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Is the new 991 Porsche 911 any good?

2012 Porsche 911 (991)

After being revealed back in August the world’s motoring press have now managed to get their lucky hands on the brand new 991 Porsche 911. Here’s a teaser of what they think:

Jim Holder, Autocar: “The seven-speed manual is more of a technical than practical success. Whisper it, but on a fast twisting road the slick shifting PDK is actually more fun.”

Ben Pulman, Car: “Let’s start with the steering, which is now electro-mechanical. The first turn of the (strangely big) wheel will scare you, so light is the steering – it’s there to aid low-speed manoeuvering but feels very odd when the 997 was instantly weighty and direct. If you’ve never driven a 997 you’ll think it’s wonderful; if you’ve been lucky enough to be behind the wheel of a GT3 then it’s instantly obvious that that delectable feel is missing.”

Chris Harris, evo: “The extra front track width, combined with the vast increase in wheelbase gives the 991 a superb chassis. Far less understeer, much more balance and, of course, the inherent traction benefits of being rear-engined remain… it’s a better cruiser, but it’s also a far, far better sports car to drive as-fast-as-you-dare. I didn’t expect that.”

Harvey Rubinovich, evo: “The longer wheelbase and more equitable axle-weight distribution does as advertised and imparts greater stability, so there’s less vertical bounding through turns and better front-end bite out of the corners.”

Jason Barlow, Top Gear: “It takes just three or four corners to realise that, far from being neutered by its changes, the new 911 substantially raises the bar. Yes, the trademark front-end lightness has all but gone now, and as a result that inimitable 911 sensation of being pushed out of a corner as if by a giant hand is wound back too.”

So, generally very positive reviews for the 991, then. But, once the novelty of a shiny new 911 has worn off, will the 911 true believers feel betrayed if the front-end feels like any other sports car?

4 replies on “Is the new 991 Porsche 911 any good?”

Ben Pulman’s comment is most worrying to me.
Having had a GT3 and a C2S X51 at the same time my sense was that the difference in steering between the two was very obvious. The GT3 felt more mechanical, more taut and, to me, as sharp as I can remember any other car before or since. The C2S’s steering had a tiny bit of “deadness” around the center and felt, almost too loose in my hands for my liking. On the road, this translated to a difference in the feel of their steering racks akin to chalk and calcium tablets, but everywhere else it was as it was intended to be – chalk and cheese! The GT3’s steering ruined every other car for me. Bad car. Very bad car!

I agree Prof! When I drove your C2S, it felt quite dead (err, you know how I felt about your C2S!). Steering was also heavier which killed the feel even more. GT3 steering is sensational, but you are forgetting the feel of your Spyder steering. That is also golden, and is also due to the fact that you had PCCB which reduced the unsprung weight substantially (likewise with your GT3). Your X51 C2S didn’t have PCCB so it made it even worse and less of an apples to apples comparison.

Strange how PCCB is so good for a road-going car even though its true benefits are meant for punishing laps! If the 991 GT3 does retain the same steering rack as the new Carrera, which I doubt will happen, I wonder whether they’ll have some sort of servo-assisted “sports” function for it. It’ll be easy enough to implement.

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