911DAYS

My husband buys and thoroughly reads every magazine featuring Porsches he’s interested in. When he was considering purchasing an air-cooled 911, he ordered magazines from the time the 964 was released and looked at them daily. Recently, perhaps because he’s waiting for delivery of a 911 GT3 (991.2), he’s been frequently reading magazines featuring the 991.

Then the other day, I found the 75th issue of 911DAYS sitting on his study desk.

At this timing, with the new 992 out, the title “The 991 is Fun” is simply wonderful. People often say, “The newest Porsche is the best Porsche,” but since the early 991 still had a naturally aspirated engine, many probably prefer the 991 in every sense.

I quickly flipped through it and thought, “It’s amazing how much information they pack into each issue. I wonder how many people are involved in producing this magazine…“—getting impressed by something unrelated to the 911 itself. While flipping through the pages, an interesting title caught my eye:

“What the 991 had that the 992 doesn’t.”

The subtitle reads, “The 991 is fun. The 911 character that the 991 holds.”

Truly fascinating…! So, I’d like to share a few impressions and some content from the article.

Comparing the 991 and 992

Was the 991’s Transmission More Engaging?

The 992 introduced the first-ever 8-speed PDK in the 911, but with such a multi-speed transmission, especially during everyday driving where speed changes are minimal, there’s reportedly less feeling of “actually shifting gears,” resulting in a somewhat less dynamic driving experience.

Because the gear ratios are finely spaced, the difference in engine RPM before and after shifting is minimal, and the change in engine sound is also less noticeable. If this is the case with the automatic, I wonder what driving the 992 manual transmission will feel like—(the article suggested it might retain 7 speeds rather than 8).

The reason for the 8-speed PDK in the 992 is largely for “improving fuel efficiency” and “future hybridization.” In fact, at 100 km/h cruising speed, the engine only runs at about 1400 rpm.

Reviews often say, “The relatively powerful 991 models feel monotonous in city driving,” so I wonder if the 992 feels even more monotonous.

My current Panamera Turbo also has an 8-speed PDK, and even in city driving, it maintains nearly 1000 rpm, quickly shifting into 6th or 7th gear. Thinking about that, maybe it’s more fun to have the “Sport Chrono Package” on the 992 after all.

The 991 Was Smaller and Lighter

Though small compared to modern cars, it’s still quite large compared to older 911s… The 992 Carrera S body dimensions are Length: 4,519 mm × Width: 1,852 mm × Height: 1,300 mm. Compared to the 991 (European specs), it’s grown by 28 mm in length, 44 mm in width, and 5 mm in height.

That might sound like a small difference, but about 30 years ago, the 964 measured Length: 4,245 mm × Width: 1,660 mm × Height: 1,310 mm. Compared to that, the 992 is about 30 cm longer and 20 cm wider. Considering that, the 911 has grown significantly over the decades.

Also, the 992’s side panels switched from steel to aluminum, and the newly designed seats are 3 kg lighter, but with greatly enhanced driver assistance features, the overall vehicle weight has increased.

The Legendary 991

The article states that “the impact from 991 to 992 is less than from 997 to 991,” and evaluates:

The 991 became lighter than the 997, with a stronger body. The driving feel was noticeably more agile compared to the 997. It is undoubtedly one of the masterpieces among 911 models.

Come to think of it, while the 930 is known as the last air-cooled model, the early 991 became the last naturally aspirated 911 (excluding GT models).

That said, when you actually test drive the 992, you’ll probably be amazed, thinking, “Wow! What an incredible car!“—and that’s the amazing thing about Porsche. I wonder when the 992 will be available for test drives in Japan; I’m looking forward to it.

By the way, here is the 75th issue of 911DAYS.

911DAYS Vol.75 (911デイズ Vol.75)

created by Rinker

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