william_b_noble

if you are counting porsche generations, start with the 356. I have a 356A, it is a far cry from a 991. It doesn't go fast, and it doesn't stop fast (large drum brakes always out of adjustment), but it's light, comfortable and efficient.

if you are only counting 911, where does the 912 fit in?

Mike in CA

By Porsche's count there are 7 911 iterations. You didn't include the change from the long hood F body to the G body cars with integrated front bumpers in 1973-4.

pyramid

I might be in the minority here, but I'll share my story

I never like 911, I cannot understand why unpropotional and frog looking car being so popular and a lot of people still buying them. With that being said, I'm most likely ended up with either BMW or Mercedes.

One day, a friend drove her brand new 991 to my house. I cannot believe how beautiful and proportional the new 911 is now. I borrowed it for a quick test drive. But it was so new and I hesitate to rev above 4k rpm. I thought this car is slow and still overprice to owned. I'm still happy with my beloved BMW F10.

Talk about value, porsche is unthinkable to own where I live. This value thing is country's specific. The 991 carrera with adequate options (pdk, ptv, sport chrono, leather interior, 14 way seat, sunroof, Bose, and other small stuff but no PCM) is still around 5% more expensive than a fully loaded Cls63 Amg with Performance Package. Between 991 vs 991s, both bare bone stock, is near usd60k in different.

One day, I was offered a 2years old panamera turbo at the very hard to refuse price (with only 3500km on the odo). I made the purchase right away. It was basalt black in black. I never like dark color car but at the right price, who am I to complainned. Amazed with the power and handling and though it is now logical to own a Porsche when buying used.

Then doing reading about porsches on the web, made me aware that the N/A engine in 991 needs more than 4k rpm to wake up. Now the 991 itch begun, I sold my ptt at no lost. The more I look at 991 silhouette/shape, the more I like them. Call up my friend, odometer passed break-in frame, and borrowed her car for a day. What a pleasure . Went to the only Porsche dealer in town, find allocation, and custom ordered my first brand new Porsche. Fully loaded 991 will be here in January'13.

theporscheguy

Born just outside Stuttgart and made my first plant tour when I was 4 and was hooked for life.

71pest

Wow, am I the only one who started with a Beetle and progressed to Porsche?

Had a 71 Super Beetle for 13 years and loved everything about it other than it was slow!! So naturally I now have my 86 Carrera which remind me alot about my Bug but a little more power

deturney

I started with a Beetle, a 63 bought used in 68? A few years later I bought another Beetle, a new 74 standard. Then comes decades of other cars (sports and others) but with a constant desire for a 911. My first Porsche was a Cayman, then now my 991S. Both wonderful cars in their own way. My 991s ownership will be for the long term.

rnl

Saw my first 911 at Moore Motors in Philadelphia in 1966. I believe it was a green targa. My dad was shopping for a VW bug. I was twelve years old an i was hooked. Have wanted one ever since. Bought a 991 this summer and the 46 year wait was at an end.

fast1

My first sports car was a 67 vette, 327 ci 350 HP. In 1970 I had the pleasure of going to Watkins Glen with a friend who had a 911. After driving the car for about 20 minutes I was sold, even though it had far less HP than my vette. The handling and fit and finish of the 911 just blew me away. Today there are many cars that are built well, but back then Porsche was in a class by itself. A few months later I sold my vette and bought a 911.

OldGuy

When I was 5 I saw my first corvette, and MAN that was IT! I was going to buy a Corvette! Then my uncle who was an Air Force officer and my parents ALWAYS made me be on my best behaviour when going to Uncle Jacks house, brought home a 911S. I thought Uncle Jack was the best guy ever! So when I saw that 911 I fell in love. And since he was the most important person in my family I followed Uncle Jack around like a little dog. Then over the years I became to understand WHY Uncle Jack was so smart as he progressed in his career he got me going in academics and eventually engineering. I read everything I could read about Porsche. The Porsche engineers have a mystique with other engineers so it was only natural that I get a Porsche. And when I was in college I got a 914 and there was nothing there to change my mind. But life marriage and my family put stuff off until 1990 when my first child came along, so I had to put if off to a land Cruiser. If ONLY Porsche had its Cayenne then! Then in 1995 I saw at the Los Angeles car show the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, the 911 turbo. So in 2002 when I finally made enough money I got my first 993 TT, and the rest is history except for one little side note. I have wanted a Cayenne for awhile, but everytime I go to the dealer and drive one I find BMW has something thats better at a better price. In other words I wanted a Cayenne S in Feb 2012 and I already had a X5 4.8iS. But NOBODY in Porsche would deal. So I called my Bimmer dealer. And instead of the Cayenne S, I get a BMW X5M for LESS!! And its got all the goodies that the Cayenne TT has. So thats the only thing that Porsche hasnt been able to grab me with.

