Switching from Boxster GTS to 991.1. GTS

P80 ABA · Sep 15, 2020

So, my first post on here. I've just put my Boxster GTS up for sale (including a listing in the classifieds in here) with a view to getting a 991.1 GTS - given the much-reduced driving I'm going to be doing now that I'm working from home, it feels like a more suitable ownership proposition. My younger kids will be able to get some pleasure from trips in it, too. Has anyone else on here made that transition (or similar), and what are their thoughts? Does the 991.1 GTS feel less agile than the BGTS? How does the ride quality compare (I think the BGTS ride compliance is extraordinary for a car of its kind, btw)? How much 'bigger' does the car feel behind the wheel? Hope to get some good insights before I take the plunge!

Dylan1 · Sep 15, 2020

I went from Boxster GTS to a 991.1S with all the bits....
very different car,but great fun and love the exhaust noise and bigger cockpit.
you can’t throw it around like the Boxster and feels bigger
seriously you need to try a decent test drive before plunging !
best of luck

P80 ABA · Sep 15, 2020

Thanks. Any regrets though? And do you daily drive your 991 - how does the ride comfort compare?

matsleight · Sep 16, 2020

Dylan1 said:
I went from Boxster GTS to a 991.1S with all the bits....
very different car,but great fun and love the exhaust noise and bigger cockpit.
you can’t throw it around like the Boxster and feels bigger
seriously you need to try a decent test drive before plunging !
best of luck

My wife has a 2018 718 GTS and I have a 2012 991.1 S - you have described the difference well, matches my experience driving both. I think for a bomb around some quiet lanes, her car is more accessible/fun. Mine is better for a weekend away/awesome on the track - learning the nuance of rear engine is really enjoyable. However that same pendulum effect, would mean I'm a bit more cautious on the road/in the wet. Mine sounds better although unlike many others i dont dislike her 4 pot sound. (She doesnt care how either sound

)

Point to point where you can make progress, I'm guessing theres not a lot in it, but different styles of driving/making progress. The rear seats are handy in the 911 and like Dylan I prefer the space/airiness of the cabin. I dont like taking the top off in her car, however, thats a deal breaker for her and the reason she'd like her car most - so worth thinking about that too. Ride wise, think the 718 is a bit softer, but she has much better seats - I only have the 4ways which i dont think are that comfortable. Both are same height for speed bumps etc (I have sport design package).

I really enjoy driving both, (which was a suprise for me when she got hers, I expected to not be that impressed - more fool me and my assumptions). For me the 911 is special as it is a 911 and the stuff of my dreams/savings, (although she feels equally the same about hers). Probably worth thinking about cost for the change - are you getting x% more value from the swap to a 911, would you miss top down etc. If those are not a concern, go for it, the 911 is a great car.

salisbees · Sep 17, 2020

I agree with most of that said before having come from two Boxster Ss to a 991.1. On a number of occasions I have regretted the move as the Boxster does 95% of what the 911 does and on a twisty track it is much more fun. However, the moments when the 911 shines it wipes out all regrets, it is stunning and to top it all you can carry two ankle biters as well ??. It finally comes down to money, what you want and what other pressures you find on the way. Which ever car you purchase I doubt you will regret it.

Dylan1 · Sep 17, 2020

I have no real regrets
my hearing was getting worse with roof down noise,and the sunroof is pretty much as good without that drawback!
its not as chuckable and I do miss that,but overall the 991 is exceptional

P80 ABA · Sep 17, 2020

Thanks for all of the responses, much appreciated. All pretty much as I’d anticipated - but I think my mind is made up, and I think I’ve found the car I’d like to buy. But despite my original plan it’s a Gen 2! I know that wouldn’t be the purists‘ choice - any Gen 2 owners on here with regrets about not going down the Gen 1 NA route?

mphillips · Sep 20, 2020

I have a gen 2 C2S and wouldn’t swap it for an NA version (GT3 Touring aside - I’d sell a kidney for one of those). The flexibility of the turbo engine is simply amazing. Mid to high 30s MPG on a motorway slog, then stellar performance on a track. It’s an incredible piece of engineering.

I think the engine noise is more muted, but it is pleasant - I rather enjoy it. On a track it’s wonderful to drive, and worries GT3s easily (500nm of torque, handy - and the GTS you’re eyeing up is even more powerful)

https://vimeo.com/450742627/6d52654df0

—Mark

P80 ABA · Sep 21, 2020

Thanks Mark. Great video by the way! Collecting the car on Thursday. GT silver, really high spec, very excited. Think this one is going to be a keeper, and will be a far cry from the 996 Carrera 2 Tiptronic in Arctic Silver with Nephrite Green interior (Google it if you want the full spectacle!) that I owned 15 years ago. The 991.2 GTS will be my fourth Porsche, and I'm sure not my last. I think it's a brand that gets into your bloodstream and it's hard to get it out. For me, nothing comes close to the sheer everyday usability of a 911.

Thanks everyone for helping make my mind up - really glad to be a member of PCGB.

drangular · Sep 30, 2020

I haven’t been on the forum for a while but came on just today and this discussion caught my eye. I have just sold both my 2002 996 Carrera and my 2014 981 Boxster. I collect my new 2015 991.1 GTS Convertible tomorrow (1st) from OPC Guildford. I’m looking forward to the long drive home to Scotland ?? I’m expecting great things from the new car????