KBS911

OK, here we go again, yet another 991 test drive impression.

Stopped by my dealer today and they literally threw me the keys to a new 991 S with PDK and told me to go have fun.

First of all the new 991 is a beautiful car. Still looks like a 911, thank goodness. Only the cognescenti will know at first glance that it is a new car. Once inside the difference to the 997 is quite dramatic. It is a bigger car, and feels so too. The windshield is farther away and looking down the hood you notice that it has lost it's horizontal crown which enhances the wider visual of the car. The cockpit looks and feels much wider too, and less initmate. The new center console looks different but does not at all detract from the driving ergonomics. Kind of reminds me of some of the later air cooled cars in a way. I didn't really sense a bigger gap in the rear seats, but I guess it's there. Very comfortable overall.

Turn the key and the new exhaust note wakes you up and lets you know you're in something special. This car didn't have the sports exhaust but the sound is much more guttaral and raspy than the 997. I loved it, and can only imagine what the sport exhaust must sound like. Porsche did good in this area. My 12 GTS with PSE sounds great, but the new 991 has a bit more tenor. Very nice.

Driving was blast, but very different from my 997/GTS. I am a die hard manual guy, but the new PDK is simply brilliant. There is absolutely no way a human can shift that fast, and in sport mode the throttle blips at downshifts simply amaze. I have to admit that I may have to reconsider PDK for my next Porsche. Blasphemy indeed. I ran the car to low triple digit speeds and the car is, in a word... fast! Brakes are typically Porsche... great.

Now here is where it gets a bit interesting. The 991 is fast, feels very, very, planted, handles great, but, you knew there was a but coming, it somehow feels a bit antiseptic as compared to my GTS. The new electronic steering is tight, but somehow disconnected. You all know the feel of the road through the steering wheel in a 997, the little jitters, the constant reminders of road surface irregularities that extend from the tires, through the wheels to your fingers, and up through you arms, that finally manifest throughout your body. The same thing with the suspension too. It is absolutely a more dampened feeling. You can't feel the car through the seat of your pants as much, those subtle vibrations of road and engine and suspension that contribute to your total driving experience. Probably the same sentiment that the air cooled guys say about the later Porsche generations, but regardless it is not as engaging.

Enough already. I had a blast with the new 991 today. What a fantastic car. I have no doubt that in the end it is faster overall than my GTS, and by all accounts matches the speed and track times of my 10 GT3 at the Ring. It's just that I wasn't blown away and it reaffirmed what a great car, in so many ways, that my 997 is. My 12 GTS is my 4th P car and I have made a habit of changing them every 2 years. I am at once impressed with the new 991 and at the same time as impressed, satisfied, and quite content, with waiting another year and a half for my next P car. Porsche planned it this way, of course. I'm thinking 991 GT3...with PDK! Yeah...that's it!

Keadog

I drove a 991S PDK yesterday. Last fall I test drove a 6 speed GTS. Now, my first car was a '69 GTO with a 4 speed and I have had a car with a manual transmission (including 4 911s and an E type Roadster) in my garage for all but a few years since. I swore I would never buy an "automatic" Porsche.
It's a little hard to remember accurately a 15 minute drive several months ago, but I swear the 991 felt significantly faster than I remember the GTS feeling. When we were driving the GTS, I told my wife "this car would be OK"; after driving the 991, I said "wow".
The PDK is indeed brilliant. I was very impressed. I never thought I would say so, but I'm strongly considering one. Just waiting to see if they are really going to bring back a true Targa.

KBS911

I have to agree, the 991 felt faster than my GTS. I really think part of it has to do with the PDK. I will not close my mind anymore to that possibility. I'd like to drive a GTS with PDK. It does deserve a wow!

ADias

It's that (PDK seamless shifts) and the symposer. The 991 has far more sound insulation. The main mechanical sound source is the symposer, which conveys an immediacy to engine performance sounds. Sounds play a key role in speed perception, as an immediate response to throttle inputs. Another component is the smooth glide ride, far more isolated. That is my experience comparing my 997.2 PDK S to a 991S PDK back-to-back in a test drive.

KBS911

Well put. You are right. Now that I think about it the most impressive "feel" of the 991 was the sound, which I noticed on start up and accceleration, followed by my PDK impression, not the actual feel of the road/car/driver interface. It was engaging though in it's own right. Was there much of a difference between the 997.2 PDK and the 991 version?

ADias

From a 'bottom of the pants feel' they are close. It's possible that the 991 measures slightly better. But as you say, the presentation is different. The 991 gives you the performance sounds, whereas in the 997.2 you hear all the mechanics.

Re PDK, I think that they sharpened up PDK Normal a bit, but SC Sport or Sport Plus I see no difference, although the 'symposer' conveys the shift far more directly. The presentations are different.

rodsky

Good to know. I haven't driven the 991, but everyone says how much better the PDK is. I don't know how it can be much better than it is now in sports plus. What are your thoughts in this regard Tony?

