How does it feel to drive/own a PORSCHE 911?

Question

I was wondering if any Porsche ownsers would be willing to share their driving experience behind a Porsche 911.It is my favorite car and i am planning to buy it.PLEASE ONLY PEOPLE THAT OWN OR DROVE ONE.No idiots with corvetes(plumbers car)THANKS

Answer 1

The driving experience will depend alot on both the specific car and the driver... 911s are exciting and fun cars to drive, and cars with basically high limits. However, they are cars that demand a certain precision on the part of the driver as you approach the limits... and the older the 911 the more demanding it is, and the worse the bite if you happen to make a mistake.

As they come from the factory, all of the cars understeer (as does virtually ever car produced nowadays), and with the engine weight in the back, they are quick to go into trailing throttle oversteer. The steering in all of the cars feels light and responsive (even in the pre-1990 models that don't have power steering, the lack of weight over the front wheels makes them easy to handle). The handling peculiarities of the 911 are such that some would have you believe that every skid mark left on the road is the result of an out of control 911... the cars handle extremely well, and they are very good at pointing you where you want to go (while the weight distribution is not ideal for balance, you have a front end with low polar momentum, and a back with high, making it a well place yet darty car, until things come loose... and the pivot point works out to be placed right at the front axel giving fantastic turn in). But when the cars are pushed (something most drivers will never do), they can prove to be a handful, and require skill to drive.

All of the cars feature fantastic brakes, with the rear weight bias here helping get the most from all four corners (though again, under stock setup, the fear of oversteer by manufacturers has left a too much margin for error in the back).

While I think the earlier cars sound the best (the sound of some of the early mechanically injected cars with a factory sports exhaust is simply soul stirring), they all sound like proper sports cars. The earlier the car, the more spartan it's appointments, on to the modern cars which contain quite a bit of luxury. To a point, all of these cars had many more luxury appointments than their competitors at the time, but by modern standards, even the 80s cars will no seem less so.

Great cars, fun to own... and, I think, one of the only cars you can own that will make you a better driver.

Answer 2

It's takes some getting use to, but it's always fun. To get the most out of the car you have to become the car. Looking at the tachometer will become a waste of time, your ears will tell you when to shift. The sound of the AIR COOLED 911 is truly music, the car lives in the upper RPM's. The A/C system never works right, but who needs that. Windows down, lonely twisting road, and a 911 your a happy person...... well no cops and your a really happy person. Now to go one better change the 911 to a 356 and your in another world.

Answer 3

I drive a 1987 911 every day. It is really difficult to describe. Driving down the road I am aware of the sound of the engine coming from behind me, the faint ticking of the valves, the sound of the air intake under full acceleration, and of course, the exhaust note. Some road noise comes in also, although more as vibration than actual noise. I swear I can feel the texture of the road surface through the car. It turns flat, steering is more responsive than any other car I have ever driven.

Answer 4

It is amazing.....I also have a Boxster and it is just as good. There is only so much power you need, and a porsche with 200+ hp is amazing, especially the handling on the 911.

You will love this car but avoid 1996-2001 models they have more problems and are more costly to fix, be prepared to spend a lot of money for repairs and maintenance

Answer 5

Hey I owned a 911 C4s Cab and that car was really nice. It handles beautifully and has the power to hit triple digits with breeze. The car was wonderful. It isnt really all the comftable inside, in long driving conditions but no car is. I also drive a cayyene S and that car is one nice SUV. It handles really well and is forgiving. It feels like im driving a car more than SUV. Even though its not a 911 the cayyene is also a blast to drive (the cayyene turbo is faster than a regular carrera I swear!). Owning a 911 is really lucky, but theirs always something better, maybe your neighbors f430 or lamborghini gallardo?

Answer 6

Hello. I own a 2000 Carrera S, and I recently purchased a 2007 Carrera 4S. They are both great. Performence is supurb: when you own a Porsche, you have to drive it like a porsche. Also, you should get only a Manual Transmission. The Auto's are great, but the real feel for the car is when you can launch from 4,000 RPM to merge onto the Highway or so.

Answer 7

depends on the car of course, i've driven many.
key thing with 911's, especially early models, is that you must know how to handle them, or they will bite you in the ***.

The engine placement is not ideal (in fact, by every law of physics, it should be be lethal, and sometimes is). Early cars were not equipped with power steering. i believe the late 80's cars and had it as an option, and it was standard on 993s, and power brakes were not added till the 80's.

the 60's-late 70's cars were the epitome of the light-racer ethos. good performance, simple to maintain, almost god-like handling compared to other period cars, lol. but they sacrificed interior comforts. most came with nothing more than a radio and a heater.

my personal favorite is the late '80's Carrera 3.2: This particular car has a very good engine, both powerful and quite reliable. They also had the excellent 5-speed G50 transmission installed. The handling was brilliant, felt like the car was on rails. Stopped and turned on a dime (though with no power steering, it took some muscle). For a car that's 20 years old, you'd expect some degradation in performance, but it's still enough to humble many modern performance cars, including drag racing a Mustang GT, and circuit racing anything from Z's to Camaro's. (my particular car still has original shocks, as well as the engine, with over 140k miles on the all, much of it was hard driving.)

The styling is also quite good, still looks modern 20 years later. My isn't even in restored condition, and it still generates favorable comments, and of course,, women love it.

The 993 generation was also quite good. Mostly just an evolution of the 80's car, more power and refinement, as well as smoother styling. Good choice if you want more modern conviences, and newer looking styling. (key thing for larger drivers (the 993, and 80's cars had a very spacious interior, plenty of legroom. earlier cars weren't nearly as big.)

996 generation was a huge update, though not necessarily for the best. Biggest thing was replacement of the old air-cooled engines, with water-cooled, redesigned versions. Early models weren't always reliable.


for the most distinct driving experience, try a Turbo, any Turbo. They all have insane power, and not enough tire to keep the power on the road. They are immensely fun to drive though.

sorry for the rambling nature of the post, i'm very tired, just got back from a roadtrip in, what else, the Porsche, lol/

good luck on buying one. if you need any help in purchasing, please don't hesitate to send me a message.

Answer 8

Porsche 911 the BMW M3 is nothing compared to the Porsche. At least when a Porsche is beaten up it looks better then a BMW.

Answer 9

Loved my 78 911 SC. Always got looks (10 years old) and ran like an Adult Go Cart on Steroids. Good luck with your purchase!!

Answer 10

Smooth. It's hard to drive though it's like stick. And don't buy it if you aren't used to friving with both feet because you won't be using the same foot like in a regular car