981 just needs a 991 rear suspension and GT3 motor to make it fact. Oh wait I think it's called 911rsr. We can all hope.

 

Regardless of the fact that the new GT4 will have a 4.0, a turbo, pdk....it is honestly an ugly car all around and I would never trade in my GT4 for that...I already got to see the new GT4 but I had to sign papers to keep quiet...honestly not a fan. will it be quicker, most likely, will it drive better...probably not. The body styling of the 718 killed it for me

 

It is basically the same car.... think of twins. If one has different clothes and hair style does that make them the ulgy one?

You have a good point however.
If you already own a GT4, you might not feel the desire to trade up as it is only incremental improvements.

You could take a 981GT4 and add the factory X51 kit and be in the game.

 

I'll have to echo this. For someone to go to, Love the 981 enough to shed 130k on it but with the new slightly different styling, it goes straight to ugly which sounds like a radical changed considering the suttle changes.

 

I recall many people being extremely critical of the styling on the 991.2 gt3, particularly the front end, prior to launch.
After launch and a couple weeks later, people started to backpedal and changed their tune a bit. I expect something similar.

 

I too have a strong dislike for the 718, it's based on the headlights and taillights, they're too pointy and that doesn't make any sense with the roundness of the car.

 

I think it is. Numbers and feel are two differwdi things. The 981 is inherently so capable that Posrche is forced to spend disproportionate amounts of time and $, and to artificially retard development of the mid-engine models, in order to assurw the 911 always comes out on top. If they put equal resources into the mid engine chassis it would bury the 911. IMO.

 

Yes, all it needs is 100+ more horsepower, entirely different rear suspension and wider wheels and tires. So all it needs to be is an entirely different car. The 981 that I was referring to doesn't have any of those things.

 

Again, I'm not talking about a mythical car with way more power and grip, I'm talking about the actual 981 vs. the actual 991. The 991 is faster and more capable than the 981 even though the 981 may feel more flickable on the road. The 981 gives it up on turn in and mid corner grip. I've posted this video a number of time before, as it shows just how much more capable the 991 is versus the 981. On a short, tight track that should very much favor the 981, a base 991 Carrera with no performance options at all stomps a 981 S and looks way more composed doing it. The 991 chassis is a marvel and the idea that the 981 is a better sports car is all in people's heads. And I own a 981 Spyder.

 

The fact that the factory race teams have moved to the mid-engine layout on the 911 is all you really need to know to understand which works better. They didn't bother changing the layout of the race car just to have a laugh at the internet experts expense. That's not saying the rear engine design can't or hasn't been made to work very well but at some point you run out of areas to re-engineer to make it better. They have be engineering on the 911 platform for a long time. I don't see them running away from it for road going cars however. It's still a very solid platform for that use case.

 

Yeah, I'd have to disagree with you there. While the shape is the same, the devil's in the details and in that regard the 981 and the 718 are very different animals. IMO, they look very different and I can spot a car as one or the other from a mile away. Which car one prefers is up to personal preference, but I think they are different enough that some people might like one and dislike the other.

 

The debate isn't about a mid or rear engine 911, it's about comparing the 991 vs. 981. The 981 is not a mid engined 911.

 

Nor should anyone want it to be. It's solid performer in and of itself. Pick the package you're after and have a good time driving a really good car in either case.

 

I hope they'll use the space between the exhaust pipes for a light like the race cars have!

 

I think you misunderstand the primary reason that the 911 RSR moved to a mid-engine layout. It had virtually nothing to do with handling balance. It was about being able to fit an enormous diffuser under the rear of the car to improve downforce on the track. With rear engine, there simply is not room to fit this upward sloping aerodynamic device (engine is in the way). As the street cars do not have this downforce mandate, this piece of evidence is largely irrelevant.