If you want a RWD manual - look at another 911. The Turbo/S "overall ethos" is... 4wd, bigger hp, PDK (to save your @$$ from the power and to help you keep the car under control). Anything Porsche does with a "manual" RWD Turbo/S is moving away from this ethos... and whatever car they deliver would just be a "RINO." This is not to say that it would not be a GREAT car... but it would not be a Turbo/S. It would be a "new car" (labeled Turbo/S or some other)... and actually a closer variant of the C4S or C2S (depending on whether or not it has 4wd). Marketing helps sell cars. Porsche is a publicly traded company. All 911s are EXCELLENT. Buy what you want regardless of the model name.

P.S. GM would love to call all of its cars a "Corvette." And they often have used the "Corvette" name over the years... for performance parts in other GM cars or...

Cheers,
L76

 

In true RL fashion - lotta folks commenting on the characteristics of a given model having zero seat time.

 

Ok so let me expand this discussion... is right now a good or a bad time to be being a Turbo of the most recent generation? This is likely the last 1-2 years of the current 992.1 incarnation.

From previous generations we've seen, what does this tell us about the desirability and/or value of the car at this stage? Is it a good buy or not?

For instance. when the 991.2 TT/TTS was available for purchase, it was shortly before the 992 platform was unveiled. Someone who bought a 991.2 TTS at that time (2018?2019?)... was it a good buy or would he have been better served waiting for the 992?

Same for 997->991, or 996->997... What is usually the best thing to do with the top-end models and Porsche's generational release structure? If anyone has opinions on this, please let me know!

 

@Breen - Not sure how to take this. I'm on RL for fun and sometimes an education. If its my seat time behind a RWD manual Turbo/S... I'm like everyone else on RL = 0 seat time. If you are referring to my seat time behind a 992 TTS, other 992s, 991s, 993s, 996s, 997s, 981s, 718s, Cayennes, or any Porsche for that matter, I'd wager I have more than most. Happy to admit - I'm still learning.

@OP - In the end this is a "fun / what if" conversation with a lot of speculation on what Porsche might do. I still stand by my post. I'm not sure, but I think it was 1995 (993 Turbo?) that was the first AWD Turbo. So... it was 20 years after the first 930 Turbo (1975) was released that the Turbo became a AWD car. Ergo - we have almost 30 years of the Turbo being AWD. I'd say that is the "ethos" of the car. If Porsche is going back to a 2WD variant w/a manual as a "Turbo" monikered model... I'd say this model's ethos is heading toward a higher HP (bigger turbos?) version of the C2S/C2 GTS and not a "Turbo" in ethos.

Good luck! I hope Porsche builds the car you want. Whatever they call it!

Cheers,
L76

 

Thanks!

I had a couple of 930s, two 993s turbo and a 997 turbo.
All of them were manual.
All of them had in their days a similar Grand Touring attitude coupled with involvement also at reasonable speeds.
My impression of the 991 turbo with admittedly very limited seat time was of stratosferic performance but more limited involvement.
My hope is for Porsche to built a turbo version that can renounce to the last bit of top performance for a more engaging driving experience at reasonable speeds thanks to rwd and manual.
There will still be room for the top of the line turbo S , just more choice for every customer: a win-win.

 

Hi Cebe,

I gathered that. The ol widowmaker 930! The early turbos were manual and 2WD. For 20 years! ... and you rightly enjoyed them (993 Turbo, 997 Turbo, etc). Great cars. But that's not where the "Turbo" has gone in the last 30 years. I guess the crux of my point is that the TT/S (and "Turbo" Moniker) has become the flagship 911... and should Porsche release a 992.2 RWD manual "Turbo" ... and call it a "Turbo" (or something "Turbo" e.g. "Touring Turbo")... it'd just marketing moniker bananas. The architecture of such a car would be closer in ethos to a C2S (which I believe you can order with a manual... it just has a smaller displacement engine and smaller turbos). The C2S/GTS is a GREAT car. Personally - I don't really care what they call it if they build it. Call it a Corvette for all I care. What you are looking for sounds like a GREAT car. Maybe they'll build it. Then again - maybe they won't... esp if the 992.2 has something in the lineup like the 992.1 C2S/GTS that negates building one with the "Turbo" moniker. Then again - they may build it with a "Turbo" moniker... to sell more cars. ;}. Now... back to my whiskey.

Cheers,
L76

 

Many here underestimate the sales impact a Turbo, RWD, manual version will have. It’ll sure challenge the GT3 in allocations scarcity.

 

Or put another way, it’ll double the number of “gt3 touring like” allocations.

 

If you build it... they will come!

-L76

 

I fear you may be right.

Porsche is in the business of selling new cars and maximise profit in the process: this implies on one hand to give customers what they are asking for but on the other to create FOMO so that customers flock to any new model they release.

Starting with the release of the PDK only 991.1 GT3 back in the day they have created a scarcity of high performance/special manual 911s.
With the subsequent release of the R they have tested the interest still exhisting for the manual in a high revving NA and created the FOMO for any potential buyer save the lucky 911 that were allocated an R.
Subsequently they brought back the manual in the regular GT3 line and that made a number of customer happy while increasing sales for Porsche ( myself for one, I first bought a 991.1 RS and then a 991.2 Touring ... two cars sold for Porsche).

Now I assume they will apply the same business model to the turbo, after having tested waters with the Sport Classic for bringing back the manual with the turbo engine.

I expect the demand would be similar to the one we saw at the introduction of the manual back with the 991.2 GT3: it was not a limited numbered model but to get a manual was not easy.

As articulated in a previous post, out of a total turbo production of around 6000 units a year I expect the manual to be allocated about 1/3 of the volume and be available in about 2000 units worldwide a year: this would make it about as difficult to get as a GT3 RS.

Will Porsche produce it? Looks like.
How many customers will want one? Probably most of the turbo typical customers would be better off with the AWD PDK version, as they use the car as a daily, but a good deal would cherish this variant and speculators will jump at the relative scarcity and make it worse.

Just my opinion.

I had real problems in getting my Touring back in 2017 (and paid over sticker) and would try and move as soon as possible to secure this turbo Touring!
Would I go back and still pay over sticker for my Touring that I still own after 7 years? Hell, yes!

 

You mean like a Sport Classic?

 

ICE is going away.
Manuals are going away.

A Turbo/Manual/non-Hybrid even if AWD would be one of the last 911s people will buy. Go check a 997.2 Turbo manual auctions, they are still going well over MSRP after 10+ years.

I tested a GT3 manual for my daily 911 and it wasn’t it. Then I tested a Turbo S and it was perfect, have an allocation and car is coming in Sept/Oct. Now, offer a manual in that and you have the absolute perfect 911 for those that want a bit more driving engagement with a third pedal.

 

I agree in full with your observations.

 

Yup.
L76

 

Latest news is that this car will be delayed and will not launch with the Turbo S in Jan/Feb 2025.

Still have the above unanswered questions:
1) pdk option?
2) convertible?
3) bhp
4) torque
5) “wing” final design