chuck911

The summer between Jr High and High school I went for a ride in my best friend's uncle's brand new '75 Turbo. He had traded up from a 911S and was happy to take us out for rides. Even driving slowly down his long gravel driveway was impressive! No other car of that era, even brand new, would feel like that, the firmness and control, lack of rattles and sensation of utter solidity. The first acceleration to 50 I felt my stomach tighten as my body pressed into the seat. Traffic kept our speed down until we had a chance to pass a logging truck. Actually there were three cars and a logging truck! The first car passed and the other two moved up but Dale stayed back. I had heard stories of this guy cruising across eastern Washington at 130+ while his wife looked through binoculars, partly looking for cops, partly because the speed seemed less that way. Second car passed, last car moved up, Dale still held back. I thought oh well, those stories were all exaggerations. Third car went to pass, Dale still stayed back, until that last car was almost past the semi. Then he nailed it. Flat out. That third car barely made it back in the lane before we blew past at well over 100 and he was still on it. I look out the window at telephone poles going by like picket fences, then look the other way at Dale, couple fingers on the steering wheel, telling me how he has to be careful to keep it under 135 during break-in. Right about that time it dawns on me that not only are we doing 135 in a car so well controlled that the guy is relaxed with just his fingers on the wheel, but everything is impressively quiet- he closes the sunroof! Sound level seemed to go to zero.

Fast1 says "back then Porsche was in a class by itself." Indeed. Yes there were cars back then with more power, acceleration and higher top speed. But none, not even the insanely expensive exotics, came close to matching the total package of performance, quality, durability and practicality of a 911. That is why I dreamed of owning a 911, for years and years, before finally buying me '79 911SC some 15 years ago. For nearly all those 15 years it has been my daily driver, autocross and track car, and a pleasure to drive on extended trips through the Canadian Rockies, Mt Rainier, Olympic, Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Yosemite National Parks and countless PCA Tours and Rallies.

Why Porsche? Well simply because in terms of sheer driving pleasure and pride of ownership, nothing else even comes close.

Galion

Welcome! Enjoyed reading your first post.
I had a similar experience, I could never justify getting a 911 even though I tried hard to like them, sorry guys but IMO they were too harsh, raw, unproportional and overpriced, nothing but BMW and Mercs in my past, but when I saw the 991 and took it for a test drive, OMG I knew I wanted one.
I love this car more and more each day, this is no ordinary sports car, you need to live with it and learn how to drive it to really appreciate its virtues, its the best car Ive ever owned and now at 45, I will never go back.

Rocket_boy

Owned the following....

1 x 944 S2
1 x 944 Turbo
2 x 968
4 x 928 (Still have a 928 GT)
1 x 993
1 x Cayman S
1 x 997.2 C4s
1 x 991S (just about here!)

Loved them all,....each one has character.

The 997.2 C4S finally sold me on the 911,....and the 991 is a step above it.

I've toyed with owning Lambos (almost pulled the trigger on a Gallardo) a Ferrari, etc. but just don't want to pay $6k clutch jobs every 15k miles, and with the 991 the performance is just about the same.

You just can't get past the all around "goodness" of a Porsche and the latest 911s are just amazing for what they offer.

chuck911

The 911 has always been thus. Even for me, having read and dreamed for years, my first test drive ('80 911SC) was just as you said: harsh, raw, unproportional and overpriced. Thank God I had the sense to discount the problems with that drive- broken clutch helper spring, disintegrated engine bay sound insulator, wife in passenger seat, 250lb salesman crammed in back! Actually nearly every car I drove had significant maintenance or setup problems that nearly ruined the driving experience. And Porsche is all about the driving experience! All along, even finding so many badly cared for examples, the Porsche excellence at delivering that feeling was so strong it was still coming through and kept me looking. When finally I found one really nicely set up- magic!

As far as I can tell it is still the same today. The only real difference is that if you are looking at newer cars then the maintenance/setup issues are less (still there just less) but instead you have to do your own due diligence on selecting the right combination of model and options. The expansion of models and options since the 70's is simply phenomenal. If you have the money then it is very easy to buy way more car than you need. I'm talking in terms of driving experience (feeling, sheer driving enjoyment) not ego/status!

The Porsche 911 has ALWAYS been the one car about which its lucky owner would say, as you did, "I love this car more and more each day, this is no ordinary sports car, you need to live with it and learn how to drive it to really appreciate its virtues, its the best car Ive ever owned and now at 45, I will never go back."

Welcome to the family!

mk85911

I've been fortunate to own 4 911's; a 1976 911s, a 1980 sc, a 1985 carrera which I still own and really, really like, and a 2011 997. But it all started because I drove past a Porsche dealer every day going to school, and when I graduated I bought a new 1973 914 and I was hooked. So I am comming up on 40 continuous years of Porsche sports cars and I can say confidently that I have never failed to have a smile on my face after a drive, and I seem to always peek back after getting out.

ChristianR

3 reasons, in the late 70's I saw a move with Chuck Norris called "Good Guys wear Black" and I thought what a car, he drove a black/black 911. 2nd and 3rd I am a huge James Dean and Steve McQueen fan and I figured if its good enough for those cats its good enough for me. Bought my 1st one when I was 25 and have had about 15 or so since, all I drive as far as sports cars goes