.....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.

 

Nice review. Similar to others i have heard and it def appeals to a different crowd. A friend of mine just traded in his Cayman S for a nice 991 C2S and he is looking forward to the bigger/comfier/more advanced 911 coming from his little "go kart" Cayman S......so for him - the new car has delivered. For you it sounds like it disappointed and you know what to do (GTS!).

Thanks for sharing. I think i will stick with my Cayman R for the time being and see what Porsche does next. And i hate to sound like a broken record but the 987/981 line is really the new car line for the "drivers" not the 991......(flame suit activated)

 

Thanks for the post. Since the release of the 993 (especially the S models) I have seen female drivers of nearly everyone on the road. I do not mean this to be a sexist post at all; just an observation and perhaps an underscore for the type of drivers who tend to prefer refinement at this level. I have yet to drive one myself but you are not the first to explain the car’s over refinement. I’m still head over heels for the last GT3RS and GT2. I doubt it’ll get much better than those were any time soon.
+1 for a possible end to an era.

 

Not saying I disagree, but for all we know, the 981 might be all cooshy like the 991. I personally prefer the 987 and 997 over the 981 and 991.

 

Thats why I bought my Turbo S. Even though I may contemplate the New Turbo in 2013 I am very happy I did not opt for the 991. Even more disappointing is every time I see a photo of one it does nothing for me :I( even though I have seen some nice combos.

 

Very true. 987's are near and dear to me too as you know (on my 3rd lol)



Your car is so freakin hot i dont even know why you are commenting in this thread Marc (JK - i hear ya)

 

Ha thanks man I do enjoy it, but at one point considered trading my C2S cab into an early delivery 991 C2S Cab and I am glad I did not.

 

The next Cayman is the Porsche to get Thx for the review

 

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...

 

edit: *991