Does anyone else feel like this? I have had my car, a 997.1C2S since new in 2005. I love it but I think I am ready for a little upgrade. I went to the dealer and drove a 2014 991 base 7 speed, the only manual tranny I think that they had. I guess it was a little bit better than mine... I want something I can be thrilled about like I was when I took delivery of mine. I think everyone is a little disappointed in the GT3 rollout. There is the 918, but come on. Give me about 450 normally aspirated hp, in the new light chassis with a manual transmission and a great steering feel like mine. I had a patient one tell me 'I don't mind paying 30 dollars for a steak, but I want a 30 dollar steak!' Keeping mine for now.
Jim

 

Drove a 991 C4 and a 991 base carrera. They're way better cars. In every aspect. They just lose a bit of the "rawness" of the 997 which makes a 997 a little more "rough" than refined. Then again, it's the same story with every new 911...

 

I feel the same way. 991 are definitely nice cars, but after getting my Porsche itch fixed (997 is my first P-car), I just don't get as excited siting in a new Porsche.

Maybe a 2-generation gap will stir things up a bit for 997 owners. But for us stick shift enthusiasts, I have my doubts (they might be gone by then!).

So I say 997s are keepers.

 

Skip the 991 and buy a 997 GT3 or a TT if you want more power.

If you want to wait a bit, there is talk of a Cayman GT4 with 400 Hp, lightweight (sub 3000 lbs) and other go fast goodies.

 

If you want some more excitement, you can order one of these:

http://money.cnn.com/gallery/autos/2...d=HP_Highlight

 

Do you have any mods?

 

Broken record time:

When I want excitement it's not my 997 I take out.

However, the 997 is a brilliant car and i'm not convinced to pay an extra 50grand for a 991. Tempted at times when I see a 991 optioned correctly but again not 50grand and the keys to my 997 excited.

 

My next car will be a new Cayenne S or better with PCCBs like the one I saw today. Keeping my 997, too.

 

Bone stock. I have always been wary of thinking I can do better than a P engineer.

J

 

Damn that thing is fugly! That sheet metal design should have died in the early 90's.

Oh wait, it's a Dodge... what was I thinking?

 

I think the 991 is a nice improvement over the 997, sure it's fatter and girlier, but it's still a beast. Drove a 991 Turbo S and was absolutely awestruck by the supercar performance. The latest Cayman and Boxster are also awesome vehicles. The Cayenne on the other hand looks like a Lexus or even a Kia, so what if it goes fast, it looks like any other crappy SUV, and fails miserably compared to a Range Rover on the luxury stakes.

As already predicted, we will likely see a p-car in the $250k range to compete with the other supercars out there. Me, I'm looking at Exige's with an envious eye lately.

 

I drove the most loaded out 2013 Carrera S on this side of Florida and while I was impressed, I wasn't keen on the assisted power steering and I also wasn't crazy about the automatic rev matches when in sport plus. The sport exhaust is AWESOME, though...

Next car for me will be a 997 GT2 hopefully. I'd like to get my girl a Macan . Drove one of those, too and
WOW.

 

Porsche engineers design to a compromise between luxury, performance, cost and fuel efficiency. If you value some of these over the others, there is some room to improve. For example, racers often replace half the suspension components to stiffen them up for the track, but others on this forum run their tires below spec pressure so they give a softer ride...

 

Very true, but something has changed..... the emergence of more high-dollar money in the world has opened the market for high-dollar prestige cars. Porsche wants a piece of that market. So..... they steadily raised the price of the 911 to match that market demand.... gave it more power, luxury, and size (yikes!) to compete. But...... that market does not want a true sports car that is hard riding, twitchy handling, and loud. Remember, a true sports car is one that "you could race if you had to" said someone.

That high-dollar market wants pedigree and jewelry. Look at me! Look at me! My 997.2 S is a bit of a disappointment and is no where near as fun to drive as my 2000 Boxster S. I had high "sports car" expectations and they are not met. I do now have a fabulous GT cruiser..... but that is not what I wanted.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

 

I'm a product designer myself and it's always a challenge to think ahead to the next step-change. I sit in on a lot of consumer focus groups and you'll often find that people are asking for what they have with a small feature change. Henry Ford said "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses". The 911 seems to be filling this wish for a long time. A little faster, a little bigger, a little more comfortable. You're not going to see an electric 911 until it's well established elsewhere etc. I think that's what the 911 is all about small refinements on a good thing. Porsche has other models that allow them to make the major leaps forward.

That said, I'm like everyone else. I just want a faster 911 that looks almost exactly like the 997 with even less creature comforts. The 991 change was too much for me especially on the interior. If I could buy a 964 or 993 off the line today with modern performance I'd buy one tomorrow. If Lotus made a car that looked like the 911 with some small back seats I'd be all over that too. I'm not looking for a more complex experience I'm looking for the most simple experience a modern car can offer.