Twins Vs 991 911

[Djratrap]

Originally Posted by Re~Mix

Had some time in the 991 Carrera S (MT) myself.

For me, the steering on the 991 was a let down. The FR-S has more mechanical feel surprisingly and seemed to provide better feedback. At the very least, my expectation for the $100K+ car was not met. While the clutch and shifter are fantastic, 7 speeds it too many. Modern gearing also means even the top of 3rd gear is too fast.

280 miles on the best CA backroads and I was smitten with Porsche, but determined to pick up a 997.2 or 987.2 Cayman S instead. The only way to describe the whole experience is that the Porsche does everything the FR-S does, only much much better.

I put 600 miles on that thing...LOL That's pretty much how i felt, except i had the PDK. To be honest, i'd prob buy the PDK if i was to purchase a 991/newer Porsche. The idea of shifting 7 gears still urks me a little (maybe i'm getting old). The auto was very responsive, and would be nice for daily driving. The "manual" mode was also excellent (sometimes scary) and would hold higher rpms fairly well. The fit and finish of the interior were a big thing for me. I understand that we drive econo sports cars, but there are a lot of cheaper cars with better sound insulation than our vehicles (eg: corolla, accord,mazda 6, civic, cruze, etc...)

[Turbowned]

Be careful; spend too much money trying to make the BRZ like a Porsche and you could just as well buy one instead. The prices on 997.1's are very reasonable these days; ask me how I know The 991 is awesome and so are the 987 and 981 Caymans. I've had a chance to drive them all. Manual or PDK you really can't go wrong; I was a three-pedal purist up until I drove a PDK-equipped car. Not all dual-clutch cars are created equal, and the PDK gearbox truly shines on the track and off.

The Twins are great cars to drive and tweak ever-so-slightly, but too many mods gets to a level of diminishing returns quickly, at least I feel. Too many excellent performance cars on the second-hand market these days to justify heavily modifying a $25k car.

[Re~Mix]

Originally Posted by Djratrap

I put 600 miles on that thing...LOL That's pretty much how i felt, except i had the PDK. To be honest, i'd prob buy the PDK if i was to purchase a 991/newer Porsche.

The fit and finish of the interior were a big thing for me.

Agreed. Beyond the chassis, the engine, the transmission, there are so many smaller bits that are also on a level higher than the FR-S (as expected). You also benefit from 50 years of Porsche engineering, the car simply works and goes like hell

To be honest the 991 is a bit too refined, a bit too big and a bit too perfect in all its elements. Yes, the PDK is best mated to the new chassis platform. However, I am much more interested in the engagement of a slightly older 997 or 987 Cayman even. I want more steering feel, a bit harsher ride and a real sense of sports car bravado.

[Turbowned]

Originally Posted by Re~Mix

However, I am much more interested in the engagement of a slightly older 997 or 987 Cayman even. I want more steering feel, a bit harsher ride and a real sense of sports car bravado.

Wrong coast for you, but consider that for ~$15k more than an FR-S (plus $2k for an IMS bearing retrofit; you don't want to go without it) you can get an extra 155hp and 144lb/ft, Brembo brakes, proper hydraulic assist steering, adjustable suspension, full power leather heated seats with memory (with a slightly more-usable back seat) sunroof, Homelink, HID headlamps, hollow-spoke 19" wheels with huge sticky Michelins, an intoxicating exhaust note, and more racing heritage than any other manufacturer...

http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/de...ciomantic73014

And all you give up is Bluetooth (which you could add later), a bit of cubic feet of storage and some more money for insurance, gas and consumables. You won't notice that it's a 2005 and trust me, neither will anyone else except for hardcore Porschephiles. Seems like a good bang-for-the-buck to me!

[Re~Mix]

Originally Posted by Turbowned

Wrong coast for you, but consider that for ~$15k more than an FR-S (plus $2k for an IMS bearing retrofit; you don't want to go without it) you can get an extra 155hp and 144lb/ft, Brembo brakes, proper hydraulic assist steering, adjustable suspension, full power leather heated seats with memory (with a slightly more-usable back seat) sunroof, Homelink, HID headlamps, hollow-spoke 19" wheels with huge sticky Michelins, an intoxicating exhaust note, and more racing heritage than any other manufacturer...

Believe me, the wheels are already in motion on this plan. Goal is own a Porsche by the summer of 2016.

I can't help to think the Cayman S is a better fit for my driving style/pleasure. It's a little too early for me to start test driving things but I can't imagine the Cayman is a disappointment after my 911 experience (waiting until funds are almost ready).

[Turbowned]

Originally Posted by Re~Mix

Believe me, the wheels are already in motion on this plan. Goal is own a Porsche by the summer of 2016.

I can't help to think the Cayman S is a better fit for my driving style/pleasure. It's a little too early for me to start test driving things but I can't imagine the Cayman is a disappointment after my 911 experience (waiting until funds are almost ready).

