CHRIS HARRIS: New Porsche 991, brief thoughts/vid clip blog on Evo Community by Monkey Harris

CHRIS HARRIS: NEW PORSCHE 991, BRIEF THOUGHTS/VID CLIP

November 19, 2011 6:05 PM | Posted By: Monkey Harris
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by 5 members | 23 Comments | 15614 Views
Related Categories: Misc

Porsche has become adept at parrying criticism of the obvious kind – that’s my lasting impression from driving the new 991. Well, that and learning California has some sparkling roads.

Here’s how it works. I think the 991 has become unnecessarily big, but it is now so much more refined than the 997 – and I mean almost beyond comparison in terms of NVH and especially tyre noise – that it feels like a GT car. This is good for people who buy 911s for very different reasons than I would – which, I suppose, potentially makes it a bad thing for me.

But it’s hard to bemoan extra width when that itself brings the biggest improvement in the car as a driving object. The extra front track width, combined with the vast increase in wheelbase gives the 991 a superb chassis. Far less understeer, much more balance and, of course, the inherent traction benefits of being rear-engined remain. So see what I mean here? It’s bigger and far more comfortable – it’s a better cruiser, but it’s also a far, far better sports car to drive as-fast-as-you-dare. I didn’t expect that.

The new PDK calibration is way more immediate than before, with a much better balance of seamlessness and kick-in-the-back. The Carrera S motor is smooth, rev-hungry and yet can return over 30mpg at a fast cruise. The quality of trim and materials in the cabin makes a 997 feel like a Ford Ka.

So, much as I want to complain at the creep of everydayness, I just can’t in light of the surprising improvement in raw driving.

Expanded thoughts in the mag next month.

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COMMENTS

speedingfine at 11:41 PM November 22, 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poMybaHje_I

john999s at 4:12 PM November 22, 2011

Tell me about the steering please Chris......

rightwheeldrive at 10:46 PM November 21, 2011

JJ, for me a fun car is fun! I dont pretend to be a driving god! But i know what thrills me about driving. This weekend for my 40th, a good client of mine, lent me his 997 turbo.As much as it was a thrill, it ultimately didn't blow my hear back! I have more fun in my dodgy handling e30.And thats why i would like a 964, not because i hero worship and want to be a mini me! Iknow my limmits. And Porsche can do wrong in my eyes.I have never liked the cooking 996 (the ford escort of porsches)& the 997.2 Turbo i drove this weekend was nice, but not for me!To fast to have some cheeky fun with,Tiptronic crap gear box, No noise (even with a tuned exhaust) once the pull your face off perfomance was done! It had nothing more i could acces,without a prison cell or death on the cards. Yet all the old 911's i have driven, have been smiles per miles, never wanted to stop driving. Oh and i didnt once understeer!

jeremy1210 at 10:15 PM November 21, 2011

The shear unmitigated gushing an gushing and gushing about the 997 being the pinnacle of the thrill of driving- day in and day out, year on year; and now we are sent back to school by Monk telling us that the new "is a far far better sports car to drive as you dare"? What? Huh? suddenly the 997 Gt-3 was not a great car to drive as you dare, is that right? Never heard that before. Never was such a complaint ever lodged against the GT3. Except now. hmmm.

JJ at 9:59 PM November 21, 2011

Clearly porsche can do no wrong in your eyes but the 90's cars are euphemistically described as 'challenging' or 'tricky' handling. In old money that's 'nasty' handling. Of course mastering a spiteful pig or 'widowmaker' flatters the ego and seperates the men from the boys among journos, hence why those that can drive them, like them so much. The 996 is already coming to the point where it's being filed under 'challenging'. How long before the 997 will be too? I can assure you it will, the 991 is already exposing it. I think the hero worship among journos is bordering on the irresponsible. Chris Harris has the sufficient talent and bravery to work around and with the rear engine issues. But few ordinary people who buy into the 911 myth do. I can't remember the last trackday that wasn't red flagged only to see a stoved in GT3 coming back on the recovery truck. Most of them 997's too.

rightwheeldrive at 5:43 PM November 21, 2011

I think that some of the ultimate limits to any car going faster, is lack of power or/and understeer. So as a car evolves, less understeer is present. Making more use of power available. So just because a new car has less "ON LIMIT" understeer, it does not necessarily mean that the previous gen car had excessive understeer!! So just like a gen2 GT3RS understeers less (on limit) than a GT3,it does not mean the GT3 is flawed. The 997.2 GT3 RS is almost as quick as new Mclaren mp4-12 round a track, with 100hp less & no trick chassis! So if the next GT3 is faster than the Mc mp4? Does that mean the Mclaren is crap??? I might be wrong! But i think its what is referred to as "Progress" They get better.

