Hey folks,

Just got a 2010 Carrera S (997.2) a week ago and wanted to post a comparison to a previously owned 2005 base Carrera (997.1).

This is my first post so please forgive me if it not so good...

In 2011, I bought my first 911. It was a 2005 yellow base Carrera with sport chrono with 25k miles on it. It was completely stock except an upgrade to a factory GT3 front bumper cover and some decals. What a car... She was an animal, so visceral and raw. My life would never be the same again.

The ride was very firm and uncomfortable at normal speed. There were clunking and rattles from the rear of the vehicle even over mild road imperfections. At high speeds, the front of the car felt like it was floating and the car wanted to wander. But when the car was pushed... The engine roar, the g forces, the agility of the vehicle was astounding. I have never had such feelings in any other car.

Unfortunately, the color yellow and the need to push the car led to many tickets... I had to sell it after two years or I would have lost my license.

What regret that followed... I got a new Audi A7 after the Porsche and I felt really old driving that car. I decided that I would get another one at a later date in a color that wasn't as conspicuous.

After checking the internet for two months, I found a 2010 silver Carrera S with 17k km, sport chrono, and of course with PASM. It was in Ottawa Canada and I live in Toronto and bought it over the phone without even test driving it. I picked it up last week and decided to take a week off and go on a road trip to Quebec, New Brunswick, PEI, Nova Scotia and Cabot Trail in Cape Breton. 4700 km later, I had to share my experience.

The PASM is a must have. The ride is so good. A car you can drive everyday, over long distances and not get fatigued. Mind you I test drove many 997.1 with and without and it is very comparable with the 997.2.

The clunks and rattles have disappeared in the 997.2 (although most of it is likely more related to the PASM suspension). The cabin is so much more quiet and serene. The new Porsche had the Bose audio and it is very good. The 997.1 had a base stereo and it sucked. But I didn't care at the time. Just opened the sunroof and windows and pressed the gas. That feeling with the engine sound and the wind flowing through your hair... Didn't care about the stereo that much. But in a quieter cabin of the 997.2, the music adds a new dimension to the experience and I would highly recommend it.

The 997.2 was so much more civilized. Maybe to a fault in some ways. The engine sound was much more subdued. I had mixed emotions about it. It was great on a long road trip to have such a quiet cabin but that visceral feeling was lost in the later version. I may have to consider mods for the exhaust to get that feeling back...

High speeds were much more improved in the 997.2. The car tracked dead straight. That light floaty feeling in the 997.1 was virtually eliminated. The steering felt a little more heavy in the 997.2 but steering was more telepathic with the hands in the 9 and 3 position. It is pretty much perfect.

To sum up, if you are considering buying a 997.1 or 997.2, they both are amazing cars to drive, but they have different characteristics.

I found the 997.1 to be more raw and hard core without PASM. It is like a mad MMA fighter in round one of a championship fight. This car felt faster than the 997.2 due to high noise levels and stiffer suspension. Fatigue is a problem for longer drives.

The 997.2 with PASM was more of a professional boxer in a suit. Much more civilized and comfortable. The car is plenty fast but it doesn't feel like your going as fast as you are. Very refined feeling. But a little bit of a let down as I was hoping for the same crazy stimulation of the 997.1.

If I had to chose over the two, I would keep the 997.2 if it were to be my only car. If it was just for weekend blasts through the back roads of Ontario... I am not sure... Driving a Porsche is an experience. The 997.2 is a better car but the 997.1 was more of a memorable driving experience.

Cheers.

woo

 

Very nice comparison and well written.

I'm not surprised you were getting tickets in the 997.1 it's a beauty!!!

 

Thanks. The yellow one was stunning. The GT3 factory bumper upgrade was well worth the money and really changed the look of the car. Only problem was bottoming out... A lot...

 

Was the car sold privately? Where did you get it from?

 

I can tell why you got a lot of tickets in your 997.1. Because it stands out, looks so much better than the 997.2. I tend to speed more in my SUV and minivan than my 997 b/c it doesn't stand out and cops feels sorry for a man driving a minivan lol.

 

My 6MT 997.1 S with full leather felt far more refined than my 997.2 S PDK without (both with Sport Chrono and PASM). NFW does a 997.1 feel faster than a 997.2, especially if PDK is involved. Power difference is quite noticeable. Mostly a comparison is splitting hairs in terms of driving differences. Definitely no night and day differences of any kind. Visceral feeling differences? Seriously?? It's 98% the same car depending on options (and yes I'm familiar with every upgraded aspect). There is one characteristic the OP sort of hit on without actually expressing it, and that's to accelerate at a given rate in a lower power car, you'll have to dig deeper into the power band. In other words, the more powerful the motor the less you have to push it to realize the same level of acceleration. Perhaps that's what he's noticing? In that case, if you think the 997.1 is more visceral than a 997.2, then go drive a '14 Cayman S and see how much more visceral it is compared to both 997s under topic. Digging even deeper into the power and having the motor inches behind your seat makes for quite a howl at WOT.

 

Boy, I could of sworn I heard this last week.

 

Isn't there some hairdresser park hang out you should be cruising top down?

 

I bought it for 38k USD from Michigan with 25k miles from a retired lawyer who had three heart attacks and couldn't drive it anymore. I sold it almost two years later to a young lad in Toronto for 40k CAN with about 62k km. It sold in a few days of listing.

 

I've had both, I slightly preferred the 997.1 over the later one, but the 997.1 was a Carrera S and the later was a standard Carrera.

 

The 997.2 S MT is faster than the 997.1 base MT that I had before. But the newer version with the PASM and muted exhaust was not the same raw feeling as my first 911. That is my opinion. I have no need to test drive a Cayman S as I am not interested in one.

Cheers.

 

That yellow car... Changed my life as I new it when it came to cars... The silver one is really nice too... But lacking some visual excitement... You are right, yellow car looked way better...

 

997.2 felt a little bland after the 997.1 didn't it?

 

Very nice write up. Welcome to the forum OP

 

Thanks. Glad to be here...