What's the best way to try out a 991?

[Honeywell]

Hi, I've never driven a Porsche 911 but in a year or two I may have the budget to buy an early 991 Carrera. Thing is I don't want to pursue this idea without knowing that I will actually like driving the car. I don't think a 15 minute test drive from an OPC or a ride along with a private owner trying to sell his car would really allow me to decide that I like the driving experience.

So the question is how is the best way to go about getting a couple of hours behind the wheel of a 991 Carrera?

Ideally I'd like drive on the road and on a track. I don't want to drop £45,000 on a car, get it home, and after a few weeks feel like I shouldn't have bothered as it doesn't really suit me.

Thanks in advance.

[Twinfan]

The Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone is your friend

https://www.porsche.com/silverstone/en/

[Honeywell]

OK, thanks. I had assumed that they would only have a fleet of current models not a now nine year old model?

Edited by Honeywell on Friday 23 April 11:50

[Twinfan]

Good point, I'd overlooked that part. Apologies. I read it as 992.

They have a 991.1 GT3 on the fleet I think, but vanilla models probbably not. However, I'd give them a ring and see if they have anything suitable - they're always happy to tailor something to you if they can.

[Fnumber1user]

Why not wait until you are ready to purchase, or alternatively throw a post up on one of the many facebook pages and ask if there's a kind Samaritan on there who would take you out, and/or let you have a drive (make sure you have insurance in place!)...

[Honeywell]

Because I don't want to invest hundreds of hours of researching and following the market and looking at options and specs and shortlisting colours and checking insurance quotes and working out likely running costs and ALL THAT if in the end I take one out and go - I Don't Like This.

My chief concern is that I mostly drive English B roads and Welsh A roads and I've no interest in Autobahns, Nurburgrings or using it as a daily. It will be a third car for high days and fun days. At the moment I'm very happy with a tuned and tweaked GT86 which fulfils the brief very well. Its just I always promised myself a 911 as a kid and I saw one yesterday in my village and it looked a million dollars and actually I can drop £50k on a toy if I want to - I just don't know if I want to.

I know I don't want to be that guy that time wastes sellers or dealers angling at test drives for a particular vehicle when I've no intention of buying that specific one. Because I hate that.

I did consider buying an MX5 ND when they were launched and the Mazda dealer cheerfully chucked me the keys and said "take it out for a couple of hours and see what you think". I'm suspecting an OPC wont do that...

[Holgate86]

A Guards Red 911 has always been my pin up car, however I’ve test driven three (usual OPC test drive) over the years and just didn’t really gel with any of them. I’ve been in cars before for a short test drive and thought I must have one....but that didn’t happen with the 911.

I’d test drive a couple as soon as you can, make your mind up and go from there.

[Cheib]

Honeywell said:

OK, thanks. I had assumed that they would only have a fleet of current models not a now nine year old model?

Edited by Honeywell on Friday 23 April 11:50

They have older GT cars but you’re right nothing much in the way of older regular 911’s.

What I would say as well OP is what has drawn you to a 991 and do you want a manual or PDK ? 991 for me feels a bit more like a GT car even than a 997 despite the size difference being minimal. Also within the range and individual models they can vary enormously depending on how specced.

For £45k for a weekend car I would personally look at either a manual 997 Carrera S or a PDK 997 GTS. Your £45k budget won’t get you a manual GTS. 997 has hydraulic steering, personally think it has a nicer manual gearbox and is a nicer car to drive than a 991.1 Carrera. 997 GTS chassis is tweaked a little over the Carrera S to make it a bit “sportier”, works brilliantly on our country roads/

Edited by Cheib on Saturday 24th April 12:44

[Honeywell]

I just feel a 997 is now a really old car and frankly I like the styling of the 991 better. I agree there's a real risk that it's not the right car for me because I want something playful on a B road and the 991 is more of a GT car in may respects. Nevertheless I am tempted by scratching my 911 itch with something a bit more modern than a 997 and a bit more flashy. As I say its a 3rd car toy thing.

I just don't want to covet something and then go buy one if I'm not actually going to enjoy driving it. An extended test drive would sort this out for me. Just doesn't seem easy to openly arrange.

[GT6 Jonsey]

If you are serious about trying one out for a bit then just hire one from the many sports/super car hire companies. Ok it won’t be cheap but depends on how serious you are at getting one. It’s the only way I can think of that will meet you requirements bar possibly cost

Edited by GT6 Jonsey on Saturday 24th April 20:01

[Honeywell]

Many? I don't know of any that do three gen old basic 911 Carreras.

[Mattph100]

Quick google gives this, should let you try:

https://exoticcars.enterprise.co.uk/en/vehicles/po...

Edited by Mattph100 on Saturday 24th April 22:36

[anonymous-user]

Honeywell said:

Many? I don't know of any that do three gen old basic 911 Carreras.

What I would ask is, "what are your expectations"?

If you think it will be like a quick SUV you'll come away disappointed.

If you think it will be like a Caterham you'll come away disappointed.

I thought 991 was a brilliant drive. Nonetheless I bought a 981 instead. 991 is IMO a very fast and very competent 2-door coupe.

[Honeywell]

I expect it to be like a bigger more expensive version of my GT86.

[Honeywell]

Mattph100 said:

Quick google gives this, should let you try:

https://exoticcars.enterprise.co.uk/en/vehicles/po...

Edited by Mattph100 on Saturday 24th April 22:36

Thanks. For £500 that does look like a potential solution.

[PurpleFox]

Honeywell said:

I just feel a 997 is now a really old car and frankly I like the styling of the 991 better. I agree there's a real risk that it's not the right car for me because I want something playful on a B road and the 991 is more of a GT car in may respects. Nevertheless I am tempted by scratching my 911 itch with something a bit more modern than a 997 and a bit more flashy. As I say its a 3rd car toy thing.

I just don't want to covet something and then go buy one if I'm not actually going to enjoy driving it. An extended test drive would sort this out for me. Just doesn't seem easy to openly arrange.

You would get an extended test drive at most OPC I would assume if they had a suitable used 991 in stock. The problem is no one is going to be interested when you tell them you will be back in two years if you like it and no one can blame them for that!

[Billy_Whizzzz]

Honeywell said:

I expect it to be like a bigger more expensive version of my GT86.

It will be nothing like that.

[Honeywell]

PurpleFox said:

You would get an extended test drive at most OPC I would assume if they had a suitable used 991 in stock. The problem is no one is going to be interested when you tell them you will be back in two years if you like it and no one can blame them for that!

Hence my exploration of other avenues. My experience about six years ago when I was seriously considering buying a 981 from an OPC is that an accompanied 8 mile test drive was all that was on offer. With average traffic conditions you don't really learn that much.

[Honeywell]

Billy_Whizzzz said:

It will be nothing like that.

Nothing like a high revving boxer engined RWD coupe with small rear seats and electromechanical steering? What is it like then?

[Cheib]

Most OPC’s won’t allow for a test drive unless they think you’re serious about buying. Used cars have to be prepped so once it’s been road tested it’s got to get cleaned again and then you have the risk of stone chips etc as a lot of OPC cars of this age will have had a front end repaint.

You might get lucky if they take one in for stock on a trade in that you can drive before it’s prepared for sale. Pick an OPC that’s in a good area for test drives....so somewhere like Cambridge or Silverstone who are both near country roads.