Perfect! You can't go wrong either way. And you can drive it year-round, too! If I didn't require an all-weather vehicle I'd probably be driving an even-better Porsche, hehe.

[Kyle#2]

just remember, the sticker price on a used porsche is just the price of admission.

[Chad11491]

A Very true quote I heard about Porsches is " the cheapest porsche you buy will be the most expensive". Make sure you can afford double the cost of the car to cover maintenance.

[serialk11r]

Originally Posted by Re~Mix

For me, the steering on the 991 was a let down. The FR-S has more mechanical feel surprisingly and seemed to provide better feedback. At the very least, my expectation for the $100K+ car was not met. While the clutch and shifter are fantastic, 7 speeds it too many. Modern gearing also means even the top of 3rd gear is too fast.

280 miles on the best CA backroads and I was smitten with Porsche, but determined to pick up a 997.2 or 987.2 Cayman S instead. The only way to describe the whole experience is that the Porsche does everything the FR-S does, only much much better.

I haven't driven an older Porsche but the new Porsche steering is way overboosted at low speed even without the Power Steering Plus option. I hate how in the parking lot it takes no effort to turn the wheel, but then it tightens up (a little) at speed, which I can never get used to. A little bit of arm workout while driving is not a big deal, but I guess the typical Porsche buyer might as well be driving a fat S class Benz. The steering wheel is also way too big, which doesn't help.

I thought very hard about getting a 987.2, but I decided I wasn't enthusiastic enough about the car to warrant a financially irresponsible decision lol. If I had any choice of car right now though, I'd probably get a 987.2 MT and swap in an EHPS system (since the belt driven PS is prone to exploding), then do my best to lighten the car up a little with some fiberglass panels and aluminum doors. My MR2 Spyder was more fun to drive than a 981 for sure, but it really really takes a toll on your ears because it was so noisy, and the car just doesn't look that cool. I liked how good the visibility was thanks to the super low and short nose, and the car was very narrow with awesome turning radius.

If you don't find yourself wishing the 987 were a bit smaller and lighter then I think it's an awesome buy. Totally worth the extra maintenance expenses.

[Turbowned]

Originally Posted by Chad11491

A Very true quote I heard about Porsches is " the cheapest porsche you buy will be the most expensive". Make sure you can afford double the cost of the car to cover maintenance.

So by that logic I should buy a 991 Turbo S instead of a 924

[Chad11491]

Originally Posted by Turbowned

So by that logic I should buy a 991 Turbo S instead of a 924

I would buy a camry instead of a 924

[NLSP]

Just got back from vacation with my friend. We rented a 991 Carrera base with PDK for a few days, and here are my impressions. Please note that the comparison I'm making is to my FRS; I don't remember what stock feels like. Refer to my sig below for mods. Also not going to mention much about refinement or fit and finish. Think it goes without saying the Porsche wins by default in that regard.

First thing I noticed was the light steering. I've driven a 997.1 Carrera S before, and I agree with other reviewers that the 997 wins over the 991 in the steering department. Not saying the 991's is bad; it's precise, but lacking some feel and initial response compared to the 997.1 and FRS. However, the suspension is better than the FRS overall. Corners just about as flat as the FRS, but absorbs bumps much better. When cornering at the limit, you do feel the additional weight of the Porsche though.

The power. Obviously better than the FRS. Hello torque! Acceleration is very exhilarating, even with PDK. Easily the best automatic transmission I've used. Shifts are lightning fast, and the auto-blip downshifts sound amazing. And of course, revving this thing to redline sounds fantastic as well. For the street, the power in the base is more than enough IMO (about the same power as a 997.1 Carrera S). I could barely exploit all of it on a twisty road. It really shines when pulling on the highway; leaves the FRS behind in no time.

With all that being said, my friend and I both agree that during hard/spirited driving on a twisty road, the FRS wins in the fun-to-drive department. I think it comes down to that saying, "It's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow", as well as the DAMD steering wheel and steering feedback. However, I'm sure we'll prefer the Porsche more in a track environment. At this level of power, I think you need an open track to truly enjoy it. Might also have something to do with the PDK (it's great, but we'd much rather have a manual transmission).

So, for $85,000, would I buy a 911 Carrera base if I had the money? I'm gonna say no; I'd rather search for a 997.2.

Last but not least, here are some videos. I'm driving the Porsche in the first one and my FRS in the second one. Apologies for the crappy audio in the second video:

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1XJUYHJj9c"]FRS & 911 Carrera - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpiBTEEQRZk"]FRS & 911 Carrera (part 2) - YouTube[/ame]

[WolfpackS2k]

Yeah, Porsche can sugarcoat it all they like, but the EPS unit in the 991 and 981 sports cars sucks compared to the hydraulic rack in the 997 and 987 vehicles.

[mikeschmeee]

It's all about that RWB!!!