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So Sunday marked the one-year anniversary of "gotcha day" for my 991.2 Turbo. Thoughts? Impressions? When I finally met my hero, was its armor shiny and its demeanor gallant, or was its armor made of tin foil and its demeanor soaked in the aroma of too much cheap beer and last night's bad decisions? The one year review that nobody asked for is below.
The first thing that comes to mind is just how easy it is to live with. Commute to work? Home Depot? Groceries? No problem. For my life's needs, I just don't find it compromised. Me, my wife and son enjoy it together regularly (my two year old son requests it specifically - "wanna go in the Por-sha, the cool car"). Sure, there might have been one single occasion in the last year or so where I needed to travel with four people and, if I still had my M3, I would have taken it rather than our Outback. But that's about it. I have found the car absolutely up to whatever I want to do with it. This even extends to hauling bikes and skis, and I can say one of my favorite uses for the Turbo is loading skis on the car (factory roof rack) and sneaking up the mountains for a weekday morning of skiing and making it back by early afternoon to still clock in a half day or work. With snow tires (Michelin Alpins), the car is unflappable in even significant snowfall. There are occasions where the boost starts to kick in and you feel the back gently step out with a big ol' rooster tail of snow shooting out the back of the car, but that's all in fun. It's just enough to let you know that you're out in the elements with something special.
But, let's be honest: nobody, including me, buys a Turbo to go get groceries. How is it when the going gets spicy? Phenomenal. Unfortunately, there aren't so many opportunities to drive this car to it's potential on public roads and that does become frustrating. When I can drive it that way, the thing is a freaking cheat code. Rear wheel steering makes the car nimble. Damping is excellent and the car is surefooted over imperfect road, which makes it easy to confidently enjoy all that power on tap. And on the power - at some point I'll bug Sam ByDesign for some more juice but even in its current form the thing just hauls. It's not speed that's always perceptible, and on the contrary, it's speed that sneaks up on you; real speed. It's speed like when you listen to a song at 1.5x - everything is familiar, but it all happens faster. I've had to restrain myself and dial things back with this car as there are situations where I have said "yeah I can do that" where I wouldn't with other cars (e.g., my old M3) because the Turbo is just so capable ("just because you can, doesn't mean you should").
Speed and capability are great, but is it exciting? Yes*. The * is that, honestly the first six months with the car I wondered if it was TOO docile around town. It's very comfortable slipping on the sheep costume and pretending it's a normal car with everything in soft and normal. This of course is a common criticism about the 991.x Turbos and I think it's well founded but I also think it's a misinterpretation of a strength as a weakness. The fact that I can drive my fun car every day almost everywhere, and have fun while I'm doing it, is a strength, and is not something that can be as easily done with most more "exciting" cars. Luckily for us, the sheep costume is easily tailored to meet the driver's needs. In my case, that meant an exhaust, and I chose a Sharkweks muffler bypass. THAT was transformative and the car is MUCH more fun at all speeds with a little more song. I've written elsewhere (https://rennlist.com/forums/991-turb...1-turbo-2.html, post #18), but Sharkwerks is growl-y and raw (reminds me vaguely of modified 996TT builds and even a bit of GT2) and to me that sound aligns more with the car's true character and heritage. I also notice the turbos spooling a bit faster than stock which gives the car a more lively and responsive character overall. I couldn't recommend enough an exhaust enough for these cars, whichever your flavor.
Not to mention the car is dead reliable. It just works, without drama. I did end up buying a warranty but that's more me wanting peace of mind/being paranoid rather than a specific issue. I also wrapped the front of the car and high-impact areas in PPF.
What's next for the car in year 2? Summer wheels beckon, and perhaps a Cobb AP if I find one used at a decent price. I plan to track the car as well, though I injured my leg skiing so track time will have to wait until the second half of the year when I regain the use of my right leg!
What a great introduction and that teenage infatuation with the Porsche 911 Turbo hits home for me. My father was obsessed with MGB in the 80s, and I solemnly swore then never to own anything mechanically designed or built by the English.
In my case, the marketing campaign for the 964 Turbo gave birth to my obsession - anybody else with the 964/993 Turbo ads carefully cut out of magazines and taped to their walls? I finally achieved my automotive dream 3 years ago and my teenage sons haven't been the same since.
British cars are designed as revenge for losing the Colonies.
02-28-2024, 02:37 AM
