997S arrived at my dealership today. Currently I drive a 03 996 coupe with the x51 performance package. First impressions:

1- From the outside, car looks wider/ shorter than 996 which gives it a "chunky" appearance.
2-19 inch wheels looked great in real life. The 18 inch five spoke rims looked bland on the regular 997.
3-the nose looked more integrated and the back was coke bottle shaped. Almost looked like the c4s without the tail liht strip.
4-Inside cabin was a big improvement in quality. Full leather is a must have option. I didn't mind the nav screen but the chronos clock on the top of the dash was a dissapointment. It really looked tacky, but unfortunately you need this option if you want the faster throttle response option.
5-Sport steering wheel like the 19 inch wheels also looked great in real life.
6-adaptive sport seats is a must have option.. They were comfortable and held you in place.
7-driving impression- When I started the engine, It didn't have the throaty sound of my 996 with the pse, but it still sounded ok. When I started driving, it was clear that these germans made a great car even greater.... What impressed me the must was the ride quality. This car felt completely planted. The car drove more like a mid-engine vs rear engine car. Acceleration was on par with the x51 if not better. This car had the ceramic brakes and all I can say is I wish I ordered them... They had such a great feel as well as making the steering feel so reactive and percise. I know eight thousand is a lot for upgraded braked but trust me its worth every penny. Also,just to note they don't squeak.... The reviews were right on with the new 6-speed. Going through the gears was easy with little effort.
8- in summary, all I can say is that if you have a 996 , don't drive this new model because if you do, I assure you, youwill want to buy one.. God bless the Germans............

 

I just drove the 997S a couple of hours ago. The shape is really too much like the 993, especially in black. Maybe it will look better in silver. The 19in wheels looked too small, they dissappeared in the wheel wells IMO. This car had the ceramic brakes. They felt very good, and no squeeks. The sport seats were great. The ride was jumpy in sport mode. It felt a little like my Cayenne S on sport setting. Throttle response was excellent in sport mode, normal mode seemed unnecessary. They should just have the throttle mode in sport as default. I'm not totally convinced as to the normal vs sport suspension setting. The 3.8 felt really strong as far as torque, but the torque curve felt very flat. I didn't really feel that rush at the top end. The interior was nicer than I expected - a little too much like an Audi though. It did feel more planted than the 996 C2. I did not like the steering wheels relative lack of feel. It felt a little remote/distilled - again some Audi thrown in. I really like the steering feel of my 02 C2, GT3 and 986. Just my quick impressions. I'm going to wait for the 997 TT anyway.

 

I strongly agree with Your opinion, concerning 19" wheels. They are the only right choice and look mutch better than 18". Did You saw, that tire diameter is larger also? 18" has at least 5% higher profile than 993.

 

I just drove the base 997, had the sport suspension. Silver, not sure which exact color.
My opinion is the car's interior is nicer compared to the 996 and 993. (previous 993 owner). Wasn't too thrilled with the stalks around the steering wheel. The interior dash feel and look reminded me of an audi.
The car was parked next to a 996, there is definitely noticeable differences. I think the lines of the 997 flow better. I do miss the front indentation on the 993. Sound system sounded nice, had compartments for storage all over, and the seats were pretty comfortable.
As for the ride, it was very firm, crisp steering, sounded nice when winding it out in 2nd gear. The car felt small. My TT felt bigger.
The dealer also had an " S ", but the owner took it for the day. I hope to drive that on Saturday.

 

I just drove one too but was pretty unimpressed. It feels a GREAT deal slower than a GT3 which supposedly only has 25 horsepower more. I like the interior and the adapative seats are awesome but I think the new key and the new steering wheel are cheesey. Ride was nice. The bottom line though is that I feel the car is entirely too expensive. The performance boost over last years model is very little even when comparing the S to the 996. The car I drove stickered at $99,000, granted it had PCCB, PCM, and full leather I still think that it's way too much. It doesn't feel, look, or drive like a $100,000 car. I saw the incoming cars for my local dealer and all the S's are stickering in the high $80's or low $90's. Anyone who's in the market should seriously consider the huge price jump. I'm interested to hear others opinions though.

 

How would you compare the new 997S to a 996 C4S ?

 

That's a good thing.

 

Just be thankful you don't live in the UK - my 997S which is due for delivery in January '05 will cost the best part of $150,000 and no PCCB!!!!

 

Dear god. Why are you buying it?

 

Saw it at Hennessy in ATL today. I thought it looked pretty nice inside and out. Not as big of an exterior change as I expected but the interior is night and day. I like it!

 

I drove a factory 997S for 2 days in Germany this past week. I also had a chance to drive a 996 GT3 for an additional day following this experience. Previously, I had the chance to drive my brother's 996 Turbo with power option for a month. Here are my comparative impressions (this may be controversial):

-I didn't find much difference between the 997S and GT3 on the road. They both had similar levels of agility and precision in terms of handling at high speed on the Autobahn (excess of 160 mph). In fact, my impression is that the 997S has more torque available at lower RPMs than the GT3, as well as more flexibility. However, I did not get any track time in, suggesting that the higher revving GT3 will prove better at the track, but clearly not on the road at high speed.

-The 996 Turbo clearly has more precision, lower range torque, flexibility and power than the lighter GT3, even though it is a heavier car. This difference is perceptibly much greater than the difference between the 996 GT3 and the 997S, at least under road conditions.

It would be great if a car magazine would do a more detailed comparison between any of these cars (NA and turbos) for all of their pandering to the new 997.
-----------
92 RSA
93 911 Turbo S2
80 SC

 

[QUOTE=RSA333]
-I didn't find much difference between the 997S and GT3 on the road. They both had similar levels of agility and precision in terms of handling at high speed on the Autobahn (excess of 160 mph). In fact, my impression is that the 997S has more torque available at lower RPMs than the GT3, as well as more flexibility. However, I did not get any track time in, suggesting that the higher revving GT3 will prove better at the track, but clearly not on the road at high speed.


RSA,

How do you think the 997 S compare to the GT3 at speeds below 60 MPH in terms of acceleration feel, etc.? I was thinking of getting a GT3 but decided to wait to see the 997 S before deciding. For me, if the two are fairly close, I would get the 997 S since it is the newer model.

 

Brian - that's how much cars cost in the UK. You can usually reckon that luxury european models cost at least 50% more here than they do in the US and for more mainstream models you can usually reckon on up to 100% more.

The manufacturers used to say it was due to the costs of re-engineering the vehicles for right-hand drive, but now the prices are pretty much the same all over Europe where they have left-hand drive.

Base price from the list for a 997S is £65k or $117k and the options are similarly more expensive than you have to pay in the US.

What's the answer? Move Stateside? I've been seriously considering it for some time!

One advantage we have over the US cars is that they don't have their rumps spoiled by those godawful fender extensions!!

 

Maybe you brother's Turbo with the power upgrades (X50?) must also have suspension upgrades. I've compared the Turbo and GT3 on track, and the Turbo doesn't even come close to being as precise as the GT3. A GT3 also accelerates as fast as a regular 996 Turbo (non-X50).

 

What fender extensions are you referring to?