aamersa

I've ordered a 991, my first porsche, and my only previously owned luxury car has been the BMW 550i 2008. So how different will the porsche experience be from a driving stand point ?

I have only test driven a 2011 carrera GTS, and that didn't seem substantially more powerful than my BMW, though I know the porsche is much faster 0-60.

Mspeedster

I've owned both BMWs and Porsches. Depends how you drive. If you're just cruising around, the difference probably won't be as huge. Drive the cars in anger on a twisty road or track, then you'll notice the difference. One is a sports car the other is a sedan.

Riz

The 991 should feel exactly like a 5 series. I think that is what Porsche was going for.

lowside67

Is this a serious question? How different will my brand new 911 coupe feel from my 4 year old 4000lb BMW V8 sedan?

aamersa

Given that I don't have experience with other luxury cars I think it is a legit question. Granted one is a heavy v8 sedan and the other a much lighter sports car.

tgcrun

Until July my daily driver was an '08 M3 sedan. The M3 replaced my '05 530xi wagon. In March we purchased my wife's '09 C4S, which was our first 911 since selling our '05 C2 four years ago. While the M3 is more sports car like than the 550, I might be able to give you some insight. I loved the M3. It could carry 5 people, was fast, nimble and very well balance. Coming from a somewhat underpowered wagon (although it was a six speed manual), I thought the M3 was the perfect car. Then we got the 911. Just a totally different animal. While I have never tracked either car and I wouldn't call myself an expert driver, I did regularly drive them on the same twisty roads of central Pennsylvania during the 4 months we had both cars. It's hard to explain, but driving the 911 is just a better, more fun and satisfying experience. I'm sure that difference will be multiplied when you switch from your 550 to the 991. As a runner, it's like going from my 10 ounce training shoes to my 6 ounce racing flats. Enjoy.

Carcam

Depends how you drive. Driven slowly around town, the BMW may feel faster because it has more low end torque. Wind it out, get into some curves and the Porsche will feel much better. The BMW is a very nice car so it's not like you're going from a Camry to a Porsche.

aamersa

I remember the jump from ford to BMW and that was significant. But this may not be as much particularly since I live in a busy city where it is hard to push any car to its limits. I am not a track person.

Also, note that my dealer said this 991 will drive differently from all previous 911s as it is all new inside & out, in fact he didn't recommend comparing it to the GTS with I test drove.

I do think porsche is trying to get in the luxury folk like myself, for the longest time I was looking in to getting an e63, but then at the last minute I said what the heck, let's get a porsche. The all new model and the fact that it is getting more luxurious was a factor.

Mspeedster

This is kind of amusing. Your statement is exactly the fear that many old school Porsche purists are afraid of. That the 991 is too big, too luxury oriented and going soft. They want the 911 to be a hard core sports car, true to its earlier roots.

If the 991 driving experience is really similar to that of a luxury sedan, we'll have a mutiny of the 911 faithful on hand. But my prediction is that once folks actually have a chance to drive the 991, all such fears will be put to bed.

aamersa

The fact that 911 has become a "luxury sports car" persuaded me to order one. If it were purely a hardcore sports car then I would probably not be buyer.

In my opinion unless a car is made exclusively for the track it should have both comfort and dynamic performance.

Porsche realizes that the hardcore sports car market alone is not large enough so it is broadening its target market.

If they are smart I think they will manage to please both the sports car lovers and the luxury lovers, as I don't think the two are mutually exclusive.

JamesT7

aamersa,

Let me ask how did you like the 911 GTS? If it did not feel too harsh then the 991 certainly will not. The 997 is a good day to day car so the 991 is going to equal that. The 991 isn't growing in width or length by that much so if anything it will be smoother to drive on all sorts of roads and give the driver a comfortable interior.

I think what we have seen since the water cooled 911s is Porsche understanding that if their cars are going to cost as much as they do then you better have the kind of features people want and expect in a car of this caliber. Just because the 911 has luxury items in it does not mean it is a luxury sedan. Personally I am looking forward to the 991 and I can't wait to drive one home.

Cheers

aamersa

No it wasn't harsh at all. Quite comfortable in fact. The only difference from my sedan was that it was very low down, so getting in and out was a different experience.

rodsky

Porsche went to two "lines" with the introduction of the GT series. The GT series is for more hard core trackies and the Carrera is for street. i started with a 3.2 in 1989 and those cars were not very "street" friendly. Air con - sorta, loud, rough, harsh. Great - yes, but not very civilized. The 997.2 I now own is a blend. Its fast - off the line and handles beautifully. But all the stuff works - nav, BT, a/c, heater, heated seats etc. Its truly amazing. All the purists should calm down to a panic, and buy a GT3 if they really are a purist. The 991 will be great and the natural evolution of the 997.

Alstoy

I have a 3 series and a 997. One friend has a M5 & another a 540. I like them all. Can't really compare one to the other, but they are all great cars in their own way. Given a choice I would, and did, go with the Porsche. Spend some time in the 997 and you may realize what the rest of us do-there just isn't anything else I would ever want to own. Cheers.

E in Phila

If you have driven a GTS and the only comparison you draw to a 550 is that they seem similar in power, a powerful sedan might actually be a better choice for you.