Freeman,

Good for you! If it brings a big smile to your face every morning then, you did the right thing purchasing the vehicle. That is an awesome car. Enjoy it in good health.

 

Congratulations! I think you will love the GTS.

 

A manual GTS. Nothing but goodness in that. Is it me (or this forum) but MT is making a comeback like Vinyl. Not as "good" but a more rewarding experience.

 

There seems to be a resurgence of manual transmissions, which is difficult, because the dealers are ordering 85% +/- of their cars with PDK. I have seen some dealer web sites with 10 to 15 991 models in stock and none of them have a MT. If you do find a MT, it is usually on a black or silver car.

 

My dealer did not have a MT 991 for me to test drive. I ordered the MT GTS without ever having driven a MT 991. I called several convenient dealers and none had a MT 991 for me to test drive. As noted in another post, I had a few days of difficulty adapting to a 7-speed manual with a high stick and suspended pedals after taking delivery. It was different from the four other MT Porsches I have owned. A MT demo at the dealership would have helped me understand what to expect. The dealer has now ordered a spec MT 991 which he will demo and, I am sure, sell when available. All dealers should have one. Make sure you drive one before ordering. Know what you are getting. It is wonderful once you get used to it.

I am Porsche-less today as an XPEL Ultimate Clear Bra is being applied.

 

I think you're seeing a lot of GTS buyers on this site. And that car is a "bargain" if you were otherwise looking for a performance spec'd Carrera S. And a lot of the performance guys are also MT guys. So although I'd love to think there's a resurgence of MT drivers, my guess is that it has more to do with who the GTS and this site appeals to.

And yes, I think most dealers subscribe to the belief that you can have any color you want as long as it's white, black, grey or silver.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if there was a slight resurgence in interest in MTs, simply because of how fast the automatics proliferated and how many drivers really loved driving a stick. Pendulums tend to swing.

However, I wouldn't judge anything by focusing either solely on what you see on here (which are largely enthusiasts who custom order their cars) or by what you see on dealer floors (which are spec cars more often sold to the casual buyer, not the more focused enthusiast). Any dealer will tell you the cars on the floor are generally spec'd to sell to the walk in, often first time, buyer. A PDK will have a broader appeal to that group.

 

I've never done the clear film on any of my sporty cars, including my former 911, and I've never had a problem with stone chips. Is there a reason specific to these cars that everyone does these films? More a problem in wintery climes with dirty roads?

 

I live in Florida. The salty clime and love-bugs are very destructive. I had a bolt fall off a pick-up (the official state vehicle) and damaged the hood of a previous 911. I will do anything to prevent damage on the GTS.

 

While waiting for my October build, I test drove a Carmine Red GTS coupe, MT, that is available on my dealer's lot! I was surprised that there was one available for a test drive.

Bottom line is that I cannot wait for this car to come in. The car had Spasm, no PDCC, and it felt totally planted around the s curves. It brought back the thrill of my 997 TT Cab. Perhaps it was the manual transmission.

 

There are lots of MT GTS at dealers in the DC-MD- VA area.

That is one nice color/wheel combo Freeman - it just pops!

 

Sorry to bust up the MT love fest, but back to Freeman's point:

I too found the GTS to be a very nice midway point between S and GT3. Actually, to be fair, it's not at all "midway" between the two. It lacks the amazing GT motor, the coilovers and other specific suspension bits, and the wing.

Economics weren't at all a determinate for me -- my GTS was about 7k more than GT3 entry point, so needless to say even a tarted up 3 isn't very much more (especially considering PDK closes the gap by over 4k.)

But I've had track-focused Porsches and other sportscars before, and at this point in my life and for this car's mission, a SPASM 911 is right at the outside edge of what I'll accept ride-quality-wise. The 3 is just too much. The extra performance would be largely wasted on this car for me, but the extra inconvenience would be felt every day.

And the deal killer: the wing. 'Nuff said.

I see GT3s around here not infrequently, and I always get a little flair of "Oh, that looks soooo good; should I have gotten that? Maybe I should." But a quick review of why I bought the car and what I do with it brings me back to the fact the GTS is the perfect choice for me at this time.

 

Nice car.

I like my PDK (also Agate Grey). I have manual cars in the garage (early LWB 915 trannys).

 

Funny, when the CC was announced, I immediately loved the color and that it was a GTS, but my first reaction was, "for that money I'd rather have a GT3." Then I thought about it more and realized the GT3's intended purpose isn't my intended use. And then theory became reality and the rest is history, but I'm with you about the GTS being the right choice for me, CC or not.

 

Is that you Doc, you old dog? Where are the Brittany Spears pictures???