nicoff

A Comparison: the 991 cab vs. 997 Cab
I test-drove my local dealer’s first 991 cabriolet today. It is a 991S with a base price of about $109k. It had a few options that brought the price to about $120. Going from memory, it had the premium package, Bose audio package, PDK, and ventilated seat; it did NOT have PSE or “performance” options.

Here is my comparison:
· Performance: Coming from a 997 with 325 hp, I could tell the difference between it and the 400 hp of the 991S only when I pushed it. The difference was not noticeable under normal driving. I am considering a base 991 (non-S) which will have 25 hp more than my current 997 so the difference between it and the 991S model than I drove should be even less than what I experienced.
· PDK: I am a manual transmission kind of guy so the only comment that I will make is that shifting with buttons is confusing. Porsche needs to drop the buttons and go with paddles, which are much more intuitive!
· The Ride: The 991 ride is more refined than that of the 997. For some that could be bad but not for me. I liked the ride very much. No problem with the steering here.
· Audio system: I took a couple of my own CDs with me to listen in the 991. On the way there, I played the CDs in my 997 cab stereo (Bose) to give me a point of reference. Then I played the same CDs in the 991 with the top up and with the top down. The Bose in the 991 is MUCH better than that in my 997. The sound is richer, fuller and the music is more involving. I had originally thought that the base audio system would have sufficed because it was a convertible and assumed that there would be a lot of noise coming from the outside. To my pleasant surprise, the interior of the 991 cab is so much quieter than that of my 997 cab that you can actually listen to the difference in sound even with the top down. The Burmester I am sure would be better sounding, but it is overkill for me.
· The interior finish: The 991 cab had a partial leather finish. Coming from a 997 with full-leather interior, my wife felt that the panels looked too plastic. Here is an option that will not make the car go faster but may make your wife happy. For once my wife and I agree on something!
· The Interior Noise and the Exhaust sound: The 991 cabin is MUCH quieter than that of a 997. I was amazed how quiet the 991 cab can be with the top up. I am sure the titanium panels in the roof have something to do with it. The 991S did NOT have PSE, however, the sound of the exhaust is SO much better than my non-PSE 997! For anyone going from a 997 non-PSE to a non PSE 991 there WILL be a noticeable improvement in the exhaust sound. How did Porsche do it? From what I understand, when you put the car in sport mode (a standard feature now) Porsche pipes some of the exhaust noise into the cabin. With the top down and sport mode on, you can hear the growling of the engine very clearly. If you put the top up while still in sport mode, you can still hear the growl of the engine but not as loud. But if you turn the sport mode off, the cabin becomes so much quieter and you do not hear the engine growl anymore. In essence, you can hear the engine sound only when you want to. Caution: The loud exhaust noise can become tiring on long trips I wonder if there is a way of stopping the “sound piping” while keeping the car in sport mode. With the PSE being louder still, being able to stop the “sound piping” without exiting sport mode can be even more important.
· My Summary: Most folks coming from a 997 or 997S cannot go wrong going straight into a 991 or 991S. You will get a more refined ride, a more powerful engine, and a quieter or louder vehicle as you may prefer. Whatever else YOU want to add in terms of options will make the car better for YOUR taste. I for one, after listening to the non-PSE 991 will not be getting the PSE option and instead will try to keep the wife happy with the full-leather.

cmb13

Thanks for the nice write up!

skinzy

Any impressions about breaking? Great review!

SSST

Breaking or braking? It's an important difference?

Good write up.

billyii

Thanks for such an interesting review. I always enjoy reading first hand impressions and opinions.

Abby Normal

The optional sport wheel gives you a dedicated paddle for up/down shifts rather than the buttons on the standard or multi-function wheel. Like you, I prefer this type of set up over the universal buttons.

nicoff

Braking was very responsive. However, keep in mind that I did not take this vehicle to the track. The brakes in the 997 perform beautifully at the track so I would not expect anything less from the 991.

rcyphermd

Did you notice any difference on the ease of entering or exiting? I saw one at the Detroit auto show this week. The door sill seemed much wider and higher making t harder to get in and out. Your thoughts?

FORENN

Nice, informative write-up. Thanks for posting.

nicoff

It is much easier to get in and out. PCM allows to select an easy entry option. When you select that setting the seats move back and the steering wheel retracts once you take the key out. Of course, you must have electric seats for that to work.

chuckbdc

Nice write up! One observation on the steering wheel buttons (irrelevant if you prefer a clutch). I found them confusing and immediately recognized the sport wheel design integration (particularly with leather) with the rest of the interior trim.

I found a car I liked (with buttons) and was all set to order a sport wheel to get the paddles. That lasted for about a week. By then button operation became second nature By the time the car was broken in (about a month, and I understood (and appreciated) the PDK modes, button/paddle distinction became totally irrelevant. Shifting by fingers or hand is occassionally entertaining, but irrelevant to performance. All the controll one want is there when one wants it in any case, even with a toe wiggle throttle "blip". But the sport wheel looks better.

rpilot

Thank you for the write up. It is always good to hear others assessments about a 991. I will however, take an execption to this statement:

I find the buttons much more useful than the paddles. They are more ergonomic, they allow you to use your free hand if one is busy, they allow you to have full grip on the steering during a turn and do not leave you searching for the correct paddle when you are in a turn to downshift for instance, you can just use the closest button. The F1 style paddles may be more useful if they were mounted on the column, but again I can't say for sure... I honestly believe the engineers and user interface experts' feelings were hurt when they were asked to provide F1 paddles after they had come up with what they thought was the perfect solution.

IMO, the paddles give a more involving feel FWIW in the driving experience vs the buttons initially, especially if you are used to doing the 3 pedal dance, hence the preference of some in that respect. In the end one gets used to the different interface.

Regardless, I realize you may prefer the paddles, period. The one good thing about Porsche is the ability to customize to your tastes, so I see no reason why they should get rid of the buttons.

simsgw

The rest of the OP's review matches my own impressions, but I think rpilot has just written the best comparison of the two shifting options I've read. I also agree with ChuckPDC that the more you drive a PDC, the less need you feel to override it's decisions.

Of course that makes it crucial to be able to find the controls readily when you do conceive a need the PDK hasn't foreseen. i used the 'buttons' constantly during break-in to force early upshifts and to prevent downshifts at over-enthusiast high rpm levels. Since 2000 miles, I rarely have to override its decisions because it adapts to my mood so well. When I do, it's nice not having to pause to remember which hand governs upshifts and which is held responsible for downshifts. The action is the same with either hand. If you drive some other paddle-based car as well, it might be important to keep your habits, but otherwise I agree with rpilot that the 'buttons' are well designed for this role and there is no 'intuitive' basis for choice except old habits for those who have them. Check whether the paddle assignments are consistent with your other cars before choosing that option.

For readers who haven't done their own comparisons yet, it probably is worth saying that the 'buttons' are not. That is, not buttons. They are more like ergonomic cousins of those paddles, but built into the section of the multi-function steering wheel where your hand naturally rests. The back side is beneath your first three fingers and the front side lies under the two distal segments of each thumb. Calling them 'buttons' is a calumny of petty reviewers. Commanding a shift does not require a fiddly finger motion so much as a hand motion. That sounds like a pedant's distinction, but in practical terms it matters a lot.

Gary

jondavid

great write up and thread

nicoff - you said you're a MT kind of guy. id encourage you to drive it - ESP with the 3.4. one drive switched me from PDK C2S to 7MT C2.

meine911

MT on 997 was good. On 991 it's great!