It's definitely gotten bigger over the years

 

991.1 carreras are just not good looking cars. Electric steering is worse than hydraulic too and very very noticeable in the 991.1 carreras. The looks are subjective, sure, but there is zero benefit other than a tiny bit of efficiency savings in going electric for steering.

The only reason Porsche went electric steering was due to regs.

It isn't price point that keeps me from a 991.1 carrera, so it is purely a matter of preference. I am sure many others are in the same boat. If someone offered me a 1:1 swap for a 991.1 with the criteria being i couldnt sell it and just buy back my car (and pocket some $) then there is no way I would make the trade.

As for newer being automatically better, how many would swap a 993 for a 996? Or a 308 for a 348? Or a 60s mustang or camaro for an 80s?

Some people blindly buy into the hype of a new shiny toy. When it is no longer the newest thing out there, then what will keep their interest other than having to "upgrade" again?

 

To me its mainly the rear lights of the 991 that I love.

 

I agree with you on many points. Obviously preference of the appearance of one over the other is subjective, as you mentioned. Many people think that the 991 looks better than the 997. And many people think the 997 looks better than the 991. That's okay; nobody is saying everyone has to agree on this. I happen to like the proportions of the 991 better, which is one of the reasons that I bought one.

You're right about newer not automatically being better. But older doesn't automatically mean better or certainly not "classic". The 996 is older than the 997, and I don't know too many people who think it looks better than the 997 (although there are a few out there).

We can (and have) beaten this topic to death, and there will never be agreement on which model is better, which model looks better, etc. For some people, the 997 is better. For some people, the 991 is better. It's all good.

I found an interesting comparison of the size of the 911 turbo as it has evolved over the years. It shows the changes in size pretty nicely.

 

Saw some beautiful 991s cruising today. Hard to imagine how a Porsche person could not like the way they look. That said, I love everything about my 997 (excpet the interior rattles).

 

If BIGNESS is a significant issue for you then newest is going to be a problem. The fact is, "911s" have continued to grow in size. When I park my '64 356C next to my ancient 2006 Carrera S Cabriolet, it's incredible how much larger the 997 has become. The 991 takes it a bit farther.

The other issue for me is the engine. Today's Carreras are now dictated by the EPA and DOT so we all get turbos, whether we wanted a NA engine or not. I would rather order a new 991 to get all of the unique things I would like but unfortunately, that ship has long sailed. I can't afford to get a NA engined 991. (I think the GT3 is still NA and marks the return of the six speed.) I'm just really happy to have ordered the car when I did and will be holding on to it. I started driving these things 43 years ago. I suspect I can get my old 2006 Carrera S cab to last a bit longer.

One very important factor. Reliability. Today's Porsches have some of the most reliable components ever. The 997 is quite reliable and I suspect the 991 will prove to be as reliable. It's no longer an oxymoron that you can have incredible performance AND incredible reliability!

 

Agreed a 997.2 is pretty sensational - however there's room for improvement as always... I wonder: What car will give me even more of what a 997 has and a 991 is missing?

 

here you go - hah-

 

Does this come a little closer to what you want?

 

^^^

When the 991 first came out I thought it was fugly but then I began to appreciate certain aesthetics of the model except the rear part.

Given the chance, the 991.2 is what I prefer to have.

 

Is that the one with the George Foreman grill on the back?

Tom

 

That photo does not have the cars to scale. You can check by measuring track width.

 

So as someone that owns one of each I think I can weigh in on this thread. I recently purchased a 2006 Carrera S Cabriolet and it joined my 2014 base Carrera Coupe. The 997.1 has the 6 speed manual while the 991.1 has the PDK. Both have sport Chrono and are decently optioned. I haven't put a ton of miles on the '06 but I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute behind the wheel. They are very different cars obviously and have their own plus' and minus'. The steering on the 997 definitely shares road feel quite a bit better than the 991 but sometimes it can be a bit bothersome. Every little bump gets transferred through to my hands and that doesn't always feel great. It is nice when you are cornering hard and want to get a feel on how the traction is holding though. The 991 is just easy to drive hard and fast because of the PDK and it's more up to date electronics and systems. The manual requires a little more skill which is nice but I absolutely love the PDK! I shift in manual mode most of the time which really is the best of both worlds. I have to say though, while not a huge fan of convertibles, I have loved the couple times I have been able to put the top down. It really gives you a great sense of everything around you and the engine sounds amazing. Surprisingly both cars get a ton of attention. My red 991 obviously is hard to miss but the white 997 is so pretty with the tan interior and people seem to be drawn to it. I get more "beautiful car" with that one while the newer 911 gets more "hot car" or "awesome car" kind of comments. I truly love them both and definitely feel blessed to have the tough decision of which one to drive!

 

Yup.

 

You can tell a difference between road feel in the 997 vs. 991? No way -- you must be imagining it. Electric steering is JUST as good as hydraulic steering and only the nut job "old was better" people (who must have spidey sense) would claim something like that.

Sorry, couldn't help it (just read earlier posts in this thread where some dismiss people's ability to tell the difference in steering... which I think is absurd). Your assessment seems spot on across pretty much all points. I've driven several 991.1s and they are great cars (obviously) but they have gone even further down the spectrum towards being great GT cars. Your comment on the road feel being tiresome is probably fair when using the car as a comfortable mode of transport (e.g., as a GT car).

The looks of the 991 are not bad by any means imho, and this is very subjective of course, but I think the rear crease and new spoiler layout really is not visually appealing and won't hold up as well over time. BUT the side profile is certainly sleeker (with a more raked windshield) so I would not be surprised if people did view it as a bit more "exotic".

Great post from an owner of both!