Last Monday I visited the IAA motorshow in Frankfurt. One of main highlights for me would be the hands-on experience with the 991.

Let me first state that all below is an opinion of a non-porsche owner (might change soon though) and based on hopping in the 991S followed by the 997 Turbo S immediately.

Special thanks goes out to all the Germans that made me look in disbelieve and laugh out loud when they checked out the 991. The things I saw them do to the car:

-Trying to lift up the spoiler manually with such a force that I though it would break.
-Pulling all buttons with full bodyweight in the interior to make sure they are quality and stay in position.
-Shake the rear wheels, not much movement there with handbrake on and 1st gear selected.
-Tear off the plastic cover in the front storage compartment to see if there really is a battery and other car related equipment below.
-Knocking on various other body parts to make sure it's premium.

Shame it was so busy, so none of the above could be saved on video. Also taking pictures was pointless as I made it to the Porsche area after noon and there would be only people in the pictures rather than a P-car.
For some good pics, check this thread

Anyway, my impressions on the following:

-Exterior 997

The rear looks updated and fresh with the new taillights. The only thing spoiling it, as discussed before, is the brand and model designation. Who needs a specification folder when it's all on the back?
When opening the engine bay door, everything is hidden a cover with 2 fans. The opening is also much smaller than the 997.
Side-profile wise it looks a bit different, but not noticeable when you're not into Porsches. The main disappointment was the headlights which seem to be more horizontal than before. So it looks sleek, but not so much like the typical 997, 993< profile. This to me is a big turn-off, which brings us to the front.
As stated, the headlights are more flush and incorporated in the whole body design. When standing in front of the car, they do not stand out at all like the 997. I guess it's a matter of taste, but the front is not an improvement to me. It really got more of a porsche family face, rather than keeping it's unique 911 appearance. The bumper looks like it's holding a load of liquid in it's cheeks, not very sexy.
Also the standard wheels with the triple spoke design are definitely in need of an upgrade. They had some 991's with a multi spoke design, which suits the car much better. The spokes of the wheel were silver, with a gray center and gray inside wheel.

Interior:

It's a small step up from the 997 in terms of quality. I like the way the controls in the door are all centralized now. Also the steering wheel has a really good feel to it (not sure if this was an upgraded sport's version).
Compared to the 997 the seats and instrument cluster are very alike.
The biggest change is of course the center console layout. My first thought was, "hmmm, this big chunk of black with buttons doesn't look that premium".
There are 2 rows of buttons and in between there really is a big black plastic gap that should have been aluminium as well. I wouldn't consider this to be an upgrade from the 997.
I did play around with the shifter and it's quite nice to have it higher up. More time will tell whether it's more comfortable or not. At least the travel distance of steering wheel>shifter is reduced significantly. Also the navigation with the buttons below are very near. So all priority controls for the driver are situated right next to each other.

For some reason, the back rest part of the rear seats are more 'obvious' when looking at it through the rear window. They are more square than in the 997 and stand out more like this.
With the 997 you wouldn't notice immediately that they can be folded and should be used for small people or kids only. Now there is no doubt about it and it looks more like a compromise.


When I hopped in the 997 Turbo S, my initial impressions were verified. The 991 is not a huge step up from the 997. Except for some major differences like the taillights, it could be seen as a 997.3. With some big improvements for some people, with some drawbacks for other (like me).
I was with some friends that are not into Porsche and they couldn't tell much difference between the 9997<>991.
They were really into the 4.0 GT3 RS though .

The loss of some pounds and a 7th gear on the manual could give it a new edge with everyday driving. It would be great to have a back to back test drive of both generations.
The Turbo 991 will of course be a step up from the basic or S model, but it will need some serious performance increase to let us forget the 997.

 

Awwww this is dissapointing. I hoped porsche would have changed their design a little more.. Oh well though. By the way, thanks for the heads up info.

 

Man...I might be the only one, but, I really, really do not like it...

 

Thanks, IMO this is an excellent perspective. At the end of the day no matter how much they have upgraded the car, lap time vs. 997, etc...your average sports car enthusiest doesn't differentiate the car that much from its predecessor. At the end of the day what does this mean...not much for those who simply want the latest. Alternatively, for those considering the change, rest assured you have an awesome machine in your current model and most won't know the difference.

 

Is it true that you cab only hit seventh gear from fifth or sixth gear? If so is it the same way shifting downwards, only being able to hit sixth or fifth gear?

 

That was very well written.

 

Thanks for the objective write up.
I'm glad I have my Turbo S.

 

I haven't tried to skip gears, which would have been a valid experiment as I do it every now and then from 4>6th.
It didn't look awkward at all, having the 7th gear displayed on the shifter. Also as I own a 5 gear and 6 gear manual, you sometimes try to shift to upper right corner while already being in 6th gear on the highway. So it will definitely will be a usable feature when cruising at higher speeds.

 

I think the new 991 does look better than the 997-lower,wider and more purposeful.Front track width increase is reminiscent of a GT3RS.Of course,the main benefits are underneath.The 4inch increase in wheelbase and associated 3inch rearward setting of the rear wheels will significantly change the weight distribution and handling ballance-no front end "bobbing" and best handling yet.When the turbo comes out in 18 months or so,we can look forward to titanium turbo wheels and other refinements.This new Porsche will be a real step forward....

 

I was at Franfurt too and currently own a 997 Turbo S. I thought the 991 was a big improvement over the various 997s on the stand. It looks to me like it has moved up a category. I saw a 991 on the road the next day and got the same feeling. The car somehow looks better styled and better finished. I can't wait for the Turbo.

Did I read here or somewhere else that the new Carrera S just beat the Turbo S's lap time at the 'Ring? Can you imagine what the Turbo will be like?

 

You have a good point. To the OP that was a great write up.
I just recently did another porsche test drive event, where they set up an autocross course and let you test drive 5 different new models (not the 991).
It was very clear to me how much more balanced the boxster S was around the course then the new GTS and black series 911. Both driving the car and watching others driving them around the course you could see the bobbing and destabilizing of the 911 compared to the boxster. Many of the instructors mentioned that the boxster would have the fastest lap times at this course even though it had the least power. And many of us attendees thought the boxster was the most fun and fastest around the course.
So if the extended wheel base, PDCC, and PTV remove the wobbly *** of the 911 body then that would make for a much better handling car.
But what do I know!