gary.lee

Hi, I test drove the S model for about 20 minute today (mixture of city traffic and highway). I am totally new to Porsche. Never driven one in my life so I figured my comments might bring some fresh perspective or they may just seem idiotic to long time owners. At least, I hope they are somewhat entertaining.

1. Driving this car does get one's blood up. I am still excited a couple hours after. The car is very punchy and tight. The acceleration is immediate and I don't feel any lag. There is a sense of urgency when I drive this car. I want to hit the gas paddle when I see an open lane. However, I can't imagine driving this car in traffic for prolonged period of time. It's not very comfortable (more below).

2. Leather interior is a must. My test car did not have leather option and the plastic interior felt like any other car on the road. I sat in a boxster with Red leather interior and I didn't want to get out of the car. The difference is night and day. The red interior looks much better in person. It's a subtle red.

3. The standard suspension is already quite firm and the standard exhaust is quite loud, at least for me. If you drive on uneven roads, expect plenty of jolts.

4. I must say I didn't like the GT steering wheel. I was surprised how small it is in person, both in radius and wheel thickness. There is also some strange plastic flexing sound when I push or turn on the steering wheel like it's not well built. Maybe just this car? This is my biggest disappointment with this car. The steering wheel just felt too small and inadequate. The paddle shifters, however, are excellent.

5. The Sports plus seats are not that comfortable. I confess I am overweight but you have to be lean to feel comfortable in this seat. I am 5'10 and 180lb.

6. The car is quite low and looks smaller in person. I had thought cabin space would be noticeably bigger than cayman or boxster but they are identical. For some reason, the car's appearance didn't wow me in person, as it did in countless youtube videoes. Boxster, on other hand, looked quite good in person.

That sums up for my test drive. I really like the car even though these comments may not seem all that favorable. I spent months lusting this car, watching endless reviews and studying the configurations, so maybe my expectation was too high. It also didn't help that the S model costs almost 230K usd where I live. That's why I asked about the difference between S and base model as well as depreciation.

I will try to drive a Base model for comparison.

Thanks.

Zeus993

Congrats on your first ride! Well done!

Quick question - did you go out and open it up on some twisties? These cars are like a dog on a leash in city traffic! And the suspension softens up at higher speeds.

Agreed 100% on the leather. Porsche makes one of the best leather interiors with a wonderful smell, all adding to the experience. You pay for it but as you point out, it leaves you wanting to sit in the car.

Sport seats can be very tight for people on the heavy side, but adjusted correctly are awesome for spirited driving. I would not now have a Porsche without them.

Steering wheel? First I've heard of someone not liking it. Personally I think it's superb, especially with the small selector **** at 4 o'clock. But each to his own, right?

I might suggest you go and drive some older models as well to put Porsche's latest iteration of the 911 in perspective.

dflowerz

Thanks for the review. I was in your shoes a little over a year ago. Everyone has different priorities about what they want from a 911. For me the standard interior was perfectly fine. I went for all the performance options and still continue to be impressed by the cornering capability and agility of the car. Ride is firm but stays very controlled around bumpy corners. I love the steering wheel and no noise or creaks from it. I love the mode dial on it too and use it fairly often.

Hope you end up with a 911 if the car ticks the right boxes!

mb1

The current 991 is available with two steering wheel diameters. The smaller one, which is probably the one that you drove, is actually optional with an additional cost. Lucky for you that you'd prefer the standard larger wheel, at no additional cost.

Needsdecaf

These cars need time to warm up. I am
Consistently amazed at how tough my suspension is before I get it properly warmed up. Then it starts to settle in nicely. And no, I don't think it's just re-setting my expectations.

Also, if you are on the bulkier side, the 14 way seats are a good compromise. I drove 1300 miles in 2.5 days when I picked up my car with zero issues....and I left for the trip with back pain I was working on with the chiropractor. I'm 6'2", 260.

Jonathan Lord

Will share my experiences from my first C4S about 4 years ago and looking forward to the C4S that I have on order.
1) There is no other car on the road that is a better balance of sports car and daily driver. You smile every time you get in the car and push the sport mode button.
2) It is a great experience to order these cars and customize just the way you want it. Take your time, and pay attention to every detail. Posts on this forum are very helpful
3) The car is a "left brain/right brain" animal - and you can "feed" each side of your brain as you order it. I am a C4S fan - I think that is the best edition of this car. Sure others will disagree - but the combination of the slightly wider rear coupled with the sure footedness of the drive make it great. I love the PDK; the sports package is a must. Thats the "left brain". . on the "right side" every detail in terms from contrast stitching to illuminated door sills.
4) Take your time . . .enjoy the experience from test drive. . to order. . to tracking your car through production and transport. . and consider delivery in Europe or Atlanta at a Porsche facility

Good luck
Jack

Gary JR

Yes do it. It is the "pure" version.

Keadog

[QUOTE=gary.lee;13678731]

2. Leather interior is a must. My test car did not have leather option and the plastic interior felt like any other car on the road. I sat in a boxster with Red leather interior and I didn't want to get out of the car. The difference is night and day. The red interior looks much better in person. It's a subtle red.

Yes. I can't fathom why so many $100K+ cars come through without Leather interior at + $3800. My favorite is natural leather - there are lots of threads on this - but only available now in Espresso and Espresso/Cognac.

3. The standard suspension is already quite firm and the standard exhaust is quite loud, at least for me. If you drive on uneven roads, expect plenty of jolts.

My Boxster had the X73 and I thought it was fine.

4. I must say I didn't like the GT steering wheel. I was surprised how small it is in person, both in radius and wheel thickness. There is also some strange plastic flexing sound when I push or turn on the steering wheel like it's not well built. Maybe just this car? This is my biggest disappointment with this car. The steering wheel just felt too small and inadequate. The paddle shifters, however, are excellent.

Really good to read. Dealer had no cars with it in stock. I'll stick with the regular MFSW.

5. The Sports plus seats are not that comfortable. I confess I am overweight but you have to be lean to feel comfortable in this seat. I am 5'10 and 180lb.

I'm 5'11 and 195. I've had cars with 14s and 18s. I love the 18 ways - you can adjust the thigh bolsters and they are then super comfortable. Wouldn't get another car without 18 ways.

That's why I asked about the difference between S and base model as well as depreciation.

The base is a very fine car.

I will try to drive a Base model for comparison.

You need to at those prices! The base is poorly named, IMO. It's anything but base.
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R_Rated

6'2" and 240 pounds here. Love my 17 way seats!

do yourself a favor and drive a 991.1S as well. Very different experience. Pros and cons of each.







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(although we all know the 991.1 > .2)

Needsdecaf

17 ways, eh? Which way is missing!

LexVan

Wait, what? A warmed up suspension?

go.illini

Have you not read the owner's manual?

Archimedes

Surprised you didn't like the GT wheel. I assume it's the same wheel that's in the Spyder. If so, I thought that wheel was awesome. A must have if I order a .2.

Needsdecaf

I know, I know. It sounds insane. But I swear the roads around my house are smoother when I come back than when I leave. And I know my local road department isn't that good.

LexVan

Probably a result of your cold tire spressures vs hot tire pressures.