jeremy1210 at 5:16 PM November 21, 2011

Chris is a poor journalist, what gets me is that somewhere inside there he thinks hes doing a bang up job. JJ took the words right out of my cut and paste button. I used to be the one who pointed out the incomplete and inconsistent thinking, now others do it routinely. Magazines are close to making themselves irrelevant- unless we're talking about the odd great Meaden or even rarer Barker piece. "JJ said, "Far less understeer, much more balance and.... it's also a far, far better sports car to drive as-fast-as-you-dare." In other words, only now the new one has come out does anyone dare criticise the 997."

rightwheeldrive at 4:43 PM November 21, 2011

I understand and appreciate that for sure! I dont feel right in mid engined cars. never liked the four wheel wash out. but then that is down to my driving. I just love the feel of rear engined cars.I am a freek! :-)We have to be happy we dont like all the same type, it would be so bloody borring! I actually preferred it in the 90's when everyone hated the 911 for being a handfull. Made it more special to me, like only i understood it! I wanted to disslike the new 911, for being fat, dull, to many gagets.... But i can see me understanding it the more i find out.Just dont lust for one!

JJ at 4:28 PM November 21, 2011

No I know all about this. Most people find it difficult to get round the Elise Mk2's built in understeer safety net. However it remains the car I've done my biggest and most consistent drifts in, at a wet Anglesey racetrack a few years ago. I know 911s can do it but I don't like the way they feel, slow or fast. Arse heavy isn't an attractive feature in women or cars. Not to me anyway. Just a solitary lone voice against the depressing all-consuming popularity and success of what should be a rarely seen, endearing and eccentric german oddity. Instead it's the default sports car. I'm in the wrong universe.

rightwheeldrive at 4:18 PM November 21, 2011

Sorry JJ, i wasn't clear enough! I was on about your comment! (or what you are reading into Chris Harris's less understeer comment). I dont Read "less understeer" as the 997 was an understeering, unbalanced pig of a thing!Just makes me chuckle when people go on about 911's being "understeering rubish" usually by man foot merchants. And you are right on Chriss being a better driver than me! He taught me how to drift years ago! I am not a patch on him! The man is a Hand for sure!

JJ at 3:20 PM November 21, 2011

Not my words. Chris Harris's. I suppose you are a better driver than him then rightwheeldrive? No offence but I VERY much doubt it.

rightwheeldrive at 2:16 PM November 21, 2011

JJ, you sound like a mate of mine, when we went go kart racing. He was bitching all day that the karts all understeered!!!Yes he came last out of 13 drivers. "ALL cars understeer" if driven wrong. My BMW is a nose hevy bucket! But i have n ever understeered Once!! All the 911's i have driven have been far from understeering, unbalanced pigs.

Pedro Bastos at 11:35 AM November 21, 2011

U should drive in Portugal more often! ;-) Great roads (look sharp for great pot-holes as well), great weather and u'll hardly get caught! Even if you do, just let the coppers know you're a notorious motoring journalist and they'll even ask you to do a couple of burnouts and powerslides! :-D

JJ at 10:23 AM November 21, 2011

"Far less understeer, much more balance and.... it's also a far, far better sports car to drive as-fast-as-you-dare." In other words, only now the new one has come out does anyone dare criticise the 997. Which sounds for all the world like an understeering, unbalanced pig of a thing. So now Porsche have finally tamed the 911! How many times have we heard that over the years! Chris Harris likes new porsche shocker. Porscheophiles may be surprised to discover there are cars out there that are inherently balanced to begin with, some of them even wear Porsche badges! But I guess buying one of those would require an imagination.

dudeluk at 8:56 AM November 21, 2011

Some Cali roads are awesome. Agreed. Cali speed limits are not though! And getting caught is not as unlikely as one would hope..

Eric Pisch at 9:39 AM November 20, 2011

and the ECOTY 2012 is ..., then turbo version 2013, GT2 2014, GT3 2014, GT3 RS 2015 :p

Visceral1111 at 6:08 AM November 20, 2011

looks like you were driving the pants off that thing. you're consistent great reviews are surprisingly one of your strongest qualities.

sapman at 12:33 AM November 20, 2011

Can't wait for the full review, ordered one today.

Trevor M at 12:00 AM November 20, 2011

Looking forward to your full review.

carlos at 11:09 PM November 19, 2011

It looks like a 911, it drives like a 911, woohoo we've got ourselves a 911 :D

Ben__B at 9:59 PM November 19, 2011

What a teaser! We found hundreds of miles of great roads in Cali, some didn't even have straights!

365Daytonafan at 7:23 PM November 19, 2011

You're right Chris California does have some great roads, but many of them have depressingly low speed limits.

dannyw100 at 7:15 PM November 19, 2011

woohoo!

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