Finally test drove the 991

So I was at the dealer yesterday, and they had a very highly spec'ed 991 S PDK parked outside. I asked for a test drive and the salesman threw the key at me and said enjoy it for an hour. The car was a white 2012, S, PDK, had a full kit on (don't know the name, ?sport design), bigger wheels, huge rear spoiler, and a front lip. It was fully specced from inside too, full red interior, bose, sport chrono plus etc. The car looks absoultely stunning! I start her up and noticed how the sport exhaust system rumbles! I let her warm up, hit the sport +, manual mode, and off I go, where I kick down in first gear the car slides sideways and i'm like "mooooooooother***errrrrrrrrrr" :hilarious: The thing pulls so crazy and insanely fast! The sport exhaust system makes MUSIC to my ears, especially on downshifting with sport +. One thing though, this car DOES NOT handle like a Cayman.. my cayman walks all over it in the handling department! I was so shocked. Will I buy this car? No. Sure it looks beautiful, and very powerful but I can't justify the HEAVY price tag which was on it. Thanks for reading :cheers:

I also drove a 991, yesterday (I am in the 'looking' phase of replacement / upgrade from my 2007 Boxster S). The 991 is a beautiful car. Powerful. Well-built. And it shouts 'status. But I couldn't get comfortable with it. The Boxster/Cayman wraps itself around the driver and it gives you that 'one with the car' feeling. In the 991, it feels like you are in a big room and you are standing in the middle looking stupid. The car had control while you are merely standing by. As DrKareem stated, 'my cayman walks all over it in the handling department! I was so shocked.' I agree. The drive was an eye opener for me and I so much wanted to like the 991 - I thought it would be a step up (and it does fall within my price range). But......not taking anything away from the 991 (because it does have its own special audience), while it may make a nice 'weekend' or 'special occassion' car, it just isn't the car for me as a DD.

I wouldn't mind looking stupid for a few hours but I'm with you on the oneness issue. I feel in love with the 914 first and can not shake it, even after several 911s and 928s.

Thanks for posting. Car looks great. Could you expand on the handling characteristics. Is there something specific that lead you to your conclusion or is it an overall feel that isn't glove like, like the Cayman?

+1 on getting more detailed feedback on handling. I have not driven the 991 yet but based on size increase and design direction inside in particular, it seemed like a specific attempt to move towards GT type machine and away from 'sports car'. I would also be interested in hearing how 981 Cayman S owners will compare the new Cayman S to say a 987 S or an R for the same reason re: GT from 'sprots car'.

I think the 981's handling is a bit lighter, and the mid engine layout gives a different feeling when cornering. The 991 is different. No better, no worse. If you're used to a 981 or never driven a rear engine, I can see how it could convey a disconnectedness. If pressed, I would probably agree I preferred the steering on my 987, but only by a small margin, and the rest of the experience is far superior in the 991. I test drove numerous 981, 997, and 991's before settling on the 991S. It combines the feeling of a mid engine with the power and sound of a supercar. It's so composed until you start pushing it, that I doubt many test drivers will have the chance to understand.

I think it's comments like that here that are exactly what we don't need. Don't pile with sweeping generalizations having never even driven the car. Go drive it hard, then let us know. I understand we all want to justify our very expensive purchases to ourselves, but the 911 is still a much faster car on a race track, and it didn't get to that spot by disconnecting the driver like a GT-R.

I had a 2006 Boxster S, 6MT, for 6 years. I traded it for a 2008 911S Cab. Kept that for 7 months and traded it for a 2013 911S Coupe with 7MT. In my view the 991 is by far the best car of the bunch. Just had it in for some service and the dealer gave me a 2006 Cayman S for a loaner. The Cayman now feels very small and cramped. I didn't notice this so much before when I had the Boxster but after about a year in the 997 and now the 991 the extra interior room is very welcome. Frankly, I also felt the Cayman S was kind of slow and unresponsive at least relative to the 991S and I haven't even driven the 991 hard yet. I just loved getting back into the 991 when I picked it up from service.

I have driven the 991 S,PDK and SC, and was smitten. I need a few more miles on my 2010 Cayman S before I'll consider a switch but it will likely get done at some point.

I went from 2006 Cayman S, to 2009 911S, to the new 991S, all stick shifts. In my opinion, the Cayman has the most direct steering feel, a few posters here have referenced it. The 997 was a disapointment to me with the way the steering felt, I really missed my Cayman. The 991 has been the best of both worlds. You get the extra power of a 911 with a much better balanced feel like a Cayman. The car is really fast, inspires confidence to drive hard, and is a pure joy. After 6,000 miles, the only negative is the rising price that Porsche has put on the sticker.

I have a 2007 991 and am also a bit disappointed in its handling.