Test drove the 991 and....
Mar 7, 2012 | 08:23 AM
#21
Teamspeed Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 469
.....what a disappointment. I know this is not what everyone expected to hear, but the car is very different from the 997/2. It is a "civilised" car compared to the previous generation. It is true that the difference may be just 10 cms, but believe me the car feels big. It feels like you are driving a four door, a big GT. This is the Ferrari California compared to the 458.
Undoubtedly the car is a technological marvel, but do I really want to be doing 250km/h while feeling that I am doing 120 Km/h?
This reminds me of my S8 where you could only know that you are doing 250 km/h when you are looking at the speedometer.
The car has lost the go kart feel. It may corner better, may be more stable or accelerate faster, but in the process the fun of cornering and accelerating was lost and is now a thing of the past.
By improving the figures and the technology, Porsche killed the spirit of the 911. The electronics have taken over. Many of you are now thinking that I am exaggerating, but you really have to drive it to believe it. Drive it back to back with a 997 and you can immediately spot the difference. This is the end of an era. It is the end of the air cooled all over again.
It is obvious that Porsche has decided to target a wider market for the 911, those looking for comfort and refinement at the expense of true enjoyment. Even when I had the sport suspension on, the suspension did not feel hard at all. On a 997, when I engage the Sport Plus button I always turn off the sport suspension otherwise my back would kill me within five minutes. Nothing of that in the 991. True refinement!
Some will like that and would prefer the softer and more comfortable 911. It is obvious that by building the next GT3 with PDK, Porsche had made a drastic change in its approach to the 911 and its view of who the 911 customers will be. From now on, if you want the real deal, perhaps only the next GT2 will satisfy the purists, but at what cost.
I must admit that when I saw it first in Frankfurt, I did not like it. But the looks will grow on you like every other Porsche did, in particular like the Cayenne. However, I was expecting refinement in the interior, but what I did not expect is the extra (unwanted) refinement in the driving.
A word of advice, do not get the power steering plus, unless you are 75 years old and want to feel like you are driving your dad's Cadillac. A 911 steering wheel should never feel like that at any time. What is next Porsche, assisted parking!!! I might have lived with the absence of a hand brake, but that steering wheel plus is just too much.
I know what I want now. The last and best 911, the GTS.
Undoubtedly the car is a technological marvel, but do I really want to be doing 250km/h while feeling that I am doing 120 Km/h?
This reminds me of my S8 where you could only know that you are doing 250 km/h when you are looking at the speedometer.
The car has lost the go kart feel. It may corner better, may be more stable or accelerate faster, but in the process the fun of cornering and accelerating was lost and is now a thing of the past.
By improving the figures and the technology, Porsche killed the spirit of the 911. The electronics have taken over. Many of you are now thinking that I am exaggerating, but you really have to drive it to believe it. Drive it back to back with a 997 and you can immediately spot the difference. This is the end of an era. It is the end of the air cooled all over again.
It is obvious that Porsche has decided to target a wider market for the 911, those looking for comfort and refinement at the expense of true enjoyment. Even when I had the sport suspension on, the suspension did not feel hard at all. On a 997, when I engage the Sport Plus button I always turn off the sport suspension otherwise my back would kill me within five minutes. Nothing of that in the 991. True refinement!
Some will like that and would prefer the softer and more comfortable 911. It is obvious that by building the next GT3 with PDK, Porsche had made a drastic change in its approach to the 911 and its view of who the 911 customers will be. From now on, if you want the real deal, perhaps only the next GT2 will satisfy the purists, but at what cost.
I must admit that when I saw it first in Frankfurt, I did not like it. But the looks will grow on you like every other Porsche did, in particular like the Cayenne. However, I was expecting refinement in the interior, but what I did not expect is the extra (unwanted) refinement in the driving.
A word of advice, do not get the power steering plus, unless you are 75 years old and want to feel like you are driving your dad's Cadillac. A 911 steering wheel should never feel like that at any time. What is next Porsche, assisted parking!!! I might have lived with the absence of a hand brake, but that steering wheel plus is just too much.
I know what I want now. The last and best 911, the GTS.
