My day with a 991 C2S...a layman's musings
Discussion
I thought it might be useful to give some layman's views on the new 991 C2S. I don't have the technical/mechanical nous of the guys who have already written (very good and detailed!) reviews, nor I suspect anything the like the porsche (or other) sports car experience. But hopefully some will find my simplistic observations and opinions useful.
So my beloved 997.1 C2S went in for some warranty work today. It's an 06 plate, manual car. We bought it at 2 years old and 5k miles. And I love it. It's on not quite 30k miles now. Pretty basic spec. Only sports exhaust, carrera classic (I think) wheels and sat nav (hopeless!).
Had an intermediate service last week and Notts OPC spotted some either RMS or maybe IMS type oil leaks. And hey, that's what the extended warranty is for (really paying for itself now, had new steering rack last year too - will update when I know more). So they need the car for about 3 days and I managed to wangle today in one of their 991 C2Ses (PDK). (I returned it earlier and now have one of their Boxster S courtesy cars - manual).
As I mentioned above I don't have extensive experience of 'proper' cars. I've driven (although not owned) a cayman S, a 911 GTS (PDK), an M3, a DB9, Bentley supersports and a maserati grantourismo MC stradale. But not driven any porsche GT cars nor a Turbo (yet!). So realistically (and my memory is woeful) my baseline would probably my own 997.1 C2S as its the thing I've driven the most.
Interior - ok when I'd seen the pics of the 991, initially the Panermera-ness of it all made me feel a bit sick. I just didn't like the look of it. But to be honest, it is very comfortable in there and all the buttons seem within easy reach. Obviously coming from a 'poverty spec' car it was great to have so many bells and whistles. I liked the layout of the main instrument cluster.
I'm also 6'2" and whilst I don't feel squashed in my 997.1 C2S the 991 to me felt noticeably more roomy inside. Both in terms of leg room and width. It generally felt very comfortable. I suspect that is also because it had 'better' seats than my own car.
Performance....tbh this is where I start to run out of the right words to use. I think the reader needs to take it all with a cliff of salt because I mostly potter around in my own 997.1 - it gets a good hammer now and then and I do feel it is fast enough for me. But the 991 certainly at least _felt_ startlingly fast. I didn't do any launch control manoeuvres and always drive mechanically sympathetically - but in Sport mode and either on manual OR on 'auto' F*** me it felt fast on 'kick down'. The 0-60 times probably (excluding launch control) aren't that different to my 'old' C2S (.5 sec?) but on the private runway I managed to find (....) once you get 6000+ revs it really does all kick off. 3 figures arrived very, very quickly.
As I say I have never driven a GT3 or GT2 nor a Turbo - but I do really struggle to see how anyone could 'need' more performance. I appreciate people might want more...but on public roads....really?
Handling....sorry to disappoint but I'm probably not the person to describe the steering that everyone else seems to be talking about. The whole steering/handling package felt very solid. And I mean GLUED to the road. I didn't bother clicking the 'lower suspension' button at all. But in standard it was comfortable (albeit probably a tad harsher than my own car). And maybe the 20" wheels/tyres have an impact here too.
I honestly felt I could put the car anywhere I wanted to at ANY speed (brakes were ace, but again the ones in my own car and this was brand new so they ought to be). The feel of the steering/handling, as others have mentioned is a lot less 'jiggly' than the 997. And if this is what 911 driving means to you then, you need to stay with the older models - because it has gone now.. Pretty much completely. Engineered out.
I'm not a buyer prospect of a new one...but would I buy/want a two year old one? Firstly, I am still not convinced on PDK. Not for me anyway. The way I use/run my 911 is as a weekend car and I think right now that I'd always want manual. I get PDK and it is great fun....but..dunno. That'd be a hard call for me.
Secondly looks - when the very first 991 sketches came out I decided I hated it. I just looked too much Panamera and a less 911. And I think having had it sat on the drive today, I actually still feel the way. To me it looks somehow noticeably 'less' 911. I know, I know, some of you will say it looks 'new 911 and less OLD 911' - but the backend....is very Aston and when I walk around it I get glimpses of Panamera. And even from the side...the very rear third/quarter looks a bit....bulgy maybe.
If try and cast my mind back to the 997 GTS drive I had....I can't say there felt much in the performance between them. And if the prices were the same, personally I might go for the GTS on looks alone. But then prices aren't the same and if I was choosing now and if budget was the most important thing - it'd be the GTS. But if I wanted the very latest 911 with all the latest tech (and critically could afford it) it would be the 991.
In summary (and I'm not sure where this came from, probably too much reading on here): in 'sedate mode' it feels more 'grand tourer'. In the way the interior is more roomy and comfortable. And you could keep it in 'Auto' all the way across France and you'd be able to get out and stand up at your destination. But (with sports mode and PDK), when you want to play, it'll smack you across the face and wake you up.
One final musing: I've never driven a Datsun GTR (but long for a go in one and am NEVER stupid enough to try and play with one when out in my 911
). But driving the 991 made me smirk a little. Because the GTR gets called the 'playstation' car as it runs on science. And the 991 and all it's tech and magic certainly flattered my mediocre driving ability. And you know what....because it wears the 'right' badge, won't we all just love it 
So my beloved 997.1 C2S went in for some warranty work today. It's an 06 plate, manual car. We bought it at 2 years old and 5k miles. And I love it. It's on not quite 30k miles now. Pretty basic spec. Only sports exhaust, carrera classic (I think) wheels and sat nav (hopeless!).
