ICE,

I think I know what the problem is as it makes no since that you didn't like the way the 911 pulled in comparison to your car.

From your post, it sounds as though you are driving automatics and most shift down when prodded by the accelerator. If you were driving a PDK 911 and regular mode they like to stay in a high gear for better mileage. When prodded they take a while to shift down and then should go like stink. If in Manual mode, they will not shift down so if in a high gear you will not be able to feel the torque and acceleration can be very anemic.

Try a 991S with PDK and sport chrono. Don't accept anything else. Then on the test drive put in sport or sport plus and just mash the peddle as it sounds like you are doing. If you don't come back with a big grin or your pants soiled I will be surprised.

Do this or you may make a horrible mistake. At least then you will start to understand the car and can then decide if a standard 911 will do the trick. It may be that you just like something that pulls good a low RPM. If that is the case, any car with a turbo or large displacement engine may be more to your liking.

 

You're exactly correct. When I pushed the pedal to the floor, I was expecting that gear to kick in, then a burst of thrust. Instead I got bupkus. The selector was in sport. I asked the saleman to take it out of sport+ since that required using the paddle shifters and I am not into that.
Seems you understand what i was looking for. Maybe people can stop believing I was trying to denigrade the car.
I am definitely going to test the S model before making a decision.

Like I said previously, i am not gonna buy anything for a couple months. I have time to learn and drive. I have wanted a 911 since I was a kid. My dad tried to talk me into getting one when i finished college. He wanted me to stay at home to afford the payments. Instead, I got a Nissan Sentra and moved out. I couldn't bring girls home and that was more important than a Porsche.
Now my 2 kids are grown and it's time to buy that toy. No backseat passengers allowed.

 

Thanks for the well wish.
As for the GS, it has a strong motor but I didn't really enjoy driving it until I lowered it and put on high performance, low profile tires. Now it's a sport-luxury cruiser.
The new GS handles much better but I test drove it too and imo it needs to be lowered as well. That motor has good thrust though for only 300 hp. But it ain't a Porsche.

 

There is nothing wrong with critisim. Honestly, I was a little underwhelmed by the low end torque of the 911 when I first drove it as well. I was coming from a 135i and that n54 engine's 300ft/lb torque kicks in at 1500 rpm's. Ridiculous. However, once I learned where the power was in my car and discovered how to stay on it....it is ***** to the wall fast. Like I said, go drive it again in manual pdk mode and get the rpm's to around 4.5k. Then keep them there. Oh man is it fun. That 911 has to be driven like the 2 stroke MX bike example I mentioned earlier. I freak people out going so fast in second gear but it's made for it.

As for the BMW 6 series...I love most of what BMW makes but that 6.......meh. It looks like a finger nail shape wise. The only thing that could possible temp me away from 911 is the new M5. But again, nothing looks like a 911. I mean look at that *** of my car!?

 

Like many have said, you need to be in the right RPM to get the maximum power from the 911. I disagree with your assessment of GS feels faster from 40-90 mph than the base 911. I had a base 911 (997). First time my wife drove it on the freeway, I yelled at her for driving too fast. She stared at me and said "70 mph is fast ???". I told her to look at the odometer, then she realized she was driving at 110 mph.

Even in a base 911, the handling and feel are more superior than a lot of luxury sedans at higher speed. By design, it allows you to drive faster (hopefully on a track) without feeling the body move or aerodynamic / airflow. A base 911 is a 12.5s 1/4 mile car; GS is a 14s car. There is no comparison.

If you want the power to be there all the time, then turn on the 'sport+' mode and place it on manual shift using PDK. This will give you maximum power but minimum gas mileage at all time.

Again, coming from a GS to a base 911 is a hugh upgrade. unless you are running against a 500 bhp car on the road, there are not many cars that can keep up with you. A 911 CS is a 12 sec car; you only need it if you want to go against the 500+ bhp cars (M5, M6, E63).

Here is another example, I can run thru a S curve at 50-60 mph with little attention (in a base 911) but require full attention at 45 mph in a Panamera S. In the Panny, I felt more scare and freaky at lower speed. Does it mean "it is faster"? Obviously not, it is just the handling of the car not the actual speed of the car. Hope this help.

 

So, it sounds like you have to be in sport+ and use the shift paddles to get the power?
This means I'm gonna have use the paddles when i want to have fun. That sucks!

 

No. You have to be in sports plus OR use the paddles. Either will keep you in the power band. And I swear you have no idea (in a good way) what's coming when you give an S a try in either mode.

Or get the dealer to show you Launch Control from a stoplight.

The 911 competes unfavourably with a turbodiesel in the motorway 2000rpm range. But floor the throttle in a PDK Porsche to induce an instant shift from 7th to 2nd and see how you like it.

Then report back. If a real sports car isn't your bag after doing so, there are plenty of alternatives.

 

NO!!! But I would suggest if you are spending this kind of money to take a driving school Like Skip Barber or Porsche's. Two to three days course. You will find you will enjoy any care more afterward.

 

I had a C6 for about that long also. I thought it was a good car for the money, but that instant power was a pain in the neck because the wheels just spin off the line; the go, not so much. That's the main reason I went back to a 911 where you've got the weight on the rear wheels and an engine whose smoothness is remarkable.

Chuck

 

This sounds like a good idea.
Just so you guys know, I've been driving fast all my life. I am comfortable doing so. I am wiling to try this suggestion to learn how to extract the best performance out of a 911.

Looks like you guys are helping quite a bit though.
Sounds like I should have driven the car in sport+.
Can you drivie in sport+ without having to use the paddles? The salesman told me it was required.

 

The sslesman doesnt know jack. The paddles and the sport/sportplus buttons work independently of eachother. The buttons give you 3 different throttle/transmission maps, while the paddles allow you to override the automatic settings if you so desire (I like to!)

 

thx !

i haven't had a good laugh in a while..

good luck with ur search

 

LC from a stoplight= jack rabbit start and exhibition of speed!! So best you let your dealer demonstrate it!

ChuckJ

 

Nope, you don't have to touch the paddles if you don't want to in sport+. Just leave the pdk in auto mode and it will make each shift at around 7500 rpm (redline). Bear in mind sport + is not practical most of the time on the street but can be used when you are feeling funky and really puts a smile on your face when used. Usually the sport mode on an S version, gets you enough of an acceleration thrust for practical every day use. Sport + is amazing but you need a lot of empty road ahead of you for it to be useful

 

Porsche changed the character by moving the torque to higher rpm. It is a different driving experience. The 997 produced more torque in lower rpm so it might feel faster. The new 400 hp engine is not really new, just reconfigured from the 997S. A sports car such as the 991 S should be experienced with a manual gearbox... IMHO. PDK with fuel economy concerns is a joke...