Well, my curiosity finally got the best of me as I got behind the wheel of a 991 S w/ PDK today for a decent test drive. I've been purposefully NOT going to drive the car as I didn't want to get the new car fever, but I was having some new black stone guards put on today, and couldn't think of a better way to spend my time waiting than driving the new Carrera.

1) It feels more comfortable in every way. Smoother ride. More comfortable interior. More airy feeling given the extra front dashboard length. I dare say the ride was more comfortable than my Panamera S w/ Air Suspension (in Sport setting). My wife would never have a reason to complain about how smooth it felt as she does about my 997.
2) The PDK shifted quicker and more smoothly than my 09 C2S PDK or P2S. I really didn't notice any 1st-2nd gear issues with shifting. It was really smooth.
3) The stock exhaust (this one didn't have PSE) sounded GREAT. I'd venture to say that once some sort of bypass pipes come out for the stock exhaust, the PSE won't be needed. I loved the sound. Does a non-PSE car still have the Sound Symposer in it? It seemed as though it did.
4) Even though the seating position is lower and I had the seats as low as they would go, I felt as if I was sitting higher than in my 997 in relation to the steering wheel and dash. Nothing specific to give me that opinion, just a purely gut-instinct kind of thing.
5) The longer dash gave me the impression of being more difficult to see/feel the front corners of the car. In my 997, I feel as if the car is an extension of my body. The 991 didn't give me that same connected feeling. Of course, I only spent 20 minutes driving this one as opposed to the years I've had in my 911s and Boxsters.
6) Steering: I'm not good enough of a driver to have any complaints. Bottom-line is that the car goes exactly where you point it. It was lighter and with a little less feedback of the imperfections in the road, but I'm not one to take issue with it. To me it's still very Point-&-Shoot.

Final Conclusion:
While I don't have a single negative comment about the 991, I will NOT be thinking about trading my GTS for one. At least not until there's a harder-edged version come along (think GT3 or GTS). Why? My take is that when I was driving the 991, I had to really push it to feel as though I was driving a sports car. Whereas in my 997 I get that sports-car feel EVERY INCH I drive it. The 997 just feels more raw, less polished than the 991 (which I think is part of what Porsche wants with the new 9X1 cars). I could tell that this car had a higher performance envelope and certainly had the ability to go hard, but I had to force it to go hard for that feeling rather than it delivering that feeling on it's own. For some people, that's exactly what they want...a sporty car that behaves more civilized by default but has that hard edge when they want it to. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's not what I want out of my 911. My wife would pick that the 991 over the 997 any day of the week (and when she rides in a 991 she just might start on me to make the trade) but that's not a factor at this point as she isn't going to be riding in a 991 unless I bring her to the dealership - which isn't going to happen.

For those that either have a 991 or have one coming: congrats, you have a fantastic car that can deliver everything you want it to and more. For those of you still on the 997 train (like me) and thinking about the 991: drive it and decide why you are driving a 911 and what you're looking for. If you want a sports car that's always a sports car, it's the 997. If you want a sports car that's also a civilized daily driver (with more performance than we might be able to handle), the 991 is the best choice out there.

 

I much prefer your car, fwiw.

 

Alright, one of the first fair reviews I have seen. Props DC, very nice.

 

I much prefer my GTS too.

 

Thanks folks. As I mentioned somewhere else: I admit to having a Hard Head, but try to keep an Open Mind.

I have been very hard-headed against considering the 991, but had to find out for myself what the car was all about. Not that a 20-min test drive is going to answer all the questions...that's kind of like expecting to figure out a woman...EVER. But at least I now have some direct experience to give an opinion on it as opposed to just unsubstantiated thoughts.

 

Your conclusion is spot on!
Exactly what I think and already have said in here x times...
thanks for the great and honest review!