nicoff

991 Cab MT Quick Report
Went to dealer to order a 991 Cab. Found out that their allocation was pretty full through the end of the summer. There was a 991 base Cab with MT on the lot and ended up taking it home.
Impressions after 200 miles on the road (as compared with first generation 997 Cab):
Seats: Very comfortable seats. MUCH more comfortable than the 997. Will help on long trips!
Driver Position vs. MT: It took me a little bit to get used to the new position of the shifter. But once I did, I feel that it is a more natural position than before. Still getting used to the 7th gear.
MT: This manual transmission is very smooth. The MT transmission in the 997 feels clunky in comparison!
Exhaust: Both my old 997 and the 991 have standard exhaust. However, the 991 sound is so much louder, that one would think that the 991 came with PSE. With the top up, you can hear the engine sound even more than with the top down (must be the sound symposer thing). After a while, will try to drive a 991 car with PSE to see the difference. If you are coming from a non PSE-equipped car and were thinking of PSE on the new one, you might be able to save yourself money and not get PSE.
Other: My 997 had the audio controls on the steering wheel. Of all the buttons in it I only used the volume control and always felt that it was easier to just reach for the actual controls. I still prefer the steering wheel without all the buttons but every so often I find myself trying to adjust the volume from the steering.
Bose Stereo: The sound of the Bose in the 991 is like night and day as compared to the 997 Bose system. Will try to listen to a base audio sometime to compare. Note: The new cab roof makes the car SO quiet, that you can really get to enjoy a nice stereo in a cab! However, I kept turning the volume down so that I could hear the engine though.
Driving: This car is much easier to drive. On the twisties, it feels like it rides on tracks. Very reassuring and solidly planted on the road.

Pictures attached.

VC74

nice color! is it dark bue metalic?

nicoff

Yes it is Dark Blue Metallic. My old 997 was Basalt Black Metallic and I wanted another Basalt Black Metallic until my wife said that she liked the Dark Blue Metallic better. Without her approval, it would have been an uphill battle. So now that I have a dark blue metallic, and I can tell you that this car color has grown on me. It has hues that make it look black under certain light and blue in other conditions. And, I am starting to like the blue hues just as much too. So we are both happy.

One more thing: the 991 brakes. They are more responsive than in the 997. Less pressure on the pedal and yet faster response and braking power (did Porsche put a "sport" mode on the brakes?!).

With all the comfort features of the 991, this car has become really a luxury car (first) and a sports car (second). Porsche will still make the GT3s, turbos and other hardcore 911s for the old faithful. But (I think) that they are aiming to entice the lovers of other luxury car brands like Mercedes and Jaguars and convert them into the Porsche faith. Maybe there is a convergence going on here: Porsche is coming from the sports world adding ever more luxury features to these vehicles while the Mercedes/Jaguar(?) brand is trying to become more sporty. Just a thought.

Targa Tim

Congrats. Guess you won't be driving the GT-R for a while.

Galion

Great report, thanks for posting.
How do you like non PASM suspension?, still a luxury car ride for you?

nicoff

Thank you! Good eye! Actually, my wife calls the P-car "the wife" and the GT-R "the mistress". They both deserve one's attention! :-D

nicoff

I like the non-pasm 991 suspension better than the non pasm 997 so far. I have not driven it hard. Keeping it below 4k rpm during break-in except when downshifting (I hope a little pushing helps with the break-in :-D).
The suspension is like a sports car (unlike my wife's 335 that feels like a cushion ride in comparison).
This car is a bit hard to categorize because it has so much luxury in it and yet it IS still a sports car. A dichotomy of sorts.

jcf7

beautiful car! enjoy!

SSST

That was a good report and great looking car. As a cab owner, I can appreciate the improvements you describe. I would really like to feel the new MT. You're right in that the 996/997 was a bit clunky. Especially 1st to 2nd.

dethman

I think the thing that makes me most jealous on the 991 cab is the automatic deflector. I hate taking mine in/ out on my 997.2 cab

Carrera GT

I'll refrain from chastising you for the cars in the background of those photos ... : )

If you want the multi-function wheel, I'm sure the parts department can make it happen.

I agree that having volume/mute on the wheel is important for a driver/commuter car (at what price, I can't say, but it's certainly nice to not have to hear inane commercials and the wheel makes it easy to scroll up and down through multiple satellite radio channels without distraction.)

Does the car have the "plus" steering? I'm curious to hear your feedback once you settle in to the new car. Thanks.

cole328

Looking good....how does the new "wind screen" function? Seems like an awesome improvement over the old manual install (which I now have on my M3 as well)

nicoff

Except for the volume control i found the multifunction steering wheel to be cumbersome to use. The radio is so closely positioned to the driver that it is easy to reach except when you have the gear in 3rd or 5th (the stick gets in the way). Not a big issue though.

The car does not have the steering plus option. So far, I have no complaints about the steering. However I did notice that this car seems to have a shorter turning radius.

Ps. The background cars are the result of my bad handling of the camera. Pardon the distraction!

nicoff

The automatic screen works like a charm. Up or down at the press of a button. A great improvement indeed.

pt767

Great looking car! Are those wheels the 19's or 20's?....thnx