The other day, I wrote an article about purchasing a 991.1 911 Carrera 4 GTS, and today, continuing from last time, I’d like to share the delivery day and my first impressions.

Delivery Day

After preparing and sending the necessary documents, about three weeks later, the delivery day finally arrived. You can pay extra to have the car transported on a carrier, but I chose not to. As a true Porsche enthusiast who believes the car is meant to be driven, the real meaning of delivery is to pick it up yourself and drive it home.

The event of ‘delivery’ includes receiving the car at the dealership and the drive back home.

Initially, I planned to take the Shinkansen from Kansai to Nagoya, but when TAKURO-san heard about it, he kindly offered to come along, so I gratefully accepted his offer for a ride.

We met up in Osaka city, and TAKURO-san arrived in his 981 Boxster GTS. “For a GTS delivery, come in a GTS!” — such thoughtful consideration was truly appreciated.

The two of us, both middle-aged guys, got into the Boxster and headed straight for Nagoya via the Meishin and Shin-Meishin Expressways. Inside the car, the conversation was almost entirely about cars and Porsches. We bantered back and forth, excitedly chatting as our little road trip continued.

We arrived in Nagoya just after noon and headed to the dealership. Upon arrival, I signed the paperwork and listened to the explanations. Since the sales rep knew I had owned several Porsches before, they skipped the usual vehicle usage briefing and handed me the keys.

In the dealership parking lot, TAKURO-san got back into his 981 Boxster GTS, and I climbed into my freshly received 991.1 Carrera 4 GTS.

When I started the engine, TAKURO-san, standing next to me, jumped in surprise at the deafening cold start roar. Later, he told me the sound was really loud and caught him off guard.

Heading to Ibukiyama Driveway

After the first refuel at a nearby gas station, we decided it would be a shame to just head straight home, so we planned to take a run on the Ibukiyama Driveway before returning. From Nagoya city, we took the highway for about an hour to reach the Sekigahara IC.

The 991.1 GTS is very easy to drive even in the city. Although it has a naturally aspirated engine, it’s torquey and responsive. Once on the highway, I switched to Sport mode at the merge and pressed the accelerator a bit. Then, a thunderous roar blasted from behind. The sound was thick and powerful, with about 10% more presence than the 981 GTS.

At a stoplight, I got a message from TAKURO-san behind me: “The sound is insane!” Later, I learned the outside sound was even louder than inside the car. This generation of GTS really puts a lot of effort into its sound performance.

From the entrance of the Ibukiyama Driveway, I switched to Sport mode and manual paddle shifts. Since it was a weekday evening, the road was almost entirely ours.

The first half featured some tight uphill corners. With more power than the Boxster, the 991.1 was quite fast. Compared to the turbocharged 992, it lacks a bit in instantaneous acceleration, but the naturally aspirated engine’s torque build-up feels fantastic. The sensation of speed, torque, and sound rising in harmony is addictive.

I thought I was driving smoothly and confidently through the corners, but TAKURO-san told me later, “You were insanely fast!” Apparently, I was left behind on corner exits.

Indeed, compared to the rear-wheel-drive 911, the all-wheel-drive 911 lets you start applying throttle a moment earlier on corner exits. With a typical RR 911, you tend to wait until the car’s orientation changes before pressing the accelerator, which feels safer. But with the AWD 911, you can confidently start applying throttle as soon as the front tires turn, giving a reassuring sense of control. So, while the driver feels relaxed and comfortable, the pace is actually quite brisk.

As we neared the summit, the scenery opened up to breathtaking views. It’s a beautiful mountain winding road. I slowed down a bit, switched the paddle shifters back to automatic, and cruised to the top.

TAKURO-san also took a turn driving and said the car was “amazingly stable” and “glides forward with a flat attitude.” He felt confident pushing the car through any corner.

For more on his impressions, TAKURO-san shared his thoughts during a Space session on 9/25, so if you’re interested, please check out the recording.

Highway Drive Home

We parted ways at Ibukiyama and headed home.

The weather worsened as the day went on, and it started raining heavily on the highway home. Even so, the Carrera 4 GTS showed outstanding stability. This is truly an all-weather 911. It handled rain and puddles as if they weren’t there. While the flat ride at high speeds can’t quite match the GT3, its straight-line stability is very high. Compared to the 992 Carrera Cabriolet, it’s a close match, but the GTS’s louder exhaust gives a stronger sense of speed. Overall, it inspires great confidence.

High-speed corners and acceleration for passing were never lacking, and the way it accelerates with a thrilling sound, syncing speed and pitch, is addictive.

Since it’s a used car, I was a bit worried about common issues like steering wheel center offset or alignment problems affecting straight-line stability, but there were no issues at all. There is a slight creaking noise from the interior on rough roads, but that can be fixed with adjustments at the dealer later.

Overall, I feel I made a great purchase this time. The car is very satisfying and of high quality. I’m grateful to the previous owner who ordered this exact spec and took such good care of it. If you’re reading this blog, please rest assured that I will cherish this car.

I plan to write a more detailed review after driving it more, so please look forward to that as well.