It’s hard for a car enthusiast to admit that a long-held belief, the type that leads to advice freely dispensed over a few pints, is not actually true. Re-education can be a painful experience, but it can also open your eyes to something very special that had been overlooked. On the brakes towards the right-hander where Gus is perched with his camera, flick the paddle for second, apply a handful of lock and gently squeeze the throttle as I unwind. Yep, that’s my moment. I was so wrong.Here we have three cars that, within just a handful of years, take the 911 from a compact sportscar to a high-tech GT and mark the starting point for the 911 we know today.
The oldest is the 997.2, the ultimate evolution of a modern classic that is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. In many people’s eyes, and if you can forgive the 997 for having water in its veins, it’s the last of the ‘true’ 911s. Compact (the Grant Larson design is little more than 2cm longer than a 993) with an interior that still follows function in the best Bauhaus traditions, it’s clearly the real deal.
The model began as an evolution of the 996, focussing on a clever interior and exterior update while carrying over the platform and most of the mechanical components. The entry-level Carrera retained the 996’s 3.6-litre engine, with a new 3.8-litre capacity being introduced for the Carrera S. The car I am picking up from independent specialist RPM Technik is a fine example of the second generation of 997. After a period of relative stability since the introduction of the 996 in 1997, this is where our journey to current technology begins.
Open the rear bonnet and you can’t miss the prominent ‘Porsche Direct Fuel Injection’ script. Although almost universal now, it was a big step when the 911 went to Direct Injection in 2009. More commonly known as GDI – Gasoline Direct Injection – the system injects fuel directly into the cylinders instead of into the intake manifold or via a throttle body. Its primary purpose is to allow a big step up in combustion control, reducing emissions, but with increased efficiency comes increased performance. While re-working the powertrain, Porsche’s engineers also released space to mount the heavily revised engine 10mm lower and retuned the suspension to take full advantage of the lower centre of gravity.
For those not into combustion engineering, the big news was the replacement of the Tiptronic option with Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK). While Tiptronic was a cunning way to provide sequential control of a conventional torque converter automatic transmission, PDK uses two hydraulically actuated clutch packs; odd gears and reverse are connected to clutch one, while even gears are connected to clutch two. Like Direct Fuel Injection, the very precise electronic control it enables can be used to reduce emissions, but it can also provide a performance boost.
Unveiled in 2011, the year our 997.2 was first registered, the first-generation 991 carried over the engine and powertrain largely unmodified. But don’t get the idea that it’s another mild refresh, because the 991 generation introduced an entirely new vehicle platform that was only the third since the first 911 of 1963. Consequently, it’s a huge step up in technology, with a ‘hybrid’ body construction that combines high-strength steel, aluminium and some composites. Although more than six centimetres longer, the 991 is the same width as the 997 and only marginally heavier, despite improved crash protection. A light refresh of the 3.8-litre dry sump motor lifts power from 385bhp at 6,500rpm to 400bhp at 7,400rpm, with maximum torque rising to 440Nm (325lbft) at 5,600rpm.
Also supplied by RPM Technik, the Ruby Red Metallic of ‘our’ 991.1 looks magnificent against the blue sky above Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire. Inside, we have sports seats, extended leather, the interior light package, PCM3 with satnav plus a later Apple CarPlay upgrade, and the beautiful Sport Design steering wheel. Outside, we have Xenon lights, a Porsche Sports Exhaust and PASM electronic damper control with 20” Carrera Classic wheels.
It’s a lovely package and is a lot more modern than the 997.2. The interior in particular has a feel of higher quality with a more luxurious finish and the deeper dash increases the sense of spaciousness. The Bauhaus design ethos that evokes previous generations of 911 has been replaced by beautiful curves and high-quality metal highlights. To my eyes, a high-spec 991 interior is one of the finest of any car, ever. But does that mean the 991 is more of a GT than a sportscar?
It’s a question I ask David Dickens, the PCGB member who has kindly brought along his exquisite 991.2 to give us the full spectrum across this transformational generation. As he pulls up outside the RPM Technik showroom, the biggest change with the 991.2 revision is immediately apparent: the engine. David’s car has the new 3.0-litre twin turbo motor that continues to this day. It’s thoroughly modern, very torquey (500Nm/369lbft from 1,700rpm) and has impressively low emissions. Relatively speaking, anyway.
Where the 997.2 sounds hard-edged, metallic and excitable, the 991.1 is more subtle but is still clearly a big, naturally aspirated flat six. The turbocharged engine is a different kettle of fish altogether. Its voice is softer, more sophisticated, and very different to any previous 911. It has some of the traditional 911 characteristics but they sound more engineered, as if Porsche has worked hard to give back some of the character that the turbochargers and additional emissions control equipment have removed.
