First thought after 200 hard miles: Its good to get out and drive a Porsche, any Porsche, and even better when the roads are lonely. Next thought: The 911-50 is a very special Porsche, which bodes well for the coming 991 Carrera GTS. Theres a very real duality to this car. With the PDK selector left in D around town, itd be all too easy to think theyve turned the 911 into a Benz SL—but one spirited drive on a good back road in Sport or Sport Plus is all it takes to see that this 991 still does the business. Its fast, responsive, and deeply competent. The Powerkit 3.8 is strong and seamless, and PDK is simply superb—though its no replacement for a stick if you prefer three pedals. Both transmissions are great, but this tester would take the seven-speed manual for a bit more physical involvement. Your mileage may vary. As for the electric-assist steering, forget the naysayers—its genuinely excellent...pinpoint accurate and nicely weighted when you get serious. Theres tons of steady-state mechanical grip, and the chassis does a great job of keeping the massive 20-inch tires in contact over lumps and bumps. The PASM dampers and PDCC active anti-roll bars are beautifully tuned and remarkably organic these days. The PCCB ceramic-composite brakes on PCNAs test car never exhibited even a hint of fade, this despite repeated poundings after straights too short to allow the rotors to cool down. All up, this is a great 991, and a fitting tribute to the state of the 911 50 years on. We also dig all of the 50th details, like the houndstooth seats and green-on-black gauges—they really add a sense of occasion. And that Geyser Grey paint, an homage to Ivory 911s, really hides road grime well after a little rain and a lot of miles. Criticisms? Yes, the 991 is getting to be a big car relative to its predecessors—but its very 928 in that it shrinks at speed. Critically, its still very placeable on tight roads. The optional Bose sound system is just so-so to these ears, and the leap to Burmester is a big one. And while the gauges are gorgeous, the white-and-silver needles are a bit fussy if you look closely. After that....well, there just isnt much. If the 991 Carrera GTS drives at least as well this, and theres no reason to think it wont, itll be a cracking car in any spec. And for those miffed that they cant get a 991 GT3 or Turbo with a stick, the 911-50 and coming Carrera GTS are more than merely wonderful consolations. My favorite 991 setup so far? Maybe, just maybe... Tested by: Pete Stout Location: Northern California coast #porschepanorama #pca
Posted on: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 05:56:22 +0000
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