What a great review from you..I couldnt agree more to what you write. Nothing, really nothing I see differently..except for the 997 GTS - yes get it - but I would rather advise you to buy a 977.2 GT3..that will be a classic one day. But a GTS is also a very good car.
Shame to Porsche for the 991..but you know that Porsche wants to hit 200,000..now you have the explanation why the normal 991 was "slaughtered" to become a "female car".
By the way, the 991 isnt much faster than a 997..although Porsche says 14sec - these are wrong. An independent test revealed that its less than half..compared to a 997.2S...not a GTS.
Have a good time and decide soon on your 997 purchase..keep us posted
Mar 7, 2012 | 08:40 AM
#22
Teamspeed Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 469
I'm picking up my 991S tomorrow, and I ain't feeling any excitement... Although I drove the demo 2-3 weeks ago, and I loved it... Had a 2011 997 GT3 before that, did the trade in before the over-supply and drop in value of all 997s... Not sure what car I envy having anymore...
I look forward to your comparison 997.2 GT3 & 991. As I own one of these cars..
By the way, with the 991 you will realise a far bigger "economic loss" then with a GT3. The GT models were alwas relatively stable..except maybe for the GT2s...but in Germany new 991s are already sold with 5-7% reduction..
You should have kept the GT3...as weekend car and "investment" and the 991 for daily use..
Mar 8, 2012 | 02:12 AM
#23
Thread Starter
| Teamspeed Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 100
Here is a review of Evo for the 911. His last words were that the 991 is not as immediatly lovable as the 997. I guess more and more people are finding the 991 not up to the expectation. Better car yes, but better driving experience hmmmm.....
http://www.evo.co.uk/videos/supercar...34_driven.html
http://www.evo.co.uk/videos/supercar...34_driven.html
Mar 8, 2012 | 07:35 AM
#24
Teamspeed Pro
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 7,647
From: Munich,Germany
The problem is,you do not realize what the 991 is capable of..
it feels too big,comfortable and not go kart like for you because the 991s limits are pushed much more far out beyond the 997s
where the 997 begins to slip and feel unsafe,the 991 still has a lot of grip and easily cuts through the corner...
you can do Benz like driving while you had to sort of fight for it in the 997
but if you really give the 991 what it needs and get to the limits you reveal the real feel of it...
just like a 458 can be very slush and "normal"...the 991 can be civilized and "boring" as well...and if you really need to kick ass,you can do that - just have to take it further than you did in a 997S
and I think that is a very good thing - great allrounder imo
Marakji
how was your delivery day?
Any updates?
it feels too big,comfortable and not go kart like for you because the 991s limits are pushed much more far out beyond the 997s
where the 997 begins to slip and feel unsafe,the 991 still has a lot of grip and easily cuts through the corner...
you can do Benz like driving while you had to sort of fight for it in the 997
but if you really give the 991 what it needs and get to the limits you reveal the real feel of it...
just like a 458 can be very slush and "normal"...the 991 can be civilized and "boring" as well...and if you really need to kick ass,you can do that - just have to take it further than you did in a 997S
and I think that is a very good thing - great allrounder imo
Marakji
how was your delivery day?
Any updates?
Mar 9, 2012 | 03:57 PM
#27
Thread Starter
| Teamspeed Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 100
I asked the Porsche dealer in here and it seems that the only GTS than can still be ordered is the 4 GTS! Not sure why one can not order a normal GTS anymore. Not sure I want a 4GTS. I would have preferred a wide body rear wheel drive. Does anyone know why a normal GTS can not be ordered anymore.
Mar 9, 2012 | 04:42 PM
#28
Teamspeed Pro
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,063
I asked the Porsche dealer in here and it seems that the only GTS than can still be ordered is the 4 GTS! Not sure why one can not order a normal GTS anymore. Not sure I want a 4GTS. I would have preferred a wide body rear wheel drive. Does anyone know why a normal GTS can not be ordered anymore.
The 4WD 991 has not been released yet and hence the availability of the 997 4WD?
Mar 10, 2012 | 03:12 AM
#30
Teamspeed Pro
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 2,542
look for a gts 2, i has no clue why they even bothered with a 4 gts since the whole point was to create a sporty modle closer to the gt3, im stil disapointed the panny gts is an al wheel drive, i drove both pany s and 4s and the s was significantly more nimble