A personal appraisal of the new 911 Porsche by Clive White.
Launch of a new Porsche is always an important event and nothing creates more of a kafuffle than the announcement of a new version of the iconic 911 - probably the world's best known sports car.
The seven-year cycle for the outgoing model, the 997, finally expired with the appearance of the all new 991, seen initially at the Frankfurt Motor Show last September and subsequently in UK showrooms during December 2011. It marked the end of an era. Type 997 finally bowed out as the most successful 911 version - ever.
So, the new model has a lot to live up to and I was about to get acquainted, courtesy of Exeter Porsche Centre, who offered me a full day's trial with the car and instructions to go where I liked for a full assessment. As a Porsche owner with well over 30 years under my belt, I've seen 'em come and I've seen 'em go. Some were magnificent engineering masterpieces - others not so good. It was going to be interesting.
A Champion in the Making?
There's no doubt the car has a presence. It stands out like a champion against the backdrop of other Porsches parked on and around the showroom apron. My ride is smartly dressed in Agate Grey (at £801 extra) and sits impressively on 20" Carrera Classic wheels (£708), shod with Pirelli P Zeros (the only tyre currently 'N' rated for this model). The cabin is finished in black leather and has heated sports seats plus (£320). For my weary frame, I would probably plump for the Adaptive Sports Seats Plus version, but at an eye watering extra £4,427 I may be persuaded to go for other options first!
The Carrera Classic Wheel Option looks well - classic!
Open the driver's door, the steering wheels moves upwards and the seat pulls backwards to aid your entrance - a nice touch to avoid the embarrassment of tangled knees and twisted feet for less agile drivers like me or maintain the modesty of the ladies! The cabin itself is at once familiar - Porsche work on the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" principle. True, some of the switches are relocated and the cabin is generally uplifted, but if you've owned a 997 previously, you will instantly feel at home here.
My car has PDK with buttons. If paddles are an option I would have them, but the PDK transmission is now so good it's really not that important anymore and it certainly wouldn't be a deal-breaker for me. The living space is larger, but not noticeably so and passenger movement is a bit more restricted anyway by the raised centre consol containing the higher mounted shift lever and switches for many of the functions.
A Tasty Interior Cabin
There's a sports exhaust (£1,772) that gives a throaty engine sound as we soon as we fire up. On a tight budget, I would forego this option for other goodies, but many do prize a roarty exhaust note so it can be specified from the factory. On the open road, the road noise reduction is significant and welcome. The 911 has grown up and is now an even more user-friendly sports tourer. At high speed you can actually hear the 12 speaker Bose sound system (£963) and carry on a comfortable conversation with your passenger.
The 3.8 litre normally aspirated engine is pretty responsive and has plenty of grunt. True, 400 HP should be ample for anyone in a road car, but nowadays may seem a little under powered on the open road if you're used to turbo induction. But there's ample umpf when it come to the lanes! In a twisty, undulating environment, the motor and chassis combine together to give an agile and nimble motor car with flat cornering, a delicate touch and responsive direction changes. It's a formidable challenge to any opposition out there.
Which brings me neatly onto "that" steering. Porsche have changed from permanently powered hydraulic assistance to an intermittent electro-mechanical system in order to save on engine resources - and it's not as good in spite of what we've been told. The differences for normal motoring are barely perceptible, but there is definitely slight hesitation in steering response from straight ahead and less sensitive feed-back from road surfaces. As a consequence, spirited driving is not quite so enjoyable when compared to 997. Test it on a straight piece of road and it's possible to wiggle the wheel from side to side without deviation. Try this on the 997 and the "go-cart like" response will have you zigzagging along in drunken-driver fashion. This "sneeze reduction factor" as Rolls Royce used to describe it, [8|] is something you can no doubt get used to, but pin sharp steering is something to be admired and can hopefully be reclaimed with future engineering.
Nicely Updated dash readouts.
So what of the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control? Well in simple terms, it's an automatically adjustable anti-roll bar system - and a big step forward in chassis control. I would have this in preference to many other available options any day of the week. It's £2,185 but well worth it to provide flat cornering, neutral handling and great enhancement to the driving experience.
I also like the uprated dash panel and readouts, but can't quite understand why Porsche don't address the UK navigation system problem to accept full postal codes - surely this is well overdue. Small point - but I'm not sure about the usefulness of the door pockets; also there's a rather nasty sharp edge to the trim that's a potential source of income from an injury claim!
Beware of sharp trim edging.
I do however like the quick-fit filler cap and the provision for its stowage during the fill-up process.
Easier fill-ups.
I've avoided too much technical content in this brief summation since this is amply covered elsewhere, but these are my initial impressions as a long time Porsche owner and lover of the marque.
Is the new 911 an improvement? Definitely. Am I going to rush out and exchange my 997 TT for one? Certainly not. In fact, anyone who has recently bought a GTS shouldn't be in too much of a rush to change either. However, for first time Porsche owners or those looking to update, this car is sensational and is likely to exceed expectations for most.
My thanks go to Centre Principal and staff at Porsche Centre, Exeter for entrusting me with their precious one and only demonstrator- sorry we got it a little bit muddy! Also to Steve Knight for the photographs. [
]
And why 991 not 998? Well it's something to do with a clash of model type numbers with a motorbike manufacture as I understand it! []
My Car:
Porsche 911 (991) Carrera 'S'. Base UK Price £81,242
Fitted Options:
Special colour, Dynamic lights, dimmer mirrors, sunroof, folding door mirrors, park assist (f & r), classic wheels, TPMS, heated seats, cruise control, Homelink, cabin light package, sport seats, mats, PDK, Sports Chrono, PDCC, power steering plus, sports exhaust, telephone module, Bose sound.
Price of car as driven £98,829.
