Went to dealer to order a 991 Cab. Found out that their allocation was pretty full through the end of the summer. There was a 991 base Cab with MT on the lot and ended up taking it home. (Will try to post pictures).
Impressions after 200 miles on the road (as compared with first generation 997 Cab):
Seats: Very comfortable seats. MUCH more comfortable than the 997. Will help on long trips!
Driver Position vs. MT: It took me a little bit to get used to the new position of the shifter. But once I did, I feel that it is a more natural position than before. Still getting used to the 7th gear.
MT: This manual transmission is very smooth. The MT transmission in the 997 feels clunky in comparison!
Exhaust: Both my old 997 and the 991 have standard exhaust. However, the 991 sound is so much louder, that one would think that the 991 came with PSE. With the top up, you can hear the engine sound even more than with the top down (must be the sound symposer thing). After a while, will try to drive a 991 car with PSE to see the difference. If you are coming from a non PSE-equipped car and were thinking of PSE on the new one, you might be able to save yourself money and not get PSE.
Other: My 997 had the audio controls on the steering wheel. Of all the buttons in it I only used the volume control and always felt that it was easier to just reach for the actual controls. I still prefer the steering wheel without all the buttons but every so often I find myself trying to adjust the volume from the steering.
Bose Stereo: The sound of the Bose in the 991 is like night and day as compared to the 997 Bose system. Will try to listen to a base audio sometime to compare. Note: The new cab roof makes the car SO quiet, that you can really get to enjoy a nice stereo in a cab! However, I kept turning the volume down so that I could hear the engine though.
Driving: This car is much easier to drive. On the twisties, it feels like it rides on tracks. Very reassuring and solidly planted on the road.

Will try to post pictures.

 

Pictures

 

Wonderful review. Great to see some pics and get some opinions on what will be a very similar build to mine.

 

One more thing: the brakes. They are more responsive than in the 997. Less pressure on the pedal and yet faster response and braking power (did Porsche put a "sport" mode on the brakes?!).

With all the comfort features of the 991, this car has become a really a luxury car (first) and a sports car (second). Porsche will still make the GT3s, turbos and other hardcore 911s for the old faithful. But (I think) that they are aiming to entice the lovers of other luxury car brands like Mercedes and Jaguars and convert them into the Porsche faith.

 

Congrats!!!!! Very nice car. Do you find the torsional stiffness of 991 to be an order of magnitude better than the 997 cab?

ChuckJ
PS You'll probably only use 7th gear on the highway and I hear it takes a good size hill to have to shift down.

 

i have had 2 cars with PSE - i am amazed at the sound of this w/o PSE.

in fact my concern would be whether PSE is too loud from the outside for my taste. i was never a fan of overly loud bikes, cars or boats going by. you know, the ones where the owner is oblivious to anyone else's possible concerns

 

I definitely find that the 991 has more torsional stiffness than the 997. I have noticed it when exiting driveways. For example, the 997 used to bend and squeak when exiting my driveway (there were some odd noises from the rag top as well). The 991 cab does not do that.

 

Thanks for the review nicoff!

Question, does the non PSE still do the crackle and burble on the overrun or is that unique to PSE?

PSE is a relatively expensive option so it might be nice to save the $3,800CDN or put it towards another option or two.

Are you thinking of getting the colour crests on the wheels? I would.

 

The colour crests on the wheels will add to the car. I plan to get them. The crackle and burble is there but ot as noticeable as when I test drove a PSE-equipped car. Now, I have not gone past 4k rpm so there may be some more surprises on the way.

 

How the positioning of the 7th gear. I understand that it is quite a bit over to the right. Does it seem odd to have the shifter that far right?

 

The positioning of the 7th gear is OK. I have not used the 7th gear much as I have kept most of my driving below 6th gear. It will take me a bit to realize that there is one more gear out there.

 

One more thing, the automatic shut-off feature: With the manual transmission, after the engine turns itself off, all it takes is to push the clutch to have the engine turn on again.
By the time the clutch is half way in, the engine is already running so you place the car in first and go without any delay. At night, I was concerned about the engine not running and what effect it had on the lighting. I saw NO noticeable change in the power of the headlights while the engine was not running or when the engine started running again. I wonder what provisions have been made when the battery gets old and weak.

 

Good question, especially the more the electronic you run. I wonder why they didn't go to a LifePo4 battery to reduce weight and add amperage- even as an option.

ChuckJ

 

Very nice looking car. PSE is much louder than non-PSE, so I tend to turn it off when I am entering a residential area.