I loved it! Not really sure why there are so many haters out there. I know, I know ... the turbo vs. NA debate will rage on forever. Blah blah the 991.2 has so many steering guidance nannies that it feels like a video game ... blah blah. What horse crap.

Anyways my test vehicle was a gorgeous 991.2 S in GT silver & standard agate interior w/ PDK, sport exhaust, and a few other goodies. I had a blast taking it for a spin on a gorgeous day here in Charleston.

My general impressions:

(1) I loved being able to access substantial low-end torque & I thought the sport exhaust sounded quite good.

(2) Loved the new steering wheel and for some reason I felt the steering was a bit more precise than my 991.1 ... maybe that's only in my head?

(3) Loved the new navi screen .... google street view looked awesome!

I think new 991.2 owners are going to be very, very happy but I still hold on to a few opinions .... so don't flame me for saying these things b/c these are just MY opinions and may not be YOUR opinions.

(1) If I had 120k+ to spend on a new car I would much rather get the rocket ship (CPO Turbo S) .... obviously if you are rich as F and you only buy new cars then of course this will not work for you.


(2) I loved all the new changes on the 991.2 but not nearly enough to make a move from my 991.1 any time soon. In 3 years I may do the same thing I did with my 991.1 which is purchase a massively optioned 991.2 for about 82-85. Or at that point I may hold my 991.1 until the next generation 911 is released (and goes CPO after a few years).

Happy to answer any specific questions but I wanted to give two big thumbs up to the 991.2.

(Also included a picture of my car next to another 991.2 in the new graphite blue color - I liked the new blue but I still prefer sapphire blue which I think pops more)

Cheers from Charleston,

Josh

 

Thanks for your post. Whenever I see graphite blue, I think too much blue and not enough graphite. So close to being an awesome color.

 

i was at local dealer 991.2 launch party last night... they had a graphite blue car on floor with two tone beige perforated interior... truly gorgeous car.

graphite blue is a strikingly beautiful color - a real winner imho

despite my reservations seeing the press pics on line etc etc, i have to admit the car overall looks much much better in the flesh than in pics - really lovely...

 

look at the Ring time posted for the .2 'S'! spec one of those with PDK, PASM-S, RWS, Sport Chrono, and PCCB I would imagine that a 991 GT3 might have a hard time getting away from one ... or maybe even keeping up with it (on a track with a bunch of slow corners where low end torque on the exit would be beneficial)

I'd love to see an Evo video or article pitting these cars like this!

 

exactly how i feel. saw a cabrio in graphite blue at my local dealer and immediately said "yuck." doesn't do much for me; it appears bland and has a borderline "elegant" look to it as opposed to a more sporting color. of course, if that's what one is after......

 

Thank you for your review. The exhaust note is the only part that I am concerned about. Since you own a 991.1 S, can you comment on the comparison further?

Did your 991 S have PSE?

 

Josh, you're my buddy, and yes I've been one of the "haters", but you're comparing your .1 non PSE C2S, to a .2 S w/PSE.

As far as comparing the sound of the two, not a direct comparison.

Torque, sure, .2 has it beat. Most guys have written about losing that special touch as a trade off for the other changes.

Anyway, glad you got to drive it

 

For people that daily drive their cars the 991.2 is definitely a better car... The 991.1 is the better weekend toy though.

That being said - Singer is the only new P car that is universally accepted... We all B!tch everytime there is a change - too big, electric steering, etc. It's happened every time there has been a change to the 911 for 50 years!

Each new iteration will be faster and more advanced. Technology is gaining momentum faster than ever before. Faster and more advanced however does not mean more desirable.

 

Haha STG my point was not to make a sound comparison - I'll leave that to the "exhaust experts." Yes I don't have PSE but honestly I care far more about speed/handling than sound. (Im sure that comment will make tons of 911 owners have a panic attack). I'd rather have a silent hybrid electric 911 that takes its cues from Porsche's Le Mans car. Of course there are tons of owners who would rather have a vintage 911 in manual with an amazing sounding exhaust note. Different strokes for different folks. My overall point is that it handles great.

 

BAN!!!

 

Meh. I know I'm a grump too, but if I wanted more low end torque, I'd get a Z06. I've driven my buddy's and there's no way the .2 pulls that hard, but I still prefer the way my 3.8 builds as it revs. It's the higher redline on the GT3 that makes me jealous more than anything else.

 

Let me chime in. I just finished a 30 minute test drive in a 17 991.2S, PDK and sport exhaust. I currently drive a 15 991.1 C4S, PDK and sport exhaust. Here are my initial thoughts.

1. The car looks much better in person than online. The car was painted Miami Blue which looked great. Overall the exterior design was well carried out including the rear vents. The interior was finished in Graphite Blue/Chalk which looked way too bland, and wouldn't be my choice with Miami Blue.
2. Loved the RS Spyder design wheels.
3. It sounded good but much quieter than my 991.1. In sport plus + it was even quieter. As others have said I think sports exhaust is a must have option.
3. Lot's of low end torque right away especially out of corners. I did notice some turbo lag but it was quite subtle. They really have it dialed in for everyday driving. I thought it was most noticeable on the highway at 70, when accelerating without down shifting, one Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi, gone.
3. In seemed to be a bit smoother on the comfort shock setting than the 991.1. I didn't notice any real difference with steering response which felt precise and tight.
4. It had the optional GT sport steering wheel which felt too small. I have the sport design steering wheel on my car and like it much better. I thought it looked cheap with too much plastic chrome.
5. New NAV and car play was a much needed update.

I'm looking forward to driving the base Carrera as a comparison.

 

Power and handling improvements don't surprise me. They're facts. What I'm still concerned about and won't be able to conclude on until I actually drive one is throttle response. The fact that some reviewers have commented on the classic difference between NA and turbo being present in this car, while others have not, makes me wonder what's up. Are some cars worse than others or do some people just not have a good feel for throttle response. Or are haters just making it up.

Other than not caring at all for the exterior styling tweaks, the only thing that would keep me from buying the .2 would be throttle response. Every single FI car I've ever driven in my life has had that disappointing subtle lag, followed by too much power, followed by a need to back off. Drives me nuts and there's no amount of power increase that would make me be willing to live with that in my car. So I'm anxious to drive one myself.

 

This is what I'm concerned about. Not so much the freeway part, though that isn't fun either, it's just lag in general, even a little, drives me nuts. And it's not just the lag, its how the car makes power once it spools up. Is it easily modulatable or when driving hard do you find it difficult to get just the right amount of power without having to constantly back off. That's what I'm curious about.

My wife's Q7 with the top tune has a ton of power and it's smooth as silk, but once you try to drive it hard it's like driving a car with an on/off switch for a throttle. I found the same thing with my A6 3.0T.

 

That's exactly how I feel! I can't even stand to drive the stupid PDK in auto mode, because maybe I just want full throttle in my current gear, not a pause while it downshifts and then way more push than I wanted.