Goodbye 992
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2023
Posts: 233
Likes: 139
From: MD
After three amazing years I've traded my 992.1 C2S (PDK, hardtop) for a 718 Boxster Spyder (MT, Convertible). It's been a great ride, but at the end of the day the 992 no longer fit my practical needs, nor tickle my impractical fancies. A quick summary:
What I loved:
- Dead reliable. Even with the M Tune and Soul cat the car seemed immortal and bulletproof. After a lifetime of unreliable sports cars (Triumphs, Alfas, F-cars etc), 'there is (truly) no substitute' for a Porsche in this area
- Stupidly fast when I needed it to be, docile and user-friendly when I didn't.
- Drop dead gorgeous Jet Black Metallic (a PITA to keep clean though) with full Bordeaux red interior. The 911 profile has been ingrained on my synapses since I was old enough to say 'Porsche' so it was great to finally have one in my garage rather than just on the wall in my boyhood bedroom.
- Incredible PDK... in Sport+ and 'manual' mode it's literally the best of both worlds, and the 8th gear overdrive makes it a ridiculous highway missile.
- The .1 LED Matrix light are science fiction (when properly activated). Night driving will never be the same.
What I won't miss:
- The 992 is almost 'too good', ie, needs to be going 90+ mph to feel like its working, which means I was either a) driving criminal speeds to enjoy myself or b) trundling along feeling like the car is about to go to sleep. I needed something with a bit more 'sense of occasion'
- While I love and admire the undeniable brilliance of the PDK, as someone who's been driving MTs for 45 years I had to finally admit that 'something was missing'. My head wanted to love the PDK, but my heart needed an MT (@wilder!)
- It was 'big', which is great for highway cruising, but felt ponderous on smaller roads, especially with the now mandatory 'wide body'. I pined for the agility of the smaller 997/991 but fully admit that physics "won't let you have it both ways"
- Increasing complexity: active door handles, active 'everything', and too many weird little warnings that would come and go after a restart.
- I really missed the convertible, which is a very personal preference. Targa's and Cabs were scouted, but they seemed even heavier than the C2S. I also contemplated an MT GT3 but my Spyder was about half the price of a market Touring, and for my needs I'm definitely pining for a 'driving a slow(ish) car fast' approach.
At the end of the day I 'scratched the 911 itch' and wouldn't change it for a moment. If I had the garage space I might have kept the 992 for longer trips but I'd been eyeing a Spyder for a while and pulled the trigger on 'end of an era' NA/MT convertible. As a community we are truly blessed to have such amazing choices in this world of increasingly anodyne 'transportation appliances'. See you on the road.
ps. My sport cats and unused D088 intake on listed in the marketplace if interested.
What I loved:
- Dead reliable. Even with the M Tune and Soul cat the car seemed immortal and bulletproof. After a lifetime of unreliable sports cars (Triumphs, Alfas, F-cars etc), 'there is (truly) no substitute' for a Porsche in this area
- Stupidly fast when I needed it to be, docile and user-friendly when I didn't.
- Drop dead gorgeous Jet Black Metallic (a PITA to keep clean though) with full Bordeaux red interior. The 911 profile has been ingrained on my synapses since I was old enough to say 'Porsche' so it was great to finally have one in my garage rather than just on the wall in my boyhood bedroom.
- Incredible PDK... in Sport+ and 'manual' mode it's literally the best of both worlds, and the 8th gear overdrive makes it a ridiculous highway missile.
- The .1 LED Matrix light are science fiction (when properly activated). Night driving will never be the same.
What I won't miss:
- The 992 is almost 'too good', ie, needs to be going 90+ mph to feel like its working, which means I was either a) driving criminal speeds to enjoy myself or b) trundling along feeling like the car is about to go to sleep. I needed something with a bit more 'sense of occasion'
- While I love and admire the undeniable brilliance of the PDK, as someone who's been driving MTs for 45 years I had to finally admit that 'something was missing'. My head wanted to love the PDK, but my heart needed an MT (@wilder!)
- It was 'big', which is great for highway cruising, but felt ponderous on smaller roads, especially with the now mandatory 'wide body'. I pined for the agility of the smaller 997/991 but fully admit that physics "won't let you have it both ways"
- Increasing complexity: active door handles, active 'everything', and too many weird little warnings that would come and go after a restart.
- I really missed the convertible, which is a very personal preference. Targa's and Cabs were scouted, but they seemed even heavier than the C2S. I also contemplated an MT GT3 but my Spyder was about half the price of a market Touring, and for my needs I'm definitely pining for a 'driving a slow(ish) car fast' approach.
At the end of the day I 'scratched the 911 itch' and wouldn't change it for a moment. If I had the garage space I might have kept the 992 for longer trips but I'd been eyeing a Spyder for a while and pulled the trigger on 'end of an era' NA/MT convertible. As a community we are truly blessed to have such amazing choices in this world of increasingly anodyne 'transportation appliances'. See you on the road.
ps. My sport cats and unused D088 intake on listed in the marketplace if interested.
