stout

Hello all, and greetings from a rainy Amsterdam. Just arrived and about to head to the next gate—which takes me to Spain for the 992 launch.

Must say I'm approaching this launch with interest and more than a bit of intellectual intrigue, as I am not sure I can remember a new 911 that challenges me in quite the way this one has so far. There's been the official messaging in LA and in Stuttgart, and I am not sure how some aspects of that messaging fit with my personal views on what a 911 should be. Maybe you can identify with that. However, that is not—and never has been—my job when it comes to reviewing and/or critiquing a car. I've always viewed that job a bit differently: 1) Consider a car's brief and how well it meets the goals therein, and 2) how the car meets the interests of its intended customers/fans (in my case, I'm focused on core Porsche enthusiasts).

Let's hope it's a good event, with good roads and good sessions. They aren't always that way, and a single-day drive rarely provides opportunity for a definitive take (it has happened, and still rung true later, after more time with the car), but here's to hoping the seat time is informative!

Best,

pete

stealthpilot

Can you tell me about this event and how long Porsche is offering it for? I am in the UK for a couple of days every week, and I could easily take a detour to Spain for a 992 drive if it is available in early Feb.

LexVan

If I ever get reincarnated, I want to come back as Stout some day. Enjoy, Pete.

LexVan

Might only be open to people with media & press credentials, as Pete is a well know automotive editor/author and current owner of 000 magazine.

chuckbdc

We need a turn by turn real time report!!

Guest89

It's a press event...

DBH

I'll be interested in your take on the 992. Look forward to reports from your perspective of ".… I'm focused on core Porsche enthusiasts...".

OBTW, this morning I was cleaning out the closet in my home office and came upon the premier issue of Bimmer magazine dated April 1998. I noted the associated editor was none other than a certain Pete Stout. We've come a long way baby...

Ikone

Looking forward to this Pete.
I wonder if Mr. JWW is at the same event.

worf928

Freddie Two Bs

When you're done with Porsche journalism I think you'd make a great US ambassador to the United Nations. No way I could be as diplomatic as you!

Northquest

Needsdecaf

Northquest

If we're on requests - haha! - I' have ordred the Sporttex interior, but no-one has commented on, or shown it what it really looks or feel like yet... And I am really curious about if the lift system is the same as on the 991 Carrera or the one on the 991.2 GT3...

stout

^ Hello everyone!

Just done with a day in the 992...road drive on (fortunately) GREAT mountain roads with a variety of surface conditions > wet handling course > full track. You always want more seat time, but this was pretty good as media launches go, with 1.5-2.0~ hours in the left seat plus an equal amount of time in the right seat. Other caveats: I'm gonna straight download here, rather than edit and re-edit. So consider these trip notes...first impressions that I may want to return to after some consideration.

As far as the driving is concerned, let's get the verdict out up front: It's fantastic.

Road test: C2S with PDCC & PCCB (3~ hours in the mountains)
When it comes to chassis/handling/ride, I feel the 991.2 set a high bar in this regard, with a keen, alert, agile chassis that felt great to wring out. The added weight of the 992, as well as the engineering department's stated goal of improving wet performance/safety, had me a bit worried. I was also concerned that we would get too-smooth roads (or simply lame roads), but this wasn't the case.

You do notice the added 50~ kilograms (this will vary depending on model and market) as well as the added width of the car over a 991.2 Carrera/S/T—but not in a major way while driving. In terms of driving, I'd say the added weight/width on a backroad are a 2~% disadvantage for +10-20% gains elsewhere (more to come on that). The weight gain stems mainly from the 8-speed PDK transaxle, with its new case, four main shafts, and large chamber to accomodate future hybrid gear. Additional weight stems outward from there, said one engineer, as the transmission is physically larger and requires a larger void in the body structure. It's pretty clear they worked hard to offset those gains.

As for those gains? EPAS is, as expected, getting better with each generation since the 991.1. This system is, imo, very good—with response and precision that represents another step up from the 991.2 and now begs no comparison with a 996/986 or 997/987 rack. Porsche says the rack is 11% more direct than the 991.2's, and you can feel the difference. In the Normal mode at parking speeds, you're worried you are driving a Panamera. In Sport or Sport Plus at speed, those fears are forgotten. As for steering feel? I had the information I needed to go very quickly, early on—sooner than I would have expected after sitting down in an unfamiliar car on a challenging, unfamiliar road. One that not only had a lot of bumps and lumps (think northern CA backroads) but also occasional moisture and a "grease factor" even in the dry. Roll couple—the way the front and rear axles (German for suspension) work together—is also excellent, adding confidence as it doesn't feel like either end of the car is out of step with the other...adding confidence. Both ends offer a lot of grip, with the added track width helping up front and the same + the taller rear wheel/tire setup in the rear doing the same. The classic 911 slow-in, fast-out remains—but I'm not sure it's ever been more competent. The 997.2 GTS's PASM dampers were the first variable dampers to achieve damping perfection in my book, and the dampers in the 991.2 were similarly excellent, but the latest system—now able to alter their valving continuously rather than only at the top or bottom of the piston stroke—is a subtle revelation. Subtle, in that you don't even think about the damping. The car just flows over the road, but the body control is iron-fisted. Braking in our test car was also excellent...no surprise with PCCB, but the stiffer brake pedal is a nice upgrade and offers a substantive if similarly subtle improvement over the PCCB system offered in the 991.2. Brake dive is a non issue; same goes for squat under acceleration. (Note: I only tried the standard brakes on track, where they were excellent but eventually gave me less than 100% confidence...felt like they were feeling the heat despite no fade; I heard zero complaints about the standard brakes from others on the road driving portion of the day).

