Here is an interesting read to address my point.
http://www.germancarforum.com/test-d...era-3-4-a.html
I am getting a little nervous here, nothing more satisfactory than a car that has the grunt and pushes from down below in the rev range, this will be my first 911, and I will hate myself if I have to drive it like I stole it in order to appreciate its potential.

OTOH, not trying to start the old useless debate of manual vs PDK, but since peak power and torque are now so high in the rev range, I guess the manual transmission make sense to fully appreciate the huge powerband on your own and at your own will.

 

If you are buying a 911 series car for low end torque you are buying the wrong car. This is never what they have been about. The cayennes, panameras and the old 928's, all V8s are another story. But if what you want is low end torque and power the 991 may not be the one for you, unless you wait for the turbo version.

 

why do they always compare manual to pdk? do pdk to pdk or manual to manual!

 

You changed your order from a well optioned 991S to a stripped down base 991 and now you are concerned about a possible lack of low end torque? A bit amusing.
I was disappointed initially with the low end torque on the S but after completing 3000 km have realized that there is in fact more than enough of it. It just feels different from V8 torque, but it is very much there and it is nasty. Now if that isn't enough for some, there is the turbo.

 

The 997 already lacked low-end torque, and they've made it worse with the 991. It's hard to say whether manual or PDK is better in that situation. With manual, you have more control, but have to do more work to keep the revs high. With PDK in sport or sport+, it will keep the revs high for you, but you lose some involvement.

 

Nice article, thanks for providing!

If you want to have instant response you could keep it in sport or sport plus.

ChuckJ

 

My Targa 4S is so fast....

 

++1^. I find the review is actually very complimentary.

 

Yes,
i did that since the "S" I initially ordered was 4 months ahead for delivery date and the base is avaliable right now, just have to pick it up on monday. I just couldnt wait, the idea of going plain and simple with the base as a weekend toy was interesting, and saving same cash of course.
Having said that, all reviews praise the capabilities of the Base car but also dislike the lack of low end torque of both, S and Base.
Guess I'll have to take it, there is always a chance to trade it for something more powerful in the 911 line on the near future.
Will keep you updated with pics and my own review.

 

FWIW, if I was getting a 991, I'd probably get a base with MT and not a lot of options, and then drive the heck out of it. Main reason is to keep the car simpler and hopefully more involving, with the major cost savings being icing on the cake.

 

Manifold, I am still new to Porsche, but I wonder why you said the 997 was low and the 991 is worse? They increased bhp and torque and lost weight in the 991? I grant you there are quicker brut force cars (I have one), but in my opinion, in my admittedly limited experience ( I had a 997 for 10 months and the 991 for a week), and by the numbers, the 991 should be, and is, quicker than the 997. And that is without sport or sport+. What am I missing?

 

Peak torque is 1000rpm higher in the rev band than in the 997.
At lower RPM it should feel weaker

 

The 991 is generally faster than the 997, but the peak torque appears to occur at higher rpm (I haven't explicitly compared the torque curves). PDK does a good job of compensating for that, but I think it's still noticeable.

Like you, my reference frame for meaty torque is a car with a big V8, so these Porsches comparitively seem a bit anemic until the revs are really wound up. But, alas, they're Porsches!

BTW, the two Porsches in my sig are my first Porsches also. Fortunately, I've been able to drive a lot of other Porsches, including some older ones. I'm not generally an extravagent spender, but I feel that these Porsches are worth every penny and a lasting source of pleasure. It's not completely true that money can't buy happiness.

 

Good points one and all. My 997 was a MT and my 991 is a PDK and I do think it is quicker, even at lower revs. And if you punch it, they get to the power band quickly (and sports+, if memory from my test drives serves me well, forces you into the power band so where these cars are very very quick).


They are splendid cars and we are all fortunate to have one. I have a partner with an original (he is the first owner) of a '98 993S. I am looking forward to trading him for an afternoon.

 

In my 997.2 C2S pdk, I deleted the center muffler with the AWE crossover pipes. It did help a little with the sound, but removing the center muffler definitely helped with the low-end torque. It was very noticible immediately.
I wonder if the 991 has the same restrictive center muffler?