I had an opportunity to test drive the 991S today. Overall, I liked the car a lot -- I think Porsche has a winner here in terms of a high performance sports car with the latest modern technology, while maintaining the soul and feel of a 911 (Hey, I'm starting to sound like a commercial ).

However -- and this was a surprise to me -- I was not blown away enough to feel that I've got to replace my 996TT with the 991 anytime soon. There's no doubt that I can see a 991 in my future, but it's just not the imperative that I thought (or feared) it might be.

Here are some quick observations:

- Handling was solid -- the car felt planted with limited or no perceptive body roll in hard corners. Keep in mind that I'm comparing with my 996TT with a stock suspension. I suspect with my planned upgrade to PSS10s and sway bars, I could achieve something close in terms of handling performance.

- Steering was definitely lighter in the 991. However, it was mostly noticeable to me at slow speeds. I didn't notice it being too light at higher speeds, but I may not have had a sufficient chance to really judge. I know some folks have questioned whether they'll like the "fly-by-wire" steering, but I don't feel it would be an issue for me.

- The PDK in the 991 is amazingly smooth -- especially the downshifts with the rev matching. My 996TT is manual and I prefer the interactivity of a manual, but I have to admit that the PDK is an extremely nice transmission. If I cared most about fastest shifting and more comfort in stop-n-go traffic, the PDK would be a no-brainer choice.

- Based on the performance numbers, I was a little surprised (maybe I shouldn't have been) that I wasn't blown away by the power of the 991S. It's got great power, but I just didn't feel that it provided any more of a "kick in the pants" compared with my car -- even though my car doesn't have the extensive power mods. It could be that I'm use to the acceleration when the turbos kick in, and in reality the 991S power is more usable across the rev range. However, this is probably the key thing that kept me from thinking that I need a 991 as soon as possible. I may have to just wait for the 991TT .

- Finally -- a few minor negatives are still there for me. I still don't like the external look of the sunroof when it's opened, although the higher clearance inside is nice. I am not too fond of some of the luxury items -- such as the optional engine shut off at stop lights (turned that off right away), or the electronic e-brake. Also, the inability to see anything when you open the engine lid is a bummer (what are guys going to stand around their cars and look at now?).

 

Nice review.

Not that Porsche owners had much to look at when they opened the rear lid anyway, but it's a shame that trend continues amongst the auto manufacturers.

 

Yep agree here. How did you like the interior? I didn't. The 911 has turned into Panamaera.

 

I looked at one pretty closely at Champion last weekend and thought they were hidious. I feel the same way about the 991's looks as the purist do about the 996 headlights.

 

i didnt like the 997 interior, i dont like the 991 either, really dont like the rear lights, look too thin, like the rear of the car is squinting

 

i drove it, i liked it. as a dd i would imagine it has the best of both worlds, much like i found in my 335i, along with the chick.., er, pdk. i love my tt though. it's visceral, while the 991 wasn't. it was was staid, until you pushed it, then it has an incredible exhaust note that encourages the notion that it's all about performance. the center console supposedly gt derived but it reminds of the panamera. a bit too much, methinks. but a true gt car, nonetheless.

i'm not gonna hate, i'd have one. but trading away the 550hp i have now? tough choice.

 

that was my one good laugh. opened the rear decklid ( after tugging stupidly on the spoiler for a sec!.. the spoiler engine lid compartment switched in terms of orientation ), imagine my surprise to see nothing but an oil fill and coolant cap! very clean design, but i want to see the hamsters.

 

Thanks for the nice review! It's the first one I've seen directly comparing 996TT versus 991S.

 

Very nice writeup Aerodude!

I haven't driven one but it looks to me like a 2-door Panamera, inside out.

btw, I thought the turbo is going to be a 991TTt.

 

Agreed.

 

I also have a 996 TT that has been modded. I'm going to get the ultimate test drive of the 991 in first week of May. 4 Days of 991 driving in Germany on both Autobahn and country/mountain roads. I'm doing the Porsche Treffen plus an extra 2 days on my own with the 991. I'm really looking forward to seeing the difference.

John in Vancouver

 

To be fair even a stock 996TT is still up on power compared with the new 991S, and the torque is really where you'll feel the difference. A boosted flat 6 is just different.

 

Aerodude,
did you have the pdk in 'sport plus' mode ? Without this switched the pdk won't knock you back.

 

And I am looking forward to your report! Subscribed.

 

Agreed -- unless you get into the high end exotics, where they make sure you even have a window to look at the engine when the lid is down.

I was OK with the interior -- it's a little bit "gadgety" for me and more designed for the luxury car look. One funny point -- I also mentioned that it looked Panamera like, and the guys at the dealership mentioned that they were advised to say that it's more "CGT" like. Porsche certainly knows who they're selling to.

I agree that the exhaust note was very nice when you opened up the throttle. In some ways, the car was almost too quiet cruising in 6th or 7th on the highway. But when you opened her up..... On a related note, I thought the salesman was telling me about some sort of sound enhancement button. I didn't really catch what he was saying, but it sounded like there was a feature to enhance the sound inside the cabin.

Definitely looking forward to your thoughts.

Yes -- tried it in all modes. I spent most of the drive in manual (just can't let the car do the thinking for me too much ).

Good point. Bottom line is that, before the test drive, I was expecting to be more interested in upgrading to a 991 sooner than later. Instead, I ended up with a greater appreciation for the 996TT and think I'll be happy with it for quite a bit longer.