Engine and transmission: I was worried that the 992's engine, in going up to 991.2 GTS power levels, would lose some of the 370-hp 3.0's N/A-ish-ness—moving more toward a turbocharged nature as the 420-hp and 450-hp 3.0s do as you move up the 991.2 range. The various charts only reinforced that fear, but in use on tight back roads, the new Carrera S engine feels a lot like the outgoing 370-hp engine in terms of character with the speed of the 991.2 GTS. The pace is nothing short of stunning for a Carrera-line car, or any car for that matter (as it is in the outgoing GTS). Porsche has also improved the engine noise, clearly benefitting from lessons learned after the first go with the 3.0, and there's enough noise for me where the 991.2 occasionally leaves me wanting more. The eight-speed PDK had my co-driver and I (both of us are diehard MT guys) shouting out loud about its shift speeds as well as intuition—but both of us ultimately preferred Manual mode

Criticisms: Some wind noise on the freeway from the new door mirrors—a hiss heard from both seats, and one that could be a matter of these being pre-production or early production-spec cars or something we'll see in customer cars. It's very minor (you won't hear it if the radio is on, and it wasn't long before we didn't think about it anymore even with the radio off). My fingers slipped off the exterior door handle twice when it mattered (driver changes); not a fan of the new setup. I miss a simple button to select PASM damper settings, which are now accessed through a couple of screens if you want to cook up your own setup. New PCM, like the 991.2 system, offers good hardware but not as sure about the UI's intuitiveness; need to spend more time with this. You can't see the outer gauges on the new five-dial dash cluster; this was a decision made in order to increase the size of the "gauges" to either side of the tach. There are some surfaces in the interior I don't love, chiefly the piano black pieces to either side of the shifter—and one begins to wonder why the plastic trim to either side of the dash screen isn't piano black to better integrate with the screen (turns out the piece that angles into the tach was causing glare when it was piano black). Center vents in the dash aren't as optimally placed in their new location (a compromise to get the screen up).

Surprises: The nubbin is actually form following function: Early in the design phase, a decision was taken to do something different here, and the engineers noted that a tall selector (as in the past) means the driver will feed a lot of torque into that lever; a smaller lever means less torque, and less needed in the console. It also encourages the driver to keep two hands on the wheel; my take? I didn't use the tunnel selector very often in 997/991 or 987/981/718 cars with PDK, so this is not a big loss for me. I don't love the look, but find the reasoning sound. What I would like is a more positive pair of paddles; would be cool if they offered the very mechanical paddles from the GT4 Clubsport as an option in all 992s. I was NOT a fan of PDCC in the 991.1, as I felt it robbed too much in terms of feedback for what it gained in performance. I am not sure I have had the seat time in the right 991.2s to comment on PDCC in that generation, but PDCC is now DIALED in the 992. Not sure I would order it, but I see little if any drawback. The dash top vent directional controllers stood out in Spain where I missed them before. These are related to the dash's center vent placement, a way to add a bit more control over air circulation in light of the loss of the high-mounted center vents. The steering wheel looks better than the already good 991.2 wheel—in every aspect except the rotary dial for Drive Mode, which does look a but cheap but, interestingly, was selected after many other finishes—including the shinier, more expensive-looking material on the various center switches—were deemed distracting. My take? The white lettering is the problem. As for why it lost the LEDs seen in the last generation: An additional LED seemed superfluous given the way the "gauge" to the right of the tach indicates the drive mode. The door pockets have "hidden" water bottle holders that will hold a 1.5-liter bottle upright just head of the grab handles.

All up, from the road portion: In dynamic terms, the 992 feels more familiar than I thought it might be given the looks, marketing, and messaging. To me, it feels a lot like a 991.35—a welcome situation after how good the 991.2 Carrera is.

There's a lot more to cover in terms of Wet Mode, chasing a 991.2 GT3 RS around a track I learned in a 918 Spyder a few years ago, and other observations, but I need to head off to do another interview for 000 coverage (would be good to get something of value for the book, too!). But, for now, consider this first notes, tapped out about as quickly as I can.

Ikone

Yayyy!!! Glad you loved it.

Reading now. Was so looking forward to this.

Edit: Done reading. That's awesome and welcome news. Thanks for the long write up. I'm not looking to upgrade my 991.2 T until possibly a 992.2 T, so I'm hoping there will be some good changes made for the second gen.