tstafford

I’ve had my touring for a week and have 500 miles on it (mix of street and highway). Thought I’d share some initial impressions. I don’t do much street driving for fun (canyons, backroads, etc.) so the car is a true DD. I use it to get groceries, school drop-off/pick-up, take the dog to the greenway, head to a restaurant, etc. So my comments are mostly from that perspective.

I loved the 991.2 touring as a model but didn’t particularly like the (used) one that I owned. It just wasn’t a good example for my taste. My plan had been to buy another one - I figured supply would increase as folks sold them on anticipation of the 992. Instead it turned out that the market is such that I was able to buy a new one for the same or less money than a used one (strange times) so I went 992.

991.2 vs. 992 - My take is that the 992 is more of an evolution than a paradigm shift. The transition from 997 GT3 to 991 GT3 was massive. The 991 made a new level of performance accessible to most drivers and the car felt dramatically different than a 997. 991 vs. 992 is subtle - it’s more of a refinement than a fully different experience. If you are used to a 991.2 touring, the 992 won’t feel significantly different under DD conditions. It’s just a little bit better across the board.

Suspension/road compliance - I think it’s smoother than the prior gen. Not by much but a bit. I put 13K miles on my 991.2 GT3 PDK in the last 12 months so I have a solid basis for comparison. I don’t agree with the reviewers that it is stiffer and less livable as a DD. Maybe it’s not for the feint of heart, but it’s certainly no issue for an enthusiast. Note: car came with MPSC2.

Clutch/stick feel - The clutch pedal remains too light for my taste. It’s maybe slightly stiffer than the 991.2 but not much. The shift action is top notch. I like a mechanical shift feel and put SSK’s in prior cars (993, 997). No need here. Porsche nailed it.

Noise level - While I know this is hotly debated, I am in the camp that believed the 991.2 touring was louder than the 991.2 winged car in normal street driving conditions. This car is about the same as my winged 991.2 - loud inside but not obnoxious. I can listen to music, do a call on BT, etc. Not an issue IMO.

Exhaust sound - I’ve been a compliant car owner and haven’t exceeded ~6500 RPM so I can’t provide a full assessment of the sound. But for the most part I don’t drive around above 6500 RPM anyway - mostly a track thing for me. I put Sharkwerks on all my 991 GT cars because it was cheap and easy. Not sure those cars “need” it but I liked it. Under normal DD use, the 992 is similar to 991 exhaust sound - good, not great. It’s good enough however that I won’t monkey with it because I suspect all the new emissions stuff will make it difficult (expensive) to modify.

Tech - I’m sure for many GT car owners the PCM is largely irrelevant. It’s not for me - I am an ACP addict. I will not own another car that doesn’t have wireless ACP. My tolerance level is fairly high for computer crap - I worked in the software industry my entire career. PCM 6 is right on the edge of being annoying to me which means I suspect it will annoy the crap out of a lot of folks. It does the usual stuff - doesn’t connect occasionally, forces you to log-in when you already have, tells you it updated every time you turn the car on, etc. For the most part it works and when it does it’s great.

Clearance/FAL - too low and FAL doesn’t help enough. I knocked off a front brake duct almost immediately. Never had any issues with 991.2 clearance. I’m having a new duct installed but fully expect to knock it off too at which point I’ll live with it.

LWB - I read a post or two a while ago where folks thought the LWB were different (maybe wider). They are not. Same as 991. I used old inserts and covers from P1 in my 992 and they fit fine. Install is more complicated because of passenger airbag sensor but the size/shape of seats is unchanged

Overall - The 992 touring is a very, very good car. However it hasn’t blown me away. On the whole I firmly believe it’s a better package for me than any alternative. Most things come with compromises and the GT3T is no different. I suspect I will own this car until either an electric comes along that ticks enough boxes (we’ll see when that happens) or Porsche makes something sufficiently compelling to make me switch (maybe the 992.2 touring). There’s nothing out there right now that has my eye.

As soon as I get a chance to turn some laps at AMP, I’ll post my thoughts on that. Maybe today or tomorrow depending on schedule.

Bronch

Nice write-up, thanks for sharing your thoughts. You and I have very different perspectives and it's great to hear all sides. My touring won't be a DD, but driven in the mountains and occasionally on track for therapy/escape. I had a pre-owned 991.1 GT3 and loved it. The sound, PDK, engine were spectacular. The tech sucked. It was pretty much in a spec I never would've ordered, but it was my entry. Can't wait for 992 Touring, but I suspect I'll have similar thoughts when the honeymoon ends. Hopefully longer than a week.

LexVan

Nice write up. To me, this is the kind of report that is more meaningful and beneficial than the typical YouTube video from the so-called "experts" and journalists.

PTS

Thanks for taking the time to share your opinion/experience so far. You did note this in your post, but I think it's borderline irrelevant to base your opinion on the performance aspect of the car until it's broken in, as we all know 95% of the performance is above 6500 RPM. The tech, ground clearance, etc feedback makes sense at any mileage/RPM. Looking forward to your follow up once you're able to experience the full extent of the car/powerband/sound

Drifting

Thank you for write up.

really appreciate the calm collected review compared to over exuberance of many car journalists.

992 is a great drivers car, but evolution not the revolution that some would suggest.

tstafford

Thanks Lex.

Agreed.

Much appreciated.

chance6

Great write-up as I'm poking around on Tourings...what's the deal with breaking off the vanes under the car? Brake ducts? Airflow vanes? The strakes near the front wheels? Are these snap-in components or do they shear off and panels have to be removed to replace these?

richk

I am interested to see your thoughts after a track day.

AlexCeres

Got to spend quite a bit of track time in a winged gt3 this week as well as back to back with a 991 3rs. The 992 is a lot more supple, and the suspension has quite a bit more dynamic range than the 3RS while still being just as precise and equally fast (in my hands). It didn’t feel nearly as stiff / rigid while being even better balanced. I’m not worried about dailying one with softer street tires. Ymmv, California roads are pretty smooth as far as public roads go.

groundhog

Good write up and reflective of how most of these cars will likely be used. You will definitely notice the benefits of the new front end on track, easier to drive and much harder to induce understeer. In terms of road compliance - its so very, very dependant on where you live and where you drive, but that applies to most cars.

NYCGT3

Thanks for a great read! Very well done, and extremely helpful. I’m wondering why they didn’t make the brake ducts in rubber, or another pliable material. I also wonder how necessary they are for the average street only driver. Where I live, I’m afraid I’ll be buying them by the dozen getting in and out of NYC….. Thanks again!

raymort

I’m 99.99% sure these ducks are completely unnecessary for non-track use. If anything, upgrade your brake fluid to reduce boiling.

NYCGT3

Thank you very much. Appreciated..

BrntRubber

Great right up. I can't wait to drive mine as its currently getting ppf.

Mine is 6 speed and will be a daily.

chance6

Good to hear...one underrated thing in the last 5 years or so has been the acceleration of suspension/damping technology/breadth of range. Pretty awesome.