Driving Position of the Porsche 911

The other day, my husband came home after driving the 911 Cabriolet (992) and started talking about it.

The ride of the 992 is firm but smooth. Sure, you can feel some road surface irregularities, but compared to right after delivery, the ride quality has improved a lot.
Also, the 992’s driving position is really easy to find. It might be the easiest driving position to get comfortable with among all the Porsches he’s driven so far. Well, of course, that depends on the person.

He said.

When I said, “Really? I haven’t really paid much attention to that,” he replied,

Because the seating position in the 992 is low, you can stretch your legs out a bit while driving. I think the seating position is even lower than the 991 GT3. Also, the roof is higher, so it doesn’t feel cramped.
You can drive relaxed yet feel perfectly connected to the car.
On the other hand, when driving on mountain roads, even if you set the seat position to “sport mode,” it still feels just right.
I think Porsches in general have easy-to-find driving positions, but the 992 has a wider range of adjustments than the 991 and better visibility. By the way, the 981 Boxster has slightly less adjustment range than the 911 models.

He said.

Indeed, when I drive the 981 Boxster, it takes me quite a while to adjust the seat position to feel just right.

When I said, “But isn’t that because the 981 and 991 GT3 are manuals, so you have to consider how easy it is to press the clutch?” he answered,

No, the clutch isn’t really the issue. Especially with the 981, since it’s a two-seater, the backrest adjustment range is narrow, and when you adjust the seat height, the steering wheel feels too close and cramped. The steering wheel height doesn’t quite match either, and if you adjust the steering wheel, your legs feel too far away.
Also, the slightly higher seating position bothers me.
Well, I guess you can adjust it until you’re satisfied, but considering all that, the 992 just fits perfectly right away.

I see… Well, I have short legs, so I always have to move the seat way forward no matter what I drive… lol

By the way, the seat structure, seat position, and dashboard height differ slightly between the 991 and 992, and my husband showed me Porsche’s official document comparing the seat positions of the 991 and 992.

It’s from a document called The New 911 Carrera Technology Workshop, which contains various details about the 992. One page had this chart.

Looking at this, compared to the 991, the 992’s roof is 12mm higher and the seating position is 5mm lower.

…Where on earth did he find a document like this? lol

Riding the Porsche 992 Again

Later, I had the chance to drive the 992 for the first time this year and consciously paid attention to the seat position. I felt that it really was easier to set the seat position, and I was able to start driving without spending much time adjusting the seat.

Since my 992 isn’t a manual, I think it also helps that I don’t have to worry about fully pressing the clutch or my knees hitting the steering wheel when releasing the clutch.

I’m about 160 cm tall, but for taller men around 180 cm or for tall people from Europe or the US, the 992—with its low seat and high roof—might be especially easy to find a comfortable driving position.

When the seat position isn’t forced, you get less tired and can drive safely and quickly, so I realized once again that these are the kinds of improvements Porsche keeps making in their latest models.

Wow, cars really have so many layers to them.