carsrmyvice

I have to agree. To me, 20k off of a car presumably stickered around 160k is not a stellar discount in my eyes for an old stock out of production car (12.5%) . But then again two years ago one would have killed for that kind of deal. Such is the reality of buying new cars.

Chiboy

OK, so I test drove a 991 and another 997.2. Specifically, since I wanted to drive the manual 991, I test drove a 2012 991 cab. I kept the top up for the first half of the drive so it would feel a bit more like the coupe I wanted to drive. I have to say it was so tight, that half way through the drive, my salesman suggested I lower the top to see what that was like. It was truly amazing to me how little flex the body had and how the wind did not blow you around. But let's forget about the convertible aspect of the 991. I only mention it because I was surprised what a coupe-like ride it had. Anyway, the handling and power were excellent. And the interior was really nice. One of the reasons I wanted to consider a used 911 was because the Cayman interior is nice, but a little spartan. I felt like the difference between a 991 interior and a 997 interior was about as significant as the difference between a Cayman interior and a 997.

The one thing that I didn't love right off the bat in the 991 is the steering. It is a little light and sterile for me. It didn't ruin the driving experience, but it just felt very light for a sports car.

After the 991 'vert, I did a quick spin in a PDK 997.2 Carrera S. Yes, very different animal, comparing a PDK to a manual, and a 997 to a 991. I will admit that I lost most of my lust for this 7,000 mile 2012 911S that I had been waiting for another price drop to put in my budget. I'm just not sure that I would be long term happy with a PDK, despite it being a fantastic transmission. I don't doubt its superiority, but it just doesn't involve the driver like a clutch and a stick shift. And the snick-snick tight stick shift on these current Porsches is really superb.

So after driving the 991, I must say that when I got into the 997, the interior just didn't look as good to me as it used to. I guess the 991 feels roomier; they both feel a lot roomier than the Cayman. But the 991 is just more luxurious, and in a sporting way.

So my current leanings are towards a 991. It certainly feels bigger and heavier than a Cayman S, but not in a bad way. And it's just a much nicer cockpit to hang out in. I will ponder this a bit more, but I may have eliminated 997.2 cars from consideration. Yeah, as usual, I am gravitating towards the newer and more expensive models. What a big surprise! lol

Chiboy

BTW, I forgot to mention, the reason why I drove the 991 'vert is because they didn't have any 991 coupes with a 7 speed manual.

bccars

And the coupe is noticeably tighter even !



Mine is beautifully weighted. You might double check that your testcar didn't come with that Power Steering Plus option. That makes steering
lighter. Also could be your testcar was on full load tyre pressure. Most of us drive the medium load / comfort setting, which gives a bit more grip and feel.


When you have your first 500km under your belt in your own future 991, and your driver inputs start to get in tune with the cars responses, you'll discover a symbiosis unlike in any other car due to the rear engined layout !

MerlinsGarage

carsrmyvice

This.

My first drive in a 991, the black one I thought I wanted, had the power steering plus option. I did not like it but figured that since I was buying used there was bound to be options I did not want. Glad I did not buy that car because that ultra light feeling in the parking lot drives me crazy. Reminds me of a sport range rover I test drove and hated for the same reason, even though it makes more sense in the latter application.

Chiboy

Yes, it did have PSP. Good call.

pyramid

My recent finding on Power Steering Plus,

PSP on MY12 991 is feather light but the one on MY13 is close (still a tad lighter) to non PSP, both having identical 20" wheels.
PSP on MY13 991 with 235/40/19 front tires feels identical to MY12 991 with PSP on 245/35/20 front tires.

Looking forward to hear others opinion for PSP comparison between MY12 vs MY13 (sept onwards production) or recent test between PSP and non PSP for MY13 cars having identical wheels and tire sizes.