jdedeux

did anyone make the jump yet? i'm being conned into test driving the 992 today...i'm nervous it may be too good I love driving manual and wouldnt have it any other way, but is the new 992 interior/technology and magic of PDK enough to sell me over?? power is more or less the same as my GTS (992 faster with PDK off the line) and it brings all of the new chassis/body upgrades, so....

will report back....curious if anyone else is going through this dilemma

UPDATE:
Thanks for all the comments...agree with many of them. the test drive was just that...therefore, not a lot of time to really get the best out of the car. My first impressions:

- The interior is a big leap from the 991. still felt like a 911 but the those screens are gorgeous--everything felt much more accessible and i do like the mix between physical buttons and digital functions. It looks clean and very modern. You def. have to get used to the shifter--it looks like an electric razor. seats were comfortable and I def think you can sit lower than my GTS; an added bonus for those that like the lower seating position.
- the exhaust note is noticeably different than my GTS, especially at idle. More throaty and you can tell they worked hard to improve over the 991. we've all heard the battle of NA vs Turbos...Porsche is doing a great job compensating here. It sounds great in the higher RPM range. it will never match a GT3 at 9K RPM
-PDK is just out of this world. this thing was mind-numbing fast, especially on down shifts. sport+ was incredible...it's amazing to see how it down shifts to 2nd gear from 6th when you floor it. While i love the manual, I can see why folks have no regrets when they switch to a PDK. paddle shifting on a car with a gearbox like PDK is fun in its own right. The added benefit of improved track times is a +
- Power was there...low end torque seemed sufficient. the PDK certainly helps compensate. I realize that early tests show this car to 60 in a mere 3 seconds and power is likely under-rated. that said, in normal driving and hard pulls on the highway, it didn't 'feel' that much faster than my GTS. Certainly not to the point that I would have noticed, say like a GT3 or Turbo model.
- I wasnt able to maneuver much around streets at speed to really test the chassis--it's really something you need to do at a track or back roads. Again, very comfortable, composed driving at normal street speeds, but these cars are made for daily driving anyway. No different than the GTS in my opinion. i dont believe this one had RWS optioned like mine, but again, hard to tell in my short test drive if it would have made a difference
- This car is definitely a looker in person...much better looking than the pictures online. I dont mind the bloated back-end--it suits the car. I like the exhaust tips but this car would benefit from painted rear valance vs. the plastic since it's so big. The door handles are weird to get used to...if they are not extended, you have to dig under to open the door which feels strange. The car has presence without a doubt but it could benefit from a suspension adjustment as it sits a little too high for my taste.

Ultimately, i'm not getting rid of my GTS any time soon. The dealer in STL had a bunch of inventory already (i think he said 12), so I suspect they are willing to make a deal, but I'm not convinced yet. i'll wait for the manual to come out and test drive again--Q1 is when they expect them. I think the feedback here from you guys on waiting for the 992.2 or even the GTS variant is probably the right move based on my early impressions. Frankly, I may even switch to a lightly used 991.2 GT3 first before jumping ship to the 992.

Happy driving...

stout

Have driven both, and a fair bit. It's far more fun to get your take without a bunch of conditioning from us, but...

I'll say this: Be prepared to be impressed by how good the new PDK is if you get to lean on it, and thus, be prepared to not be overly influenced/charmed out of your 7MT GTS too soon. If you love driving a manual, there's no replacing it, in my experience and from having read posts here by many 997 and 991 buyers who made the switch to PDK based on an amazing test drive and then went back to an MT the next time. If you love everything about the 992, and are still loving your 991 manual, you can always wait for the 992 manual.

Just two cents, and will be very curious to hear your take on the 992 as a 991 GTS driver.

Bob Z.

I agree with stout except I would wait to take a test drive until the manual comes out! As much as I would want to like a PDK/dual-clutch, since it would open up a lot more different choices for my next sports car, I would be bored driving one after driving manuals for so long.

Guards_Red_991

This is my opinion and nothing else:

I drove my brother's 997 PDK when I was looking to buy one. I still ended up getting a manual.
I drove many 991 PDKs before getting mine. I still ended up getting a manual.

Real manual drivers will get it... Nothing replaces the feeling of rowing though the gears. It is not about efficiency or how quick you go through it.

Class5Kayaker

Do any dealers order manuals for their lot these days though? Might be really hard to find a manual 992 to test drive unless it's a friend's car.

LexVan

I think the real minimal sweet spot with 911 upgrading, for current owners, it to skip 2 iterations. For example if you have a 997.1 it's possible the 991.1 offers you something but not the 997.2. Another example is if you are coming from a 991.2 I'd wait till the 992.2 is launched, and not 'chase' the next new shiny toy. YMMV.

jdedeux

right, no way i'll ever be able to test drive a manual. this is solely a trust-based purchase given Porsche's track record with manuals. i track my car maybe twice a year, so my decision is heavily swayed by the creature comforts and around-town 'feel' of the car, which i think i can gauge from test driving a PDK.

Bob Z.

Why not try them out at the PEC? It would be a nice road trip/vacation and you can beat on them much more that during a test drive. By the way, my dealer buys manuals quite often, but not as much as PDKs.

Bobby 911

i honestly wouldn't ever consider this just because of the 992 styling alone. i'm sorry, but it's horrid. not to mention leaving manual behind for the braun auto.

CT_Peter

I'd felt this way too, but after spending some time around them in person, the exterior styling doesn't bother me nearly so much as it did in photos. It still looks a little "swollen" to my eyes, but otherwise, I like it more than I thought I would. The interior however is still a bit much for me. I think it's perfect for the longevity of the brand/model as this is what's needed (IMO!) in order to continue to be competitive with what new buyers will want. For me, I'm very happy with the interior of my 991.2... which even feels too much compared to a 997 gen.

Completely agreed on how ridiculous that shifter looks, but again, I think for new to the brand buyers, they aren't going to notice or care as much.

Based upon my limited driving of the 992, I was happy with how close it felt in driving to my car. At least the driving feel has made it through to the new model.

I'm in the camp of, until it has a proper manual, it wouldn't begin to tempt me regardless of all the other differences pro or con.

Keadog

I ended up changing my ‘15 C4S order for a ‘15 TT, meaning I could only get a PDK. Kept it less than a year and lost many dollars on the trade back to a MT car.
Never again for me. Side bonus is it keeps me from drooling over a lot of cars I will never be able to afford. I do DD an S550 and wouldn’t want a MT in it of course. But any “sports car” I own will only have a MT.

AdamSanta85

You sound like the type that only leaves 1 or 5 star Yelp reviews.

Bobby 911

and you sound like a sensitive 992 owner. i can't help it if i can't stand the styling changes. perhaps you're new to the internet, but if you look around, you'll see i'm one of many who share this opinion.

Bobby 911

my friend owns one, so i really wanted to like it. but spending time around it in person didn't help me. to each his own though and i read on the 992 boards some guys are getting as much as 10% off on new orders, which is a bit mind boggling since it just came out, but that's great for new buyers.

Guards_Red_991

This... I don't think jumping to the next gen makes a lot of sense since changes are not that drastic.

I regret selling my 997 but I love my 991... So confusing to love them both, my heart is too big.