Had an intermediate service last week and Notts OPC spotted some either RMS or maybe IMS type oil leaks. And hey, that's what the extended warranty is for (really paying for itself now, had new steering rack last year too - will update when I know more). So they need the car for about 3 days and I managed to wangle today in one of their 991 C2Ses (PDK). (I returned it earlier and now have one of their Boxster S courtesy cars - manual).
As I mentioned above I don't have extensive experience of 'proper' cars. I've driven (although not owned) a cayman S, a 911 GTS (PDK), an M3, a DB9, Bentley supersports and a maserati grantourismo MC stradale. But not driven any porsche GT cars nor a Turbo (yet!). So realistically (and my memory is woeful) my baseline would probably my own 997.1 C2S as its the thing I've driven the most.
Interior - ok when I'd seen the pics of the 991, initially the Panermera-ness of it all made me feel a bit sick. I just didn't like the look of it. But to be honest, it is very comfortable in there and all the buttons seem within easy reach. Obviously coming from a 'poverty spec' car it was great to have so many bells and whistles. I liked the layout of the main instrument cluster.
I'm also 6'2" and whilst I don't feel squashed in my 997.1 C2S the 991 to me felt noticeably more roomy inside. Both in terms of leg room and width. It generally felt very comfortable. I suspect that is also because it had 'better' seats than my own car.
Performance....tbh this is where I start to run out of the right words to use. I think the reader needs to take it all with a cliff of salt because I mostly potter around in my own 997.1 - it gets a good hammer now and then and I do feel it is fast enough for me. But the 991 certainly at least _felt_ startlingly fast. I didn't do any launch control manoeuvres and always drive mechanically sympathetically - but in Sport mode and either on manual OR on 'auto' F*** me it felt fast on 'kick down'. The 0-60 times probably (excluding launch control) aren't that different to my 'old' C2S (.5 sec?) but on the private runway I managed to find (....) once you get 6000+ revs it really does all kick off. 3 figures arrived very, very quickly.
As I say I have never driven a GT3 or GT2 nor a Turbo - but I do really struggle to see how anyone could 'need' more performance. I appreciate people might want more...but on public roads....really?
Handling....sorry to disappoint but I'm probably not the person to describe the steering that everyone else seems to be talking about. The whole steering/handling package felt very solid. And I mean GLUED to the road. I didn't bother clicking the 'lower suspension' button at all. But in standard it was comfortable (albeit probably a tad harsher than my own car). And maybe the 20" wheels/tyres have an impact here too.
I honestly felt I could put the car anywhere I wanted to at ANY speed (brakes were ace, but again the ones in my own car and this was brand new so they ought to be). The feel of the steering/handling, as others have mentioned is a lot less 'jiggly' than the 997. And if this is what 911 driving means to you then, you need to stay with the older models - because it has gone now.. Pretty much completely. Engineered out.
I'm not a buyer prospect of a new one...but would I buy/want a two year old one? Firstly, I am still not convinced on PDK. Not for me anyway. The way I use/run my 911 is as a weekend car and I think right now that I'd always want manual. I get PDK and it is great fun....but..dunno. That'd be a hard call for me.
Secondly looks - when the very first 991 sketches came out I decided I hated it. I just looked too much Panamera and a less 911. And I think having had it sat on the drive today, I actually still feel the way. To me it looks somehow noticeably 'less' 911. I know, I know, some of you will say it looks 'new 911 and less OLD 911' - but the backend....is very Aston and when I walk around it I get glimpses of Panamera. And even from the side...the very rear third/quarter looks a bit....bulgy maybe.
If try and cast my mind back to the 997 GTS drive I had....I can't say there felt much in the performance between them. And if the prices were the same, personally I might go for the GTS on looks alone. But then prices aren't the same and if I was choosing now and if budget was the most important thing - it'd be the GTS. But if I wanted the very latest 911 with all the latest tech (and critically could afford it) it would be the 991.
In summary (and I'm not sure where this came from, probably too much reading on here): in 'sedate mode' it feels more 'grand tourer'. In the way the interior is more roomy and comfortable. And you could keep it in 'Auto' all the way across France and you'd be able to get out and stand up at your destination. But (with sports mode and PDK), when you want to play, it'll smack you across the face and wake you up.
One final musing: I've never driven a Datsun GTR (but long for a go in one and am NEVER stupid enough to try and play with one when out in my 911
). But driving the 991 made me smirk a little. Because the GTR gets called the 'playstation' car as it runs on science. And the 991 and all it's tech and magic certainly flattered my mediocre driving ability. And you know what....because it wears the 'right' badge, won't we all just love it Good write up!
tomw2000 said:
If try and cast my mind back to the 997 GTS drive I had....I can't say there felt much in the performance between them. And if the prices were the same, personally I might go for the GTS on looks alone. But then prices aren't the same and if I was choosing now and if budget was the most important thing - it'd be the GTS. But if I wanted the very latest 911 with all the latest tech (and critically could afford it) it would be the 991.
Your statement above is bang on the truth. Budget is not always the most important thing, but even then everything has a price. In that regard, some differences are not big enough between the two cars to justify the strong 991 premium over a GTS, and in some cases the differences are too big to justify any premium between the cars.spareparts said:
Your statement above is bang on the truth. Budget is not always the most important thing, but even then everything has a price. In that regard, some differences are not big enough between the two cars to justify the strong 991 premium over a GTS, and in some cases the differences are too big to justify any premium between the cars.
mrdemon said:
0-100 mph matches a 997.1 turbo lol
The 991 is a quick car.
I wonder what on earth the 991 turbo is going to be like ?
That was the first thing I said to the guys in Notts OPC when I handed the car back. Well more like "f*ck knows how fast the Turbo and GT versions of the 991 are going to be". The 991 is a quick car.
I wonder what on earth the 991 turbo is going to be like ?
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