Regards,
Clive.
Launch of a new Porsche is always an important event and nothing creates more of a kafuffle than the announcement of a new version of the iconic 911 - probably the world's best known sports car.
The seven-year cycle for the outgoing model, the 997, finally expired with the appearance of the all new 991, seen initially at the Frankfurt Motor Show last September and subsequently in UK showrooms during December 2011. It marked the end of an era. Type 997 finally bowed out as the most successful 911 version - ever.
So, the new model has a lot to live up to and I was about to get acquainted, courtesy of Exeter Porsche Centre, who offered me a full day's trial with the car and instructions to go where I liked for a full assessment. As a Porsche owner with well over 30 years under my belt, I've seen 'em come and I've seen 'em go. Some were magnificent engineering masterpieces - others not so good. It was going to be interesting.
A Champion in the Making?
There's no doubt the car has a presence. It stands out like a champion against the backdrop of other Porsches parked on and around the showroom apron. My ride is smartly dressed in Agate Grey (at £801 extra) and sits impressively on 20" Carrera Classic wheels (£708), shod with Pirelli P Zeros (the only tyre currently 'N' rated for this model). The cabin is finished in black leather and has heated sports seats plus (£320). For my weary frame, I would probably plump for the Adaptive Sports Seats Plus version, but at an eye watering extra £4,427 I may be persuaded to go for other options first!
The Carrera Classic Wheel Option looks well - classic!
Open the driver's door, the steering wheels moves upwards and the seat pulls backwards to aid your entrance - a nice touch to avoid the embarrassment of tangled knees and twisted feet for less agile drivers like me or maintain the modesty of the ladies! The cabin itself is at once familiar - Porsche work on the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" principle. True, some of the switches are relocated and the cabin is generally uplifted, but if you've owned a 997 previously, you will instantly feel at home here.
My car has PDK with buttons. If paddles are an option I would have them, but the PDK transmission is now so good it's really not that important anymore and it certainly wouldn't be a deal-breaker for me. The living space is larger, but not noticeably so and passenger movement is a bit more restricted anyway by the raised centre consol containing the higher mounted shift lever and switches for many of the functions.
A Tasty Interior Cabin
There's a sports exhaust (£1,772) that gives a throaty engine sound as we soon as we fire up. On a tight budget, I would forego this option for other goodies, but many do prize a roarty exhaust note so it can be specified from the factory. On the open road, the road noise reduction is significant and welcome. The 911 has grown up and is now an even more user-friendly sports tourer. At high speed you can actually hear the 12 speaker Bose sound system (£963) and carry on a comfortable conversation with your passenger.
The 3.8 litre normally aspirated engine is pretty responsive and has plenty of grunt. True, 400 HP should be ample for anyone in a road car, but nowadays may seem a little under powered on the open road if you're used to turbo induction. But there's ample umpf when it come to the lanes! In a twisty, undulating environment, the motor and chassis combine together to give an agile and nimble motor car with flat cornering, a delicate touch and responsive direction changes. It's a formidable challenge to any opposition out there.
Which brings me neatly onto "that" steering. Porsche have changed from permanently powered hydraulic assistance to an intermittent electro-mechanical system in order to save on engine resources - and it's not as good in spite of what we've been told. The differences for normal motoring are barely perceptible, but there is definitely slight hesitation in steering response from straight ahead and less sensitive feed-back from road surfaces. As a consequence, spirited driving is not quite so enjoyable when compared to 997. Test it on a straight piece of road and it's possible to wiggle the wheel from side to side without deviation. Try this on the 997 and the "go-cart like" response will have you zigzagging along in drunken-driver fashion. This "sneeze reduction factor" as Rolls Royce used to describe it, [8|] is something you can no doubt get used to, but pin sharp steering is something to be admired and can hopefully be reclaimed with future engineering.
Nicely Updated dash readouts.
So what of the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control? Well in simple terms, it's an automatically adjustable anti-roll bar system - and a big step forward in chassis control. I would have this in preference to many other available options any day of the week. It's £2,185 but well worth it to provide flat cornering, neutral handling and great enhancement to the driving experience.
I also like the uprated dash panel and readouts, but can't quite understand why Porsche don't address the UK navigation system problem to accept full postal codes - surely this is well overdue. Small point - but I'm not sure about the usefulness of the door pockets; also there's a rather nasty sharp edge to the trim that's a potential source of income from an injury claim!
Beware of sharp trim edging.
I do however like the quick-fit filler cap and the provision for its stowage during the fill-up process.
Easier fill-ups.
I've avoided too much technical content in this brief summation since this is amply covered elsewhere, but these are my initial impressions as a long time Porsche owner and lover of the marque.
Is the new 911 an improvement? Definitely. Am I going to rush out and exchange my 997 TT for one? Certainly not. In fact, anyone who has recently bought a GTS shouldn't be in too much of a rush to change either. However, for first time Porsche owners or those looking to update, this car is sensational and is likely to exceed expectations for most.
My thanks go to Centre Principal and staff at Porsche Centre, Exeter for entrusting me with their precious one and only demonstrator- sorry we got it a little bit muddy! Also to Steve Knight for the photographs. [
]And why 991 not 998? Well it's something to do with a clash of model type numbers with a motorbike manufacture as I understand it! [
]My Car:
Porsche 911 (991) Carrera 'S'. Base UK Price £81,242
Fitted Options:
Special colour, Dynamic lights, dimmer mirrors, sunroof, folding door mirrors, park assist (f & r), classic wheels, TPMS, heated seats, cruise control, Homelink, cabin light package, sport seats, mats, PDK, Sports Chrono, PDCC, power steering plus, sports exhaust, telephone module, Bose sound.
Price of car as driven £98,829.
Regards,
Clive.
