RE: Tell Me I'm Wrong: Porsche 911 Turbo

[mattberkshire]

I drove the 991 Turbo last December on winter tyres. It was flipping brilliant and the winters gave it a lovely extra bit of slide. Drove the F-Type V8 S recently too and that was also brilliant. The 911 was more brilliant in that the power was useable, the F Type can oversteer with just a tiny bit of extra throttle, which can be interesting on tight British roads. Anyway, I disagree with Dan. The 911 Turbo is absolutely fantastic and I'd drive it every day if I owned one

[BIRMA]

Carl_Docklands said:

MarkPhillipson said:

Dave Hedgehog said:

thepony said:

YOU ARE WRONG

This is just pure publicity stunt to get more viewers and audience on to the website to comment on this article.

Wonder what's next the BMW M3 ?

very much so, its getting very silly now

what next the Zonda R is ste cause it only does 5mpg whilst hot lapping the ring??

The mclaren F1 is useless because you cant get 4 child seats in it?

Mr Hedgehog misses the point entirely here. The whole premise of the article was NOT that the 911 Turbo may be fast but is impracticable but rather it is very fast but not that much fun. The writer brilliantly encapsulates my own experience of having had a 996 C4 and thinking the Turbo version would be very similar but even more so. It was not. I never got on with it for exactly the same reasons that he gives. Straightline speed can put a smile on your face for a brief drive or two but quickly palls - it is almost too fast to enjoy the acceleration. I realise that this sounds strange but it was true for me. With the money from selling the Turbo I now have another 996 C4 and a 964 C4 Cabrio, both of which I love and are fun even when not flat out. QED. (I also have a 156 GTa).

The counter argument though, is what makes the 997 C4 better at 30-40mph driving than a 997 Turbo?

Nobody has really nailed a good reason for it other than the exhaust note.

My Turbo remains off boost for most of the time, it acts like a 3.8 NA car as I use the throttle lightly. It will only start to hit boost if the throttle travel hits a certain degree angle.

In this context, I don't see how the car can be classed as overpowered.

I am perfectly happy tootling around in this manner, the Turbo is a big pussycat and will not bite your head off. The car gives you options, you can choose to dip into it as the situation demands. Normal driving during the week, head down to Brands at the weekends.

Flat-out in the dry, the straight-line pace is approximate to a 458 Italia. I don't really see why the Turbo is being singled out for it's speed when there are other cars out there just as quick.

I think you've nailed it there Carl, and it's one of the reasons when I decide to move my Boxster on I will buy one. Having tried countless other cars over the past 5 years or so the 911 Turbo has always comes out as my preferred choice. Being a tight git I will buy one that is about 4-5 years old from new because at that point they are a secondhand bargain.

[monthefish]

BIRMA said:

Carl_Docklands said:

MarkPhillipson said:

Dave Hedgehog said:

thepony said:

YOU ARE WRONG

This is just pure publicity stunt to get more viewers and audience on to the website to comment on this article.

Wonder what's next the BMW M3 ?

very much so, its getting very silly now

what next the Zonda R is ste cause it only does 5mpg whilst hot lapping the ring??

The mclaren F1 is useless because you cant get 4 child seats in it?

Mr Hedgehog misses the point entirely here. The whole premise of the article was NOT that the 911 Turbo may be fast but is impracticable but rather it is very fast but not that much fun. The writer brilliantly encapsulates my own experience of having had a 996 C4 and thinking the Turbo version would be very similar but even more so. It was not. I never got on with it for exactly the same reasons that he gives. Straightline speed can put a smile on your face for a brief drive or two but quickly palls - it is almost too fast to enjoy the acceleration. I realise that this sounds strange but it was true for me. With the money from selling the Turbo I now have another 996 C4 and a 964 C4 Cabrio, both of which I love and are fun even when not flat out. QED. (I also have a 156 GTa).

The counter argument though, is what makes the 997 C4 better at 30-40mph driving than a 997 Turbo?

Nobody has really nailed a good reason for it other than the exhaust note.

My Turbo remains off boost for most of the time, it acts like a 3.8 NA car as I use the throttle lightly. It will only start to hit boost if the throttle travel hits a certain degree angle.

In this context, I don't see how the car can be classed as overpowered.

