Dichasen:
I don't have any plans to do that in the 991. I'm retired and my reflexes aren't as good as they used to be. I do enjoy tight curves and accelerating, however. As I said, when I first ordered my car I didn't have SC on it but after I read about the mounts (including the more detailed technical manual) I decided to do it and although I haven't used the SC mode yet (only 790 miles), I'm glad I did. And I'm sure that it will provide me some of that back when I trade it in.

ChuckJ

 

My perspective is that the PDK can be manually shifted by the steering wheel buttons or console stick which gives me enough approximation of a MT to give me enough control when I want it and I will use PDK auto when I want to take it easy -- probably 50/50.
The decision for a cab is surprising to me. I wasn't considering it until I saw it in person and saw it operate. Now I'm very jazzed about it and it will be my first convertible since my old TR 3 cracked its head and was sold for basically scrap. If this 911 was going to be a DD I might feel differently, but I will be able to keep it garaged and the cab top should stay well preserved.

 

If I was allowed only 1 option (and nothing more) to order it would be the SC

 

I guess everyone has his own definition of "enough approximation". Personally, I didn't think the DCT bore any resemblance to a MT when paddle or lever shifted. I don't have enough seat time in the 991 to know if the PDK is substantially different.

 

Can you elaborate on that? Is it the sport plus function, the launch control the dynamic motor mounts, or all or none of the above? Do you use it on the track?

 

I can't say better.

I'd never order without SP, and all the above reasons are good.

 

Nice Chuck! I always thought you would be a paddle man...

I'm having the same issues with choosing the SC or Not. I really like the Engine mounts and the option of sport+. also, the Cool pimpl', err I mean Stopwatch on top of the dash. We used to have a 62 Cadillac and it had a clock. By the way, does the Sport Chrono Stopwatch also tell time? And, if it does, does it do it digitally or analogically...
lol is that a word?

 

For me, a novice on the track, the sport+ mode in auto with PDK is amazing. It holds every gear to redline and downshifts to the lowest gear possible on braking. It's great not having to think about shifting and can concentrate on the lines.
If not tracking, it sounds like the dynamic engine mounts are the real issue as to whether it's worth the extra coin.

 

To give a completely honest answer to the OP, I do believe that for the use you have planned for your Porsche, you will not miss the sport chrono package. Having said that, I personally would not order a car without one. And I do not have a good logical reason, to me a 911 just seems incomplete without. However, for a good illogical reason, the "dash wart" now has a great little clock that I use every day.

 

Sport Chrono is important because it significantly changes the character of the car in sport plus. The engine mapping appears more aggressive and the PDK shifts HARD in manual or automatic. It is significant to me. Launch control is fun now and then also.

 

Although I have a manual transmission, I still ordered the SC and I am really glad I did as I really love the car in Sport Plus mode. When in Sport Plus, I can feel the car really come alive as the engine mapping is changed, the suspension tightens up, the engine revs freer and the car feels quite a bit more nimble. To me, the car in Sport Plus makes the car feel like a Porsche, through and through.

When I had an extended 2 day test drive of an S with PDK, the only time I felt engaged in driving the car was in Sport Plus mode...all the other times the car felt down right boring.

For people that say Sport Plus is way too harsh a ride etc etc, it makes me wonder why they buy a Porsche when I feel the real essence of a 911 really only shows itself in Sport Plus mode. Am I the only person around that appreciates the handling of the 991 in Sport Plus mode for normal street driving? I must admit I am a spirited driver and have come from a 993 with stiffer suspension and strut bars etc so it may explain my preference for Sport Plus.

Newcomers to Porsche who have come from BMWs etc may be used to a softer ride and handling than older 911s.

 

I couldn't have expressed your sentiments any better. And compared to my former ZO6, my C2S rides like a luxury car in Sports-Plus Mode. And it also stays on the ground a lot better too. Also should mention that the exhaust is more aggressive sounding in S+ Mode.

I also must concur that switching into Sports-Plus mode instantly changes the overall feel and performance of the car. It's even faster than Clark Kent changing into Superman!

 

Darren, I agree with you in principle, although, after being all my life a "911s can only be Manual" guy....I had to deal with a level of traffic that is unheard of. I drive to work in 20 minutes in the morning and the same route back can take me 2.5-3 hours on a daily basis, if the traffic is bad. And after driving Manual all my life (remember I'm Italian), I love my PDK, because I have to. Had I lived in your area, I may have gone with Manual. Also, the 0-60 time faster than manual, intrigued me quite a bit...

 

Thanks Pete! I was waiting to get flamed for saying what I said but for long time and old school Porsche owners, the new 911s are luxury cruisers and sport plus mode is the only mode where you can get anywhere near the feel of the Porsche rawness many Porschephiles lament about the new 911s losing.

If I buy a 911, I want a car that feels like a go kart, with stiff suspension and an exhaust roar that puts a sh*t eating grin on my face very time I mash that peddle past the halfway mark. For people that want a quiet ride and softer suspension, go buy a BMW or a Lexus.

 

Ale70,
Totally understand people wanting a PDK etc. My comments were not about manual vs PDK at all. CarreraPete and I were talking more about how the sport chrono gives you sport plus, which in our opinions, changes the whole dynamic of the car from GT cruiser into a real sports car. I think you only really get to see the 991 in its full glory as a sports car when you have sport plus engaged...it's like the car comes out of slumber, ready to race.