Ok so this is not a comparison of speed and power because the 991 Turbo S crushes my 997 Carrera.

But yes so I have owned 997 Carrera for a while, but yesterday I had a chance to drive a PDK 991 Turbo S (Cabrio).

Well, the speed is something I can't really describe, it's insane, like ridiculous, and I thought my car was fast. Grip levels, the way it picks up and my goodness it feels so incredibly naturally aspirated it is shocking.

The only thing was when I was taking it round in corners, the car didn't feel as as direct under turning? I know the Turbo S is four wheel drive and mine is rear wheel and I love rear wheel drive cars.

But in tight corners, I felt the Turbo S was not responding with the same sort of sharpness as my 997 does in corners? So am I reading that right? Is that something to be expected?

Also the steering wheel, it felt 'distant'. Like under racing circumstances my 997 steering wheel for me is the best steering wheel I have ever used in terms of feel and feedback during corners. The only issue I have with my steering wheel is that it is a little bit too thin, but the feel is amazing. The Turbo S felt a bit, I don't know, not the same but still great.

In every other way obviously the Turbo S is not even close to my car, it is in a different league.

Anyone else feel similar? Are my thoughts justified or am I missing something?

 

Sounds like the 997.2 Turbo S is the car for you. Same hydraulic steering to give you that connected feelings and of course it has the same power/grip as the 991 Turbo S. Actually the 997.2 Turbo S is a bit faster stock than the 991.1 Turbo S. And certainly more raw. The turbo spools a bit more and comes on with great vengeance and furious anger, as opposed to the 991 which provides power in a more linear, smooth way.

 

The 997 turbo certainly offers a different driving experience than the 991 turbo offers. I owned a 997.1 turbo before my 991.1 TTS. There was much more turbo lag in the 997, but it was a thrill ride when the boost finally arrived!

I agree with your comments on the 991 steering feeling a bit distant compared to the 997. There have been multiple discussions about the feel of hydraulically assisted steering compared to electrically assisted steering. The electrically assisted steering in the 991 turbo is excellent, but it's still not quite as good as the hydraulic steering in the 997 in terms of feel.

That being said, I still prefer the overall package offered by the 991. The suspension and the rear wheel steering in the 991 are a huge improvement over the 997 platform, in my opinion. I know that the 997.2 is a step closer to the 991 than the 997.1, so that may be a good compromise as mentioned by longboarder.

 

a 997.1 isnt comparable to a 991, better comparison is a 997.2 turbo (or S), same engine and tranny as the 991, etc.

a .2 and a .1 are very similar, for me, the thing i notice the most is the MASS of the 991 versus the 997.2

you cant hide girth

 

I drove a 997.2 turbo for 6 years and 50,000mi, and now have a 991.2 turbo S with 7,000mi. The 2 cars do not compare and not even close match up. New car insane acceleration that as said above is NOT linear, just crazy fast and speed keeps building to I don't know what. Grip on new car is also way beyond. Many times on with the 997.2 felt close to edge and car felt not as solid like it could loose it and fly off somewhere. Steering for me in new car just as sharp as before.

One other thing - If you're looking for a upgrade consider a 991.2 GTS. Drove one for a week at Porsche Tour in Provence and it was a blast. 2 wheel drive and plenty of power. Shouldn't say this here but maybe more fun than the turbo s.

 

I'm assuming that you mean overall size when you say "girth". It's not a term that is typically used to describe automotive dimensions; I associate it more with circumference than anything else. When you say "MASS", then I assume you mean weight.

If we look objectively at the typical dimensions used to measure cars, then we can see the true size difference between the 997.2 and the 991.1. Based on Porsche's data from their press kits, the 991 is 0.49 inches longer than the 997. It's also 1.09 inches wider. The 991 sits 0.28 inches lower than the 997. The 991 weighs 33.0 lbs. more than the 997. These numbers compare the 2010 Turbo S Cabriolet to the 2015 Turbo S Cabriolet.

So what does this tell us? The 991 is marginally bigger than the 997. It's a very small difference. Not too many people will be able to tell that one car is less than half an inch longer than the other, or that one car is just over an inch wider than the other. Is 33 lbs. enough of a weigh difference to constitute a large mass? It might be to some people, but it's a very small number. It's 0.9% heavier.

I will grant you the fact that the 991 series cars appear bigger than the 997 series cars due to the longer wheel base and some other design features, but they are hardly bigger at all. If you compare the same data for the base 997 and base 991 in coupe form, you'll see that the 991 is actually smaller than or identical to the 997 in several dimensions, and it's lighter than the 997.

To me, the suspension and the rear wheel steering in the 991 cars are some of the things that really make a difference. The rear wheel steering shortens the effective wheelbase of the car, making it turn in faster and making it more responsive. So if you still feel that the 991 has more girth after looking at the numbers, then I would argue that yes, you can hide girth.

 

I’ve seen someone else post the .5” length difference between the 997 and 991. I’ve read stats saying 2-3”. Which one is it?

 

The numbers that I posted were taken directly from Porsche Cars North America press kits.

It does vary by model. The 991 turbo cabriolet is 0.49" longer than the 997 turbo cabriolet. The 991 C2 Coupe is 1.27" longer than the 997 C2 Coupe.

 

The 991 is the superior car - trust me. I’ve had both.

 

I have had both too, 997tt and now the 991 tts. The 991 is overall a better performer. I do miss an mt but think the only way to get the most out of these cars is with pdk.
It is hauntingly fast but stable and composed at speed. Great car. I did love the 997tt though.