made the exhaust significantly quieter. Regardless of if you get a .2 or a .1, highly reccomend a SOUL valved exhaust! Really adds character
Last edited by PunsGalore; Mar 7, 2026 at 10:54 PM.
Significantly more grunt than the 991.1 and feels faster than the difference in HP numbers suggest
Better EPAS programming than the 991.1
Interior details still feel contemporary (steering wheel, paddles, CarPlay)
991.1
NA exhaust note that you’re just not going to get with a turbocharged 991.2
There are a litany of minor improvements that Porsche made with the 991.2. Some of these things like the steering wheel can be easily retrofitted to a 991.1.
IMHO, the 991 is the sweet spot generation of modern 911s. With a .1 or .2, you really can’t go wrong. For my own needs and how I drive, the 991.2 is a better fit, but YMMV.
The exhaust note on a 991.2 can be dramatically improved (in addition to a few more HP and torque) by plug and play swapping OEM cats with Soul sport cats. Have it on my .2 S with manual transmission and sounds great. A suggestion if you want the .2 but want improved exhaust note.
i would say prioritize an S and to me sport suspension makes a big difference in the look and feel.
the n/a or turbo drivetrains are different in sound and feel, I suggest trying one of each to see what speaks to you. The performance of either is more than enough (for me) on street and track so you cannot go wrong.
i have a 991.1s with aerokit, sport suspension, adaptive seats and it came with a soul valved exhaust. Nothing shy of a gt3 would get me to swap, fwiw.
I've had some fu NA cars that are a blast to rev out but not the most exciting if you're racing stoplights, but the 991.1 seems to have a healthy powerband and decent torque down low, I'll have to test drive one but I'm thinking it's probably plenty.
I've had so many turbo / supercharged cars that I just want something different and although I love turbo wooshy noises, I think NA exhaust is the best.
One thing I'm wondering about is if the sport exhaust is worth it or if aftermarket is decent.
Im also wondering what price I should be aiming for. I want an S coupe or cabrio, sport chrono, PSE, any other options are a bonus. I plan to put some miles on it so I don't need anything low mileage, I figure something in the 30k to 70k range. Looking at BaT I see a wide range for examples in the $55k to $90k range.
I live in Southern Maine.....not many stop lights to deal with! I'm mostly on curvy New England backroads, which seem to be a sweet spot for the .1, at least for me. I do have factory PSE, and I think its quite nice. I can tone it down in my neighborhood, but make some noise on the back roads ripping through the MT gears. Would a Soul setup sound better? Probably, but I don't feel the need.....yet. Pricing for a 991.1S is highly dependent on spec.....as others indicate: MT vs PDK, coupe vs cab, options, colors, etc. But most importantly, find an example with decent service history. Lower mileage MT coupes seem to be in the $90k to $110k range currently....and they can be tough to find.
The exhaust note on a 991.2 can be dramatically improved (in addition to a few more HP and torque) by plug and play swapping OEM cats with Soul sport cats. Have it on my .2 S with manual transmission and sounds great. A suggestion if you want the .2 but want improved exhaust note.
I have a set of Soul HFCs on my 991.2 and they help iimprove the sound. But it still is pretty muted in the car. I know that the car is much louder when hear from outside / behind it, but as the driver I just hear what is inside the cabin.
I know with straight pipes (Soul Trackback) after high flow cats the car can get loud and sound good. But there needs to be a happy compromise.
ironically, I just saw a few minutes ago this one pop up. It checks almost every box.... S Coupe, 7MT, slicktop, 18 ways, full leather, SPASM, PSE....and it's not silver, white, or black. I think this is a good price for this car. I would have bought it sight unseen 6 months ago.
Very nice spec! But out of my budget, I'm trying to stay under $80k...
Originally Posted by PunsGalore
2020 was the only year you could really hear the exhaust note on the G20 M340i - 2021 onwards they added a mild hybrid system and made the exhaust significantly quieter. Regardless of if you get a .2 or a .1, highly reccomend a SOUL valved exhaust! Really adds character
Yep, I test drove a 2020 with the M sport exhaust and fell in love with it. I waited a few months before buying mine and got a 2021... it was completely different and very underwhelming.
Funny enough, I have a 2020 x3 m40i and it sounds amazing for a grocery getter
Originally Posted by detansinn
991.2
Significantly more grunt than the 991.1 and feels faster than the difference in HP numbers suggest
Better EPAS programming than the 991.1
Interior details still feel contemporary (steering wheel, paddles, CarPlay)
991.1
NA exhaust note that you’re just not going to get with a turbocharged 991.2
There are a litany of minor improvements that Porsche made with the 991.2. Some of these things like the steering wheel can be easily retrofitted to a 991.1.
IMHO, the 991 is the sweet spot generation of modern 911s. With a .1 or .2, you really can’t go wrong. For my own needs and how I drive, the 991.2 is a better fit, but YMMV.
Originally Posted by Mjpicc
The exhaust note on a 991.2 can be dramatically improved (in addition to a few more HP and torque) by plug and play swapping OEM cats with Soul sport cats. Have it on my .2 S with manual transmission and sounds great. A suggestion if you want the .2 but want improved exhaust note.
You guys might have convinced me to get a 991.2 instead... I like to fiddle with my cars and the tuning potential of the 991.2 sounds much more accessible, COBB + Soul exhaust and that's more than enough to get me in trouble. I'm also not a fan of the steering wheel most .1's come with, I know you retrofit the newer wheel, but I'd rather put that $2k towards something performance related.
Unfortunately for me, the wife wants to drive this one too, so no MT
Having had both in C4S configuration and both manuals, I’d go with a 991.2. The first gen electric steering in the 991.1 is terrible. And changing it to GT3 setting does not help much. If you want a nice one in either configuration it’s going to be more than 80k. Some 991.1 S models are seeing bore scoring too.