I am perfectly happy tootling around in this manner, the Turbo is a big pussycat and will not bite your head off. The car gives you options, you can choose to dip into it as the situation demands. Normal driving during the week, head down to Brands at the weekends.

Flat-out in the dry, the straight-line pace is approximate to a 458 Italia. I don't really see why the Turbo is being singled out for it's speed when there are other cars out there just as quick.

I think you've nailed it there Carl,

(I've also owned both 996t and 996c4)

[Gary C]

BIRMA said:

Carl_Docklands said:

MarkPhillipson said:

Dave Hedgehog said:

thepony said:

YOU ARE WRONG

This is just pure publicity stunt to get more viewers and audience on to the website to comment on this article.

Wonder what's next the BMW M3 ?

very much so, its getting very silly now

what next the Zonda R is ste cause it only does 5mpg whilst hot lapping the ring??

The mclaren F1 is useless because you cant get 4 child seats in it?

Mr Hedgehog misses the point entirely here. The whole premise of the article was NOT that the 911 Turbo may be fast but is impracticable but rather it is very fast but not that much fun. The writer brilliantly encapsulates my own experience of having had a 996 C4 and thinking the Turbo version would be very similar but even more so. It was not. I never got on with it for exactly the same reasons that he gives. Straightline speed can put a smile on your face for a brief drive or two but quickly palls - it is almost too fast to enjoy the acceleration. I realise that this sounds strange but it was true for me. With the money from selling the Turbo I now have another 996 C4 and a 964 C4 Cabrio, both of which I love and are fun even when not flat out. QED. (I also have a 156 GTa).

The counter argument though, is what makes the 997 C4 better at 30-40mph driving than a 997 Turbo?

Nobody has really nailed a good reason for it other than the exhaust note.

My Turbo remains off boost for most of the time, it acts like a 3.8 NA car as I use the throttle lightly. It will only start to hit boost if the throttle travel hits a certain degree angle.

In this context, I don't see how the car can be classed as overpowered.

I am perfectly happy tootling around in this manner, the Turbo is a big pussycat and will not bite your head off. The car gives you options, you can choose to dip into it as the situation demands. Normal driving during the week, head down to Brands at the weekends.

Flat-out in the dry, the straight-line pace is approximate to a 458 Italia. I don't really see why the Turbo is being singled out for it's speed when there are other cars out there just as quick.

I think you've nailed it there Carl, and it's one of the reasons when I decide to move my Boxster on I will buy one. Having tried countless other cars over the past 5 years or so the 911 Turbo has always comes out as my preferred choice. Being a tight git I will buy one that is about 4-5 years old from new because at that point they are a secondhand bargain.

The turbo 997 is an amazing car. Drove one on a track and it was fast (obviously) but the gt3 was more 'fun'. Not something I can put my finger on but the turbo was almost better than I was. The gt3 felt similar in some ways to my carrera in that you have to work the chassis. For example you have to shade the brake in the right circumstances to get the weight to transfer to sharpen the turn in, never felt that in the turbo, it just went fast, gripped and went faster again.

If you put the keys to both a gt3 and a turbo in front of me, it would be the gt3 but then it would be just a fun car. if it had to be a daily driver, not sure much would improve on the turbo.

[duke911]

Fu_k me I nearly fell asleep reading that,sounds as if you are not a 911 man,everyone to there own I say.I agree these days cars are much quicker but feel slower because of all the woolly bits added to make it a nicer place to be all day long.If you want to drive something then you need to be in a TVR or GT3 Lotus Elise etc. these cars have to be driven and not sat in.I believe that you can get as much fun in an old loud car these days than a modern quick car,but for everyday driving the newer car always wins so you need that sunday car tucked away in the back of the garage for that day when you just want to drive...

[Por911T]

I've just moved from 2yr 997 turbo ownership into a GT3 RS..............all of a sudden IM ALIVE !!!!

The editorial is 100% accurate the turbo left me cold - oh turbo I tried to love you !

[Petrolicious]

Definitely wrong. All 911T's are exciting and massively capable. The fact their limits are beyond most drivers doesn't make them boring, if anything it pushes you to get the skills to exploit them!

[AMG Merc]

Petrolicious said:

All 911T's are exciting and massively capable.

Agreed. I'd also suggest that there are very few, if any, other contendors for a totally 'all-round/every-day-of-the-year sport car' out there.