http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...googlenews_wsj

 

Another very favorable review.

Makes me wonder even more why I didn't find it as engaging. Doing a test drive with a MT could make a big difference.

He says the rear seat legroom was significantly improved, but I haven't heard that elsewhere?

 

I think we have summed it up. The 991 is a great car, no doubt....but IMO its another variant of the 911. Perfect for some people, just like the GT3 or turbo is for some and not for others. It may not be better for some, just different.

Also, we dont have the luxury of long test drives, going on track or on isolated roads. You may need these situations to get the most out of the car and you may need the ba**s to do it. (Some people, like me, dont care how cushy the ride is. It I did I certainly would have put GT3 seats in my car. I want performance.)

And look at the price tag of the test drive. With tax you are talking about over $140K. That allot of money for a car in which you get a better ride, and cornering ability, steering feel or whatever they say and the only place you will see max benefit of any of that is at a track.


Who's going to take a new 991 at $140K to a track? Maybe some very seasoned, experienced drivers I guess. But the average buyer...No way.

 

Agree and that would be a good reason to keep your order under $120k as 99% of us will only be able to utilize only a small fraction of the car's performance capability in DD.

 

It's a bit ironic that we want "fast" cars, and are seduced by 0-60, lap times, etc., and yet that fastness sometimes means that a car is less engaging at speeds we can realistically attain on public roads because those speeds are "too easy" for the car. And even on the track, absolute fastness isn't very important if you're not racing.

Considering these factors, I suppose a good case can be made for getting a Miata.

 

true..(and the miata as u know is a great, low cost option as a track car)

 

My friend told me to get two 370Zs for me and for him (for the price of one 911), and then race....

 

The 911 tires are Z rated and supposed to be good over 150 mph... and I am learning it's no good in the winter...

I think people will go up to 120-130 mph easily, but does anyone go over that in North East? I'd love all season tires standard any time!

 

The 991 shines on the track - but that doesn't mean it isn't superior at every speed and level (which is what all reviews I've read says: better at every speed and in every way). I wouldn't hesitate to buy one if I had the cheddar track or not.

Buckwheat is right. We should just own Miata's with the "only good on the track" logic. Ferrari would be the same way. I don't think the 991 is bipolar meaning not good everyday driving but is fantastic on the racetrack. Typically with track superiority encompasses purity at lower speeds too.

 

Are you referring to the road or track? Those speeds can be attained on the road (someone I know has done it), but at risk of accidents, tickets, handcuffs, impounding, etc.

 

Well if you pick the Porsche up in Europe, you can actually put it through its paces. In 2006, I hit 170mph on the Autobahn, held on tight with white knuckles as the C4S ripped around the "Ring" and did a dizzing amount of switchbacks through the Italian Alps! When you get back Stateside you can join PCA and do some light track days or go do the Silver State Classic in Nevada, where you can run your new 991 for 90 miles on a closed public highway!

 

It doesn't mean it isn't superior at all speeds, but it doesn't it is superior either. And of course it depends on what we mean by 'superior'. If we mean more engaging, that's fairly subjective, and there's no substitute for driving a car yourself to decide. Even if most reviewers like a car, that's no guarantee that you or I will, and vice versa.

Adding to the mix, our subjectivity is shaped by what we're used to and what we expect, which can change over time, so we can grow to like or dislike a car over time. That's another limitation of these short test drives. And that's why I did literally dozens of test drives when I was car shopping last year.

 

“A ripping, scalping, torque-wrenching, swivel-hipped snake of a car—and that's just so far.”

niceeeeee!

 

Neil brings up a very good point. This first year 991 already outperforms its predecessor on many fronts. Now wait to see this 991 evolve over the next years into an even better machine. I can't wait to see how the views of the folks that currently don't like it, change.

 

It is the old adage. It is much more fun to drive a slow car fast than vice versa. Even at 60 mph I get goose bumps on my 3.2 but to expose the true character
of my C4S with the right sports chrono/PASM setting, I need to go north of 60 mph. Great cars and I mean every single variant of 911s.