ADias

As I said above they sharpened up the SC Normal shifts (but not by much) and note that does not add performance, it's just a shorter open clutch, close clutch cycle, as there's no loss of power before either, but of course shorter shifts yield quicker acceleration (that's what Sport and Sport Plus do). SC Sport or Sport Plus I see no difference, but the Symposer sound-field paints an immediate auditory change. As I said, the presentation is different. It's the sound and the gliding carpet effect.

allegretto

The 997CUP had the first gen of this system. Magic carpet doesn't even explain. The only way you "felt" the track was by the direction of the front end. Near total detachment, even over rough pavement that would make the wheel tingle in a GT3.

There is a great deal more feedback in this one. I think the major difference in feel is not the initial transient, its the rebound (backforce) of the system that is "smoother" with this system. Just my feel.

rodsky

Perfect, thanks.

Keadog

Thanks for those insightful comments. I will say, even though it felt faster, I was surprised when I was cruising up to a red light at what I thought was a very reasonable speed, I glanced down to see I was going 53 in a 25. Yikes! And Wow!

Dr. Strange

First of all...I wanted to personally thank you and those like you who cast off your "used" Porsches every 2 years!! I get the same car at a significant discount.

Secondly...I just got back from a test of the car and was blown away by the PDK. And while I think the road feel thing is personal...if you use the car to drive to work at all, "road feel" is fairly low on the list during my crowded commute. What is amazing to me is that they seem to be able to make the car do what you want when you want it...plenty of feel, response, agility etc. etc. etc...all when you want/need it...and when you don't want/need it...the car can be docile/comfortable...sort of like a lion waiting to go at it's prey.

Anyway...awesome car...I told my dealer i will look forward to the first trade ins a year or two from now!

Cheers.

Waxer

Great review. Thanks.

I plan on driving the new 991 soon. I keep getting invitations from my dealer.

While I appreciate the "sympathy" offered by some for those of us who they perceived acted hastily by buying a GTS last summer instead of waiting for the 991 I say thanks for you sympathy but trust me it's not needed. I absolutely love my GTS as much as the first day I got it.

I expect to be impressed with the new 991 from a performance and sensory standpoint. I hope I am actually. It would not be good for the Mark, it's reputation and the image of Porsche including the perception in the publics mind of previous model years if Porsche laid an egg with the new gen 911. The 997 has passed the flag to the new generation 911. It now carries the Porsche colors into the future like it or not.

While I expect a step forward in certain respects with the 991 those steps forward come at the expense at leaving some things behind which made the 997 great and so loved especially in GTS iteration. While the GT3 is awesome an argument can easily be made that the GTS was the best naturally aspirated 997 when you look at it's near GT3 performance, it's price, versatility and limited production numbers making it a likely candidate as a very desirable 997(dare I say classic?) in years ahead.

Waxer

Great review. Thanks.

I plan on driving the new 991 soon. I keep getting invitations from my dealer.

While I appreciate the "sympathy" offered by some for those of us who they perceived acted hastily by buying a GTS last summer instead of waiting for the 991 I say thanks for you sympathy but trust me it's not needed. I absolutely love my GTS as much as the first day I got it.

I expect to be impressed with the new 991 from a performance and sensory standpoint. I hope I am actually. It would not be good for the Mark, it's reputation and the image of Porsche including the perception in the publics mind of previous model years if Porsche laid an egg with the new gen 911. The 997 has passed the flag to the new generation 911. It now carries the Porsche colors into the future like it or not.

While I expect a step forward in certain respects with the 991 those steps forward come at the expense at leaving some things behind which made the 997 great and so loved especially in GTS iteration. While the GT3 is awesome an argument can easily be made that the GTS was the best naturally aspirated 911 when you look at it's near GT3 performance, it's price, versatility and limited production numbers making a likely candidate as a very desirable 997 and 911 in general (dare I say classic?) in years ahead.

allegretto

When I first drove the 991 and posted my impressions a few weeks back I caught hell from the True Believers.

Essentially I told them it didn't feel that much smaller than my M3, the differences in PDK were a bit noticeable, but not that much better than my GTS, especially in Sport/Sport Plus mode. The ride was softer to be sure, but unless you're running the 'Ring (or imagining you are) I didn't see much to excite me. I thought the interior "very nice" and much like every other car on the market.

Well, not being as priggish as you may think, I went back Sat for an extended drive since I felt I must have missed something... drove it for nearly an hour, including my favorite switchbacks.

Fellas, with all respect to your Rights to like what you drive and drive what you like, you can buy all the 991's you want. it is a very nice car. Worth the $115K entry-level number and up? Not a chance for me. This is a 996 all over again, but that's just my impression. Time will tell. Enjoy!

Oh, almost forgot (as if) after my test drive I went to my other p-car dealer and drove his TTS.... OMG! If I get another 911, this IS it.