Hi All,

I am in the market for a new car, no one need worry, the new car will be additional to my current car estate.

My first port of call was to have a look at a 911. The 996 / 997 generation models have too many horror stores of IMS / bore score / suspension troubles to be deemed a reliable car and not turn into a money pit.

My next port of call was the next generation 991. I did lots of research on the web and youtube, some involving Harry's Garage etc...

So i look through the online classifieds and off I pop to our local Porsche Dealer to have a look at their stock and pick their brains as to the model 991 and its range and options etc...

To my surprise I was somewhat shocked as to the lack of knowledge the sales executive knew about the 991, as an example I asked how the weight of the 991 compared to the 997, he did not know and what material the 991 shell was made off, again he did not know. Obviously, I knew none of this but a good hours reading online give me a good grounding.

The other shocking thing was understanding how lowly spec'd the cars are. All cars have to be spec'd on order, so the level of options varies considerably and there is no trim level where you get this or that. So finding a suitably spec'd car is an exhausting process and each one is truly individual.

I then worked out the spec on my 15 F Type R RWD (similar age and model generation to the 991) to get a benchmark for any potential 991. When you think about it, the list is rather extensive from folding wing mirrors, fully electric seats, rear camera....to audio and cruise control etc...the list is massive...

I must have looked at over 100 991 ads and not seen a spec that comes any where near my FType R.

I then went to another non porsche dealer who had a 991 Carrera S for sale. Nice looking car, good price, low mileage but very low spec.

I want out on a test drive, first time driving a 991 and only 2nd time I've driven a Porsche 911.

What a massive dissappointment, slow, clunky pdk even at speed and very poor in auto mode to kick down with useless buttons not paddles on the steering wheel. The car felt gutless and dear I say it soulless. Also you thought putting the auto handbrake below the steering wheel on the right hand side was a good idea.

Well that was my Saturday well enjoyed. it taught me 2 valuable lessons:

1. Porsche 911s are massively not for me. I just dont get them. I have raced caterhams and track day sports bikes so I know how a good car / bike should feel but the 911 does not deliver. There is no excitment, no thrilling acceleration or wow factor in terms of spec, toys or even sound to enable any kind of man love

2. I love my FType R even more. There's an old saying, you only true love once you've missed. Well what a joy to walk over the my parked F Type R and open the door with out a key, start the car without putting in a key to the ignition. Sit in a more ergomonic cabin, start the engine and hear the beautiful v8 sound and drive away from the dealer and accerelate and feel the instance 503ibs of torque pushing you down the road.

By the time I got home, about 40 mins great drive away, the F Type had forgiven me my flirtation, and loved me back as much as I love it.

Now I know these are my personal opinions, but the facts of the matter are the 911 is an over rated sports car, and the F Type is under rated.

I am glad that whilst the F Type is under rated we all have seen through the hype and feel the F Type love.


Regards

Simon

 

Brilliant and interesting writeup!

In all fairness, there seem to be so many versions of the 911, even within a given generation, that it must be very hard to make a general comparison and statement about how they perform.

I don't get them at all either and never even bothered to consider trying one. I'm often next door to a Porsche dealer and never bothered walking inside. One big thing that makes them unattractive is how utterly ubiquitous they are. Where I live and over in Germany they're just everywhere and are more or less considered as the VW Golf for the better earners. What really kills it for me is their design and presence. I know some people rave about their looks and how gorgeous especially the 992 is but I just don't get it. To me no 911 ever looked particularly good, especially compared to its competition during any given era. With all due respect to all fellow petrolheads who love it, at its core it's just the old Beetle design that Porsche didn't even come up with himself but stole from Tatra in the 30ies. Looks wise essentially a posh Beetle as some say.

Having said that, I should probably give some 911 a chance one day. I have friends who own 911s and love them and it would be interesting to understand why. I expect the cars to be brilliantly engineered and drive very well but that whole meh feeling about their looks and presence, and the fact that the company seems way too fat and happy (the 992 pricing looks like a joke), has just been too off putting so far.

 

If I were headed out to a road race, I'd take my 911, but for pure beauty and pleasure, there little that can touch the F-Type. There's no doubt that 911's are more popular, yet my 9 year old F-Type can get more affirmative comments in one day of running errands than I've ever gotten on the Porsche - ever.

Meanwhile, on your options observations, I remember back when I was deciding between a Cayman and the F-Type. I found that a fully configured Cayman had more $'s in options than the base car.

 

I like Porsches quite a bit (I used to own a 2014 Cayman), but I do think they've gotten outrageously expensive (you have to spend $90K just to get a six cylinder in the Cayman these days, and that $90K doesn't include any options!).

It sounds like you may have driven a particularly poorly optioned 911, though. Firstly, paddle shifters on the wheel were definitely an option:



Secondly, if the 911 had the sports exhaust, it should have sounded pretty tasty (but still not as good as a V8 F-Type).

 

Not really relevant to the thread, but one of my clients recently sold his ferrari 488 and bought a '19 F Type R, he reckons that the F Type puts a much bigger smile on his face with the noise, more comfy too and looks fantastic.

As for the porsche, they arent my dream car (I think I would buy Aston before Porsche) but there is no doubting the cred.

 

I have always respected the Porsche 911, and I do like the looks of the 992 version, but the value for money is fast going away. In the past year I think the base price of a Carrera S went up close to 10k CND here in Canada. They really are getting quite expensive.

I have no doubt they are great sports cars, but I also think they are in large part status cars...An aspect that I could care less about...

Then pile on the fact that they sound like vacuum cleaners these days and my interest is less again...

Then pile on the fact that a car like the F-type exists and it's over. Value for money is far more in the Jag, my opinion...Value for money aside, the style and vibe of the F-type draws in me in more, all for a price that is significantly less than a 911 (at least the way I would want one speced).

None of this is to say Porsche doesn't make incredible cars. I'm sure they are great. Full disclosure, I have never driven a modern day 911. Maybe my thoughts would change if I actually drove one, but as far looks and sound go I've made my decision ;-)

 

They don't sound that good anymore with the sport exhaust...

 

I have owned a 997.2 S model and 996 twin turbo. Both I loved dearly and no issues with either one. The 996 had bearing issues but not in the TT model. I was open to another Porsche when I bought the F Type and had a 991 with very low miles in the shop for a PPI but it came back with some flags. I bought the F Type and love it. It is, as I have said before, just a much different car than an F Type and you really cannot compare the two of them.

 

I've had a couple of 911's as well...an '88 Carerra Coupe and a '98 C2S [widebody]. The 1998 was the last year of the air-cooled engines [and mostly hand-built] and it was pretty incredible. Whereas I love the way my F Type looks and the wonderful cockpit, I used to spend a great deal of time in my garage simply admiring the attention to detail Porsche took with EVERYTHING. It was like the ultimate expression of German engineering. The '88 was also a great car but more quirky and "911-like" [minimalist].

Although I love everything about the F Type, if somebody offered me, say, a newer GT3rs or GT2rs, well ....

 

Very simple equation really. If you want a run of the mill, see them everywhere, get a 911. If you want a classy bit angry, rare, wake up your neighbors and scare grandma car that thrills with sound, acceleration, and aggression, get an F Type R. Nuff said.

I love pulling into cars and coffee and im the only one there with one and crowds gathering to take pics and line up to watch me roar away.

Another car to consoder adding to your stable is an Aston Vantage. I am currently in the process of ordering a new one to add to my collection. I like cool cars that not everyone has.

Bright yellow 2021 F Type R