I was a bit underwhelmed by the 991 S when I took it for a test drive. And seeing as it was the first Porsche I had ever been in that was slightly disappointing. I liked the 991 4s a bit more, enjoyed the 981 boxster a lot, and I really love my 997.2. A big thing for me was the steering, I much prefer the feel of the hydrolic steering. That being said I do see myself in a 991.2, whether it be an "S", "4s" or "Turbo S." I think the interior updates/refinement are a great step up but its not all about the toys.

 

I've been an air-cooled man all my life. I still have my 98 993, as well as the 94 C4S. Drove the 996, hated it. Drove the 997, hated it. On the advice of the CEO of the Porsche Experience, I ordered a C2S without ever driving one.

Remarkable car! It's everything and more than the normally aspirated 996 and 997.

(Don't want to offend any of you owners of these models, just my opinion)

 

Wow. I am trying to wrap my mind around how you could love a 993, hate a 996 AND 997 and than love a 991? The evolution and loss of 'rawness' seems pretty progressive and well defined...
Jim

 

I find that interesting also. He apparently didn't own a 996 or 997, just drove one. But he knows for sure that the 991 is vastly superior. Also strange that he would dislike the 996 and 997 so much, yet order a 991 without even driving it.

 

26 months ago I traded my base 997 manual for a 991 base manual. In my opinion Porsche made a huge error in going back to 3.4 instead of sticking with 3.6. The S engine didn't shrink so I don't buy all the bs about emissions. I miss my 997. The 991 is indeed a better highway car but for driving around town I enjoyed the 997 much more. I enjoyed the steering feel and driving dynamics of the 997. In fact I would trade my 991 for a 997 GTS on the spot if the right car surfaced.

 

I've been daily driving various 911s since 1990, more or less -- two 911SCs, three 3.2 Carreras, a 930, numerous 993s (Carrera 4 and Carrera coupes and cabs), two 996s (99 C2 cab and 03 Targa), 997.1 cabriolet. I now own a 2012 991 base cabriolet.

The 991 is the first non-aircooled 911 I've owned that did not make me miss my 993 (last was a 97 cab that I put 50k miles on from 07-11 and I sold that and bought the 997).

THe 996 left me flat in both instances; the 997 was a great improvement. I owned it for a year and 10k miles or so, then drove the 991 and was blown away by the quantum leap in the chassis, feel, power and ergonomics on the base car (and the PDK -- first time I've driven a non MT 911). I had some pangs driving the 997 the 60 miles or so to take delivery on the 991 ... it was a beautiful summer day, top down, highway and some back roads, and was thinking how good a car the 997 really is. Ten minutes behind the wheel of the 991 and I don't miss the 997 at all.

When I see a 993 around town, I get a twinge ... such a great car and the classic old-school aircooled feel. But the 991 is faster, nimbler and a better drive all the way around. I had similar nostalgic pangs for some of my older 911s even when I owned the 993. When I sold the 993, I went and test drove a beautiful 1988 911 3.2 Carrera ... had the beautiful lines, classic interior and great sound, but it drove like a truck in comparison, heavy steering, brakes and felt like what it was ... a 25 year old car. Maybe fun to take around town on a summer afternoon but as a daily driver ... no way. And I daily drove those cars for years.

So, for me ... yes, the 991 was an immediate upgrade over the 997 and the first non-aircooled 911 that does not make me wish I had still owned an older one. YMMV.

 

Me too. Trying to wrap my head around it. Doesn't make sense

 

I test drove the 991 when it first came out. I liked it for what everyone stated (newer tech, ergonomics, etc) but didn't LOVE IT.
I had a 997.1 Targa 4S and Turbo. When I decided to upgrade the Targa 4S, I decided to go with a low mileage 997.2 C4S over a 991S/4S.
When its time to upgrade the 997.2 C4S or R8, I'll probably get a 991.2 C4S but for now, I still love the 997.2 platform.

 

It would be difficult for most people to understand if you only started with the water-cooled. I bought my 1st Porsche over 30 years ago. It was just as difficult for me to understand putting water in a Porsche as it is for you to understand my reasoning.

We all have our own opinions and thoughts. I respect yours, please respect mine.

 

I respect your opinions. I was merely saying I didn't understand your reasoning behind it. But to your point, perhaps it's not to be understood

 

So Lucid. What do you think? After driving my cab I mean? Are you still on the fence for a 991? Just curious. I liked your 997 a lot. More than I thought I would. It's a sweet car. Just dated electronics really. Otherwise a blast to drive. Tough call.

Alec

 

I owned two 996's,a 98 c2s and now the 991s. Prior to the 991 I had a a 360 and thought I would never leave ferrari (I will probably be back) anyways I test drove the 991s and had to have one. I am enjoying this car much more than I thought. The 997 is a great car but missing the performance and tech upgrades that make this car so much more enjoyable. You can nitpick on the 991 but the reality is that these cars get better with every new model. If budget is no issue it is a no brainier.

 

I had a 997.2 3.6 and now have the 991 3.4. I understand your point, but Porsche have always indicated they wanted more of a gap between the base car and S. I have been on track with Ss and driven an S on track with base cars both 997 and 991, and the difference in brakes and suspension are wayyyyy more noticeable than the power gap. 911s are not about raw power. They're giant killers that use their power more of the time to gain an advantage. The Bruce Lee of sports cars if you will. The Vette guys don't usually get that. I looked up the specs on the chevy V8s and it appears that every corvette V8 from 1959 on had more torque than our 991s do now.

So, while I am not opposed to more power, I am aware of the need to conform engineering philosophies to accommodate environmental concerns and economy guidelines. The 3.4 revs really nicely and has a motorcycle like power band above 5500 rpms, yet it still pulls nicely from 1500-3000. Its the no man's land between 3500 and 5500 that bother's me... That's where I miss the 3.6. But overall I wouldn't take it back given the 3.4 strengths (particularly since the PSE now sounds like a race car whereas the 997.2 PSE sounded like it was trying to replicate an air-cooled 911..kind of unsuccessfully IMHO).

The interesting thing will be Porsche using 4 and 6 cylinder turbos on the base 991 in a few years... Not a fan of that idea on paper. I don't like turbos in a precision road car.

DRP

 

In widening the gap between the base car and the S they narrowed the gam between the Cayman S and the base 911. I would think it would be more important to widen the gap between the Cayman S and any 911.

 

I dont know.
I honestly feel the 997 feels more like a surgical tool/go-cart type car.

But I know that if I bought a 991 that I'd grow to love it.

I also like the aesthetics of the 991 better, and the technology.

I wish I could rent one for a day or something.