Porsche, as they say, knows how to thinly slice a pie. Consider the 911 range: It’s cut into the Carrera, Carrera T, Carrera S, GTS, Turbo, Turbo S, GT3, GT3 RS, and GT2 RS, plus all the permutations added by the AWD and cabriolet options! Each variety is subtly—or starkly—different from the last, and each offers its own flavor of power delivery, ride comfort, and luxury kit. So how do buyers know which model is right for them? Well, you pays your money and you takes your choice!
For my money, my choice would be a 911 Carrera GTS. The GTS blends RWD sporting prowess with daily-driving comfort; it appeals to my track-rat and practical sides equally. However, the dirty little secret is that the GTS is (mostly) a careful packaging of the Carrera S’s performance options. Buy new, and the GTS offers value over an à la carte Carrera S. Buy used, and the GTS fetches an oversized premium over a near-identical Carrera S. Unless you want the styling tweaks of the GTS, or its modest bump in power, save cash with a used S.
Hence, the 2019 911 Carrera S seen here today. A prior Porsche of Livermore demonstrator, it’s specced as-near-as-makes-no-difference to a GTS. PASM Sports suspension adds handling chops and drops the ride height by 20 mm. Rear steering improves agility in parking lots and in canyons. Sport Chrono and sport exhaust serve up the headiest rush you can get from a Carrera S lineup. MSRP? Just shy of $130k. But since this is a year-old demonstrator with 5,400 “gentle” miles, the asking price is $103.5k. Shop older cars, and similar 991.2 S’s can be found in the low $80k’s.
So, pop quiz! Where does the 991.2 S fall on the spectrum between 992 S brilliance and 997.2 S disappointment? I’ve got 30 minutes to figure it out.
Q1: Does the 991.2 S shape excite? (Silly question…all Porsche 911s look the same!) Yes! The shape excites. My pulse quickens as I approach the 991.2 S and am handed its key. I absolutely love the sleek and slammed look of this silver Carrera S.
Q2: Does the 991.2 S fit like a glove? Slipping into the perfectly-supportive driver’s seat, I immediately feel comfortable and at home. The steering wheel, pedals, and shifter are all placed right where I need them. The 18-way adjustable seats are ready for thousand-mile journeys. The outward visibility, and interior practicality, are excellent. While the 991.2 S lacks the crisp, refreshed interior and infotainment of the 992, I’m at ease with the 991.2’s older cabin design.
Q3: Does the 991.2 S’s steering delight fingers? The parking lot exit is paved in bricks. I trundle across them at 5 mph, listening with my fingertips for tire data communicated up the steering column and through the leather-wrapped steering wheel. While the steering has perfect weighting, resistance, and response, the feedback is muted. Sadly, little texture makes it from the road to the driver’s hands. (More road grain can be felt in the seat and floorboards.) Strangely, the base 991.2 was a better conversationalist. And wasn’t the 992 S’s wheel chattier too?
Q4: Is the power still righteous? I run up the highway on-ramp, affirming that the twin-turbo 9A2 engine is a belter. Yes, the oomph is substantial. Dip into the throttle at 3k rpm, and 991.2 S responds now. Keep the gas floored, and the engine lights an afterburner at 4,500 rpm that does not extinguish until the 7,500 rpm redline. Compared to the heartthrob 992 S, the 991.2 S is a smidge slower, but the 991.2 S has a less pronounced turbo surge. (This 991.2 S tester has the Sport Plus drive mode that was missing from my 992 S; it may explain the sharper throttle response.) Like the 992 S, the 991.2 S is supercar fast, and the 9A2 engine does its best work above 4k rpm. The sport exhaust 991.2 S sounds just as good as the normal exhaust 992 S.
Q5: Is there anything new under the sun with PDK? Actually, yes! You must activate Sport Plus mode if you want the PDK to read your mind during spirited driving. (The 992 S lacked Sport Plus, and I manually shifted since Sport mode did not match my driving style.)
Q6: Is the PASM Sports suspension a bruiser? Surprisingly, no. The highway exit is blistered and bumpy, but I’m perfectly comfortable in the 991.2 S. Even though the sports suspension drops the car by 20 mm, the ride is as agreeable as a standard PASM 992. That is to say, the 991.2 S is glued to terra firma as if it was pulled towards the Earth’s iron core with rare-earth magnets, yet it avoids harsh crashes and jolts. I’d absolutely spec sports suspension in my 911 and plan on driving it every day.
Q7: Does the chassis plow or pivot? I explore the 991.2 S’s dynamics on Flynn Road, a swooping, looping, lumping, bumping, piece of country tarmac. I’ve got the 991.2 S in Sport Plus for the best power delivery, but I quickly switch the suspension back to its most compliant mode to keep the wheels in touch with the alligator-back pavement. Bucking be damned, the 991.2 S is unerringly level, without a hint of body roll or chassis float. I huck the 991.2 S into a first gear 90-degree L-turn. The 991.2 sics the entry, plants its rear paws, and digs out of the corner. When the 991.2 S bites into a corner, its tail eagerly follows: The car moves as one piece and does not plow. The rear Pirelli’s have more grip than a rear-wheel-drive car should—thank you, rear engine!—while the fronts have surprising stick for a 911. (Thank you, rear steer?) The flickering stability-control light suggests that lunatics could get the 991.2 S to powerslide, but you’d have to be so committed to the corner that you should be, well, committed.
Final Score: I’m excited and sweaty as my backroad romp ends. Wow! This is one of the best handling sports cars I’ve driven, and it’s comfortable and practical too. When equipped with the sport package goodies and PASM Sport suspension, the 991.2 S is Fast (yes, with a capital F), fun, and perfectly aimed at that thin slice between track weapon and daily driver. Yes, this 991.2 S is an excellent dollar-saving substitute for a 991.2 GTS or 992 S. Too bad the savings aren’t large enough to shoehorn a 991.2 S into my budget.
8/12/20 12:32AM
Mike's Steering Column 