Prior to the 991.2, David and his wife Marguerite ran a 997, but it was very much a weekend car. “The 997 would come alive if driven hard,” David recalls. “But, for us, the noise and harshness put us off using it for anything more than special runs.” Marguerite, who has a 718T as her daily, concurs: “Even in standard mode, the 997 felt like a sportscar that needed concentration.”
Their 991.2 has a truly exquisite specification. GT Silver works beautifully with the heavily tinted glass sunroof and 20” Carrera Classic Alloys. Open the door and wow; two-tone Crayon with Graphite Blue full leather looks sensational, with Porsche-embossed head restraints and multiple lighting packs adding an additional layer of luxury.
And that’s what the 991.2 is all about. “This is a very fast, very capable grand tourer. It’s perfect for us,” says David. “The turbocharged engine, combined with the optional rear-axle steering on our car, makes it so easy to drive. We use it a lot more than we did the 997, simply because it just feels so refined and so easy to drive quickly and safely.”The impact of rear-axle steering is significant. The rear weight bias of a 911 encourages understeer so, for the 991 generation, Porsche extended the wheelbase more than it lengthened the body. But the longer the wheelbase is, the less responsive a car tends to be and that is what I find as we head out of the village and onto empty country roads.
I thought the more modern platform would offer the agility of the 997 with the comfort and stability of the more modern car, but the 991.1 (without rear-axle steering) just feels a little inert. The dynamics are undeniably impressive and the ride quality is pretty decent, but it doesn’t have the agility of the older car or the crisp responses of the newer car with the rear steer option.
It’s a feeling that is amplified by the steering, which is electrically, rather than hydraulically, assisted for the first time. It’s good, and I certainly don’t agree with those who say it’s a major issue in this first-generation EPAS configuration, but it’s missing the tactility of the hydraulic system in the 997 and is a world away from the feedback you get in an unassisted 1970s or 1980s 911.
Does this matter? It won’t for a majority of buyers. The system is extremely pleasant to use, it’s reassuring and the weighting is perfect. Unlike those earlier cars, front end grip is astonishing, so the need to have so much feel – which would make for a more nervous drive for many people – is debatable. It’s part of that transition from enthusiast sportscar to comfortable, fast GT and the much wider appeal that brings.
The difference in personality is perfectly expressed by how the three cars sound. The 997.2 has the voice of a traditional sportscar, the deep thrum on pulling away replaced by an incredible breadth of tones as the revs climb. It’s almost vintage in the way it mixes bass and mid-range at lower speeds, but keep the right foot planted and it transforms into a howling mechanical devil begging you to drive it harder. It’s at least as good to listen to inside as outside.
That’s not true of the 991.1. From outside, it sounds powerful and throaty but, inside, the aural experience is dominated by induction noise that has too much of a ‘designed’ feel to it. The 991.2 flips this on its head. Outside, driven hard, it has some of the 911 howl but it’s much softer and is lacking the overtones that give it real character. Inside, however, Porsche’s acoustic engineers have done a really good job. Most of the unnatural-sounding induction noise has gone and, in its place, there is a proper mechanical howl. Impressed. The other thing you notice on the road is the remarkable low-down torque of the turbocharged engine. It’s really easy to drive fast but, despite the two tiny turbochargers and clever induction system, it is possible to catch it off guard.
The same has been said of the first-generation PDK fitted to ‘our’ 997.2, but it’s not an issue that I noticed. It was so good, especially with the optional Sport Design steering wheel that brings proper metal paddles, that I questioned the need for manual. That wheel makes a big difference, both aesthetically and in the driving experience. RPM Technik say it can be retrofitted for around £2,000.
So, despite just a handful of years separating these cars, they each have very different personalities. All three are wonderful in their own way and are the perfect 911s for different types of owner. The 991.1 is the first of the well-rounded modern 911s with wonderful curves, an exquisite interior and a terrific engine but, to me, it doesn’t feel quite as confident in this new role as I had expected. The 991.2 (with rear-axle steering) thoroughly addresses that question, giving it an astonishing capability as a fast, luxurious GT, but arguably at the expense of traditional 911 character. That’s less true of the GTS, suggesting that Porsche has cleverly crafted the 991-generation Carrera S for a different type of owner.
Which leaves the 997.2. It doesn’t have the stylish new cabin, it needs a lot of revs to really pick up its skirts and it feels much more ‘classic’ than either 991, but boy is it fun. If you want a weekend toy that will make you grin from ear to ear every time you take it out, this is the car for you. Driving home, I’m working through the man maths with RPM Technik on speed dial.
Thanks to RPM Technik for the loan of the 997.2 and the 991.1, and to David and Marguerite Dickens for bringing their 991.2.